February 20, 2022 - Sunday Service Live Stream

Corporate Worship and Confession of Sin

Peace to you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, welcome to the corporate world.

Please stand. Unto you, O God, we lift up, O you who dwell in the heavens. Behold as the eyes of the servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress. So, our eyes look to you, the Lord our God, until you have mercy on us.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. Please pray with me. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we joyfully and thankfully come into your presence, recognizing the great privilege that you have bestowed on us to call us sons of God.

We ask that you would attend our prayers, that you would keep your promise, as you always do, to meet with us here. We pray that lives and hearts will be more conformed into the image, the glorious image of your dear Son, in whose name we pray.

Amen.

Please kneel for the corporate confession of sin. Let us confess our sins together in unison. Almighty Father, God of God, to the fatherless, husbanding on us. We have not bound up the broken, even though you healed us.

We have not forgiven others, even though you forgave us. We withhold kindness from the needy, even though you freely gave us your own Son. We are without excuse, but not without hope. By your power and grace, account our sins to Jesus' death, and amend our ways by the power of his glorious resurrection.

Please stand. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord. And he will have mercy on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Brethren, take heart today in Christ. Your sins are forgiven.

Amen.

Jeremiah’s Call and the Lord’s Protection

Please take up the hymnal and turn to number 580. We're continuing this kingly theme we've been on since January 580.

To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah, the son of Ammon, king of Judah,.

In the nineteenth year of his reign, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you, the Lord said to me, Do not say, I am in you, for you shall go to all.

Before I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you, to deliver you. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, When each one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah, I will utter my judgments, against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken me, burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them. For behold, I have made you this day a fortified city and an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against all the people of the land.

They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you. The reading of the word.

Let us now confess our faith in the singing of the Apostles' Creed.

The Apostles' Creed.

What wondrous love is this!

I ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the bereaved, the burdened, and for the widows, orphans, and prisoners. Pray for those in any need or trouble. I ask your prayers for those who do not know Christ, and for those who seek a deeper knowledge of Him.

Pray that they may find and be found by Him.

Lord, hear our prayers.

I ask your prayers for our children and future generations which will be born to them. Pray that the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth through them.

Lord, hear our prayers.

And from the river to the ends of the earth, we pray that you do this through us, through our children, through Ascension, through Covenant Presbyterian Church, and through your whole church, militant, we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Pray that we may have grace to glorify Christ in our own day.

Lord, hear our prayers.

Father, we pray that you would be with us as we go about our day-to-day lives, that in all things we would love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. That we would seek first your kingdom and your glory.

That we would remember that the task you set before us is not for us but for you. Help us to keep our eyes fixed upon you and follow your lead in all things. In your son's name we pray. Amen.

Amen. Let us joyfully stand. Let us rejoice in this great opportunity to sing our Psalm of the month. Which is Psalm 63. I have high expectations of you, the congregation, now. In singing this, I believe we're doing really well.

Let's continue to persevere in learning it in our families together. Psalm 63. This is God's holy and infallible word. Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.

When presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some. Who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. Do you look at things according to the outward appearance?

If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ, let him again consider this in himself. That just as he is Christ, even so we are Christ's. For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction.

I shall not be ashamed. Lest I seem to terrify you by letters. For his letters they say are weighty and powerful but his bodily presence is weak. And his speech contemptible. Let such a person consider this.

That what we are in word by letters when we are absent such will we also be indeed when we are present. Please pray with me. Oh Lord I pray that your Holy Spirit would do a radical work in us today. That we would be a people of a comprehensive Christian character and integrity.

That our speech, our persona, our actions would match a godly transformed heart. That we wouldn't play a masquerade part and act as Christians and put our best foot forward. But Lord that we would be comprehensively consecrated in your service.

We ask these things in Jesus name.

Amen.

Looking Beyond the Outward Appearance

Please be seated. Because of the repetitive nature and I don't mean that in any negative way of Paul's epistle here in 2nd Corinthians. I have a sense that we have a good understanding of the direction he has been going.

And particularly in his defense of his apostolic authority. Today we will consider verses 7 through 11. And in that consideration our emphasis is really going to be a little bit more practical. And with a view toward a deeper look at application.

Some of these truths have already been covered. Last week I talked about some of these elements partially at least. And next week we will consider some of this as well. Next week I hope to also bring back in the idea of bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

To have a continuation of thinking there. I would like us to consider next week. The title of the message today is a question. Do you look according to the outward appearance? And that is the first point of my outline if you are taking notes.

Just the title of the message. Do you look according to the outward appearance? Second, the only other point we will have today is Paul is unashamed of his real authority. Paul is unashamed of his real authority.

I will read those again to you. And then we will be off to the races. Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? What a relevant question for our time. So consumed with image and appearances.

Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? Second, Paul is unashamed of his real authority. Let's consider our text and this question. Do you look at things according to the outward appearance?

The false teachers in Corinth did. There were some still in Corinth as members of the church who were questioning the legitimacy of Paul's apostolic office. But there is a danger in looking at things according to the outward appearance.

Let me start by observation. And now 20 plus years of serving in pastoral ministry. I have seen too many times that we make quick, swift, rash judgments. A situation happens. A conflict is going on. We look at it and we say, I know it's exactly what's happening there.

The appearances of the circumstance and even the persons cause us to make a rash and quick judgment. And we make those kinds of judgments. Wisdom is often left out the door and we make big errors. The Lord does give us discernment.

And we do have a measure of the ability to kind of diagnose a situation at first glance. But discipline tells us and demands there might be more to the issue than there is at first surface glance. The false teachers esteem power and good looks and strong rhetoric.

They felt like the man of God with this office should have a certain appearance about him. There should be a weightiness, a gravitas to his appearance and his presence in the room. And apparently Paul did not possess this in their estimation.

And this should come as no surprise to us that our Lord would use a humble, weak, and feeble man to be one of his greatest ambassadors. So the question I want you to ask today is, do you look at things according to the outward appearance?

Do you make judgments based on how someone looks, how they talk? This culture doesn't esteem men with dirt under their fingernails. But we know better. Men who actually go to work every day and get their hands dirty are providing for their families.

They're doing honorable things. The culture doesn't esteem them. But what I want to drive home today is something about how God looks at us. Under number one, I have said, going down to the end of our section, his letters are weighty and powerful.

You remember back in 1 Corinthians 3, he said to a church of Jesus Christ, you are carnal. That's what Paul said to them. In chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians, he says, you have tolerated abominable sexual immorality.

Even the pagans don't do this. Put away from yourself the evil person. In all of this, they felt very good about themselves, about their magnanimous nature, and how they've accepted this erring brother.

In 1 Corinthians 10, he told them to flee idolatry. He says, church at Corinth, you are full of idolatry. You are idolaters. In 1 Corinthians 11, the second or third time he has said it in the first epistle, he says, imitate me.

So the Corinthians and his opponents are saying, who does this man think he is? Look at him. He doesn't even preach very well. Look at his appearance. He has no money. He has to work as a tent maker. How could we esteem him?

When these teachers from Jerusalem and elsewhere have come, they look the part. Why can't he be more like Apollos? Why can't he bring the heat like Peter? The second observation that he acknowledges they've made of him is that his bodily presence is weak.

No doubt in your studies of scripture, you've come across this description of Paul. It's apocryphal. It's extra biblical. But in the second century, one author said about Paul, he was a man, small in size, bald-headed, bow-legged, stocky with eyebrows meeting, and he had a rather long nose.

He doesn't fit the part. He doesn't seem to be the man who should command this kind of respect. The irony of this is that God looks upon the heart. And the funny thing is, the man who looked the part in Israel, his name, too, was Saul.

But he wasn't actually the man after God's heart. I'd like you to turn with me, everyone who can. Please turn to 1 Samuel 16. When I read this this week again, our section in 2 Corinthians, this thought and this imagery immediately came to mind.

1 Samuel 16. I'll begin reading in verse 1. This is the fall of Saul and the precursor to the anointing of the new king. And even, strangely, Samuel is fearful about what's happening. I always think of him as being so bold and courageous and fearless.

But he's even fearful about this transition. This is what the Lord says to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16. Now the Lord said to Samuel. How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?

Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided myself a king among his sons. And listen to Samuel's response. Children. And many times in your life, you're going to be faced with a fearful decision.

But the Lord is going to call you to walk in obedience. And your peers and those around you, your friends and even people you care about are going to cause you to be afraid to follow the Lord and to walk in his steps.

I would urge you to follow Samuel's example here. He was fearful of the consequences. He felt that Saul might kill him if he would go and do this. But he goes anyway because he obeyed the Lord. You too, children.

You too, adults. I don't know if you know this. All the little children applications are for you too. You too walk in faithfulness in spite of the danger and the fears that lurk out there for you. How could I go if Saul hears it?

Verse 2.

He will kill me. But the Lord said, Take a heifer with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint for me the one I named to you.

And here's our example, which we should follow. So Samuel did what the Lord said. Point of application. Let it be true of us that all of us gathered here today in Ascension that we would do what the Lord said.

How simple is that? He says it. We do it. He says, Don't do that. We don't do that. He says, Do this. We do that. Samuel went. He did what the Lord said. He goes to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Do you come peaceably?

They recognized his authority as the prophet of God. They were fearful. If the prophet is showing up in Bethlehem, maybe God's judgment and condemnation is going to fall upon us. And he said, Peaceably, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.

Sanctify yourselves. And come with me to the sacrifice. Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons. And invited them to the sacrifice. I want you to picture the scene here. As you know, young David is not present.

He's out tending sheep. And my sense is this older brother, maybe the eldest brother, Eliab, looks the part. He reminds Samuel of Saul. Now that's a striking example. He might say that this guy could be king.

He's handsome. He's tall. He's strong. Look at his presence.

For six.

So it was when they came that he looked at Eliab and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. But friends, God looks at the heart. You and I. Have been duped. For large percentages of our lives.

We've looked and considered the outward appearance of men. We've determined, along with the culture, what greatness looks like. And God has a different opinion of it. The Lord said to Samuel in verse seven, Do not look at his appearance.

Or at his physical stature. Because I have refused him. I don't even think there's anything deficient in Eliab. I don't think he's a wicked man or anything like that. He's just not the one anointed for this task.

It's got to be David. The last half of verse seven. This is very important for us. I'm telling you today, if we would lay hold of this today, our lives would be out utterly changed. We need to see as the Lord sees.

For the Lord does not see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, the heart. In the interest of time, you know how the story goes.

David.

Let's turn back to our text in Second Corinthians 10. This is so profound, so deep, so penetrating. I hope the Lord will grant us an understanding of it. God knew the hearts of the false teachers in Corinth.

Can you imagine being one of those who is in it for the wrong reasons? Who's in it for their own honor? For the exaltation of themselves? Maybe for material gain, just self-interest doing this thing, rising up against Paul.

And if they had a conscience at all, can you imagine what those words must have felt like coming to them? If they knew it was all a scam. If they knew it was all for show. They knew it was for ungodly purposes.

They were pursuing this course with Paul. God doesn't look at the outward appearance. Apparently he likes small guys who are bald and bow-legged and stocky with eyebrows meeting with long noses. He likes that kind of appearance to use a man.

His speech, contemptible. But God looks at the heart. Second Chronicles 16, I'm not going to turn there because of time. There's a situation with Asa. The context is essentially when Israel relied on the Lord, the armies of the Ethiopians and Lubim were destroyed.

Even though they had many chariots and horsemen. But at the time that this quote I'm going to give you was written, they relied on the king of Syria instead of the Lord. They made a strategic alliance.

They looked about there and they said, if we align ourselves with Syria, that will be good for us. Second Chronicles 16 says, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him.

The real authority of a man and his family as a husband and father. The real authority of the church, all this governed by the word of God. The real authority of the state as righteous magistrates fulfill and execute God's law and judgment.

All of this, God looks to bless and to please. He looks to be pleased with the hearts of some men, women and children who are really loving the Lord. I want to stop here and I'm asking you to open your hearts to me for a moment to really consciously hear this.

Paul can say what he says with such confidence because he knew that God saw into Paul's heart. He knew there was no guile in him. He knew that his motives were pure and perfect. Paul knew and suspected that the false teachers couldn't say that.

But today I say to you and to myself, God knows your heart and you and I would like to show ourselves and make ourselves have an appearance of being godly. But he knows. He knows our hearts. There is no game that's being played here that would cause you to see to be represented in a different way other than the reality of who you are.

God knows our hearts. I want you to stop for a moment and recognize today. It's a terrifying thought that he knows your heart. As I was preparing for this, I was praying, God, don't ever let me ever preach again to get any honor for myself to be esteemed or respected by the people.

But if there's any of that, push that out of my life. We want to be recognized as godly. We want the esteem and praise of men because we treasure and value the outward appearance. But how many of us really want to have hearts that are entirely given to God in every aspect, in every area of our lives?

So today I would ask you to remember the reality of things. We are all held sway by the marketing of the world. You look clean and nice and pretty on the outside today, dressed for church. Be beautiful on the inside.

Live a life that is reflective entirely of a heart that's given over fully to God. You see, what's encouraging about this idea, and I'll probably close with this again, but it's astounding when you think of it.

If we knew each other as we really were, we wouldn't like each other very much. If I knew the unkind things you thought about me, I wouldn't like you very much. But our God in Christ sees our heart and he loves us still.

What liberation for us. What freedom for us now in Christ. We'll set that aside for just a moment. Today I am asking you to never again be an actor in this play. One of the things about the celebrity culture in which we live, we see the movie stars.

I don't even know any anymore. I don't really watch movies anymore. But we look upon them and we think they're the heroes that they portray. But they're actors, special effects, lighting, scripts. They're not those heroes that they portray.

They play them on TV or in movies. There's a danger for us that instead of being the part, being that man, that we would just look the part. That we would be actors in this Christian play. And I'm saying we have to renounce all of that.

Well, there's a second element to this that I'd like us to consider. And because of Paul's understanding of the reality of the world as it exists, laid bare before God, he is unashamed of his real authority.

Let's look again at our text. Could anyone claim that Paul was not a Christian? The last half of verse 7. If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ, would all of my deficiencies laid bare here before you.

Today I can say to you, I know that I belong to Christ. I hope that's true for everyone here today. Just as he is Christ and that confidence, Paul would say, even so, we are Christ. The first qualification for a Christian minister of any kind, formally or informally, is that they belong to Christ.

And Paul says, certainly, we belong to Christ. In verse 8, he says, but even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed.

That word edification is where we get the idea of a building, an edifice. There are a couple guys praying today in our morning prayer before the beginning of the worship service. They're praying for the building up of the church.

All of these authority structures are for the edification of the body and all of the institutions that God has created. Paul's apostolic authority is not just to be a popular guy among them. He has a very distinct purpose.

He wants to build them up. He wants to strengthen them in Christ. Of course, you know, elsewhere he said that he has built this on the foundation of Jesus Christ himself. Him being the chief cornerstone.

He didn't do it for their destruction. I can imagine a number of the people in Corinth who were struggling under the conflict were taking encouragement for this. They recognize that Paul's authority, the discharge of his duties was for their good and for their building up.

So we can be confidence, have great confidence in these structures that God has put in place. Think about this authority make up here. This category of authority, Christ's kingship. Absolute. The absolute reign of Christ over everything.

It's an inviolable axiom of scripture. Christ is king. Think about the authority of the scriptures. The authority, the inerrancy, the sufficiency, the infallibility, the God breathed mess of the Holy Scriptures.

We have definitive authority. We have to labor to understand it. We have to labor to interpret it rightly. We have to labor to apply it rightly. But we have absolute standard of righteousness conveyed in the scriptures.

So it begs the question, how in our time could philosophies that are built on atheism be allowed in the church? How can there be a debate about CRT? How can there be a debate about women being pastors?

How can there be a debate about celibate gay ministers in the PCA? How can this possibly be a debate? They don't believe in the authority of Christ. They don't believe in the authority of scripture. Unless we start to feel puffed up about ourselves.

When you sin and you forget his authority, you don't believe in the authority of Christ. When you go against his word, you don't believe in the scriptures. So stop patting yourself on the back. We're guilty of this, too.

We need a radical transformation of our behavior. How could we entertain any philosophy that undermines Christ's kingship, the authority of the scriptures, the authority of the husband and the family, or even the mother over her children?

The real authority of the church. You believe and love the church and you're a defender of the church. But what if the church comes against you? You'll probably leave and go find somewhere else to go.

There's a real authority in the state. God has given it. Woe to all of those who never acknowledge the real authority of Christ or the scriptures. What about us? Why is the reformed church not called for the absolute ban of obscenity and pornography on the Internet?

Is it because we love free speech? No, it's because more than half of the members like to look at pornography. That's why. We have to be a different kind of people. All of this is laid bare before the Lord.

That important idea and that reformed pattern of thinking from Romans 12 to have renewed minds. Our minds and our thoughts have to be thinking those thoughts after God. And that's only possible if it's informed by his word.

So we daily need to be digesting the word that we might have hearts that are pure before God. The second question I have to ask today, I want you to be honest because the Lord knows. I'll never know. Your wife will never know.

Children will never know. But what areas of your life contradict the authority of our Lord? Have a sincere, honest, circumspect self-examination. You sweet ladies who never say anything contrary or nice.

What areas of your life contradict the authority of our Lord? Turn, repent. He sees every intent of the heart. We always laugh at our children when they think they can get away with it. But what about us?

We live our lives as though God doesn't see and he doesn't know. Isn't that true really a little bit in us? We can do this in secret. I can harbor this bitterness in my heart. I could fail to be joyful or thankful for what God has done for me.

I can grumble in my spirit quietly. No one will ever know. God knows. Now, lest you'd be despairing and discouraged. I have great encouragement for you today. God sees every intent of the heart. But he also sees Christ in you.

The hope of glory.

What kind of love does this divine husband have for us when he sees the treachery and the adultery of our hearts? And he persists unfailingly in loving us. It's a different kind of love. What about this glorious gospel of Christ that plows up and tills the stony hearts that we possess?

He unearths all of that junk and he gives us hearts of flesh and makes us alive. You and I look a lot like the world. We would have picked Saul. We probably would have picked Eliab. But God chose David.

And he chose Saul of Tarsus because he looks at the heart. So today, I think it's the day of honesty. Let us not be pretentious people any longer and put on airs of spirituality that we don't possess.

I don't think you should be airing your dirty laundry. We should have a confession and open mic. I don't think that's what I'm shooting for here. But let's see things as they actually are. And let us fall to our knees and rejoice that we have a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

And for us to know all of that baggage and all of that darkness and bleakness and the abyss of our iniquity that resides deep within us, Christ says, I am taking all of that away. I'm putting that on myself.

I am making you righteous. I want you to be people after my own heart. I'm going to transform your hearts. Don't you want to look the part?

Isn't it true?

Don't you want people to esteem you as a godly Christian? It's time to just be a godly Christian. No more thoughts of putting on a show. Let's just be the people of God and live like the people of God and receive all of his blessings.

Well, there's something else I'd like to close with here. At the end of this little section, Paul wants us to see that Paul is not actually weighty and powerful when he's far away. Even though his bodily presence is weak, that his speech is contemptible.

The Corinthians are going to see the fundamental integrity of Paul when he comes. His patience now is waning. The shepherd has a rod and a staff, and sometimes he has to use the rod. He says we are in word by letters when we are absent.

Such will also be indeed when we are present. Be the same person at church on Sunday. Or maybe we should say it another way. Be the same person tomorrow in your workplace as you are trying to portray yourself to be at church.

Be that person. And in the quietness of those moments when it's just you and your thoughts, take every one of those thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. Let it be said when the Lord looks to and fro over all the earth.

Looking for those to be strong, to show himself strong on their behalf, for those who are hearts are loyal to him. May they stop on you. Because of Christ. Because of his great grace. Maybe you and I need to stop judging according to the outward appearance.

The pagans do that.

The hallmark of our age. Entirely superficial. May it never be so of us. And if you hold a position of authority under Christ's headship, if you're a husband, a father, don't you ever be ashamed to wield your authority.

Wives, children, sometimes daddy has to make a tough decision. It's his responsibility to make it. Joyfully submit to that decision that he makes. Someday the church may come to you in correction and discipline.

Understand that when it comes, if it comes, it'll be done for your good. For the glory of God. For your building up. Not to destroy you. Not to harm you.

But to strengthen you.

Some great things to think about today. Do you look at the outward appearance? Do you belong to Christ? Are you fundamentally a man, woman, and child of integrity? In your private thoughts, when you're online, when with your worldly friends, are you the same person as you are on Sunday morning?

Let's be those kind of people who, wherever you meet us, wherever you encounter us, we're the same. Sinners in need of grace and finding it in Christ. And striving to walk in obedience. The message seemed kind of harsh, didn't it?

But in the end of it all, it's really a great encouragement. We have been loved by God. It's time to live and walk in that love. As is fitting, those who have been united to Christ. As we come to the table today, don't think about all of your sins.

Think about the great victory Christ has had over them. And how he has drawn you to himself and united him to yourself. In spite of all of your weaknesses, he adores you. Treasures you as his bride. Please pray with me.

Lord, we are so superficial. I pray that we would be people of greater depth and greater character and greater integrity. Lord, we also rejoice today that you have called us your own. We recognize your authority, Lord.

I pray that you would give us willing hearts of obedience and that you would help our unbelief. Lord, we see it so clearly in others where they are compromising and falling short. But we don't even look at our own hearts and see that we are guilty of some of those same things.

Lord, I pray that today there would be real repentance. That you wouldn't crush the brokenhearted today, but that you would build them up. Oh, Lord, I pray that you would take us prideful ones and put us through the wine press.

That we might yield fruits of righteousness as a result. That you would crush the haughty spirit that resides in us who think so highly of ourselves. That we might be exposed even to ourselves. That we would see ourselves as you see us.

That we would see more of Christ's glory and more of his grace and more of your love. And as a result, there would be a great impetus for us to walk in that newness of life as new creatures in him. We ask all these things in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

The Offering and the Great Thanksgiving

Let's continue our time together today with the presentation of the offerings. Please stand and let's pray together. Oh, Lord, we rejoice that you are our God. We thank you for the lives that you've given us.

I pray that you give us great contentment to persevere in our callings. We pray that these offerings would be used to advance your kingdom. Preach your gospel. To build up the church.

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Put us now with great joy in light of what we've just heard. That we have a God, a Father who loves us. Let's give him the glory now.