God is Faithful

I'm really excited to introduce our preacher, speaker to you this morning.

Mike Lilly, Michael Lilly, is one of my dearest friends.

And we served together at King of Grace Church, which eventually sent us both out to plant churches.

So we've planted Trinity Cambridge Church in Cambridge, and Mike's planted King of Peace Church in Salem, Massachusetts.

A lifetime before that, Mike was a lieutenant colonel in the army.

He served there for a while. He's still a highly coveted instructor.

But he gave all of that up so that he can serve Jesus by preaching the gospel.

And he's a man who has personally experienced God's grace in his life in a radical way.

And because of that, he very effectively ministers God's grace to others,

those who are in need, all of us as sinners in need.

And Mike's a man of prayer.

And we had him come, and he actually preached to us, taught us about prayer a few years ago, actually,

when we were still at Kennedy Longfellow School in East Cambridge.

And so this is his second time I guess preaching for, it's been a little while.

But yeah, so probably a lot of you guys don't recognize him,

but I'm really glad that you guys get to meet him today.

So Mike is married to his wife Enza, who serves as a doula.

So their service usually meets in the afternoon.

And so Mike was able to come preach for us.

But Enza had other commitments.

That's why she's not here with him this morning.

He's married. He's got three sons.

He's got three girls. He's got three sons.

And it's wonderful to have you to preach for us.

Thank you, Mike.

So please come up. Let's welcome Mike to come preach for us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, greetings to you from your brothers and sisters in Christ in Salem.

And it's good to be here together with you today.

I just can't say how excited I am.

I remember coming here years ago and walking the streets and praying with Sean before there was any of you here.

So it's really cool to look out and see this today.

You know, the work that God has done building his church.

Amen?

So 20 years ago, I was still in the Army.

And during that time, performance counseling was really a part of my professional life.

Now, I liked my soldiers.

In fact, I love videos.

I love my soldiers.

I liked what I did a lot.

And sometimes you had to go, oh, you had to do counseling, whether it was good or bad.

Right?

Well, even in the stuff where I knew I was going to get a negative counseling, where I really needed to correct where we were going,

I always tried to start off with the positive things that I saw about the soldiers that I was counseling.

I wanted to know.

I wanted to know that I saw things that made me hopeful for their future.

So as we move today at the first nine verses of 1 Corinthians, we see Paul doing something pretty similar to that as he writes the church in Corinth.

See, between a letter that he had received from the church in Corinth, one that we don't have, and a personal report that he had received from one of the house churches, Paul's gotten some really disturbing news about the church in Corinth.

So in response, he's sending one of his most comprehensive correction letters that we have probably in the New Testament.

Yet, unlike the counseling that I conducted with my soldiers that kind of grounded them in the faith that I had for them,

Paul starts 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 1 through 9 by grounding the believers in God's faithfulness.

1 Corinthians 1:1–9

He points them to the good things that God has faithfully done on their behalf and how he has seen the results of those good things manifested in them.

Paul doesn't move their hope and their ability to do better.

But in God, and in when God is already faithfully done through Jesus Christ.

And how God will sustain them until Jesus returns.

So please, turn in your barbers to 1 Corinthians 1, 1 through 9, and follow along as I read.

Paul writes,

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus and a brother of South Carolina.

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus,

called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

both their Lord and ours.

grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,

that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge,

even as the testimony about Christ was delivered among you,

so that you are not lacking in any care,

as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who will sustain you to the end,

guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful.

God is faithful.

By whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son,

Jesus Christ,

our Lord.

May God bless the reading and the hearing and the preaching of his Holy Word.

Father, this week,

may you send your Holy Spirit to bring these words to recall

and would encourage your people by the knowledge that they are called by you.

They are being holy in Christ,

and they are sustained guiltless.

Until Christ on the time.

Father,

ask today,

in your spirit,

and let your word go out

and run forward.

That's your promise.

Lord,

empower the preaching of your word today

as you have prepared to receive it.

We pray that in the name of your Son.

Amen.

So,

from this passage this week,

I have one simple thought,

I guess,

that I want you to walk away with.

And that is,

God is faithful.

He will call you,

to sanctify you,

and to sustain you,

who trust in the Lord Jesus.

I guess we could really just kind of cut that down,

even more simply say,

that God is faithful.

But I like the longer one,

because it sort of has the gospel in a nutshell there, right?

God is able to call,

sanctify,

and sustain all those who believe in Jesus Christ.

So now,

to move that proposition to you today,

I really just want to say,

that God has called you,

and my three points are really,

God has called you,

into the fellowship of His Son.

God has called you,

to be saints,

and God has called you,

into the ministry,

of His Son,

which is Christ.

So let's get started,

with our first point,

that God is faithful to call us.

In this first word,

I want to briefly show you,

three ways,

in which God is faithful to call us.

I want to,

I'll build your faith,

by seeing that God,

has been faithful to you,

faithful to call you,

first,

into the fellowship of His Son,

Jesus.

Second,

to live as saints,

of the Lord Jesus,

and third,

into the ministry of Christ.

Now,

Paul,

in verses 1-9,

begins with ministry,

moves to saints,

and then to fellowship.

But I'm going to do that,

in reverse order,

and we're going to start,

verse 9.

There,

we read,

that God is faithful.

Let me ask you,

who does this verse,

say,

called you and I,

into the fellowship,

of His Son?

Who called you?

God.

It was God.

It was God that fought.

And as we consider this passage,

the first thing we learn,

the first thing we really need,

to hold on to,

is it is God,

who is faithful,

to call us,

not we,

ourselves.

It is God,

who is faithful.

We have not called ourselves,

into this fellowship,

of Jesus,

with God.

But,

God,

was faithful,

to do this,

while you and I,

were still enemies.

But,

where were you,

when you caught,

called us?

Stop the thing about that,

where were you,

when God called you?

Most of you,

were probably not,

saved in childhood.

You can go,

thank God,

that I had a grave,

before you.

But I bet,

a bunch of people are not.

I was 30,

when I was called,

and I was eight,

in a full-out spirit,

away from God.

I wanted nothing,

to do with God.

I experienced a church,

when I was living,

and I wanted nothing,

to do with that.

But God,

but God,

was faithful,

even while I,

was still living in sin,

following my own desires,

following the course,

of my own way.

He,

called,

me,

into fellowship,

with his son.

I,

God,

faithfully called me,

bore the foundations of your,

pursued me,

with his relentless love.

He,

sent,

his Holy Spirit,

to open my eyes,

and even gave me,

the faith to believe,

because I couldn't even do that.

So,

so let's,

all,

see,

that this is,

God's,

work,

not ours.

It is God,

that is faithful,

to do it.

It is God,

who is faithful,

to call us,

into the fellowship,

of his son.

And friends,

God,

has,

faithfully,

called you,

into a relationship,

with his son.

But it's more,

than just a relationship.

So you're called into the fellowship,

of Jesus.

And the word,

fellowship,

is important.

In our current context,

we talk about fellowship,

and,

you know,

it kind of sounds like,

off and go,

not a little chit-chat,

after church.

Jesus didn't die,

he didn't have chit-chat,

after church.

These are why God sent his son,

to say,

maybe,

you're familiar,

with,

J.R.

R. Trump's,

trilogy,

the fellowship,

of the ring,

maybe,

Friday,

maybe,

or maybe,

just a word,

but,

but,

the point is,

that there's this trilogy,

out there,

and it's called,

the fellowship,

of the ring.

Fellowship is kind of,

a noun in that,

right?

And,

what he's talking about,

is,

these nine,

companions,

who are brought,

together,

to accomplish,

something,

right?

These,

they're on this quest,

to destroy the ring,

the fellowship,

that they had entered,

was full,

of danger.

It was hard,

it was costly,

people would die,

from the ring.

That's much more like,

fellowship,

also going after.

In the original language,

the noun,

fellowship,

is referring to,

a legal,

and binding,

partnership,

between two,

other people,

excused in terms,

sometimes,

of marriage,

and it's often used,

in business contracts,

and I'm repeating,

for example,

Peter,

and James,

and John,

and Luke,

and I,

where they are,

in partnership,

in this,

in this fishing business,

that they're in.

And if you think about that,

it's a financial partnership,

with them,

but it was a partnership,

of blood,

and sweat,

equity,

right?

And then they failed,

and you didn't bring,

cats,

and what happened?

You went hungry,

your family went hungry.

So you put everything,

you had,

in making this thing work.

It was costly.

So,

think of the people,

in your term,

right here,

in your book,

you are called,

into the eternal,

fellowship,

of God's,

Son,

Jesus,

your God,

our Lord,

your Lord,

God.

And you're called,

into that fellowship,

with these people,

whose lives,

are bound up,

with yours,

in Christ.

You are to,

partner with Jesus,

as it goes,

this church,

not just,

as a individual,

but as members,

who are,

partner,

partner,

and,

partner,

and,

partner.

Let me stop,

just a minute.

And what I want you to do,

is you look at the person,

to your left,

right?

Is there anybody,

in your left,

right?

Do you see a parent,

right?

Somebody.

You've got one,

on one,

the other,

right?

And now,

I want you to look at that person,

on your left,

on your right,

and say,

we are in partnership,

with Jesus,

together.

And here,

look at that person,

we are in partnership,

with Jesus,

together.

Good.

Good.

Good.

God is faithful,

to put you,

into that partnership,

with his son,

together.

Amen.

So the second thing,

that God has,

Paul was into,

is in verse 2.

And there we see,

that we are called,

to be saints,

as those,

whom God has called,

into the fellowship,

of his son Jesus.

Paul wants to make sure,

that the Corinthians,

and I think us today,

know,

that God,

has also,

called us,

to be,

saints.

That,

we didn't call ourselves,

to be saints,

I guarantee you.

God has,

called us,

to be saints.

So let me ask you,

did God,

call you,

into the fellowship,

of his son Jesus,

because you,

were holy.

You were holy,

before you were called,

please raise your hand.

There's the door,

in the back,

because you don't want it.

No,

seriously.

God did not,

call you,

because you,

were holy.

He didn't look down,

from heaven,

and say,

oh,

that went there.

She is,

so holy.

She is,

so righteous.

Come on,

girl.

No,

it isn't,

what happened.

Not at all.

This isn't,

like a modern,

day law,

from the little view,

and says,

wow,

that person has prestige,

their holy,

bring them on,

because they're built,

a prestige,

and well,

not for,

that didn't have that work.

That is not,

at all,

for the world.

You never have,

to prove yourself,

because God,

has already,

done it for you.

God,

is the one,

who made you faithful,

through his son,

Jesus Christ.

And it is God,

who has called you,

to be,

saints.

Come,

through the Lord,

Jesus Christ.

So let's take a minute,

to explore this last thing,

a little further.

Paul makes a single,

profound statement,

in verse 2,

he addresses this letter,

to the church,

of God,

in Corinth,

to those sanctified,

in Christ Jesus.

What does that mean?

What does it mean,

that God has,

sanctified us,

in Christ Jesus?

Well,

let's start with that word,

sanctified.

The word,

sanctified,

means,

you make something,

holy,

right?

Dramatically,

Paul is using,

the perfect tense here,

which means that,

something has been,

accomplished,

in the past,

but it has,

ongoing,

effects.

You have been,

made holy,

and you are still,

holy.

Now I know,

the things I think,

I know the things I do,

I know,

there's a reason,

like,

that's it.

Right?

There's a reason for it,

it's not because,

I'm living,

holy,

right?

I'm not,

perfectly,

righteous,

in my daily law.

So how can I be,

more of you?

Well,

a little roundabout way here,

but what did,

John 3,

16?

For God so loved the world,

that He gave His only Son,

that whoever believes in Him,

should not perish,

but have a total life.

what does Jesus mean when He says that?

What does He mean when He says that God gave His Son?

Jesus was referring to the fact that God had sent Him to earth to live a perfect life,

so that He could be given as a perfect sacrifice for everyone who believes in Him.

But that begs the question,

why do He need me a sacrifice?

And the answer is that you and I have a problem.

God has made laws and given commands,

and you and I,

intentionally or unintentionally,

have broken those laws.

We have thumbed our noses at God,

and done whatever we wanted to do.

Well,

Romans 6, 26 reminds us

that you can do that,

but there is a penalty for that.

There's a penalty for breaking God's laws.

And like a person who,

yes,

there are people who,

and oh,

because our hearts are placed that I shouldn't necessarily be,

I hope that doesn't happen in the other way,

there's a penalty,

right?

Because I've done that,

I could get ticketed,

and I could get towed.

And just because I didn't see a sign,

doesn't make me innocent.

The problem is that when we break God's laws,

we just don't get ticketed and towed.

We get a penalty.

And even worse,

every human being that has walked the face of the earth,

has broken God's laws and faces.

That's the penalty.

But God,

God is compassionate,

merciful,

fell with steadfast love and faithfulness.

He knew humanity could not get out of the mess

that was created by Adam and Eve.

So,

he sent his son,

Jesus.

He gave Jesus to be a sacrifice in a new place,

to pay our price,

to pay a price in our place.

To die for our sin,

to face our punishment,

to be an offering that established peace between God and us.

Yet,

before Jesus could live,

before he could be a perfect sacrifice,

he had to live a perfect life.

Right?

So,

Jesus had to live a life that was declared righteous and holy before God,

by following God's laws perfectly.

And he did that.

Jesus did live a life before God that was perfect,

and God did declare him holy and righteous.

And when he had to live that life,

to the point that was necessary,

God sent his son to the cross,

where the sin of every believer was placed on Jesus.

Then God,

the Bible,

put his son to death.

In doing that,

Jesus became a sacrifice on our behalf.

He completely paid for all of our sins.

Every command,

every law,

that you have ever broken,

ever will break,

past, present, future,

in mind,

in heart,

in physical form,

all of it,

painful,

done,

been gone.

Let's come back.

Right?

So what does that mean for you and I?

It means that,

that when you and I face our faith,

gave Jesus as our Savior,

we are saying that,

that we believe,

Jesus paid the price for all of our sins,

but he died on the belt.

All of my wrongdoing,

right?

Even the things I haven't thought about doing that,

which I really agree with you.

There's a lot of them.

That makes us sinless before God,

which is great.

We need that.

But we are made holy by living sins before God.

So God doesn't stop at forgiving all of our sins

without our starvation.

He places us in Christ,

right?

He transfers that perfect life that Christ lived,

and he, like,

puts it on to us.

We call it you,

but,

then he,

I don't need to talk.

It means that he put it on to us,

right?

It became ours.

The perfectly righteous life of Christ became mine.

I'm clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

I'm hidden in Christ.

Just as if I had been in that perfect life.

And because of that,

we are declared holy.

I am both sinless and the heaven,

and the perfectly righteous life before God.

In Jesus Christ,

we are declared being made,

fully,

through Jesus.

You have been sanctified,

completed action,

done.

Now,

let me give you,

I can give you a view of these,

but let me give you just one proof,

one proof,

of why I am sure that as a believer,

God has sanctified you as a completed action.

I know that we are declared holy for God,

because when we saved Jesus,

God does not,

when I'm saved by Jesus,

right?

When I'm raised by Jesus,

God loves me with his Holy Spirit.

He went,

uh-uh,

God loves me,

God loves me.

I'm not trying to find you.

Okay,

think about it for just a second.

You are filled with the presence of God.

Jesus,

but,

do you know what happened in the Old Testament?

When you came into the presence of the living,

God,

and you weren't,

okay,

think about it,

think about it.

It goes on,

right?

The parents are,

the parents are,

the parents are,

the parents are,

the parents are,

right?

The other guy,

right?

The Mark starts to fall,

and so well,

people are thinking he's doing the right thing.

Reach his head.

Presence of God.

Think about it.

Dude,

he died.

He fell over,

dead.

Actually,

he cried.

I don't know,

but he was dead.

What happened in the temple

when the high priest ran,

before the Holy Ghost,

did all this stuff,

and then they died,

where both wanted his wood

so they could cry

and body out

in case he wasn't.

Because he was about to experience

the presence of God.

All right,

maybe that's not making me think.

Here's what I'm like.

if you are a believer,

raise your hand.

If you're not,

that's okay.

But if you're a believer,

raise your hand.

Okay, good.

Now,

how many of you

are believers,

now there's no answer,

how many of you believe

that you're filled

with the Holy Spirit?

Raise your hand.

Good.

That's wonderful.

I'm very excited.

That's a very exciting shot.

Okay.

Any of you physically dead

who just raise your hand?

Oh, good.

I hate talking.

So I'm really glad

to be here today

and that you're alive

and you're filled

with the Holy Spirit,

which tells me

you must be sanctified.

You must be declared

perfectly holy

because the presence

of God dwells in you.

Amen?

Don't you see me going,

oh my gosh,

I can't believe this is true.

The power of the living God

resides in you.

That's amazing.

Amen.

Okay.

Let me finish up

this second point

by saying that God

has made you holy

though to be holy.

Right?

It's not just that

He's a good one

to hang out

while they're in order

or do nice chit-chat.

No, He's called you

to be holy,

to be saints.

God has sanctified you

even as He did

with the Corinthians

and all those

who have ever believed

in Jesus Christ

so that you can be saints.

so that you can go out

with this.

So that you can do this

among one another.

God has given you

everything you need

to be saints.

He has declared you

holy in Christ Jesus.

He has filled you

with His Spirit

to show you

how as saints

you,

you,

you can do this.

He gives you the power

to say no to sin

and yes to righteousness.

This is what we're

talking about

in the saints,

right?

This is the testimony

of Jesus in you.

You're living this out.

These gifts

working within you.

You have the Holy Spirit

in you.

You are a new preacher.

You've been transformed.

This is the testimony

of Christ in you.

So as saints,

we're a good picture

of what it means

to be,

to be with Jesus

and to the world

around us.

Right?

We're going to be saints

to our spouses,

to our significant others.

We're going to be saints

to our children.

We're going to be saints

to our employers

and our clients,

to our neighbors

and our parents

who are not the tougher.

To our fellow brothers

and sisters in Christ.

So is that how you're thinking

about the way God

has called you to live?

Are you thinking

about actively,

thinking actively

that you are

a human picture

of what it would be like

to be with Jesus?

That's crazy,

but that's what it means

to be saints.

That's what we're calling

what God called us to do.

That's the sanctified.

So let me encourage you,

church,

that same power

that raised Jesus

from the dead

is the same power

at work

from day to day

to live as a man.

The same power

that raised Jesus

from the dead

that is the same power

at work in you

to help you live this way.

That's exciting.

You don't have to do this

on your own

to be in the spirit

because you knew

you would.

That's why we're

raised.

That's why we're

not raised.

All right.

God has faithfully

called us

into the fellowship

with the Son.

God has sanctified us

and called us

to be saints

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And then he calls us

into the ministry

of Christ Jesus.

So let's turn to

our third point

that God has faithfully

called us

into the ministry

of the Son.

In his introduction,

Paul identifies himself

as an apostle

of Christ Jesus

called by the

will of God.

Now what I am hoping

to see,

what Paul is making

plain,

is that this also

is not of his own

doing.

He is not

a self-declared

apostle.

Now if you grew up

in North Carolina

and South Carolina,

there are a lot

of self-declared

apostles.

Let me tell you,

there may not be

anybody else

in that church,

but he's preaching

every Sunday

and is an apostle

of his church.

I love it.

God bless him.

He is not,

the Paul is not

a self-declared apostle.

It is by the will of God

and the will of God

who met him

on the way

to Damascus.

While Paul was set

on destroying the church,

God had other plans.

God made the Paul,

Paul,

out of his previous

way of life

and into the fellowship

of his son,

Jesus.

God made the Paul

did all that was

necessary for Paul

to be declared

holy and righteous.

And then he called

Paul to be a saint

and loved with all

those who believed

in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yet God also made

Paul into ministry

and he gave him

gifts.

gifts.

He gave him gifts

like preaching

and teaching

and evangelism

and leadership

and serving.

God made Paul

an apostle.

Amen?

Not Paul.

Church,

ministry is not just

what your pastor does.

And I'm sure

he's taught through that.

It's not just

what your pastor does.

Paul will go on

later in chapters 12

and 13

to talk about the gifts

that God has given

for the building

of the church.

And he's talking

to the church.

Remember the intro?

This is to the church,

not just to the elders

of the church.

This is all of them.

All of us.

God has given gifts

for the building

of the church.

It's so that you

and I

and be ministers

and minister

to one another

using the gifts

that God has given

so that we are all

strengthened

and encouraged,

corrected,

exhorted,

built up in love

until we all reach

full maturity

to have an integral

part of what it means

to be the church.

that's why we call

the fellowship.

You're entered

into a partnership

because each

will be given

all these special things

that are uniquely

joined together.

And if you are

an active member

of the partnership,

we all

are blessed.

Friends,

God has been

faithful to call you

into this fellowship,

but he didn't stop there.

He called you

to live together

and see.

That's the Holy Consum

to you.

I can't believe it.

And then he gave you,

he called you

into ministry,

he gave you

the gifts

necessary

to do.

He didn't just ask

you to do that

to stick with all

you in ministry

and left you alone.

He's given you,

has given you

all the gifts

you need.

But do the ministry

and that's all.

And I don't care

about service

and hospitality

or prophecy

and teaching

from one end

to the other

of those gifts.

In one sense,

we need all of them

to be the church.

And he's faithfully

given you

these gifts

that body

can be built up.

God,

God,

and faithful

calls us

and has given us

everything we need

to be in

the partnership

of his son.

Let me challenge you

this week

to evaluate

how you see

your relationship

with Jesus

and with one another.

Are you living

like a whole member

of the partnership?

Take some time

this week

to consider

what would it

look like

for me to be

a full member

of this partnership?

What needs

to change

in life?

Then ask God

to help you do that.

If you need

to repent,

do that.

Because sometimes

it's a sin issue,

right?

So if you need

to repent,

then receive mercy,

receive grace,

and then with God's help

seek to live

differently.

Now,

I realize I've covered

a lot

with some of you

even for me,

and

this can seem

rather daunting

than just sort of

laid out.

So let me give you

some courage

right here

that God

has not

just done

all of this

in the past.

He left you

on your own

now

and figure it out.

See,

in verse 8,

we're reminded

that he also

sustains

a

guilt

with

to the end

for the day

the Lord

is when

he returns.

Let me give you

quickly three ways

in which God

shows

the Corinthians

and us today

how God

is faithful

to sustain

us

for the day

of our

will be.

First,

let me press

the point

that

part of

God's

means

of

sustaining

us

is what

we've already

spoken about

in the first

of the points,

that God

has faithfully

called us

into fellowship

and

as we know

from John 10,

if he's called

you into the fellowship,

nothing will

snatch you out

of his hand.

It's a done deal.

We've also seen

that he has

sanctified us

in Christ Jesus.

We've seen that

as a completed action

with uncle

and in fact

the music of the

Holy Spirit

is now in you

actively working

with your victims

and to guide you

into the future

so you know

how to live

and to be more

like Jesus each day,

sustaining,

literally sustaining

guiltless

until Christ

returns.

Yet,

by no means

that will

not be

after

what he's

done.

What God

is doing

with faith

is to stay

his way.

God is able

to stay

with grace

and peace.

Look again

at Paul's

reading

in the

church

in verse 3.

Paul says,

grace to you

and peace

from God

our Father

and the Lord

Jesus Christ.

Now mercy

is when you

get what

we don't

get what

we earned

or deserve.

We don't

get what

we earned

or deserve

or breaking

God's goals

which would

be

death.

Grace,

though,

is when

God gives

us what

we did

not deserve.

What we

did not deserve.

Life.

Eternal life.

Moreover,

eternal life

Christ Jesus

and it is

a grace

upon grace

John was

saying

in the first

chapter.

Consider

that he

adopts you

as his

sons and

daughters

and makes

you co-heirs

of Jesus

and in

Christ

God calls

you beloved.

Grace

upon grace.

Brothers and

sisters,

God extends

grace to his

gang out of

the gang

and through

Jesus he

says,

come boldly

before my

throne

with mercy

and grace

to receive

mercy

and grace

at the

time of

me.

In Jesus

we come

as his

loved

children

and we

make our

request

to know

we don't

need to be

anxious about

anything.

Matthew 7

tells us

that God

knows what

we need.

Come,

come,

come with

all those

angels and

thoughts,

come with

all those

birds.

Jesus is

my bird

and

not me.

Come,

put him

on me.

God is

there to

bless us,

to give

us his

mercy and

grace in

our time

of being.

God already

knows what

you need

in God

and he's

faithful to

sustain us.

He even

pursues us,

Psalm 23

tells us,

pursues us

with goodness

and mercy,

pursues you

with me.

He sustains us

for those

living in Christ

who is our

mediator,

interceding for

us,

for the

throne

of God

each day.

Jesus is

at peace

with God.

He stands

when the

enemy comes

to condemn

us to

God's

throne.

Jesus

stands up.

He holds

up his

hand,

that nail

scarred

hand,

of his

name,

he's

engraved

and he

says,

this one

is mine.

He pulls

over his

shirt,

it's written

on my

heart,

their name

right there,

this one

is mine,

this one

I shed

my blood

for,

they are

blood

bombs.

This one

is mine.

Come

over there,

it's

cheating,

with his

blood.

And we

extend it,

peace from

God.

The Lord

Jesus Christ

is to be

given also

the shalom

of God,

the peace

of God,

the extension

of God's

will not

just be

to thrive,

but be

to thrive

and flourish.

This is

God's will

for you,

and his

desire for

you,

for you

to thrive

and flourish.

No matter

what

your

understanding

of life

will happen,

to be

able to

rest in

the knowledge

that you

will know

and love

by God,

that

grace

and peace

extend

to you.

Now I

could talk

all day

about our

God's

extension

with

wise

speech

and

knowledge

and

birth

and

testimony

over

the

Holy

Spirit,

the

gifts

forgiven,

how he

keeps you

every

spiritual

gift

with

the

building

up

and

sustaining

the

church.

But let

me just

give you

at the

end

here,

God is

faithful.

This is

faithful.

Hidden in

Christ

Jesus,

who lived

a perfect

life,

who paid

for all

your sins,

who grew

him,

who are

declared

righteous

and holy

before God

guiltless

on the

day when

Jesus

is

eternal,

when he

will judge

the living

and the

dying.

And friends,

he is our

faithful God

who will

welcome you.

Jesus

looks at

my

and says,

God,

God,

could

have

been

to

him.

And

to

him,

he is

faithful.

Church,

it's my

hope

today

that he

is grounded

in my

roots

and the

life

that God

has

been

built

in

faith.

God's

faithfulness

did not

ever

depend

on you.

The truth

is that

God

knew

he

before

the

foundations

of the

earth

and

set

his

love

upon

you.

God

has

been

faithful

to

call

you

a

sanctifier

and

sustain

the

guiltless

of you.

The

day

is

done

and

be

done.

Amen.