Owe Nothing to the Lost

Introduction

Good morning, good morning. Glad to see everyone here this morning to worship our Heavenly Father. We have several visitors in our audience and let you know that you’re honored guests, and we’d like for you to stay over after service and give us an opportunity to get to know you a little bit better. We also have with us and will be with us for a short for some time, Jonathan Banning and his family, Leah, Ellison, Elliot, and Everett. Yeah. Three E’s, and I can’t, I’m trying to get them all straight. But if you’ve not met Jonathan and Leah and the family, be sure to introduce yourself. They’re sitting on the back row back there. and we’re just glad to have them. Jonathan’s going to be working with us for a few short months, but we’ll just be glad to have him with us whatever time we have.

You’ll be turning your Bibles to Psalms 139. Psalms 139. Be reading verses 1 through 18. O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up. You understand my thoughts from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down. And our intimately, sorry, intimately acquainted with my all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and lay your hands upon me. Such knowledge is to wonder for me. It’s too wonderful for me. It is too high. I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there.

If I make my bed in Shiloh, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, and if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there your hand will lead me. Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night. Even the darkness is even the darkness is not dark to you, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to you. For you have formed my inward parts, you wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame has not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance, and in your book were all written the days that were ordained for me. When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are you? Thoughts to me, your thoughts to me. O God, how vast in the sum of them. If I should come count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I wake, I am still with you. We worship awful, awesome and mighty God. And when you read Psalms were thirty-nine, just lets us know how awesome our Father is. So if you’ll put the things of the world out of your mind this morning as we begin our service, and concentrate on why we’re here.

And apply Jesus all be true when he raised the Lord. Jesus saved. Jesus said. Give it away.

Jesus. Jesus says. Let the nation. Jesus saves. Jesus says.

Bow with me. Almighty, all powerful Lord, Father. As we come together this morning. Help us to concentrate on what matters most. Your word. Your blessed and holy word. Help us to take it into our mind. Our so that we may take it to others. To be that beacon in the dark to other people who need it the most. Help us to be an open book. Help us to spread it willingly.

Help us to take it with us wherever we go. Help us to concentrate it on it this morning. Listen with open ears, open mind. Help us to cherish your word, to not lose it, and if we do lose it, to find it quickly again. In your son’s most holy name. Amen.

Come to partner service where we’re gonna give back to God. We got some gentlemen who are gonna walk through the aisles with the trays here in just a moment. You can do that. You can give via PayPal or the boxes in the back, which I believe all of our members know. If you’re visiting with us, this isn’t not asking for your money. We’re just happy that you’re here. But why do we do this? In the parable of the sower, we’re told to much to whom much has been given, much will be required. We are truly blessed. Whether we’re giving of our time, of our service, of our money, of our knowledge. God asks us to give back. This is the opportunity for this church to give back to help fund the operations here.

Let’s pray. Our God in heaven, we thank you so much for the creation in which we live and the abundance for which you have blessed us. God, may our abundance never be a curse to us. May we always understand that these things come from you and all things are yours, and we are but stewards while we spend this time on earth as we attempt to do your will. God be with us. May we always see life on earth in the view of eternity. May we understand that what we have, we are truly but stewards, and may we return some back to you so that we can continue as this church to be a light in this community, and that we may continue to do your will.

Song number six hundred and fourteen. Ye are the light of the world. After the singing of the song, we will have our scripture reading.

The reading will be from Colossians one starting verse thirteen. Colossians one starting in verse thirteen. Speaking of Christ, for he rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church.

For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross. And although you were previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, yet he has now reconciled you in his body of flesh through death, in order to present you before him, holy and blameless and beyond reproach. If indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

And how we can do that. These next two songs will be about the blessings that can be realized by those who will accept it. Number five ninety-five, in my life be glorified.

Song of invitation after the lesson this morning will be song number six hundred and forty-four Zion’s Call. At this time we’ll sing holy to the Lord. Let’s be standing. Number five eighty-three holy side. Why some high God sends me holy singles?

Well, good morning. I’m gonna ask you guys to take your Bible, turn to Romans chapter 13, Romans chapter 13, and we’re gonna begin our study there in just one minute, Romans chapter 13. And while you’re turning there and getting settled in, I just want to take a minute to say thank you so much. my family and I have looked forward to being here with you guys for the for the past couple of months, and we are looking forward to sharing fellowship with you and growing together in our knowledge of God’s word and our discipleship, becoming more like Jesus. And we’re so thankful that you guys have welcomed us into your church family. and I don’t know, I’m sure there are more words that I should say and could say, but I’m not usually good at all that flowery stuff, but know that I very much feel a deep affection for you in my heart, and we’re thankful for the time we’re going to get to spend with you.

Romans chapter 13, beginning in verse 7, the Bible says this. Render to all what is due them. Tax to whom tax is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. One of the things that becomes very clear as we read the Bible is that God expects his people to live debt-free lives.

Now, to be clear, I’m not saying it’s wrong to take out a mortgage or owe something on your car or take out a loan or anything like that. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying that he expects us to be the kind of people that pay people what we owe them. We fulfill our obligations, we make good on our responsibilities. If we owe something to someone, we give it to them. That’s what Christians do. You can see this all the way back in the law of Moses. In Exodus chapter 22 and verse 1, you can see this peppered throughout the law of Moses, but also here. If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

This the idea of restitution, right? You stole something, you took it away. You need to make good on that. Not just give them back, but give them back more to make up for what you did to them. We are supposed to be the kind of people who give others what we owe them. You see this also in Ecclesiastes chapter 5. It’s not just about what we owe to other people, it’s about what we owe to God too. When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for he takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. We need to make good on the promises we make to God.

In the book of Malachi, the prophet talks about how God’s people have robbed God. And of course, they ask the question, how can you rob God? He is God after all. Well, by not giving him what rightfully belongs to him. Full, true hearted worship, which is what their problem was in Malachi chapter 3. They weren’t giving God the worship that he desired, that full true worship, and for that reason, they were robbing him. They weren’t giving him what they owed him. And so all throughout the Bible we see this idea that this is the way Christians, the way God’s people are supposed to be. We pay what we owe. This morning, what I want to do is I want to think about how that idea relates to our relationship with the lost people in this world.

What does it mean to live a life where we can confidently say, I owe nothing to the lost. Now, when we think about owing people things, especially in our purple per in our personal lives, we know what it feels like to owe somebody something, don’t we? You ever owed somebody a big debt? You know how uncomfortable that feels when somebody has done this tremendous kindness for you, and you feel like, oh man, they did something huge for me. I need to pay that back as soon as I possibly can. Maybe, like you got a flat tire 50 miles away, and you called someone to come pick you up, and they did, they went out of the way and picked you up and did all that stuff for you.

You feel the sense of debt, right? I ruined your afternoon. I’ve got to do something to make this balanced again, right? Anyone ever given you a large sum of money to get you through a tough time? You feel that sense of debt, don’t you? Now they may tell you it’s a gift. Don’t worry about it. It’s just, it’s me being kind, but still you feel that sense of obligation. I need to find some way to make this right. It’s uncomfortable to owe things to people. That sense of debt hangs in our mind. We feel it every single time we’re around that person. We feel it at night before we go to sleep. We feel it in the morning when we wake up. We feel it when we go out to eat with them at Chipotle, and we start wondering are they mad that I’m spending $17 on a burrito bowl when I owe them like $50?

Like, is that is that gonna be okay? We feel that sense of debt. And we want it to pay back what we owe as quickly as we can. And I think that feeling it describes very well how Christians often feel as we relate to the lost people around us. We look at the lost around us and we feel that sense of debt, right? We know they’re lost and I’m saved. I owe them something. There’s something I need to give them. There’s something I need to need to do for them. And we feel that when we interact with our neighbors or the other kids at, or the other parents at my kids’ school, or anybody else that we come into contact with, the cashier at the grocery store, we feel that sense of debt.

And we feel that compulsion that as a saved person, I need to give them something. I need to pay them what I owe them. I need to share the gospel with them. And I think if we’re not careful, that feeling of debt toward the lost can often lead us in a devastating direction. Tell me if this is ever true of you. That sometimes because we feel that debt and we feel it constantly, we almost feel overwhelmed. We feel like we’re never doing it right when it comes to evangelism. I’m never doing it right. I’m never doing it enough. And we’re we’re piled on with this sense of guilt. I’m never gonna do this evangelism thing right. I’m never gonna do enough to actually give other people what I owe them.

And then if we continue to think that thought, then maybe we get to another stage where we tell ourselves, maybe I should just give up. I shouldn’t try to reach out. I’m never gonna do it right. I’m never gonna be able to reach somebody like that. Maybe I should just say, look, if they want to find Jesus, they can come to this church building. I’m here every Sunday. And I don’t think either one of those options are where we want to find ourselves. The truth is, brothers and sisters, that we owe something to the lost people around us. And I think we need to appreciate that there is a way. There is a way for us to live our lives where we can confidently say, I owe nothing to the lost because I have given them everything I’m supposed to give them.

And I know that because I know what Paul writes in Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter 20, Paul is closing out his time with the brethren there in that place. And talking to them. He’s talking about his relationship with the church there. He’s talking about his relationship with the lost people there as well. And he says this, Acts 20, beginning of verse 24, but I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course in the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.

Paul says, when a lost person dies and they lose their soul, their soul for all of eternity, that’s not my fault. I’m not guilty of that. That’s not on me. But he doesn’t say that because he feels like he owes nothing to the lost.

What this passage shows us is that Paul was at a point in his life where he could confidently say, I owe nothing to the lost. I’ve given them what I’m supposed to give them. I’ve done what God wants me to do. And so even if a lost person loses their soul for all eternity, that’s not on me. I did what God wanted. What does it look like for us to get to a point in our lives where we can live with that kind of confidence? Where we can confidently say, I owe nothing to the world because I’ve given them what I owe them. I want us to think about that this morning. What does it look like for us to owe nothing to the world? And I want to share with you three things three things that we owe the lost.

1. You Owe the Lost Your Example

First of all, I want you to appreciate this morning that you owe the lost your example. You owe the lost your example. In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus talks about that. Matthew chapter 5, beginning in verse 13, is that really small up there? Is it too small to read? Nah, it should be okay. Depending on who you are, I guess, and where you’re sitting. Matthew chapter 5, beginning in verse 13, Jesus says this. This is this is his famous words that we constantly go back to over and over again as it relates to our relationship with the world. He says, You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. And so I want you to appreciate that from the beginning of his ministry, when Jesus talks about what his Christians, what his disciples, what his citizens will look like, he says they are people who lead by example. They are people who set an example that is noticed by the people around them. And I think he speaks about our example in two different ways.

You know, we often talk about being salt and light, being salt and light, being salt and light, right? And we usually tie those ideas together and act like they’re exactly the same, but I think they’re a little bit different. Let me show you what I mean. Jesus says, first of all, that we are supposed to be, in our example, the salt of the earth. And what he means by that is that we should be different. That we should taste different. That when people interact with us, there should be some unique kind of flavor that they experience. When somebody interacts with me, they should notice. They should feel it. They should be able to sense it. This person isn’t like everybody else. They just taste different. Just like your mashed potatoes taste different when they don’t have salt, and then when they do have salt.

That’s the feeling they should get. Yeah, you look like everybody else. But you just don’t feel like everybody else. You’re a different kind of person. They should be able to look at you and see that you don’t handle conflict like everybody else in the world does. You don’t raise kids like everybody else in the world does. You don’t build a marriage like everybody else in the world does. You don’t see money the way everybody else in the world does. And understand, brothers and sisters, that this is something that’s not just a good thing to do, it’s what we owe to the people around us. And what Jesus warns his disciples of is he warns them about becoming tasteless salt. In other words, he’s saying we need to make sure we’re not the kind of people who pretend to be something that we are.

We’re not the kind of people who go out there and make all the claims to Christianity and do everything that we say we’re supposed to do. But at the end of the day, we don’t really live any differently than the atheist who lives three doors down. We need to actually genuinely, sincerely be different. True disciples of Jesus. But he also says, you’re not only supposed to be the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world. And I think that’s a little bit of a different idea than being the salt of the earth. When Jesus calls us the light of the world, he’s telling us that we need to stand out. And I think he’s warning us as well. He’s telling us that just as it is possible for us to be tasteless salt, it is also possible for us to be smothered light.

In other words, when we talk about being the salt of the earth, there is a danger that we could claim to be Christians and put on all that Christian facade, but ultimately live no differently than everybody else. When he talks about being smothered light, he’s talking about something different. He says it’s also possible that you truly, genuinely in your heart, you can be different. You can live differently than everybody else, but also go about your life in a way where you try to hide that as much as you possibly can. That’s what he says, right? A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket. Isn’t that what sometimes we try to do? Yeah, we’re a light, we’re burning bright.

But then when we get in those social situations and we’re kind of nervous about what people might think if we actually are different, if we actually tell them we’re a Christian and not just one of those Christians who claim Christianity and live like everybody else, but somebody who really is radically a disciple of Jesus, what we kind of do as we’re tempted to do is kind of cover that up and try to hide how different we really are. Jesus talks about this in another place in Mark 4, verse 21. He was saying to them, a lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it? Or under a bed. Is it not brought to be put on a lampstand? And that’s what Jesus is saying.

I changed you, I saved you, I gave you the gospel, I gave you my example. I expect you to be transformed by my word and by my spirit and by all of these things so that you’re shining as a truly different person. Don’t cover that up. Don’t hide that. Don’t smother it. And so Jesus tells us we owe the world our example. We need to be the kind of people who are the salt of the earth. Truly, genuinely different. And we need to let ourselves be the light of the world. We need to allow the people around us to see just how different we are. And I want to contend this morning that example is extraordinarily powerful. You know, one of the things that I’ve noticed in my conversations with people, some people hate this phrase.

I apologize if you hate this phrase. When I talk to people who were not raised in the church, is that okay? Can I say that? We can talk more about that afterwards if you if you’re mad at me for saying that. But when I talk to people who are not raised in the church, I like to ask them, what changed for you? You were out there, you were raised from when you were a kid doing all this different stuff. Maybe you had a different religion or your parents weren’t religious, or you worshiped a denomination or something like that. What happened that caused you, with all of that background and something else, to make the decision to become a true disciple of Jesus? And almost without exception.

Actually, I can only think of one exception. They say it was the example of somebody I knew. Almost without exception, they say, I had this friend at school. I knew this person at work. There was this neighbor in my neighborhood, and I noticed, I noticed that they were actually truly living the gospel. Do not underestimate the power of your example in being able to change the lost. Understand, brothers and sisters, that if you want to look out tomorrow and you want to say to yourself, I owe nothing to the lost, I have given them what I owe them. You need to let them see your example.

And I think this is important to say.

2. We Owe the World a Defense

Other than that, I’m going to keep my mouth shut. But the Bible teaches us that we not only owe them our example, we owe the world a defense. This is what Peter writes in 1 Peter 3 in verse 14. He says, But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed, and do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make an offense to everyone who asked you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. Peter says, What we owe the losses, not just an example, we owe them a defense. But I’m also not sure that means what I always thought it meant.

You know, I was in middle school and high school in the late 2000s. I was in college in the 2010s. And during that time, it was a little bit different. It’s kind of trendy to be a Christian now. I mean, kind of a nominal Christian, at least, you know, to wear a cross necklace. It’s kind of trendy to be a Christian right now. It wasn’t that way when I was in high school and when I was in middle school. When I was in high school and middle school, that was the time of the rise of the new atheists, right? That’s when Richard Dawkins is famous and Sam Harris is rising in prominence. And the coolest thing that you could be as a teenager was an atheist.

Actually, that’s not true. That was the second coolest thing you could be. The coolest thing you could be was an agnostic, right? You could have that moody kind of, I’m not sure if God’s really. That was the coolest thing you could be when I was in high school. And so growing up in that environment, and then reading this passage about always being ready to make a defense, that’s the connection I made. Oh, that’s what Peter’s telling me to do. I need to be willing always to make a defense for why evolution is wrong. And then when I talk to my denominational friends, I need to always be ready to make a defense for why denominationalism is wrong, or why creeds are wrong, or why superstructures are wrong, or hierarchies are wrong, or any of these other things.

And don’t get me wrong. If you want to learn all the ins and outs of evolution and be able to rip those arguments apart, which you can, that’s great. And if you want to become an expert at dealing with false doctrine that you can find in denominations, do it. That would be a great use of your time. That is not what Peter’s talking about here. He says, always be ready to make a defense. But make it offense of what? As Christians, we need to always be ready to make a defense to anyone who asks you to give an account for your hope. That’s what Peter says we need to do. That’s what we owe the lost. A defense for our hope. Do you know what that means?

It means that if you’re the kind of person who has hope in your heart, if you’re the kind of person who’s sitting here this morning believes that you have been saved from your sins by the blood of Jesus, if you believe that if you were to die, you would be in heaven with the Lord forever. If you believe you’ve been truly redeemed, if you believe that God has promised you eternity and you have hold of that, and your life has been hidden with Christ and God. If you believe and you have hope that you’re going to spend heaven and eternity with God, you need to be ready to tell people why that hope is in you. And actually, that fits the context of 1 Peter very well.

Because he’s writing to a group of people who are going through trials and persecutions. He’s writing to people who are sticking with Christianity even when they’re being terribly persecuted for their faith. And understandably, in those situations, people are going to look at them and they’re going to say, Why are you sticking with this? Why don’t you just give up? Why don’t you give in? Why don’t you renounce your faith so you can save your life or your livestock or your farm or your standing in social society? Why are you doing this? And he tells them, you need to be ready to give them a defense. Tell them why you’re sticking with Jesus even when all these bad things are happening to you. Give a defense for the hope that is in you.

Brothers and sisters, we need to be ready to do that. We need to be prepared to tell people why we have hope. We need to be prepared to tell anyone who will listen about our hope, about our relationship with Jesus, about how he has changed our lives, and about the amazing things he has promised, and we believe he will give us when our lives are over. You owe that to the world. You owe them a defense, an argument, a reason for your hope. And kind of by the side, I think we should appreciate this too. That means that if we’re going to be effective at making a defense for our hope, we really ought to live with people. Live like people who actually have hope.

3. The Last Thing You Owe the Lost Is Your Love

The gospel is supposed to be good news that gives us hope. And who’s going to listen to the good news we’re bringing them if it’s never really been good news to us? Always be ready to make a defense for the hope that is in you. And let me say this finally that the last thing you owe the lost is your love. And you know what’s cool about that? That is the one thing, the one thing that you will never be able to give enough of. You will always owe the lost your love. In Romans 13, beginning in verse 7, this is where we started.

Paul says, render to all what is due them. Tax to whom tax is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Oh nothing to anyone except to love one another, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. And I think that’s an interesting phrase. He says, look, owe nothing to anyone. Make sure you pay what you vow, except to love them. And I don’t think what he’s saying there is it’s okay for us to not show other people our love. Oh, it’s okay. You can be indebted. Don’t give them your love. Don’t worry about that. No, his point is that no matter how much you love, you give somebody, you’re never going to give them enough. That there’s always a way to give more and more and more love.

And that should be our attitude toward those around us. Toward the lost around us. I want to give them everything that I owe them. I want to set a beautiful example that is compelling to their spirit.

For why I live with such otherworldly hope in my heart. But even after I’ve done those things, my attitude toward the law should always be.

Conclusion

I have given them my love. I have given them my example. I have given them a defense, but I can still give them more. And so, brothers and sisters, I hope that you can look at the people around you when you wake up tomorrow. And you can confidently say that you are innocent of the blood of all men. That you can confidently say, look, I have given the lost what I owe them. I’ve done what God expects me to do, but I’m still gonna look for every way that I possibly can to love them even better than I already have. I want to thank you for your time and your attention this morning. And I pray that you’ve benefited from our study together. But I do want to briefly make an invitation.

It may be that you’re sitting in this audience today and you’ve never had your sins washed away by the blood of Jesus. It may be that you look at yourself and you know that you’re one of those lost people. You’re one of those worldly people. You have not given your life to Christ. Or maybe you’re one of those people you’re unsure about that. I don’t know a lot about the Bible. Maybe I’m saved, maybe I’ve not. I’ve spent some time in church. We’re happy to talk to you about that and figure that out with you. But if you come to the point where you realize you are lost, you are part of the world. Let me for just one minute offer you a defense for the hope that is in me.

So that maybe you can share in that hope today. I live with hope in my heart. I believe that if I were to die now, I would go to heaven. That’s not because I’m a good person. It’s not because I’ve earned it. It’s because I read in the Bible that if I want to be saved by the blood of Jesus, I need to be baptized in his name to have those sins washed away, having repented of my sins. I believe that Jesus died on a cross, and that sacrifice was sufficient to wash away the sins of any person. And I believe that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day so that he can prove to us that he had the power over sin and death.

And I have obeyed his voice.

I have repented of my sins. I have confessed my faith in him, and I have been baptized in water to have those sins washed away. And for that reason I live with hope.

Be seated, please.

In a moment, we’ll be singing song number one hundred and ninety-eight, Exalted in preparation for the Lord’s Supper. If you do not have the emblems, if you would please raise your hand, they will be passed out to you. We have some gentlemen that will do that.

Good morning. Everybody does have the Lord’s Supper embowls. What we’re here to do this morning on the first day of the week, as we’re commanded, is to remember the atoning sacrifice that Jesus made for us. And by toning, I mean at one or atoned with God, as Jesus died a cruel, undeserving death, to not only make forgiveness of our sins possible, but to make it complete. Once and for all, for each of us, regardless of our past sins. What an amazing example of love, grace, and mercy. Every one of us has.

Time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for a good man, someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates his own love towards us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Not only this, but we also exalt in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. But also want to offer these thoughts from Titus 3 and Hebrews 4. Titus 3 through 7.

For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pressures, spending our life in malice and envy, hating, hateful, hating one another, but when the kindness of God, our Savior, and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace, we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. And then in closing, in Hebrews 4, 6 14 through 16. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in a time of need. Will you pray with me? Most wonderful and righteous Heavenly Father, we are so dearly thankful for this opportunity to be here today to remember the command to partake of this bread, which represents the sacrifice body of your Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. We pray that each one of us will do this in a way that is proper and meaningful, and that we will always be mindful of this and remember that nothing we could do could ever take away our sins.

It required your Son and His perfect body and sacrifice on that cruel cross on Calvary. All these things in Jesus’ name we so humbly pray. Will you pray with me once again? Most wonderful and righteous Heavenly Father, we so humbly come before you again remembering this cup, and that it is this blood that takes away our sins. We pray that you’ll help each one of us to strive to overcome the things that cause us to sin and fall short of your glory. And to never forget that it was your Son’s perfect innocent sacrifice that gives us opportunity to have forgiveness for our sins. All these things in Jesus’ name we so humbly pray. Amen.

Oh wow. A few announcements this morning. The young peoples are at the Crex tonight after services.

Regular classes are tonight. But next Sunday, be due to camp and drop offs and all this stuff, there’ll be a singing and the P.M. service next Sunday night. So tonight’s normal. Next Sunday night will be a singing. A couple things. Let’s remember Ed and the Giles family in our prayers and our thoughts.

Let’s just keep him and the kids in our prayers. Also, I wanted to announce, it’s been a long time ago, ten years ago or so, but we had an elder here, Tim Finley. And we found out recently that Tim is dealing with cancer and is not doing well. So we would ask for your prayers for Tim Finley. And then last, after the song and the prayer, Philip has asked me to ask all of you to stay where you’re at. So let’s make that very clear. Everybody, stay where you’re at. Okay. Is that right, Ernest? Dad? Okay. He gave me the thing. Okay. So stay where you’re at, and Philip will come up and tell you what needs to go after that. All right. That’s it. Oh, group four.

Group four tonight after services. Thanks.

Let us be standing as we sing. Be strong and courageous.

Be strong, and the race be strong, and the race be strong, and the rain.

Let’s pray together. Our great and glorious Father in heaven, we come before you giving you all the praise. Father, we’re so grateful for all the many blessings that you give us in this life. We live in a very blessed country. All the things that you’ve given us the things we enjoy. We don’t deserve it, Father, but we sure appreciate it. We pray for those that live in harder places, that are going through sufferings that we don’t go through. We pray that you bless those brethren, that you help them grow stronger. We ask that you’re with the brethren here that are struggling, that are having problems and difficulties. We pray for those people. Pray for ourselves, Father. Forgive us of our sins as we ask your forgiveness.

We thank you, Father, so much for your son who died for our sins.

Father, be with us as we leave this place. Protect us from the evils of this world. Let us remember who we are. We ask these things in Christ’s most holy name. Amen.