2021-08-05 Morning Worship

WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.200 --> 00:00:07.589 Colossus, Chapter One, beginning in verse one. Listen, for this is 2 00:00:07.669 --> 00:00:14.710 the word of the Lord Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the 3 00:00:14.789 --> 00:00:19.510 will of God, and Timothy, our brother to the Saints and Faithful Brothers 4 00:00:19.629 --> 00:00:23.260 in Christ at Coloss A. Grace to you in peace, from God, 5 00:00:23.460 --> 00:00:28.100 our father. We always thank God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 6 00:00:28.539 --> 00:00:32.060 when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ 7 00:00:32.100 --> 00:00:35.969 Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints because of the 8 00:00:36.090 --> 00:00:40.729 hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in 9 00:00:40.770 --> 00:00:44.049 the word of truth, the Gospel, which has come to you, as 10 00:00:44.130 --> 00:00:48.609 indeed in the whole world. It is bearing fruit and increasing, as it 11 00:00:48.649 --> 00:00:52.240 also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace 12 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:56.520 of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphrus, our beloved 13 00:00:56.600 --> 00:01:00.439 fellow servant. He is Faithful Minister of Christ on your behalf and has made 14 00:01:00.520 --> 00:01:06.829 known to us your love in the spirit that's for the reading of God's word. 15 00:01:06.870 --> 00:01:11.709 May he bless it to us. Let's pray. Our gracious heavenly father, 16 00:01:11.790 --> 00:01:14.709 we do thank you for your word. We pray that you would give 17 00:01:14.709 --> 00:01:19.420 us eyes to see and ears to hear the truths that you would have for 18 00:01:19.620 --> 00:01:22.819 us and the beauty that you have for us in Christ. We pray this 19 00:01:22.939 --> 00:01:38.450 in Christ's name. Amen. Please me seed it. What's been many months 20 00:01:38.530 --> 00:01:42.689 since I've been here, but but the last time I was here we looked 21 00:01:42.769 --> 00:01:49.000 together at the first two verses of Colossian's chapter one. And there, as 22 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:55.439 we just read, these first two verses where Paul is greeting the church at 23 00:01:55.519 --> 00:02:00.359 coloss a. These first two verses may seem perfunctory, may they may seem 24 00:02:00.510 --> 00:02:06.349 just like a common, standard type of greeting. And yet Paul's words of 25 00:02:06.590 --> 00:02:14.469 grace and peace from God to the Church draw us right away into the heart 26 00:02:14.629 --> 00:02:20.740 of Paul's letter. I mean Paul's writing as an ambassador of Jesus Christ. 27 00:02:21.740 --> 00:02:25.620 He's writing to the church at Colossa, who are saints, who are Holy 28 00:02:25.740 --> 00:02:31.330 Ones, who are faithful in Christ, and he's writing to deliver the very 29 00:02:31.370 --> 00:02:38.610 grace, the very peace of God to this fellowship of Believers that's facing a 30 00:02:38.689 --> 00:02:44.210 dangerous teaching. And even though Paul has never visited this church, he's heard 31 00:02:44.250 --> 00:02:51.479 a report about this church that is both exceedingly joyful as well as concerning he's 32 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:55.199 joyful, as will find out, because of the Saints Reception of the Gospel. 33 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:00.030 They are believing upon the Lord. This church is growing in love. 34 00:03:01.550 --> 00:03:08.069 But this is also a young church and it's facing opposition, and so he's 35 00:03:08.110 --> 00:03:15.699 writing not only to express his joy but to further encourage, to instruct the 36 00:03:15.780 --> 00:03:19.900 Church in the Gospel. I mean, they've heard the Gospel, they've responded 37 00:03:20.020 --> 00:03:23.379 in faith, and yet the good news of Christ is never old news for 38 00:03:23.620 --> 00:03:30.689 his people. To grow in our love for Christ means we must know who 39 00:03:30.689 --> 00:03:34.930 he is, we must hear from him and of his love for us. 40 00:03:36.729 --> 00:03:40.759 So, as Ambassador of Christ, Paul Brings The word of Christ to this 41 00:03:40.919 --> 00:03:46.759 new church. He begins with this announcement where he says grace and peace to 42 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:54.000 you from God, our father, and in this short letter which is saturated 43 00:03:54.710 --> 00:04:00.310 with the person and work of Christ. This short letter is placed in the 44 00:04:00.389 --> 00:04:06.389 context, then, of God's grace and God's peace to his church. As 45 00:04:06.550 --> 00:04:13.340 Paul's words of comfort and instruction are are coming to this church, we know 46 00:04:13.460 --> 00:04:19.740 that God is at work actually bringing about grace and peace. These are not 47 00:04:19.819 --> 00:04:25.569 just wishful thoughts from the apostle. This is the very reason. God's word 48 00:04:25.689 --> 00:04:30.529 has gone forth and his word does not return empty. The God who spoke 49 00:04:30.610 --> 00:04:39.399 creation into existence by his word continues to send forth his word to accomplish his 50 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:46.399 purposes. And so look at the way in which the Lord Actually Brings Grace 51 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:51.480 and peace to his people. As Paul says in verse three, we always 52 00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:55.670 thank God, the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, when we pray 53 00:04:56.470 --> 00:05:00.790 for you. Now, while Paul Typically begins his letters with a note of 54 00:05:01.189 --> 00:05:08.300 thanks Thanksgiving, these are not simple formalities. What Paul is doing here is 55 00:05:08.379 --> 00:05:13.660 he is inviting the church into his prayer life, not only in offering US 56 00:05:13.699 --> 00:05:17.259 instructions on how we ought to pray for one another, but in order for 57 00:05:17.339 --> 00:05:21.449 us to see what love and what concern he has for the church. And, 58 00:05:24.610 --> 00:05:28.170 as we see, this isn't just a one time prayer. This thankfulness 59 00:05:28.170 --> 00:05:34.370 is continual. Not only are his prayers frequent, they are they reflect this 60 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:43.680 perpetual mindset, for this young church is against real dangers. It's up against 61 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:48.160 powerful foes, and so Paul is thankful for the Lord's work and bringing grace 62 00:05:48.360 --> 00:05:55.189 and bringing peace to this church. The Lord's been doing great things. Just 63 00:05:55.269 --> 00:05:58.750 look at what he's thankful for. He says. We always thank God, 64 00:05:58.829 --> 00:06:00.269 the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 65 00:06:01.189 --> 00:06:05.620 since we heard of your faith in Christ, Jesus and of the love that 66 00:06:05.699 --> 00:06:11.019 you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you 67 00:06:11.500 --> 00:06:17.220 in heaven. So the grace and peace of God has brought forth a response 68 00:06:17.379 --> 00:06:24.329 from this church. It's brought forth faith, love, faith right in Christ, 69 00:06:24.689 --> 00:06:29.370 love for the saints. pree see, because of God's grace and peace, 70 00:06:30.290 --> 00:06:33.680 the one gives rise to the other. Having responded to the Gospel in 71 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:38.639 faith, these believers respond then to the church. The respond to the church 72 00:06:38.680 --> 00:06:44.000 with love, which may sound obvious, but look at the bonds here that 73 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:50.189 are being forged here. Paul's already called God our father. And what did 74 00:06:50.230 --> 00:06:58.269 he just call Christ our Lord. And so by calling God our father, 75 00:06:58.949 --> 00:07:02.500 don't you hear our it immediately puts us into a community, into a family. 76 00:07:04.740 --> 00:07:10.220 By calling Christ our Lord, it immediately places us into a community, 77 00:07:11.180 --> 00:07:15.610 into a kingdom, and to a family and into a kingdom this faith. 78 00:07:15.689 --> 00:07:23.170 In it it places us into the fellowship of fellow believers where love is what 79 00:07:23.329 --> 00:07:29.769 defines who we are. Love defines our lives, and Paul is thankful because 80 00:07:29.769 --> 00:07:32.240 he's heard of their faith in Christ. He's heard of their love for the 81 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:42.439 saints. Remember what that word Saint Means. This is how our Lord describes 82 00:07:42.519 --> 00:07:49.350 his people. He calls the church saints because Saint Means Holy Ones, and 83 00:07:49.470 --> 00:07:54.949 so this church is bearing fruit in their love for the saints. But do 84 00:07:54.949 --> 00:08:01.139 you realize the significance of this statement for us? Here we're show not only 85 00:08:01.220 --> 00:08:05.139 what the churches to believe, but but what the church is to do. 86 00:08:07.339 --> 00:08:11.930 Faith in Christ will produce love for the saints, which means that not only 87 00:08:13.009 --> 00:08:18.009 has the Lord called You holy, he calls you to love others whom he 88 00:08:18.129 --> 00:08:26.600 has also called Holy. That I know what you're thinking. If believers actually 89 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:35.240 are holy ones of the Lord, then why are they so frequently so difficult 90 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:41.389 to love? Loving a holy person should be easy, right. Think of 91 00:08:41.429 --> 00:08:46.789 how easy would be to serve and care for someone who is always grateful, 92 00:08:46.509 --> 00:08:52.230 who's never rude, never arrogant, someone who's tender and and easy to get 93 00:08:52.269 --> 00:09:00.460 along with, who always speaks with grace, who are selfless, bringing joy 94 00:09:00.580 --> 00:09:05.379 and comfort for others. Loving for a person like that would be incredibly easy. 95 00:09:07.860 --> 00:09:11.210 So why is loving others in the church some of the most challenging work 96 00:09:11.409 --> 00:09:16.409 that we can do. We're given this amazing title. God calls you the 97 00:09:16.490 --> 00:09:22.409 holy and yet the more we see of one another, as we spend time 98 00:09:22.529 --> 00:09:26.639 with one another, as we open our homes and our lives to one another, 99 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:33.200 loving the church is not always easy because frequently we don't always look that 100 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:39.230 holy. Our lives are messy, so we fear judgment. Other lives are 101 00:09:39.309 --> 00:09:46.590 messy, so we feel unequipped. And yet we're called to love difficult people. 102 00:09:48.669 --> 00:09:52.389 You see, Paul isn't thankful that the Colossians Love Saints as opposed to 103 00:09:52.470 --> 00:09:58.419 sinners? After all, Jesus and his sermon on the Mount tells us that 104 00:09:58.500 --> 00:10:00.940 if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do 105 00:10:01.100 --> 00:10:05.019 not even tax collectors do the same, and you greet only your brothers. 106 00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:07.450 What more you doing than others? Do not even the gentiles do the same? 107 00:10:09.129 --> 00:10:13.009 So Paul is thankful for their love for all the saints, and Paul, 108 00:10:13.169 --> 00:10:16.929 of all people, knows that the church doesn't always look that saintly. 109 00:10:20.330 --> 00:10:22.879 After all, Paul's the one who says in First Timothy One hundred and fifteen, 110 00:10:22.120 --> 00:10:26.279 the saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ, Jesus, 111 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:31.480 came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 112 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:39.029 And yet these Colossians, they love these difficult people, these sinners, 113 00:10:39.110 --> 00:10:46.669 saints both near and far from coloss a free notice. Their love is not 114 00:10:46.909 --> 00:10:54.299 being displayed because of the holiness of the church. Look what Paul says. 115 00:10:56.460 --> 00:11:00.580 They're not loving the saints because they are holy and therefore easy to love. 116 00:11:01.059 --> 00:11:07.850 They do love the saints, but why? First five because of the hope 117 00:11:07.929 --> 00:11:16.570 laid up for you in heaven. Isn't this wonderfully comforting? They love the 118 00:11:16.730 --> 00:11:20.440 saints not based off, I'm not on the basis of some lovely qualities of 119 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:26.600 those around them. They love the saints because, in faith and in hope, 120 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:35.669 they see the Church as God does. Sinners saved by grace, sinners 121 00:11:35.830 --> 00:11:43.549 declared righteous and holy. And this is so true. The reason we're called 122 00:11:43.590 --> 00:11:50.059 to love others is because Christ first loved us. Jesus loves sinners, Jesus 123 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:52.980 loves you. So you're called to love sinners, but not us. How 124 00:11:54.019 --> 00:11:58.059 much more there is to what Paul's words say here? How thus adds to 125 00:11:58.100 --> 00:12:03.450 our understanding Jesus loved sinners so much that he actually redeemed us. He justified 126 00:12:03.570 --> 00:12:11.809 his people. His church is righteous because his church is in Christ. And 127 00:12:11.009 --> 00:12:16.600 God looks at his church and he sees the perfect obedience of Jesus in each 128 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:26.000 one of us. And so your status before God is holy. But look 129 00:12:26.039 --> 00:12:31.350 around. Is this how you see your brothers and sisters in Christ? Do 130 00:12:31.429 --> 00:12:39.110 you actually see them as being in Christ? And if we are in Christ, 131 00:12:41.029 --> 00:12:48.700 let me ask you this. Is Jesus difficult to love? Is His 132 00:12:48.940 --> 00:12:54.980 life a mess? Does he hold grudges? Is He kind of awkward? 133 00:12:56.620 --> 00:13:01.049 No, he's patient, he's full of grace. We love him because he 134 00:13:01.129 --> 00:13:05.409 actually is lovely. He's demonstrated that love for us more than we could ever 135 00:13:05.490 --> 00:13:09.490 repay. And so if you see yourselves seated with Christ in the heavenly places, 136 00:13:09.929 --> 00:13:16.759 then do you see your brothers and sisters in the same way? Yes, 137 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:20.120 we're called to love sinners, even enemies and those who persecute us, 138 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:26.120 but when we love the church, it's different. Here we love the saints, 139 00:13:26.149 --> 00:13:31.909 God's Holy Ones, not because they're easy to love, but because they 140 00:13:31.990 --> 00:13:37.070 belong to Christ. And if we love Christ, then we love his people, 141 00:13:39.029 --> 00:13:41.460 and this love doesn't spring from the holiness that we see around us. 142 00:13:43.500 --> 00:13:46.700 This love is on account of the hope laid up for us in heaven. 143 00:13:48.659 --> 00:13:50.899 But, you see, the church is wholly only on account of this hope. 144 00:13:52.500 --> 00:13:56.049 And yet it's called a hope laid up for you in heaven because we 145 00:13:56.169 --> 00:14:01.769 do not yet see it, it hasn't yet become a full reality. As 146 00:14:01.809 --> 00:14:05.490 Peter says in his first epistle, chapter one, verse three, blessed be 147 00:14:05.529 --> 00:14:09.490 the God and father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. According to his great 148 00:14:09.529 --> 00:14:13.000 mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope, 149 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:18.000 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is 150 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:24.190 imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven for you, who, by 151 00:14:24.230 --> 00:14:30.149 God's power, are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed 152 00:14:30.269 --> 00:14:37.149 in the last time. So we love The saints because Christ's love for his 153 00:14:37.470 --> 00:14:41.779 church. We love the saints because they belong to Christ and he dwells in 154 00:14:41.980 --> 00:14:46.700 them. And we love the saints on account of this living hope of who 155 00:14:46.740 --> 00:14:54.490 we all be will be on the day of the resurrection, because on that 156 00:14:54.529 --> 00:14:58.250 day there will be no more fear, no more grudges, no more messes. 157 00:15:00.250 --> 00:15:03.009 On that day, the sinner saints who surround you will be truly and 158 00:15:03.169 --> 00:15:09.000 finally just saints. And so we don't hold back on our love for one 159 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:13.000 another, waiting for that last day. Right now, we love all the 160 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:20.120 saints because of who they've been declared to be in Christ and because of who 161 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:24.470 they will be on that last day. For this hope is both a present 162 00:15:26.070 --> 00:15:31.350 and a future reality. While this living hope is laid up for us in 163 00:15:31.429 --> 00:15:37.139 heaven, awaiting its future, revealing this hope is a present reality, as 164 00:15:37.179 --> 00:15:43.899 we will hear later, encouragements in Colossians chapter three, as Paul, speaking 165 00:15:43.940 --> 00:15:46.779 to this same church, says, if, then, you've been raised with 166 00:15:46.940 --> 00:15:50.330 Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated the right hand 167 00:15:50.409 --> 00:15:56.529 of God, and so loving the saints is a way of seeking Christ, 168 00:15:58.330 --> 00:16:03.289 for it acts on the present reality of our status in Christ, as it 169 00:16:03.409 --> 00:16:10.600 expects and waits for this future hope. And so the hope that we rely 170 00:16:10.759 --> 00:16:15.960 upon, the hope that Paul describes here, is not a fickle or a 171 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:21.870 wavering wishing for things right. We use them, we use hope all kinds 172 00:16:21.909 --> 00:16:25.990 of different ways. Today, we use hope to express our desires for the 173 00:16:26.070 --> 00:16:30.190 future. Some desires may be more likely than others. Hope you have a 174 00:16:30.230 --> 00:16:34.980 good day, hope you have a safe drive. Others can be more far 175 00:16:36.019 --> 00:16:41.059 fetched. But this hope described by Paul is not an inner attitude of optimism. 176 00:16:41.299 --> 00:16:45.419 It's not a longing or a wishing against the forces of time and decay. 177 00:16:48.370 --> 00:16:52.009 As Paul says elsewhere, in Romans Eight, Chapter Eight, Verse Twenty 178 00:16:52.049 --> 00:16:56.009 Three, not only the creation but we ourselves who have the first fruit of 179 00:16:56.090 --> 00:17:00.639 the spirit grown inwardly, as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the 180 00:17:00.759 --> 00:17:06.640 redemption of our bodies, for in this hope we were saved. Now, 181 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:08.559 hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees? 182 00:17:10.359 --> 00:17:12.839 But we hope for what we do not see. We wait for it 183 00:17:14.599 --> 00:17:19.750 with patience. Again in Galatians chapter five, listen for what this hope looks 184 00:17:19.829 --> 00:17:25.150 like, for through the spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for 185 00:17:25.269 --> 00:17:30.099 the hope of righteousness. And so, while we do hope for that which 186 00:17:30.140 --> 00:17:34.259 we do not yet see, this doesn't make the out come uncertain. Rather, 187 00:17:34.380 --> 00:17:41.779 we're called to eagerly wait for our hope to become sight. Don't you 188 00:17:41.819 --> 00:17:45.450 see, then, the way of patience and eager expectation of the resurrection? 189 00:17:48.170 --> 00:17:52.130 What does that look like here in now? It looks like faith in Christ. 190 00:17:53.529 --> 00:18:00.720 It looks like love for the saints. For how do we patiently wait 191 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:07.640 for the resurrection? By loving Christ, who is faithful not just to individuals 192 00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:15.029 but to a body of believers. How do we love because of this hope? 193 00:18:15.630 --> 00:18:22.309 We love by seeing one another the way God sees us, saints who 194 00:18:22.309 --> 00:18:27.539 have been given an eternal inheritance in heavenly places, the weak and the frail, 195 00:18:27.900 --> 00:18:33.980 brothers and sisters sitting beside you and in your own families, you can 196 00:18:33.059 --> 00:18:41.369 love not just because Christ loved you, but because Christ loves them. So 197 00:18:41.450 --> 00:18:47.210 we're called to love the saints. And wouldn't it be great if we were 198 00:18:47.210 --> 00:18:52.609 already perfectly holy? And yet, if this is how God has described you, 199 00:18:53.170 --> 00:18:56.799 if he's the one declaring you to be a saint and a holy one, 200 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:02.200 then who are we to respond? And Yeah, but they're kind of 201 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:07.480 hard to get along with. My Christ has claimed this person for himself, 202 00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:14.029 and so we love the church by loving those Christ has called to himself. 203 00:19:15.269 --> 00:19:25.099 We love Christ by loving those whom Christ dwells within. And so speaking of 204 00:19:25.299 --> 00:19:33.099 this faith, this love and this hope, Paul continues in this introduction of 205 00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:36.700 this you've heard before in the word of truth, the Gospel, which has 206 00:19:36.740 --> 00:19:40.009 come to you, as indeed in the whole world, it is bearing fruit 207 00:19:40.089 --> 00:19:42.849 and increasing, as it also does among you, since the day you heard 208 00:19:42.890 --> 00:19:47.730 of it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned 209 00:19:47.730 --> 00:19:51.289 it from Epaphorus, our beloved fellow servant. He is a Faithful Minister of 210 00:19:51.329 --> 00:19:55.839 Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the spirit. 211 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:00.440 There's a whole lot that could be unpacked there, but I want to 212 00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:07.710 focus on this word love that shows up again in verse eight. Do you 213 00:20:07.750 --> 00:20:11.509 see how God is not abandoned us at any moment in this process of our 214 00:20:11.589 --> 00:20:15.950 loving one another? It's His grace that's gone forth. In truth, it's 215 00:20:17.069 --> 00:20:21.859 his truth, the good news of Christ, which has been bearing the fruit 216 00:20:21.940 --> 00:20:26.579 of faith, love and hope. And now this same love for all the 217 00:20:26.779 --> 00:20:33.980 saints is described as your love and verse eight, in the spirit. This 218 00:20:34.140 --> 00:20:38.250 is so awesome. I mean, as we've seen, you're calling to love. 219 00:20:38.369 --> 00:20:42.170 The church is not based on the loveliness of the saints. It's based 220 00:20:42.210 --> 00:20:47.849 on the loveliness of Christ, who unites himself to his church. And yet 221 00:20:47.849 --> 00:20:52.720 Paul takes it even further here in Verse Eight, when he says that the 222 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:56.240 love for the church, that your love for the saints, occurs in the 223 00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:02.759 spirit. It means that the love that you share is not your own. 224 00:21:03.509 --> 00:21:07.789 The love that your share is itself a gift, a gift from God himself, 225 00:21:10.750 --> 00:21:17.390 and when the church loves one another, the church gets to participate in 226 00:21:17.630 --> 00:21:26.900 that love that exists between father son and Holy Spirit. This is why Paul 227 00:21:26.259 --> 00:21:37.009 is thanking God for the Church's faith, love and hope. The life of 228 00:21:37.210 --> 00:21:42.210 the church, the life together, is an act of our triune God. 229 00:21:45.049 --> 00:21:49.200 Let us have all three persons are already listed. We always thank God, 230 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:53.599 the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, for your love in the spirit. 231 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:03.349 Speaking of that love, as Paul references faith, hope and love, 232 00:22:03.710 --> 00:22:07.869 he does so elsewhere in a famous passage, First Corinthians, chapter thirteen, 233 00:22:08.789 --> 00:22:12.990 where he says for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face 234 00:22:14.069 --> 00:22:17.339 to face. Now I know in part. Then I shall know fully, 235 00:22:17.660 --> 00:22:22.220 even as I have been fully known now. Faith, hope and love abide. 236 00:22:22.259 --> 00:22:29.500 These three but the greatest of these is love. Have you ever wondered 237 00:22:29.539 --> 00:22:34.170 why? Faith? Faith is this instrument that saves us from our sin, 238 00:22:34.690 --> 00:22:38.730 right hope in the resurrection. These are glorious things. What makes love better 239 00:22:38.930 --> 00:22:48.920 than these other two? Well, one day your faith will become sight right, 240 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:53.880 one day your hope will become a reality, will be fully realized. 241 00:22:56.920 --> 00:23:02.269 But the love, the love that has always existed among father, son and 242 00:23:02.390 --> 00:23:08.910 Holy Spirit, is eternal. It will never end, and it is this 243 00:23:10.230 --> 00:23:12.940 love which has been given to us from the father, in the son, 244 00:23:14.140 --> 00:23:19.819 by the Holy Spirit. The love of God, defines our lives, both 245 00:23:21.019 --> 00:23:26.769 here and in eternity, and so of course it's bearing fruit, of course 246 00:23:26.809 --> 00:23:33.289 it's increasing, as God draws us to himself, he draws us to a 247 00:23:33.410 --> 00:23:38.410 body, a family, to a kingdom that shall have no end, whose 248 00:23:38.529 --> 00:23:51.440 love shall have no end. Amen, let's pray, our gracious heavenly father. 249 00:23:51.559 --> 00:23:56.269 We are humbled. We are humbled by your love. We do thank 250 00:23:56.349 --> 00:24:02.029 you for your love, which which creates love in us, which creates life 251 00:24:02.190 --> 00:24:08.710 in us, which creates light righteousness in us. Your Word is wonderful and 252 00:24:08.869 --> 00:24:12.740 we ask that your word would cause your people to be drawn to the loveliness 253 00:24:12.779 --> 00:24:18.500 of our savior. As we see your grace, as we see your mercy 254 00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:25.490 to your people, cause us to further glorify your triune name. Would you 255 00:24:25.569 --> 00:24:29.490 thank you for your Gospel, which which produces the fruits of faith and love, 256 00:24:30.569 --> 00:24:33.490 because of the hope laid up for us in heaven? For as we 257 00:24:33.569 --> 00:24:37.210 long for our faith to become sight, as we long for our hope to 258 00:24:37.329 --> 00:24:45.039 become manifest, cause your love to abide in your people, both now and 259 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:49.200 forever. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.