Faith that Provides a Foundation

We're going to read God's word together now.

I'm going to read from the passage that David is going to preach from in Hebrews.

!

You endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach

and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.

For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of

your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive

what is promised.

For yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay, but my righteous one

shall live by faith.

And if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and

preserved their souls.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

For by it the people of old received their commendation.

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is

seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Amen.

Amen.

My name is David Court.

I'm one of the ministers here, and as Chris intimated earlier, we're beginning a series

in Hebrews chapter 11 this evening.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

Perhaps one of the most well-known and well-loved chapters of the Bible, certainly I think the

most familiar passage in the letter to the Hebrews.

And it's a chapter that we're going to work through in our evening services over the next

few months, God willing.

However, unlike the renowned Puritan preacher Thomas Manton, we will not be preaching 65 sermons

on it.

You'll be glad to know.

Indeed, over the years, the chapter has been given many titles.

Manton sermons are compiled in a volume.

It's entitled By Faith.

Others include Faith Victorious, Heroes of the Faith, The Biography of Faith, God's Hall of

Faith, and Faith for Life.

And you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to work out that the great theme of the chapter

is faith.

Faith, I think the central term faith appears, I think, around 24 times in these verses.

And I want just to mention by way of introduction just three things about Hebrews 11.

First of all, it's unity.

The chapter itself is, I think, carefully constructed as a discrete section.

It's bookended in verses 1 and 2, and then at the end in verses 39 and 40 by these two expressions,

faith, and were commended.

It's a well-defined unit of the letter comprising, I suppose, a list of examples drawn from the

Old Testament of those who lived by faith in the living God.

It's a unity, and that's why often preachers, ministers will take this particular chapter and

preach through it.

Secondly, it's structure.

It's more than just a series of examples drawn randomly from the pages of the Old Testament.

There's a very definite pattern, progression through the chapter.

The emphasis here is not merely on the faith of certain individuals, but also on the saving

power of God made known in redemption history.

There's a chronological movement through the chapter.

The men and women of faith that are mentioned all served this unfolding plan and purpose

of God.

And then it's purpose, thirdly.

If the chapter contains this picture gallery of Old Testament saints, then it's a picture

that's set in a very definite frame.

The chapter is given to us in a particular context.

And I think it's important for us to see why the author wrote about these men and women

of faith and where that fits in the flow of the letter.

The letter to the Hebrews, as many of you will know, was written to a group of first-century

Christians, most probably converts from Judaism, and they were being tempted to abandon their

allegiance to Christ to drift back to their old way of life and their old religious practices.

And much of the letter is given over to highlighting the absolute sufficiency and supremacy of Jesus

Christ as prophet, priest, and king, as we were thinking about this morning.

And chapter 10 that Chris read for us, you'll notice concludes with a kind of warning and

a challenge.

The author reminds his hearers of what happened when they first came to faith in Jesus.

Recall the former days after you were enlightened.

You endured a hard struggle with sufferings, publicly exposed to reproach and affliction,

sometimes partners with those so treated.

You had compassion on those in prison, accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew

that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

So, in those former days, the Hebrews had been zealous for the gospel.

They'd been willing to suffer, put up with hardship.

They'd put up with opposition and indeed public shame for the sake of Christ.

And yet, with the passing of time, things had started to change.

And these Christian believers had become tired, weary.

They were being tempted to drift away from the gospel and indeed turn away from the living God.

They were beginning to subtly, perhaps, move their confidence elsewhere.

And that enthusiasm and commitment that they had to Christ had started to wane.

And that is a very real danger, isn't it, for Christian believers in every age and generation,

ourselves included.

Like the Hebrews of old, we too can be tempted, can we not, to be ashamed of Christ and His gospel.

Maybe ashamed of Him in our families or in our places of work or education.

To withdraw rather than engage.

To keep quiet rather than to speak up.

To turn back even rather than press on.

To blend in rather than stand out.

In Hebrews, the writer often likens his readers to being like the children of Israel.

Having left Egypt, as they made their way to the promised land,

you will remember that they grumbled and they complained.

They failed to believe God's promise to them.

And they didn't press on.

Rather than move forward, they chose to look back to Egypt and to this world.

And so, Hebrews 11 really is a chapter that comes amid a strong, sustained, stirring call

to perseverance and endurance.

To keep on in the way of faith.

And that is the context here.

Verse 35 and 36 of chapter 10.

Do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward.

You have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what He has promised.

We're not to give up, but to press on.

We're not to shrink back, but we're to move forward.

We're not to let go, but we're to hold on.

We're not to be ashamed, but we're to stand up.

And that's what makes this chapter of the Bible so perennially relevant for God's people through the ages.

Because whoever we are and whatever our situation may be, if we're Christian believers, we all need encouragement, stimulation to keep on going and to keep on living by faith.

Because, of course, faith is foundational to Christianity.

You can't be a Christian without faith.

It's fundamental to both being and living as a Christian.

In Reformed theology, three elements are often highlighted aspects of faith.

Often they give them kind of fancy Latin titles, but I don't do very well at Latin.

So, knowledge, assent, and trust.

And yet, in this chapter, the writer's not so much offering us a kind of definition of faith,

as he is encouraging us to join with that great company of Old Testament saints who've gone before us,

traveling in the way of faith.

And he's showing us here how faith works or operates or functions at a practical level.

It's a chapter that reminds us of the need to go on living the life of faith,

despite the problems and the difficulties,

often presented by a culture or society that's hostile to Christianity.

And I hope that as we work through this chapter in the coming weeks,

that if we're believers, we will be encouraged, inspired even,

to keep on in the way of faith.

And if we're not believers,

we'll be challenged to put our faith in the God of the Bible,

rather than simply live our lives looking to and trusting in ourselves.

What I want to do tonight is to look at the opening three verses of the chapter.

Let me read them again.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for,

the conviction of things not seen,

for by it the people of old received their commendation.

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God,

so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Well, let me mention three things about this great foundation of faith from our text tonight.

We'll take each verse in turn.

The first is this, in verse 1,

Faith looks to the future that God has promised.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for,

the conviction of things not seen.

Now, the ESV translation that we use here,

I think the NIV is the same,

translate this verse in such a way that kind of emphasizes

what we might call the subjective experience of faith.

In this way of reading the text,

the author highlights faith's inner sense of assurance and conviction,

and that's a perfectly acceptable way of reading the text.

But there is another way of reading or understanding the verse,

and it's preferred by some of the older translations,

including the authorized version.

And those of you of mature years who may be familiar with that

will remember how that reads.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

And the emphasis there in that translation

is not so much on the subjective,

but if I can put it this way,

the objective aspect of faith.

The writer uses a word here

that designates a kind of objective reality.

Faith is the substance.

It's the guarantee,

indeed the title deed of what we hope for.

It's something solid.

It's something substantial.

It's not a mist that evaporates

under the heat of life's trials and difficulties.

It is the foundation beneath our feet

when the ground starts to shake.

It's the title deed to the future

that God Himself has promised us in Jesus Christ.

And those things that are hoped for

are not kind of wishful thinking,

but rather something that is certain,

but not yet fully realized in our present experience.

It's the hope.

Paul speaks of that in Romans chapter 5, verse 5.

Romans 5:5

He says that the hope of glory will not let us down

because we've already tasted the love of God

in our hearts through the Spirit.

Elsewhere in Hebrews, the writer, chapter 6, 19,

tells us that this hope is set before us

as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul,

sure and steadfast substance.

He says that the faith is the evidence

of things not seen.

And indeed, that's a theme that runs throughout the chapter.

And we find that contrast things,

faith and unseen realities,

in verse 3, in verse 7, in verse 13, in verse 27.

The word evidence there is something like proof,

more than just a feeling or certainty of conviction.

Where God grants faith, and through the Holy Spirit,

He brings a piece of the future into the present.

And faith turns that future hope into a present reality.

Of course, we can't know or experience

that future reality fully or completely,

but we can know something of it in the present.

By faith, we take hold of the promise,

and we experience the substance

of what we will one day receive in full.

Thomas Manton writes,

a lively faith gives such a reality,

certainty, and present being to things hoped for,

and yet to come,

as if they were already actually enjoyed.

So, faith is not something unreasonable

or opposed to evidence.

The writer's point in this opening verse

is to highlight the fact

that faith is holding something to be true,

even though we have not yet seen it fully arrive.

The writer wants his readers to continue

believing in something

that has not yet been fulfilled.

He wants them to go on believing

in the promises of God,

despite the fact that what has been promised

has to date not yet been received in full.

And that's a distinction between receiving a promise

and receiving what was promised.

And we see that distinction later on

in the chapter, verses 13.

These all died in faith,

not having received the things promised,

but having seen them

and greeted them from afar,

and having acknowledged

that they were strangers

and exiles on the earth.

Verse 39,

And all of these,

though commended through their faith,

did not receive what was promised.

What was promised?

A great Savior in Jesus Christ.

A glorious future.

A city with foundations

whose architect and builder is God.

Later on in the letter,

that promise is described

in terms of a kingdom

that cannot be shaken.

These men and women

had a conviction

and a belief

in what God had promised to them.

Let me try and illustrate.

If a father

says to his son, for example,

that on Saturday afternoon

he'll take him to a football match,

then at that point

the son has received a promise,

but not yet received

what was promised.

He doesn't receive

what was promised

until the Saturday afternoon.

But nonetheless,

the boy can rely

on the promise

the father has made

and live in the light of it,

looking forward

to Saturday,

anticipating

what lies ahead,

preparing himself,

perhaps,

for the big match.

And that's faith.

It's not a leap in the dark.

It's holding on

to the promises

given by our heavenly father.

It is resting

and believing

in the promises

that God has made to us,

promises that are forever sure.

John Newton's great hymn,

Amazing Grace,

there's those famous lines,

The Lord has promised

good to me.

His word my hope secures.

He will my shield

and portion be

as long as life endures.

And the life of faith

has always meant just that,

to live trusting God

to do what we cannot yet see

in full.

That's what happened to Noah.

The people laughed at him,

but he believed God's promise

of a flood

even in the desert.

Abram was called by God

to go a place,

go a place

he had not yet seen.

And so we walk by faith,

not by sight.

We listen to God's word,

and we set our sights

on the power

and the promises

of our God.

And the hope

of the Christian believer

is nothing less

than God Himself.

His kingdom,

His power,

His glory,

and the consummation

of all His promises

that are yes and amen

in Jesus Christ.

We have received the promise,

but we have not fully received

what was promised.

Like the promise,

however,

of a human father

that can be derailed

by illness,

unforeseen difficulties,

poor planning.

That can never be true

of our Heavenly Father.

And the future

He has promised us

in Jesus Christ

is one of glory and joy.

It's a living hope

in perishable,

undefiled,

and unfading.

There is absolutely

no possibility

it will not be realized.

And so by faith,

we are to hold on

to the promises

that God Himself

has made

and persevere.

We're called

to the same kind of life

as those saints of old,

to be a people

looking forward

in faith.

Because faith

looks to the future

that God

has promised.

And that brings me

to the second thing here.

Faith looks to the future

that God has promised.

Secondly,

you'll notice that faith

is what God

commends.

For by it,

the people of old

received,

the ancients received

their commendation.

Faith is that

which God

commends.

Faith

pleases

God.

Faith

pleased God

in the past,

and faith

pleases God

today.

It's by faith

that the saints

of old

receive commendation.

The author

of the Hebrews

here

is not really

focusing,

I think,

on the nature

of that commendation.

His point

really is this,

is that it was

their faith

that was commended,

not anything else

about them.

Later in the chapter,

in verse 6

of the chapter,

he says,

without faith,

it is impossible

to please God.

And I suppose

there is a danger

in a chapter

like Hebrews 11,

which mentions

so many of the

Old Testament

faithful saints,

and kind of

reducing everything,

I suppose,

to a kind of

character study.

We end up saying

to people to try,

you know,

try to be a bit

more like Noah,

or Abraham,

or Sarah,

or Moses,

or whoever.

Here are these

great men and women

of God

who did great works,

mightily used of God.

You need to pull up

your socks,

be a bit more

like them.

And I think

that would be

a great mistake.

Because even

a cursory knowledge

of the Old Testament

reveals that

these men and women

were far from

being perfect individuals.

They had their faults

and frailties,

just like us.

They were all

weak, sinful

human beings.

And it's interesting,

the writer of Hebrews

has absolutely no interest

in their gifts

and their skills

and their abilities

and their pedigree

and their intellect.

He's only interested

in one thing,

their faith.

This is his point.

The reason they were

so greatly used

to further God's purposes

was that they trusted God.

They relied on God.

They believed in God.

We think of those things

that our world

loves to commend.

Think of those things

that this world

considers praiseworthy.

What are they?

They are things like

status and position,

beauty and celebrity,

wealth and riches,

academic intelligence,

political power,

physical strength.

These are the kinds

of things that are lauded

by the world.

And it's these kinds

of people that our world

wants to put on a pedestal.

They're the kind of folks

that fill the pages

of secular history books.

Human history is so often

about, isn't it,

about the great

and the powerful.

And yet God's assessment

is so very different.

It's those who walk humbly

with Him

that receive His approval.

It's those who choose

the path of a servant

and a slave

that merit His smile.

It's those who travel

the way of faith

that are commended.

And God's commendation

comes to those

who look away

from themselves

towards God.

They trust in Him

rather than in themselves.

They lean on Him.

They believe in Him.

They look to Him.

J.C. Ryle was the

Bishop of Liverpool

in the late 19th century.

He wrote a famous book

put together

entitled Holiness.

And it's a kind of series,

I think, really,

of sermons.

But in one of the chapters,

he writes this.

The true secret

of doing great things

for God

is to have great faith.

I believe we are all

apt to err on this point.

We think too much

and talk too much

about graces

and gifts

and attainments

and do not sufficiently

remember

that faith

is the root

and mother

of them all.

In walking with God,

a man will go

just as far

as he believes

and no further.

His life

will always be

proportioned

to his faith,

his peace,

his patience,

his courage,

his zeal,

his works.

All will be

according

to his faith.

And friends,

that's surely,

is it not,

a message of hope

for us all this evening.

God is not looking

for men and women

of great intellect

or ability.

He's looking for men

and women of faith.

Faith is key.

He's looking for those

who out of a sense

of their own

desperate need

ever cast themselves

and rely

on the living God.

Looking for those

who'll give up

on themselves,

who've despaired

of themselves,

who've abandoned

self-confidence

and instead

thrown themselves

upon the mercy

and grace

of the living God.

I wonder

if you've done

that tonight.

I wonder

who or what

you're really

trusting in.

The saints

of old,

Abel,

Enoch,

Noah,

Abraham,

Moses.

Their faith

was not

in their own

strength

and wisdom,

but in the God

who spoke

promises to them.

And friends,

God is speaking

promises to us

tonight.

Indeed,

the gospel

of Jesus Christ

is one great

and wonderful

promise.

For God

so loved

the world,

He gave

His only begotten

Son,

that whosoever

believes in Him

shall not perish,

but have eternal

life.

Let me ask you,

what are you doing

with that

wonderful promise

tonight?

These Old Testament

saints were commended

not because they

were perfect,

not because they

never wavered,

not because they

never stumbled

or sinned,

but because they

trusted God's

Word

above their

fears,

above their

circumstances,

above the

shouts of a

world that

called them

fools.

Friends,

we're called

to do the

same.

We're called

to trust

God

and His

assessment

of what

is commendable.

Look to Him

in all things

and in all

circumstances,

in both the

sweet and the

sour of life.

Be like those

people of old

who were

commended for

their faith.

constantly

turn to

Him

and trust

Him

in all

things

and for

all

things.

For faith

is what God

commends.

Faith

looks to the

future that God

has promised.

Faith is what

God commends.

And thirdly here,

as time

disappears,

faith understands

that universe

was created

by God.

By faith,

we understand

that the

universe was

created by

the Word of

God,

so that what

is seen

was not

made out

of things

that are

visible.

Verse 3,

by faith

we understand.

Faith in

God brings

with it a

way of

looking at

and understanding

the cosmos.

We understand

that this

world,

what's

complexity

and its

beauty,

did not

spring from

nothing,

by chance.

It is not

self-existent.

It was

called into

being by

the Word

of God.

And that's

a really

important

perspective.

Because when

we believe

this, we

stand against

the tide

of a

culture that

often wants

to worship

the creature

rather than

the Creator.

And the

claim of

the Bible

is that

all things

were brought

into being

out of

nothing

by God.

And in

Jesus Christ,

we therefore

not only have

an anchor

for our

souls,

but one

that brings

us a

true

understanding

of our

world.

We live

in a world

that

frequently

is very

suspicious

of faith,

certainly

amongst

many of

my

generation.

faith is

to be

found in

doubt and

skepticism.

Faith is

deemed to

be the

preserve of

fools,

the gullible

and the

simple-minded.

Their

oft-repeated

mantra is,

we don't

believe in

God,

we believe

in science.

As if

their science

or perhaps

better,

scientism

itself does

not rest

on numerous

faith,

some of

the many

questionable

faith

presuppositions.

Biblical

faith understands

that the

world and

the universe

was created

by God.

God declared

the universe

into being,

and faith

understands

that that

is true.

Creation

is God's

design.

It's an

expression

of His

will.

And so

purpose

and meaning

and order

and reason

have actually

been built

into the

world and

the universe

that God

made.

It's not

all a

kind of

cosmic

accident.

It's only

in the

light of

God's

creative

acts

that the

universe

can make

any sense

at all.

If there

is no

God,

it's all

meaningless.

I'm

reminded

of the

word

C.S.

Lewis,

he gave

a paper

to the

Oxford

Socratic

Club

back in

the early

1960s.

I have

no

idea

what the

Oxford

Socratic

Club

is or

if it's

even still

in existence.

But he

gave a

paper.

I'm going

to read,

not read

the whole

of it,

you'll be

glad to

know,

but let

me read

some

words that

he has

in that

paper.

If he

says,

I swallow

the scientific

cosmology

as a

whole,

then not

only can

I not

fit in

Christianity,

I cannot

even fit

in science.

If minds

are wholly

dependent on

brains,

brains on

biochemistry,

and biochemistry

in the long

run on the

meaningless flux

of the

atoms,

I cannot

understand how

the thought of

those minds

should have

any more

significance than

the sound of

the wind in

the trees.

And this to me

is the final

test, he says.

And then he

goes on,

Christian theology

can fit in

science,

art,

morality,

and other

religions.

The scientific

point of view

cannot fit in

any of these

things,

not even

science itself.

And then the

famous line,

I believe in

Christianity

as I believe

that the sun

has risen,

not only

because I

see it,

but because

by it

I see

everything

else.

And yes,

science is good,

science is great,

but without

God's revelation

it is ultimately

meaningless.

It has to be

rooted and

grounded

in Christian

faith,

because it's

faith that

brings

understanding.

Herman Bavinck,

I'm allowed to,

Corey's not

allowed to quote

Herman Bavinck,

I am allowed to

quote Herman

Bavinck.

He wrote a

book on

Christianity and

science.

I think

Corey may

actually have

been one of

the translators

of the book,

so if you've

got any

questions on

it,

you can

speak to

him.

And he

closes that

book with

these words,

Christian

science,

he says,

that is

science conducted

on the basis

of faith in

God's Word.

It's a science

that investigates

all things by

the light of

that revelation

and therefore

sees them as

they truly are

in their

essence.

In the eyes

of the world

this might be

foolishness,

but the folly

of God is

wiser than

men,

just as the

weakness of

God is

stronger than

men.

And that's

why those

atheists that

try to be

consistent,

like Richard

Dawkins,

say that even

to ask the

question about

purpose and

meaning in

human existence,

existence is

stupid and

irrational.

And it's an

incredibly bleak,

anti-human

perspective,

and we can

see where

that may

take us as

a culture,

as a society.

It's quite

literally a

dead end.

Because it's

faith that brings

understanding,

faith in the

living God.

It helps me to

see that life

does have

purpose and

meaning and

significance.

And that may

not be a

cure for those

feelings that we

have in difficult

times, but it

provides the

basis for not

falling into

utter despair.

Tim Keller

writes,

the Bible tells

us that if you

don't let your

thinking lead you

to Jesus Christ,

it will end in

despair.

By faith we

understand that the

world and the

universe itself are

not eternal or

self-sustaining, but

are utterly dependent

on God.

The universe was

created by the

Word of God.

The God who

brought the cosmos

into being, who

sustains it in the

present, will one

day redeem it in the

future.

That is what the

Scriptures teach.

We are God's

creatures in God's

world.

And so it's only in

looking to God that

we can truly make any

sense of our lives.

Because a believing

response to the

revelation of

Scripture brings

understanding.

It brings

illumination.

The light bulb

goes on.

And yes, the

secular scientific

method is limited.

It cannot

explain purpose or

meaning on its own

terms.

And so the ultimate

answers to the big

questions of life lie

not in the world, as

it were, but in the

Word.

That same Word that

brought the cosmos,

everything into being.

That same Word speaks

to us the great

promises of the

gospel.

It promises us a new

creation.

Peter says in his

second letter, in

keeping with his

promise, we are

what?

Looking forward to a

new heaven and a new

earth, the home of

righteousness.

And it is as we by

faith become men and

women united to Jesus

Christ that we become

new creatures.

If anyone's in Christ,

he is what?

A new creation.

The old is gone.

The new has come.

And so through faith in

Jesus Christ we belong,

not in this old world and

old age rather that is

decaying and dying, but

in that new world, that

new age that God

himself is bringing into

being.

Faith in many respects

cannot really be

understood in the

abstract.

It's always relational.

It's faith in, it's

faith on, it's faith

towards.

The Puritans called it a

leaning grace.

Because there's a sense in

which faith doesn't exist

on its own.

It's always attached

itself to something or

someone.

And here in Hebrews 11,

the great object of

faith is God himself.

The God of the Bible,

the triune God, Father,

Son, and Holy Spirit,

His character, His Word,

His promises.

Time is almost gone.

R.T.

Kendall was the minister in

the late, I think, mid to

late 70s, followed the

famous Welsh preacher,

Martin Lloyd-Jones, at

Westminster Chapel in

London.

And he recounts in one

of his books the

occasion he was planning

to preach through this

particular chapter,

Hebrews 11.

And he was driving Lloyd-Jones

to some preaching

engagement in the

Cotswolds.

And he asked them for a

good definition of

faith.

And they discussed the

matter at some length as

they drove there and as

they drove back.

After about four hours of

driving, they seemed no

closer to a definition.

But the next day, the

phone rang.

And before Kendall could

even say hello, a voice

on the other end said,

Believing God.

That's your definition.

Hebrews 11 is full of

men and women who believed

God.

They believed in Him.

They believed His Word.

They believed His promises.

They staked their whole

existence on those promises.

They left homes.

They built arks.

They offered sacrifices.

They fought enemies.

They wandered this world as

strangers and pilgrims

because they believed God.

Biblical faith is not some

kind of blind optimism.

It is believing God.

Believing who He says He is

and that He will do what He

has promised to do.

It's believing His Word.

Faith looks to the cross of

Christ and says,

here is the evidence of God's

love and the substance of His

promise to me, a sinner.

Faith looks at the empty tomb

and says, here is the victory

of God's power and the guarantee

of my hope of eternal life.

And yes, much in this present

world is fading and dying.

But the Word of God endures

forever.

And the promises of God are

unshakable.

And Jesus Christ is the same

yesterday,

today,

and forever.

So let me encourage you this

evening, if you're a believer,

to look to Him in faith

and to press on.

It can be hard

in the face of bereavement,

illness,

other difficulties.

But the call is to stand

as a child of the promise,

to fix your eyes on Him,

Jesus Christ,

your soul's reward,

to keep running the race,

to keep walking by faith,

not by sight.

And if you're not a Christian,

well, let me encourage you

to come to Him with all your

doubts and fears and questions,

to trust Him with all that you are

and all that you have.

And so join that great company

of men and women

who down through the years

lived by faith.

Let's pray together.

Lord, we thank You

that You are a God

of grace

and mercy

and rich

and abundant love.

We thank You

that You're a God

who reveals Himself

and has revealed Himself

in Scripture,

in the world

that He has made,

and in the person

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, may You work in us

by Your Holy Spirit.

May You work in us

that which is pleasing to You,

that together

we may be men

and women

of faith

in You,

the living

and eternal God,

as we pray these things

in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.