Living with Hope in Exile

Great. Thank you, guys. Welcome. My name is Chris. I'm, again, one of the elders here at Watermark.

If you have your booklet open, I encourage you to follow along in the Scripture passage.

Keep this with you. If you've got a pen, write notes in it, because we're going to be going on this journey

in 1 Peter over the next few weeks. And I'm excited about this book that we're going to go through together.

We were in Thailand a couple of years ago, and Fiona and I were going out kayaking in the sea.

And as we'd gone out a little way, we capsized. The boat overturned, and we realized we couldn't turn

the boat back over. And then I had this strange feeling, but we were being dragged out by the

current out into the sea. It was a frightening moment. And at that point, both of us realized

we had to fight with all of our strength to swim with the boat to get back to shore, because

our lives were at stake. But I don't know whether you have ever felt, if you were a Christian,

like you're this small minority swimming against the current of society, a society which seems

at times to have very different values, to have very different ways of thinking, to live

for very different things than the gospel calls us to. And sometimes it feels like it's easier

to go with the flow. And so as we saw from the video, we see how people are thinking in

the world around us. And yet, as we come through this series, and we want to look in this series

at 1 Peter, we want to see that actually God has called us to be a countercultural, a swimming

against the tide community.

And that's really what the book of 1 Peter is about. Because the book of 1 Peter is set

in Turkey. Now, you can see on the screen, Turkey, we went there this year with a few of us, a couple

of us from Watermark. And what happened is after Pentecost, when God's Spirit came upon God's

people, there were Jews from all around the area, including places like Cappadocia, and Asia,

and Pontus. And what you see is 30 years later, the gospel and the church has started to spread.

The gospel has started spreading. It's reached into Turkey, and small little house churches

have started springing up in the midst of the Roman Empire, people who are trusting in Jesus

as their savior. And we visited a couple of these places last year. Cappadocia, it's an amazing place

if you ever get to go there. Asia is where Ephesus and where a lot of the New Testament is written into.

And the apostle Peter is writing from Rome. And he's writing to these small minority groups in Rome

of people who feel like they're just swimming against the current of a Roman Empire,

which seems to stand against them. You know, this is just a couple of years before the Roman Emperor

Nero burnt the city of Rome to try and get planning permission to rebuild a great palace for himself.

And he blamed it on the Christians. And hundreds of Christians, including the apostle Peter,

were executed during that time. This is just a couple of years written before that time.

And it's a time where everyone around thought they were really tolerant.

You see, they had hundreds of gods. If you ever go to Turkey, you'll see temples everywhere.

And they'll accept any gods, except you can't be too exclusive.

If you say there's only one god, and you say there's only one way to god, well, that's intolerance.

And they also called Christians atheists. Because if you went to the company dinner,

you were expected to bow down and put some incense to the goddess of fertility, Artemis,

or the god of wine, Bacchus. But Christians wouldn't do that.

You know, we go to the cinema and watch people killing each other on the screen.

They would go to the amphitheater and watch gladiators killing each other in the flesh.

But the Christians wouldn't go.

Men would go to the baths and pick up prostitutes down there to play around with.

But Christians wouldn't.

And so Christians began to get called also haters of humanity.

You're so intolerant. You're no fun.

They will be mocked. You're narrow-minded.

You know, here is, this is one of the earliest graffitis about Christians.

What it is, it's a, instead of Christ on the cross, they placed a donkey there.

And it actually says, Alexamonus worships his god.

They would mock Christians for their beliefs.

This was the culture that one Peter is set in.

And it's not so different from many of our cultures.

And Peter is writing this letter to say to them,

keep swimming against the tide, guys.

Keep swimming against the tide.

Remember four things.

And here's the four things we're going to look at today.

Remember, you're a different people.

You have a different hope.

You have a different view of trials and suffering.

And you have a different joy.

Okay?

Are you with me?

Good.

Well, let's go and look into this passage together.

We're different people.

He starts off, verse 1 and 2, he says,

As elect exiles, to those who are elect exiles,

or it could be foreigners or sojourners, is another word.

Peter is using an Old Testament term described for the people of Israel

when they were in Egypt and then they wandered in the wilderness after the Exodus.

They were a people who were away from home, surrounded by a pagan people.

And he says,

Of the dispersion.

And the Jews during that time had been,

a couple of times had been sent away in exile,

scattered around to different countries, different nations.

And Peter is saying to these groups of Christians,

You are like the people of Israel in the past.

You are like God's people.

You're scattered.

You're not at home.

You're refugees in this world.

The values of the world conflict with the values of Christ and his kingdom.

And you may feel like you're a foreigner here.

You know, in England, if you walk into a village pub,

it's really interesting.

If you're not from there,

it's fascinating because everyone's having conversations.

And then you walk into the room and suddenly everyone stops and stares at you.

As if you're like some kind of extinct animal from outer space.

Because you're not from there.

You speak differently.

You think differently.

You don't belong.

And it's a weird feeling because we desperately want to belong.

Isn't that one of the reasons why if we're Christians,

sometimes we struggle to share our faith?

Because we want to belong.

We don't want to feel like a strange animal in society.

And Peter is saying,

If you're accepted around, that's amazing.

But don't be surprised if you're not.

If people don't get all your choices to follow Jesus.

Because this isn't your home.

You're a foreigner.

You're an exile here.

You know, some people think that the church should be right at the center of society.

You know, and they become very complaining that, you know,

society is no longer holding on to Christian values.

And they think everything is going wrong.

Well, Peter, actually, he would say,

No, in fact, it's normal Christianity when church is on the margins.

Because you're in exile.

Here's not your home.

Do you know, the last year,

the leader of the third biggest political party in the UK

had to resign because of his Christian beliefs

about things like abortion and sexuality.

And he wasn't allowed to stay as leader.

When I was at university,

they tried to shut down our Christian group on campus

because we refused to say that all religions led to God.

We were told we were intolerant.

And Peter says,

Don't be surprised.

That's normal Christianity

because we're exiles.

We're foreigners.

And yet, he says,

We're elect exiles.

And elect means chosen.

Notice he says,

By the foreknowledge of the Father,

the sanctification of the Spirit

for obedience to Jesus.

He's saying,

The whole of the Trinity

has his eye on you,

has chosen you,

and being on the margins is not an accident

because God has you.

You're his.

You may feel like a foreigner around here,

but you're not a foreigner to God,

the living God who rules over this world.

He says,

You're secure.

And as a bride is set apart for her husband

to please him,

even if everyone else looks down

and laughs at her,

if she sees the delight of her husband,

then everything's okay.

That's what Peter's saying to the church here.

If you know you're set apart for God

and his delight,

you are his treasure,

you're for his eyes only,

then even though you may feel like you're foreigners,

you're secure and you're held by him.

That's the kind of people,

a different kind of people that we are.

So we're not just a different people.

We also have a different hope.

Verse 3,

he says,

He has caused you,

according to his great mercy,

he has caused you

to be born again

to a living hope.

You know when you were born,

you became alive in a physical world,

right?

When you are born again,

you become alive in a spiritual world,

in a relationship with a living God

through trusting in Jesus' death

and resurrection.

And he says,

Salvation,

it's not just about

what happened to you in the past,

it's also about

where God's taking you in the future.

And he says,

you have a living hope.

And that could mean a couple of things.

It could mean either

it's not a dead hope.

You know,

if England are playing football

and you have hope for them,

that is a dead hope.

But this is a living hope,

a hope which doesn't disappoint you.

I know that too well.

But it's a hope

that doesn't disappoint you.

Your future is not uncertain

if you trust in Christ.

Did you know that?

Your future,

you may feel it's uncertain,

but scripture says

it is not uncertain.

It is 100% guaranteed.

Because Jesus rose from the dead

and you will rise with him

if you have trusted in him.

It's a living hope.

But it's not just a living hope.

It also can be translated

a hope of life.

Because

through the resurrection of Jesus,

where he overcame death

and sin

and sickness

and pain,

all the things which haunt us

in this world,

the things which they shared

on the video,

which we don't like,

which we feel are wrong

in the world.

Well, he says

there's going to be

a new creation

with a new body

and a new earth

that God will recreate,

which will be teeming with life.

That's the hope

that he's called us to.

But he's spelled it out.

He says

it's a living hope

and to an inheritance,

okay,

an inheritance

that is imperishable.

It can't perish

like to your family

and my loved ones can.

It is undefiled.

That means it can't spoil

like chocolate cake

can spoil.

And it can't fade

like my iPhone battery

fades.

You know,

in our world,

they say,

scientists say

there's something called entropy,

which basically means

the world

tends towards chaos

and decay

and disorder.

And the way

this current world is,

it's a bit like

when I used to,

when I was young,

we went on holiday,

we used to go to the beach

and I would build sandcastles

and I'd make amazing sandcastles.

Sandcastles,

you could put balls in

and run around.

It was incredible.

And I'd make sure

that they were secure

from the tide coming in.

I'd build a moat around them

and things like that.

But then,

if you stayed for a few hours,

do you know what you'd see?

The tide would start coming in

and would very slowly

just start to wash away

the beautiful creation

that I had built

until eventually

there was nothing left.

You see,

that's something

that's perishable,

can spoil,

and can fade.

And our culture

tells us

that through adverts,

through all kinds

of different things,

that we are to place

our hope

in sandcastles.

They mentioned a couple

on the video,

planning.

I'd never thought of planning

as being a hope,

but anyway.

Great food,

a holiday,

a new wardrobe,

friends,

good grades,

job opportunities,

health,

a listening husband,

whatever it is

that you put your hope in

and you desire

because you think

it's going to make you happy

right now.

Peter would say,

that's like a sandcastle

that's perishable.

Because just think

about a vacation,

you know,

some of you come back

from vacations

and you spent a long time

planning your vacation

with hope that it was going

to be an amazing time

and maybe it was an amazing time

but you come back

and then suddenly

what do you want to do?

You want to go on

another vacation again.

Right?

Because does that hope last?

Does it fully satisfy?

C.S. Lewis once said this,

he said,

there have been times

when I think

we do not desire heaven,

a living hope,

but more often

I find myself wondering

whether in our heart of hearts

we have ever desired

anything else.

You see,

our greatest desires

are sandcastles

which are a fading glimpse

of a world

that is unfading,

of an imperishable inheritance

that God has for you.

Now,

sandcastles are great.

You know,

if you could take your kids

to the beach,

don't tell them,

don't build a sandcastle

because it's going to get

washed away in a few hours.

You don't do that.

You enjoy it in the moment

but you don't put your hope

in any of these things

which are sandcastles

because Peter says

you are made

for a living hope,

one that will not fade,

one that will not get washed away.

He says for a salvation

that will be revealed

in the last time

and he says

that salvation

will be at the revelation,

the revealing of Jesus

when he comes back again.

Do you know,

I've just been thinking about this,

even this week,

the whole of the New Testament,

almost every book

shouts for us

to live in the light

of Jesus' return.

You know,

in Acts it says

when Jesus is taken up

and he says

the angels come

to the disciples

and says

he's going to come back

in the same way

that he left.

And then you see

in Corinthians it says

listen,

I'm giving you

every spiritual gift now

while you wait

for the revealing of Jesus.

Paul also prays,

he says,

Maranatha,

Lord come back.

You know the Lord's prayer,

part of it says

your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth

as it is in heaven.

That is ultimately

a prayer for God

to come back

and restore

and renew everything.

And so as I've been

thinking about it,

the question that's come to me

is

when did I last

pray for Jesus to return?

When did you last

pray for Jesus to return?

When did we actually

last think about

the fact

that there is

something more

than the little hopes

that I live my life for?

Do we spend our time

thinking more

about a living hope

or more

about a fading hope

in our lives?

Because the rest

of our culture

tells us

to chase after

fading sandcastles.

and I've just thought

why is it

that there is this gap

in my life

and this gap

which I think

in many of our lives

between what

first century

biblical Christianity is

and the way

that we live right now

in terms of

what we're hoping in?

And I,

there's many reasons

but I thought of

a couple of reasons.

One reason

is I think

we swim

in a culture

that promotes

comfort to us.

Do you know

like

150 years ago

every single one

of us

would probably

have had

half of our

family members die.

You know

a quarter of the women

would have died

in childbirth.

There was no air con

not much medication

there were no iPhones

and food

was your dream.

Just getting enough food

man

that was all

you lived for.

Life was tough

and in many places

in the world

it still is tough

right?

You see that on the news.

But now we have

this incredible technology

which has changed

our experience

of the world.

It's amazing.

Our greatest problems

are no longer

where do I get my food from

but which restaurant

shall I choose today?

We have air con

life expectancy

is longer

and it's amazing

but it deludes us

into feeling

like we can have

heaven on earth

right now.

You know

and this feeling

infects even the church.

If you go to

Elin bookstore

or one of the bookstores

you just see

how many books

there are telling you

that you can have

your best life now.

Just God wants you

to have all

full prosperity now.

He wants you

to have heaven now.

You know

yesterday lunchtime

I was cooking lunch

I was trying to put

washing in the washer

a lot of things on

and then the washing machine

died.

And do you know

what my first thought was?

I can't believe

this is happening

to me right now.

There are so many

other things I've got on.

Why me?

Why right now?

Because

I feel entitled

for life

to work out

my way

right now.

I think

that I'm so used

to comfort

that any discomfort

that interrupts

the way I think

washing should be

I just think

it's somehow

out of order.

But Pluto

is telling us

that actually

maybe I'm more

like a spoiled child

who hasn't realized

that my hope

is not in a heavenly

kingdom now.

It's in a living hope

that when Jesus returns

he will bring back.

We live in a culture

of comfort.

I want to give

one more reason

why we don't often feel

we fix our eyes

on Jesus' return.

Because sometimes

it just feels

a little bit distant

and a little bit intangible.

Does anyone feel like that?

You know in verse 8

even Peter admits

he says

you don't see him now.

And you know

I know Jesus

is coming back

in my head

but it doesn't feel

quite so real.

It's been a couple

of thousand years

since he came last time.

And you know

the sand castles

that I live for

the hopes that I live for

seem so much more immediate.

The urgent overtakes

the important.

Right?

But even in the first century

people were thinking

the same.

You know

the next book

to Peter

people are saying

yeah where's Jesus

come up?

And Peter says to them

listen

God's not slow

as you think

he is slow

in coming

but he's patient

with you.

He's not wanting

anyone to perish

but all to come

to repentance.

In other words

he's saying

now is a season

where the gospel

is to go out

into people's lives.

And he will go out

until he returns

and all the people

have come in

that he wants

to come in.

But you know what?

We chase after

our illusions

like financial security

which no matter

how much money

you have

you never have enough.

If you're young

you believe

you're invincible.

If you're getting older

you put on

anti-wrinkle cream

so you don't see

that the tide of death

is washing away.

Right?

Culture tells us

these are real

but the reality is

death and decay

will come to

every single one

of us in this room.

You know

you go into

the doctor's office

and they say

it's cancer.

And you know

the people I meet

so often

who've lived

so long

with no regard

for God

and then they're

facing the death

of a loved one

and they say to me

oh God will let them

into heaven

won't he?

Because right at that

moment it's not

intangible

it's not distant

it's very real.

But if your hope

is only in a sandcastle

man

when you're facing death

everything gets

washed away

and all you're

left with

is an empty beach

but if Christ

is the hope

of your heart

everything

every little comfort

that God gives you

every blessing

you get right now

is just a glimpse

of that heavenly host

that heavenly home

that he'll give you

that imperishable castle

because there's one thing

that death

cannot take away

from you.

One thing

that lasts

and that's a resurrected

savior

who has defeated death

he has risen again

and he's the guarantee

if we turn

and repent

and place our hopes

not in his little things

of our lives

that we're trying

to chase after

the holidays

the work

the opportunities

but if we trust

and hope in him

we will experience

that living hope.

that's why we pray

Maranatha

Lord come back

we want you

because we want you

to restore things.

We're a different

kind of people

we have a different

kind of hope

from the society

around us.

Third thing

we have a different

view of trials

and suffering.

You see

between the time

when we have been

born again

to this new life

and we see

that final day

when Jesus

comes back

and restores

everything

there's this kind

of in between period

the now

and not yet

where we have

the blessings

of life

and yet we're

waiting for God

to change

and bring everything

new into our lives

and he says

in Peter

he says this

in this you rejoice

though now

for a little while

he calls this time

a little while

if necessary

you have been

grieved

by various trials

he says

a little while

for now

for a little while

you have trials

and you know

if some of you

are going through trials

does it feel like

a little while

oh they sometimes

feel like it's

such a long time

that you go

through trials

Paul calls them

light and momentary

and we don't feel that

but actually

in the light of eternity

they are

just minuscule

compared to

forever

that is coming

and he says

if necessary

so that means

it's not all the time

that there are trials

there are periods

where we enjoy blessing

but he says

you've been grieved

you know

he says

there is a reality

of the pain

some of you

right now

are experiencing

the grief

in your families

the grief

in your

in just the circumstances

of life

you know

that pain

and he says

there are various trials

and you know

various

the word can be translated

multi-colored trials

there's not just one kind of trial

you know

it's like

amber rain

to black rain

you know

T1 to T10

okay

there's a whole spectrum

of trials

and what is a trial

in Peter's mind

he's thinking of the persecution

that comes upon Christians

living in a pagan world

the challenges

of holding firm

to Christ

but

he also knows

that as God's

different people

anything

which

which we have

which tests

our faith

in Christ

because he calls

that we are set apart

for obedience

to Jesus

anything that tests

your faith

and your trust

in Jesus

is a trial

are you struggling

with health

right now

that's a trial

are you wrestling

with your kids

that's a trial

are you just

so frustrated

out of your mind

because Expedia

have failed to set

to a refund matter

which has been going on

for over four months

like me

that's a trial

are you staying single

and struggling

that's a trial

are you trying to find

your identity

in Jesus

but all around you

everyone's just

performance oriented

and you're trying

to hold on to him

that's a trial

why does God

give us trials

sometimes we think

it's God's punishing

us

but our culture

tells us

well if God

really loves us

he'd fix everything

right now

when God has said

right now

is not where

I'm fixing everything

your exiles

your foreigners

I will return

and I'll fix things

but he says

why do I give it

to you so that

the tested

genuineness

of your faith

more precious

than gold

that perishes

though it is

tested by fire

may be found

to result

in praise

glory

and honor

at the revelation

of Jesus

what he's saying

is whatever trial

you're going through

right in your life

right now

one reason God's

bringing it

is so that you

will long

for Jesus

to return

is so that you'll

realize that now

is not

that new creation

salvation

because he wants

to show you

that trials

are God's gift

to you

to wake you up

from chasing

after sandcastles

which are going

to just fade away

so that you'll see

that your hope

is not placed

in just the praise

and the glory

and honor of people

right now

but you long

for that time

when he will be

honored

and he will be

glorified

and he will be

praised

and you will

bask in the light

of that

because you will

hear Jesus

say to you

well done

good and faithful

servant

his praise

will be to you

before all

of the angels

C.S. Lewis

said

pain

insists upon

being attended to

God whispers

to us

in our pleasures

speaks in our

conscience

but shouts

in our pain

it is his megaphone

to rouse

a deaf

world

have you ever

thought about

your trials

like that

that God

may be trying

to wake you

up to long

for him

and it's not

just he's

longing

bringing to

long for him

he's also

trials

are like

fire

to strengthen

your faith

and to burn

the impurities

of our lives

away

he's trying

to strip

away

the sand

castles

in your life

so that you

see that the

only thing

that is really

precious

and lasting

is Christ

because you

know even a

gold sand

castle

will get

washed

away

but your

faith

looking to

your savior

to be your

holy hope

he will stand

because he

rules over

everything

do you know

if you want

to increase

your muscles

do you

increase

them

by sitting

on the

sofa

what do

you need

you need

weights

every

Wednesday

morning

at 7am

I joined

30 to

60 people

who put

their body

through

suffering

of a

HIIT

workout

for the

prize

of fit

healthy

bodies

that's

their

sand

castle

and they're

willing

to suffer

for it

but you

see if

Jesus

is our

prize

and wanting

him more

than anything

else

then the

trials of

life are

an opportunity

for us to be

strengthened in

our faith

so that we

see him

and are

refined by

him so that

he becomes

more precious

than all the

other things

because everything

else can be

fading

but Jesus

will never

fade

and what

that doesn't

mean is

that if

anyone's

going through

suffering

we just

go to

them

hey

trials are

good

suck it

up

that's

not what

he's saying

it's not

the trial

in itself

but it's

what God

is doing

through the

trial

that is

the beautiful

thing

you know

Jesus

wants

for us

to see

that there

is nothing

more precious

than himself

so many

other things

blind us

to that

and what

we need

to see

is that

the real

deal

is coming

but today

we only

get a glimpse

in the

blessings

we see

of what

he's calling

us to

you know

if you're

sick

today

let me

just kind

of apply

this into

sickness

if you're

sick

today

I believe

God wants

to bring

healing

into your

life

we want

to pray

for healing

for you

you know

I heard

just last

week

one of the

congregation

was telling

me

last year

someone

they'd been

struggling

for gout

for a long

time

and then

someone

just prayed

for them

and it

just

disappeared

went

gone

it's never

come back

in the last

year

God has

the power

to give

you a glimpse

of the new

creation

that he's

bringing in

right now

right today

in healing

and so

we want

to pray

for you

today

that God

would do

that in

your life

but

if God

heals you

today

you're still

going to

die

I'm sorry

that's the

truth

right

you're still

going to

die

and so

your healing

now is a

secondary hope

it's not an

ultimate hope

so you

hold your

healing

with open

hands

saying

God

I just

trust

you

and you

see

if he

doesn't

heal

you

today

then his

guarantee

is he

will

heal you

maybe

tomorrow

or maybe

when he

returns

but until

then

we wait

longing

for him

more

than even

I want

my healing

because what

he's trying

to do

is he's

trying to

change us

to be a

different kind

of people

who have a

different kind

of hope

who see

that through

the trials

God is

refining

and changing

us

last thing

to give us

a different

joy

he says

though you

have not

seen him

you love

him

though you

do not

see him

now

you believe

in him

and rejoice

with joy

that is

inexpressible

and filled

with glory

obtaining

the outcome

of your

faith

the salvation

of your

souls

our culture

tells us

do what

makes you

happy

chase after

it

in whatever

number of

ways you

can

in relationships

in sex

in so many

ways

and then you

look at all

the number

of depressing

songs we

have about

relationship

breakup

and you

just wonder

is that

where joy

is found

but if you

want to be

truly joyful

you've got to

look to

something

or someone

outside of

this

perishable

world

for true

joy

that no

matter what

you're going

through

nothing can

take away

Peter says

gospel hope

changes today

because in the

midst of your

trials

it can bring

you a deep

love and joy

in Jesus

and many of us

if you've been

through trials

you know

it has brought

you so much

closer to Jesus

and by joy

he doesn't mean

just feeling

happy because

that kind of

comes and

goes

because some

of you

know the

real sense

of grief

there is

but he

means a

deep

seated

confident

peace

regardless

of what

turmoil

or blessings

you're going

through right

now

do you

have that

do you

have that

confidence

right now

in him

because that

joy comes

from tasting

the goodness

and mercy

of Jesus

verse 3

to 12

says

in fact

verse 3

to 12

are all

one sentence

about hope

and suffering

but they're a

song of praise

because he says

blessed be the

God

of father

of our

Lord Jesus

Christ

according to

his mercy

he has caused

you if you're

a believer

to be born

again

and you know

Peter

knows all

about this

mercy

of God

because you

know

he was

grieved

by his

own sin

his trial

before

before the

girl

and when he

denies Jesus

he failed

the trial

God gave him

where his

faith was

tested

and in

bitterness

he repents

before

he repents

of what

he's done

and when

Jesus rose

again

and they

were having

and Jesus

appears to

them by

the lake

do you

know what

do you

know who

the first

person who

wants to

run and

meet you

Jesus

is

it's

Peter

because

Peter

knows

the

forgiveness

and mercy

of Jesus

if you

know

and let

me just

just want

to close

with this

I used

to have

a really

sweet tooth

after being

in Hong

Kong

I stopped

eating

sweet things

so much

and my

taste buds

have changed

if I

eat sweet

things

I no

longer

they're

too sweet

for me

when I

heard

John Piper

talking about

the return

of Jesus

and he

once said

sinlessness

I can

I can

almost

taste it

and I

went

wow

that's a

man

who's had

a diet

so filled

of the

gospel of

Jesus

that his

taste buds

have been

changed to be

like him

to want and

desire him

and to want to

live fully honoring

to him in his

life

and my taste buds

are filled with

that holiday

I can

almost

taste it

financial

security

I can

almost

taste it

comfortable

life

I can

almost

taste it

because the

diet of our

thoughts are so

focused on

me and on

getting comfort

on getting just

the things that I

want

anyone like me

I think as a

church

Peter is calling

us

he wants us

to get a

taste

of Jesus

and how

precious he

is and even

if you're going

through the

trials

he wants you

to see that

tasting Jesus

is better than

anything else

you want to

taste

that's why we

read scripture

that's why we

sing

that's why we

repent

that's why we

have CGs

to encourage

each other

because it's

all for our

joy right

now

have you ever

thought that the

trials God may

be bringing to

you right now

are God's

mercy to you

to show you

that he is

more precious

than anything

else that may

be fading

anything else

that you may

be chasing

after right

now

let's pray

I want you

just to stop

and think

about

what is it

in your life

right now

that you

you're actually

putting your

hope in

what are your

taste buds

filled with

what are your

thought life

filled with

what are your

plans filled

with

how much

you filled

with the

beauty of a

savior

who even

though we

live in a

broken world

where we

chase after

our own

comforts

and the

things of

this life

and we

neglect so

many other

people and

so many

other things

and yet God

comes to us

and says

I want to

bring you

my mercy

I want to

bring you

my forgiveness

I want to

show you

mercy right

now

that it's

mercy that

you have a

hope

that at the

end of your

life you will

have something

worth living

for if you

trust in

Jesus

that there will

be something

that lasts

if you trust

in Jesus

and it's only

the mercy of

God that

brings it

Father we

just pray

that as a

church you'd

help us not

to make here

our home

let us enjoy

the good things

you give us

but only as a

glimpse

that when our

washing machines

break

when we face

sickness and

trials

when we

struggle

that you are

giving us

mercy to want

us to fix

our eyes on

you and to

place our

hope in you

strengthen our

faith

open our eyes

to see how

beautiful you

are

in Jesus

name

Amen

Jesus

and

can

earn

who

can

help

her

Christ

Lord

look at

some

feet

in the

Defense

of the

atable

how

life

do

Gina

behold

can

hug

what

afternoon