Intro:
Avengers assemble. When we hear these two words, two words, there’s one character that comes into our mind and that is Captain America.
And probably, the similar scene which is the final battle of the Avengers against the army of Thanos. But for me, the line that struck the most didn’t come from Captain America but rather from Sam Wilson, si Falcon. And what he said was, “On your left.” Eto yung bago dumating the rest of the Avengers. Captain America was standing on his own against Thanos and probably that voice of Sam Wilson would have been a breath of fresh air for him. That, those three words would have been an encouragement knowing he was not alone in that battle. So in the same way, makikita natin sa sermon ngayon, sa text ngayon that even that Paul is nearing the end of his life, he made sure that Timothy knows that in the spiritual battle he is not alone.The gospel ministy is not Timothy’s. We will see on this text that the church is the one who has the gospel ministry. So turn with to our passage this morning. It’s taken from the second letter of Timothy, of Paul to Timothy, chapter 4 verses 19 to 22. So, I’ll read from the ESV – Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
So, last week, kung ating maalala, sinabi sa atin ng preacher na tayo ay nasa mga huling part na ng letter ni Timothy. This morning, we are literally on the last 4 verses which makes this the last sermon we have for Paul’s second letter to Timothy. In this last letter, these last 4 verses are actually the last letters, the last few words na sinulat ni Timothy bago yung kaniyang kamatayan. Now, we have already learned that at this point, expected na talaga ni Paul na Siya’y mamamatay na. Sabi niya mismo: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” Now as the letter comes to a close ibig sabihin nito tapos na rin yung ating series sa A Life of Gospel- centeredness. Now, if we’re going to look back at the life of Paul, we can definitely say it was a life that is well lived. A true Christian indeed
– not just in doctrine but also in his works. Paul is indeed a believer who have fought the good fight, who have finished the race. At para kay Paul, eto rin yung nais niya para sa lahat ng believers, not just those in his generation but for all who would believe. To those whom he will be leaving behind, what he wants for them is to remain faithful, is to endure for the Gospel truth, do not entertain any false teachings and false teachers, to be able to worship God in the way God wants to be worshiped corporately and also at the same time, in our individual, individual worship in every aspect of our lives. And so for Timothy who is the direct recipient of this letter, his beloved son in the faith, he leaves this charge – to continue his legacy of Gospel Ministry. That much is clear in Paul’s letter.
But now we come to the closing part and most of what we see are names: Prisca, Aquila, Onesiphorus, Erastus, Trophimus, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia. So one may ask himself, “what can we Iearn from these last 4 verses of Paul’s letter?” “Meron pa ba tayong timeless truth na matututunan, na maiuuwi, mababaon for this coming week?
Mga kapatid at kaibigan,ang sermon natin ay aabot pa ng mga thirty minutes or so..so, yes, mayroon pa tayong matututunan mula sa liham ni Paul. Paul may have said that during his imprisonment he is alone and that all who were in Asia has deserted him. But certainly, this did not mean that Christians across the land have all strayed away from the faith. Na as if, wala nang totoong mga kristiyano, na lahat ay nag-shy away na from the faith and have ran away from the gospel that saved them. Hindi iyon ang ibig sabihin ni Paul dito but, certainly, what Paul had meant was that..at that time na siya ay na-imprison, mag-isa siya physically nung time na iyon to such a point na si Luke lang yung kasama niya. But again, this does not mean that christians across the land would stray away from the faith. This certainly does not mean that Paul did not have any allies, that he did not have any friends. And we can see in the last few verses, names, and these are names of some of the faithful brethren who have made a huge impact in the life of Paul and who have, in one way or another, come to his aide in the gospel ministry.
Otherwise, I don’t think na sasagi sila sa isip ni Paul lalo na si Paul ay malapit nang mamatay. Sino sila para maisip ni Paul if they were not important to Paul and in his life? What this means for Timothy is this, na he may no longer see is Paul in this lifetime, but Paul certainly did not leave him all alone. Paul may have left him with a serious heavy task, but he is not to do it alone. The rest of the brethren still lives, the rest of the brethren still breathe, the rest of the brethren are ready to stand hand in hand with Timothy for the gospel ministry. Timothy will not carry his task by himself. And so, in our call to live a life of Gospel- centeredness, as Christians, we do not carry the burden alone. We do not carry the mission to preach the gospel alone. We are called to be faithful, we are called to be holy, and Chist has given us the great commission na ating binasa kanina sa Scripture reading. For us to go and make disciples of all nations, for us to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, which is a heavy task, which is a serious task. But we are not to do this Gospel ministry by ourselves. And that is our message this morning sa pagtatapos ng series na ito.
The Life of Gospel-centeredness is a life lived together. The Life of Gospel-centeredness is a life lived together. So sa buhay na naka-sentro sa Ebanghelyo, tayo mga mananampalataya ay nabubuhay ng sama- sama. So the Christian life is a life na saturated with so many relationships. And makikita natin iyon with Paul. Sa kada-greeting niya, it’s not just his name that’s being, that’s showing up. Lagi siyang may kasama that he extends the greeting to. Hindi siya nag-iisa and nire- recognise niya itong mga kasama niya in the mission. And as it is a relationship, we are all ought to experience two things. And that would be our two points this morning. Our first point is us being a “Blessing to the Brethren” and for our second point we are receiving “Blessings from the Brethren”. So let’s consider the first point.
Blessing to the brethren. So blessing to the brethren..So Timothy is to greet believers and he was told of the whereabouts & condition of some. Sabi ni Paul sa kanya sa verse 19, “Greet Prisca & Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Now sino ba etong mga ito? Si Prisca or Priscilla at si Aquila ay bahagi sila ng scripture na makikita natin sa ibang text. At sila ay mga believers na nagkaroon ng malaking impact sa buhay ni Paul. These couples have helped Paul countless ways which we can see in the book of Acts, Romans at sa Corinthians. So just a short story, sila ay tent makers just like Paul so same, same sila na tent makers by trade and so iyon ang isa sa mga nagbigay daan para kanilang makilala si Paul and the rest is history. Si Onesiphorus naman at ang kaniyang household nakita natin sa first chapter ng letter na ito. When many in Asia had turned away from Paul, this household stayed. Onesiphorus stayed. He refreshed Paul and was not ashamed of Paul. Ang sabi pa nga ni Paul nung pagkadala sa kanya sa Rome, nung dinala na siya in his imprisonment, talagang sinadya pa siya ni Onesiphorus na siya ay hanapin. He looked for him earnestly. And Onesiphorus was not only a blessing for Paul, he also have been useful for the Lord’s work in Ephesus kagaya ng sinabi rin ni Paul. So believer etong si Onesiphorus.
Isa pang habilin ni Paul bukod sa pagbati dito sa mga taong ito sabi niya kay Timothy sa verse 20, Erastus remained at Corinth. Trophimus I left in Miletus, for he was ill. Nothing much is known of Erastus but his name was mentioned in Romans and we know he is a city treasurer. Si Trophimus naman on the other hand was from Ephesus and we can see see him appear with Paul sa Acts 21 when Paul, uh, when the Jerusalem crowd wanted to uh, na kunin si Paul, to drag him out of the city and cause riot. Kasama dun ni Paul si Trophimus. And in the last of Paul’s requests, sabi niya kay Timothy, Do your best to come before winter. The cold weather obviously is making it hard to travel and if Timothy can’t make it before winter, then baka huli na ang lahat. He may never get the chance to see Paul. Now, ano makikita natin dito sa mga inutos ni Paul sa kanya..to greet these people to come to him immediately.
Anong makikita natin dito sa unang bahagi ng text natin. But we can see here that there is a call for Timothy to act. There is a call for Timothy to respond. There is a call on his part to be a blessing to the brethren. To greet them. To come to them, to refresh them and comfort them. In other words Timothy is being used as the ordinary means for the brethren to experience the love of God. Ginagawa siyang daan ng Panginoon para iparamdam ang pagmamahal ng Panginoon sa Kanyang iba pang mga anak. In the same way with us today, mga kapatid. God uses us individually to show His love for the church. God uses us individually to show His love for the church. As Christians, there is a call for us to move, there is a call for us to act, to respond, to be a blessing to one another, to be a blessing to the church. We in our own unique way can be and are being used by God to extend his love for His church. Ang isang painter when he wants to paint the sky blue, he wants uses blue paint. When he wants to paint the sun he uses yellow. When he wants to paint the trees he uses green. Now, when God with the world as His canvas wants to paint the Gospel of His Son. He uses Christians.
He uses us. The question is, are we ready to be used by God? The question is, are we ready to be used by God as He continues to paint his Salvation masterpiece? And so in the context of being a blessing to the brethren, to be used by God, the challenge for us is this: Keep yourselves pure, keep yourselves ready for every good work. Do we keep ourselves pure. What do we do when we see opportunities present itself to love one another, to love the church, to be a blessing to the brethren? Do we act on it? Do we respond or do we hesitate? Alam niyo, the thing that hinders us to be used mightily by God is our sin. Our unrepentant prideful selfish hearts and our unwilling hands. Now make no mistake, brothers and sisters and friends. God can use everyone. God can even use unbelievers for His purpose. Lahat tayo ay ginagamit ng Panginoon.
As there is also a use for black paint, there is also a use even for unbelievers with the blackest of hearts. God even used unbelievers in history for His purpose. Pharoah, Babylon, Rome. He can use everyone. Everyone has their respective uses. But for an unbeliever, at the end of his life, he is to face the pusihment of God, which he rightfully deserves by the way for all his sins. So anyone who is not in good standing with God, for anyone who knows in his heart that he still lives in sin, alam niya na may kasalanan siya, alam niyang nabubuhay siya dito, alam niyang mahal niya ito at ayaw niyang lumapit sa Panginoon, if you hear this message today, then God calls you because He is a loving god, He is a merciful God. God calls you… repent of your sins and believe in the finished work of Christ. This is the hope that Christians have. Kasi titignan man natin, lahat tayo ay makasalanan. All of us are sinners, the difference with a Christian, is we are confident, we’re confident that God will not punish us, we are confident that God will be merciful to us, we are confident that God has forgiven us, we are confident that God will accept us not because of our works but because of the work of Christ. The Father has given us to His Son. To be redeemed by Christ’s blood. His death on the cross paid the penalty of our sins. Wala na tayong utang na babayaran, wala na tayong parusang haharapin. His perfect, and Christ’s perfect life has earned us the righteousness that none of us will ever attain kahit na anong effort natin pagsunod sa commands ng Panginoon. We will never perfect it because we are sinful, we have sinful hearts that always cling on to sin. But not with Christ, because Christ is perfect, Christ is sinless, Christ is unblemished and so, He has earned that righteousness for us. And now that righteousness embraces us and by His righteousness, we are welcome to stand in the presence of God. But that is for christians. So our call for anyone who knows that they are not yet in the christian faith, repent of your sins while there is hope while there is time. The only thing that separates a Christian from a non-Christian is the faith we have in Christ. Nothing in us we can boast of, only Christ. So my brothers and sisters in Christ, the Spirit of God as we know, has regenerated our hearts. The Spirit of God has caused us to turn from sin and turn to Christ. The Spirit of God changed our colors from black to a colourful one, sorry, wow! Whatever colour there is. But the point being is let’s not go back to that colour of darkness. Let us not go back to sin knowing what it entails, knowing what caused our redemption from it. Let us keep ourselves pure, ready for every good work. And as such, let us be a blessing to the brethren.
And good work is not just seen in the form of church ministry, church works. As Christians God use us, as christians, God’s use for us starts in the very basic structure of human society. It starts with family. Makikita natin iyon kahit sa Old Testament the way God has designed the community of Israel. Ang kautusan ng God sa Mosaic Law always starts with caring for the family. Doon talaga nagsisimula, so men, husbands, fathers, make sure you keep yourselves pure. Mortify your sins and lead your family in to God. Love your wife, make sure she is being sanctified, make sure she is doing her devotions, make sure na hindi ninyo siya ina- agitate in such a way na nawawala, hindi niya maramdaman yung love of God. Make sure to discipline your children and help them grow in the knowledge of God. Same with the ladies,the wives, the mothers, make sure you keep yourselves pure. Make sure you mortify your sins, make sure you submit to your husbands, help your husband in his God-given role. Embrace your calling as mothers and raise your children in Godly wisdom. Children, make sure you keep yourselves pure as well. Mortify your sins, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Kada isa sa atin, lalo na tayong mga kristiyano ay tinawag para i-mortify ang ating sins, tumalikod sa ating sins and always be ready to be used by God for his good work. And this extends even, not just to our families, but even to the local church. Sa ating pag-aaral ng church history, talagang madadaanan natin ang kuwento ng mga Puritans noong bandang 15 to 1600s. At kilala sila because of their desire to really glorify God, of their desire to pursue conformity to scripture and nothing else, and as history unfolds, nakikita natin that from these Puritans, our baptist forefathers have come up with a confession that serves as our guide in understanding scripture. Eto iyung ating confessions of faith. And as we have read in our confession kanina, in chapter 26 paragraph 5 The command for us is to walk together in particular societies, or churches, para saan? for our mutual edification, due performance of that public worship which God requires of us. So para i-edify ang isa’t-isa at also para sama-sama ay ma-perform natin ng maayos ang public worship na hinihingi sa atin ng Panginoon na nangyayari every Lord’s Day. Our usefulness for the Gospel ministry extends to our spiritual family, the church. Our spiritual brothers and sisters. Now we may ask ourselves, have we been a blessing to them lately? If not, we can examine ourselves and ask why? Is it because of selfish hearts? Is it because of our unwilling hands? Let us immediately examine ourselves and kill the sin that prevents us from being used by God to extend His love for the church. After all, when it comes to loving, it is not a one-way street.
Lagi nating isipin na as we are used as blessings to the brethren, we also receive love or blessings from the brethren… and that is my last point.
Blessing From The Brethren. So going through sa ating mga last few, last two verses, sa verse 21, makikita natin Paul extends the greetings of fellow believers to Timothy. Sa andun si Eubulus, Pudens and Linus. They are three male scholars believe na since these names are Latin, possibly they’re from Italy so member sila ng Church of Rome. Similaryly, kay Claudia, we have little knowledge of. And again, scholars believed na we can only assume that since these names were mentioned by Paul, then these were among those who would have remained with Paul during those tough times. Maybe not as Luke did, kasi sabi nga ni Paul diba, only Luke is with me. But nonetheless, these are faithful Christians who Paul is certain, is with him in spirit and I’m sure, given the chance, would have come to his side in a heartbeat. We can also assume that Timothy knows who these are kasi binaggit sila ni Paul by name so, otherwise, it wouldn’t made sense for Paul to name them if hindi Nama sila ma-recognise ni Timothy. But the point is that these are fellow believers and along with all the brothers, they send greetings, they send their greetings to Timothy. or in a sense, they are sending their love to Timothy, who is their brother in the faith. Infact, greeting actually really translates to sending their love kung titignanin in a different letter, ang liham ni Paul sa mga taga Korintho, so sa 1st Corinthians, makikita natin towards the end as Paul was extending his final greetings he said to them “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.” And as he urged the church in Corinth to greet one another with a holy kiss he warns them as well, and the warning is that for anyone who does not have love for the Lord – and in consequence also the love for the Lord’s people – let that loveless person be accursed. So similarly, dito sa ating text, for these people to greet Timothy, so its like they are saying to Timothy..I’m sorry, medyo nag-imbento lang ako..it’s like saying “Timothy, our brother in Christ, be strong brother. Timothy, we believe in you, we believe that your faith is genuine, Timothy. We believe that you will be used by God mightily for the Gospel because you have been faithful and you are ready for every good work. Timothy, our dear brother, we love you, we are here for you, and Timothy, the grace of God is with you and ordinarily, you are receiving it as we send our love for you” And wala po iyon sa Scripture..so ganun yung text when they send their greetings to Timothy. So if you are Timothy who probably at this point in reading the letter, medyo, I would assume medyo low morale ka na kasi, being entrusted with a heavy task, you are, you are exhorted to stand firm for the gospel kasi there will be resistance, probably medyo low morale because you are being given the task na see to it that the church leaders are biblically qualified, kasi there are those who present themselves but they are unqualified. You are given that task to filter them. You are also being given the task to make sure na tama ang pag-corporate worship ng simbahan. You are also given the task of ensuring that the gospel is preached dahil darating ang times na people will get worse worse and more people will be uninterested and reject sound doctrine.And add to that sinasabi pa dito ni Paul na malapit na malapit sa iyo na iyong tinuturing na tatay mo sa pananampalataya na siya ay mamamatay na, na iiwan ka na niya. Na probably kung hindi ka umabot after winter, hindi mo na siya makikita pang muli. Probably, facing your own challenges as well, kung nasaan ka man kung ikaw ay si Timothy, you probably are already enduring for the Gospel, you probably are already preaching the word. Wherever you are, even if there’s persecution, even if there is resistance. And so knowing that your father in the faith is mamamatay na, at eto pa yung..ganito pa kabigat ang task na bbinigay sa iyo, isn’t the greeting of the brethren a breath of fresh air? Hindi ba ang tunog nito is “On your left!” ‘Di ba parang nagbigay ito ng encouragement kay Timothy? Wouldn’t their love make you feel, make Timothy feel that God loves him and is with him and will not leave him? Brothers and sisters, this timeless truth stands true even today, even moreso today. As we endure for the Gospel oh Christian soldier. As we march to war, our spiritual warfare, our banner is never death, is never chaos, is never revenge. Our banner is the cross of Christ, our battle-cry is love. And so we are confident that this love will strengthen us, will, we’re confident that this love reaches those in darkness because this love is very real for us. We know of this love and we are confident in this love because we have personally felt it. We are continously feeling it. How do we feel this love of God, the saving love of Gor? Through the church.God uses the church to show His love for us. We feel the love of God as we are edified by the life of our brothers and sisters in the faith. Pag nakikita natin how they are doing, how they are enduring, how they would have shared the gospel today or last week. Hindi ba nakaka-edify iyon sa atin? Nakaka-inspire to move, nakaka-encourage na tayo rin mag- share ng gospel in our own circles. We feel the love of God as the word is preached to us. We feel the love of God and as the word is preached, it makes us remember of how we are only called by grace alone and not of our works. Hindi ba, nararamdaman mo ang pagmamahal ng Panginoon pag alam mong hindi deserve iyon and yet by grace, binigay ni God ang Kaniyang pagmamahal sa atin. We feel the love of God as we partake of the Lord’s Supper. Sino kasama natin nagpa-partake? Our brothers and sisters in Christ. Those whom we are together with, standing hand in hand in the spiritual war. We feel the love of God when out of the blue, small things, we receive a chat saying “Hi bro, Hi sis, kamusta ka? how can I pray for you” Hindi ba’t nakaka-encourage, nakakagaan ng loob? Hindi ba it’s a breath of fresh air lalo na kung ikaw ay, let’s say ay may pinagdadaanan, kung ikaw ay, probably napanghihinaan ng loob dahil countless times in these past few days you are failing and failing and sinning, kahit na sising-sisi ka na pero you’re in that season of life na talagang hirap kang kumawala. And yet, this simple chat, ‘how can I pray for you,’ ‘kamusta ka ngayon’..isn’t this a breath of fresh air? Isn’t this somehow making us feel we are loved by God knowing na hindi tayo nag-iisa..knowing that there is someone who cares for us? Who knows our struggle.Yes there is that sense that we are united with other believers across the globe across time and they are our dear brothers and sisters in the faith. But who can God use ordinarily to send His love for us? Hindi ba ho ang ating local church? Hindi ba’t tayo-tayo? So let us appreciate the fact that God has placed us in a local church and courses His love for us through this church. If you are given a gift, let’s say yung regalo galing sa boss mo sa company or from the president or from the kingkung sinuman yung person na you put a high regard on. Binigyan ka niya ng gift. Naalala ka niya, nakilala ka niya through that gift, alam mong valued ka niya. What will you do with that gift? Will you not cherish it? Will you not appreciate that gift? Will you not put it in the safest, most visible place sa loob ng inyong bahay para lagi mo siyang makikita yung gift na iyon at ma-remind ka kung anong klaseng value meron ka doon sa taong iyon, para lagi mo maalala at maramdaman na mahalaga ka dun sa taong ‘yon..doon sa high profiled person na iyon? Brothers and sisters, God gives you His church so He can course His love for you through the brethren. The church is God’s gift for us. Para hindi tayo maiwan dito sa mundong nag- iisa. The question is, do you cherish your local church? Do you cherish one another? Do you appreciate? Do you not put it in the safest most visible corner of your heart and mind kapagka-naaalala mo ang iyong mga kapatid sa pananampalataya? So you can always be reminded na mahal ako ng Panginoon, ramdam ko sa pagmamahal ng mga kapatid ko sa simbahan” What can you do about this blessing from the brethren?
And that is our last challenge. What we can do with it? Edify a fellow believer by recognising their work. Simple ways, i-appreciate natin sila. I-appreciate natin ang bawat isa. As God uses us even for the smallest things to show His love for the church, i-appreciate natin yung church even for the smallest things of how God makes us feel His love for us through them. What do you do? How do you respond when you receive blessings from the brethren? When you receive love from the brethren? Alam ko hindi natin lahat na-vo-vocalise agad-agad or napaparamdam immediately but deep in our hearts, when someone from the church really does something for us, deep in our hearts, do we appreciate it? In the safest corners of our hearts and minds, do we recognise them enough to even lift up their names to God, thanking God for sending them to us? If not, brothers and sisters, be warned because there is a sin that is being cultivated in our hearts. If in the first point we are hindered by our sinful, selfish, unwilling hands to be used by God for the love of His church, in receiving the blessings of the brethren, our ungrateful hearts is what hinders us from appreciating the love of God through them. So let us not be blinded mga kapatid. God uses His church to show His love for us but before God has even given the church, ting, balik tayo sa simula..God has given His Son for us. God who reigns supreme, far above the most valueable person na kilala ninyo dito sa mundo who would have ever walked on earth, God is far above that and what He has given us is the most precious gift that is in the person of Christ. God ultimately showed His love for us, sabi nga ni Paul sa Romans that whiel we were still sinners, Christ died for us. His only begotten Son, perfect, unblemished, is the One Who received the wrath, His wrath His punishment on our behalf. So let that sink in sa atin mga kapatid. Let this love of God overflow in us and overwhelm our ungrateful hearts that we may appreciate that all things in life, especially God giving us His Son and His church, all things are from God and that we may praise and worship God. Let us not look any further than in the life of the very man who wrote this letter. Paul, the apostle, sabi nga ni, in the words of Billy Graham, sabi niya, Paul, the apostle “a man who had learned the meaning of true thanksgiving, that even in the midst of great adversity, he was able to thank God.” Billy Graham even continued by saying “When Paul had been imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” ..and that is found in Ephesians 5. “Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. But also, nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness” So let us not be like the 9 lepers, whom Jesus have, uh, out of the nine out of the 10 lepers whom Jesus healed. Who have been preoccupied with themselves, ika nga ni Billy Graham, who “have been gripped with a spirit of ingratitude.
Thankfulness is the natural outflowing of a heart that is attuned to God” So brothers and sisters, let us recognise the brethren’s work, let us recognise the blessing that we are receiving from church and let us be thankful not just for them but more importantly, for God. Let us be thankful for knowing that God is moving through them. That God is showing His love for us through them. So sa buhay na ito, in a gospel- centred-life, tayong lahat ay sama-sama. At lagi nating tatandaan that by His Son, God has chosen us to be called His own. We don’t deserve that. That is purely God’s Own will. And by His Spirit, He has empowered us to accomplish His great commission which we cannot do on our own.
By His design, we are called to do this great commission by loving one another, united in our Savior. So brethren, let us therefore continue in this life of Gospel-centeredness not by ourselves, but together.
May the word of God continue to shape our lives into one that is lived out for His glory.
Let us all pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this day that You have set apart so that we can be gathered, so that we can sit at the preaching of Your word, so that we can hear You speak to us through the Scripture. Father, thank you for showing us Your love through the church, through our love for one another. But most importantly, thank you for showing Your love through Your Son Who have died for us, Who have paid the penalty of our sins, Who have earned for us the right to spend eternity with You. That eternity that we look forward to, that eternity which we are having a glimpse as we are celebrating the Lord’s Day. Father, everything that is happening we pray that we remain steadfast and true. That we be strengthened by Your Word and by one another as we go on this gospel-centred life. And in everything that we do, Father, we pray that we don’t get the credit. Father, we pray that You alone be glorified. May You alone be glorified oh, God. We love You in Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.