Christ, Our Great Confession

0:34I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness. He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believe on in the world, taken up in glory.

1:09This is the Word of God. You may be seated. A couple of weeks ago, Kendra and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner together with another couple from our team. Church during parents' night out. And my Sundays are typically pretty long. We're usually up here for about 12 hours or so. And so, what that means is by the end of the day, Kendra's been with the kids all day, and I have not. And so, what we usually do is we trade cars at the end of the day so that I can spend some time with the kids on the way home and she can have some peace and quiet.

1:50So, this was the plan a couple weeks ago: to trade cars. But what happened when we did that is that I forgot to get the van keys from Kendra before she drove away. Now, ordinarily, in 2017, that would not be a problem. We could just text each other, she could come back, we could get the keys, and it would all be fine. Except for a couple of hours before, I noticed that my phone wasn't working, there was no service.

2:15And Kendra, when she came up that night, had also noted that her phone had no service. We would learn later that evening that somebody had walked into a best-buy in the Houston area, pretended to be us, and upgraded our phones to iPhone 8s, opened a new line, and got a third iPhone 8. That's right, friends. Some employee at some store let a person walk out with $3,000 worth of phones. Do they not ask any questions? So, our phones didn't work. We had to get that settled the next day. The point of this story is, though, that we had no means to communicate. So, I, being the man of action that I am, arranged for a ride home from a friend, and so we. Got in the car and drove home because I assumed that there was no way in the Zen-like atmosphere of a quiet car that Kendra was going to remember that she still had the keys. And she similarly believed that there was no way that we were going to arrange for our own transportation, that we would wait there for her. So we got home only to find that Kendra was not there, that she had discovered the error and was on her way back to the building. So then when she finally arrived home some 40 minutes later, she looked mildly frustrated, which for Kendra is like very, very angry.

3:35And we were able to finally get everything sorted out from that day's events. But the point here is that both of us acted in accordance with our beliefs. I believed that she wouldn't discover the keys were still in her purse, that black hole that ladies carry around with them. And she believed that we would wait there until she came back for us. We both acted in accordance with our beliefs, and that's what human beings do. We all have foundational beliefs that determine our behavior. And in this section of scripture in 1 Timothy 3:14 through 16, Paul is going to make this same point: that we all act in accordance with our beliefs.

4:15And so, what we're going to learn today is that what we believe about Christ is the foundation for our life together in the church. So, let's look together here at verse 14. Paul writes, I hope to come to you soon. But I am writing these things to you. I hope to come to you soon, but I'm writing these things to you. You see, Paul wanted to visit Timothy in Ephesus in person because Paul believed that face-to-face communication, face-to-face interaction was best.

4:51And Paul wasn't alone in that belief. The other apostles also shared that same belief. Look on the screen at what the Apostle John writes. He says, Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face-to-face so that our joy may be complete. See, friends, the reality is there is no perfect substitute for face-to-face communication and interaction. There is joy in receiving an email, most of the time. There is joy in receiving a text message, a phone call, a Skype call. There is joy in those things, but you cannot have the complete joy of fellowship apart from being in the flesh, face-to-face with someone else. Living in community involves close contact with other people.

5:48And that means that it also involves and requires a significant investment of both time and energy. Face-to-face contact is simply best. And the men of our church. We're studying in our monthly men's lunch the book 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You. I've mentioned that several times from the pulpit. I want you to look at this quote from that book. Tony Renke, the author, says, In the smartphone age, when our cognitive actions are separated from our bodily presence, we tend to over-prioritize the relatively easy interactions in the disembodied online world and undervalue the embodied nature of the Christian faith.

6:30Look at that again. We tend to over-prioritize the relatively easy interactions in the disembodied online world. Isn't it true that it's so much easier to like something online than it is to truly rejoice with those who rejoice? Isn't it easier to scroll over that crying emoji and click that than to be present with somebody who is truly mourning, brokenhearted at the loss of a family member or friend? See, Tony Reynke is right. We over-prioritize those online interactions, and I think that we do that because it's much more convenient.

7:17It requires much less of an investment than embodied fellowship. So I think we all know that text messages and phone calls and Skype calls, all those things are wonderful developments. Even this paper and ink that He refers to, that was modern technology in the first century. Those are wonderful things, but all they can be is supplements to our face-to-face interactions with one another. And so, as Christians, we must prioritize and embrace the challenge of loving other Christians and non-Christians in person.

7:49We have to prioritize and embrace those things. Because when we conduct most of our relationships online, it's just not possible for us to do the things that the scripture commands us to do to the full extent. It's difficult or impossible to experience fullness of joy when you're not there in person. It's difficult or impossible to mourn and comfort those who are suffering. Those things are just much harder to do or impossible to do. And as Renke will go on to note, when it comes to the ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper, like we'll observe today, there's no way to participate in those commanded ordinances of Jesus apart from gathering together in the local church.

8:33So there's simply no substitute for living in community with other Christians. But having said all of that, there are also two great advantages to Paul's writing to Timothy. And the first advantage is that it meant that Timothy could get to work before Paul arrived. And you notice in the text that he alludes to the fact that he believes he might be delayed. Now, when you hear delay in the 21st century, When I hear that word, we think about a delayed flight.

9:03So, for some reason, mechanical problems, the pilot showed up late, maybe the weather is bad, the flight is delayed, and what that might mean for you is that you have to wait a few extra hours, you might have to stay at the airport overnight, you might have to wait a couple of days, but that's all. But understand, in the first century, delays could mean weeks or months, even years, because travel was so difficult. And so, when Paul mentions this delay, this could have been a very long time. But, friends, that wouldn't do.

9:38Timothy needed instruction now. He had false teachers in his church now. He needed to know how to organize worship now. He needed to know which people to pursue as elders and deacons now. He couldn't wait months or years. And so, what Paul's writing meant for him is that he could get to work right away, organizing the church in a way that honors God. And so, that's the first great advantage of Paul's writing. The second is that Paul's writing to Timothy meant that his instructions were preserved for the Christian church forever.

10:20Had Paul not been delayed, he would have simply traveled to meet Timothy in Ephesus and given his instructions orally. But because Because he believed that he would be delayed, whether he was delayed or not, he believed that he was going to be delayed, and in God's providence, he said, I better write everything down for Timothy. Look at what John Stott says about this. Thus, by a deliberate providence of God, the New Testament letters came to be written and have been preserved for the edification of the church in subsequent generations. If the apostles' direction regarding the doctrine, ethics, unity, and mission of the church had been given only in oral form, the church would have been like a mapless traveler and a rudderless ship. But because the apostolic instructions were written down, we know what we would not otherwise have known, namely, how people ought to conduct themselves in the church.

11:22So I want you to consider: if you put yourself in Paul's shoes for a moment, he was probably frustrated by this delay, as any one of us would have been. We are often frustrated at delays and setbacks, but God had a greater purpose in mind for Paul's delay. It was that his writing could be a blessing to the church forever. But I think for most of us, isn't it true that when we experience a setback of some kind, when we experience a delay, even a major setback in our lives, you don't get into the college program that you wanted to. Get into. You don't get hired for the job that you thought you were qualified for. That relationship that you had invested so much time into ends. Those things happen to us, and typically the only conclusion that we draw is: oh, God must be teaching me patience.

12:19Well, friends, there's no doubt that God is teaching us patience in those moments, and I don't doubt that Paul also learned patience, but he had a much bigger plan in mind. It was so that the scripture would be written down for us and for centuries to come. And so I don't want you to think for a minute that the setbacks in your life, both big and small, are nothing more than God teaching you patience. He might have a much greater purpose in mind that you could not understand or see at that point. That was the case for Paul. And so Paul now jumps into the purpose statement of the whole letter. He summarizes it here in verse 15. Look what he says. He writes so that if he delays, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God.

13:10All of the New Testament letters were written for our instruction, so that we will know what to believe, and then from those beliefs, how we are to conduct ourselves in the body of Christ. Because what we believe about Christ is the foundation for how we live life in the church. So, friends, if we acknowledge, These instructions in 1 Timothy or any of the instructions in the New Testament, we do so sinfully because these are God's commands and this is his church, but we also do so at our own risk because these things were written down not to hold us back in any way or to withhold joy from us, but for our joy, for our prosperity in the faith. That's why he writes these things. And that's why in every one of Paul's letters, you will notice that they all follow the same pattern. Paul establishes first the foundation of the gospel, the good news of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. And then after he expounds on that for half of the letter or two-thirds of the letter, he only then moves on to how we should live in the church. Because what we believe about Christ is the foundation for how we live our life together. So you see this here in 1 Timothy. Chapter 1 is all about the gospel and its implications. And it's only after laying that foundation that in chapter 2, he helps us to understand how we should organize worship in the church. And then in chapter 3, what kinds of people should be leading the church? Because all of those things are dependent on the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

14:52So, friends, what we believe about Christ is the foundation for life in the church. And to fully implement the church, These things in a way that honors God, we have to understand what the church is. What is the nature of the Christian church? That's why he uses these three synonymous phrases for the church in this verse. Look down at the scripture and look what he says. He calls the church the household of God, the church of the living God, and a pillar and buttress of the truth.

15:27And so I want to consider each one of those names for the church because they all teach us something about the nature of the church and why what we believe and how we live together is so important. So he starts and he calls the church the household of God. This is translating the Greek word oikos. And that word can mean either house like the building or it can mean household like a family. And within the context that Paul is writing, it has to mean family because the church didn't have buildings for almost 300 years after Christ rose from the dead. In context, he's absolutely referring to the family. And that makes sense because that's what we are. Just as a child becomes a part of a family through birth or through adoption, you come into the family of God through birth and adoption. Jesus teaches that because we are born dead in sin, we have to be born again. Not physically, but spiritually by the power of the Holy Spirit.

16:36And we learn from Jesus that once we put our faith in Him, we are adopted into the family of God. So all of us are members of God's family through spiritual birth and through adoption by faith. What that means is that God is our Father. And every single Christian, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a family. One of my favorite passages in the New Testament is in 1 John chapter 3. I want you to look at these words and just consider the instructions that it gives to us and why.

17:12By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth. Jesus laid down his life for us, and so we are to lay down our lives, including our finances, our time, our possessions, everything for our brothers and sisters because we are a family. God is our Father. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. But I think sadly, many people don't look at the church as a family.

18:00They look at it as a building, or they look at it as a program that they attend a couple of times a month, maybe to observe, a performance, maybe to critique. But they don't see the church as a family. But that is the extended metaphor that we receive from Jesus Himself, and then all throughout the New Testament in the apostolic writings, we are a family. We are called to much more than just meeting together once in a while in a building. We are called to much more than just agreeing with these things that the scripture teaches, that they are true. We're called to lay down our lives for one another, to give and to serve, to encourage, to bless one another with time, money, talents, gifts, service, all of those things.

18:55So I want you to ask yourself that question. Am I living in such a way that shows that I believe the church is my family? Am I living in such a way that I believe that the church is my family? The church is the household of God. But more than that, he goes on and he says, the church of the living God. This is the second word picture that we get, the church of the living God. And this phrase, living God, is found all throughout the Old Testament. So if that sounds familiar to you, it appears all the time then. And it was used in the Old Testament. Testament to draw a sharp contrast between the one true God who is alive and all of the dead, false idols that were worshipped by people all around the nation of Israel. The living God.

19:47And in the Old Covenant, it was certainly true that God was alive and it was true that God was among them. I'm reading Exodus right now in the mornings and just being reminded afresh of how God's presence was with them as they left slavery in Egypt. How the cloud guided them by day and the pillar of fire by night. How centuries later, when they built the temple, God's presence filled it so that every time they met to worship with God, to offer sacrifices and to pray, there God was with them.

20:22But friends, we have to understand that as new covenant believers, it's not just that God is among us, God is in us. We learn from 2 Corinthians 6 and Ephesians chapter 2 that we are the temple of the living God. He lives in us, not merely among us. And that's another reason why the writers of the New Testament are so insistent that we gather together regularly. Because when we gather together in embodied fellowship in the flesh, God is in us and among us. Among us, the living God.

21:04But I wonder when non-Christians gather with us, not just here at New Life, but at other churches in our community and around the world, I wonder when non-Christians gather with us, as they do every single Sunday, what impression they walk away with from watching us worship? You know, do they look at our worship and our lives and say, you know, their lives and their worship are so filled with joy and wonder and life that their God must really be alive?

21:40Or do non-Christians look at our lives and our worship and see us bored? Bored with God, bored with his word, bored with the church? What message would that send to the watching world? Friends, perhaps the biggest challenge in evangelism is not that non-Christians don't believe the message that we are preaching. Maybe the biggest challenge in evangelism is that when they look at us, they conclude you must not really believe the message that you're preaching. That they don't see us serving a God who is alive because our worship and our lives are not marked with that kind of vision. Vigorous joy and excitement and passion.

22:37If we are the church of the living God, then our life together must show that God really is alive. We are the church of the living God. And finally, he calls the church a pillar and buttress of the truth. So this Greek word translated pillar can also be translated column. It's used to refer to an upright structure that supports a ceiling or a roof of some kind. And then this word that's translated buttress in the ESV can also be translated foundation or bulwark.

23:12And this is rich imagery that would have been even more meaningful in the city of Ephesus because the city of Ephesus, if you remember from the book of Acts, was the home to the Temple of Artemis. And the Temple of Artemis was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. It was a glorious structure. You can see from this recreation of it. It was a massive building, 100 columns around the sides, each stretching over 50 feet into the air.

23:44Those columns supported a massive marble roof that glistened in the sun and could be seen from miles and miles away. So, kind of like when you turn out of Dallas or Houston and you see Kyle Field in the distance, and you're like, oh, we're all. Almost there, and you're hundreds of miles away. It was the same thing. You could see the Temple of Artemis for miles. And so, Paul's point here is that if you're going to support a roof of marble, I mean, you may have ever picked up one of those countertops made of marble or granite, how heavy those things are?

24:21How strong do those columns have to be to support that kind of a structure? What kind of foundation would be necessary to support a hundred columns? So, Paul is saying this is what the church is: the church is a pillar and buttress of the truth, it's a column and it's a foundation. It's a foundation of truth and a pillar of truth to preserve the gospel and proclaim the gospel. See, the church's first work is to act as that foundation, is to preserve the gospel that was handed down to us from the apostles who were eyewitnesses of Jesus' sinless and miraculous life, his death, and resurrection. The church is a foundation of that truth to make sure that this message is not changed, but that remains the same from age to age, because this message alone is the power for salvation. Jesus is the only way to be reconciled to God. And so, the church's first work is to act as a foundation to preserve that message.

25:28But then the church also must. Serve as a pillar, holding up, proclaiming the message to the world, so that the world can hear it and Lord willing to be changed by it. That's why our mission statement says what it says: we exist to preserve and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, to make mature disciples of all nations for the glory of God. It's because this is what the church is, friends. It's a foundation and a pillar of the truth.

26:02So, the question now is: what is that truth? What is that truth that is the foundation, and what is that truth that is the pillar? Well, Paul is going to spell that out for us in the form of this ancient creed or confession in verse 16. So, let's look there together. He writes, Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness. He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

26:45Paul begins by saying, Great indeed we confess is the mystery of godliness. And if you were with us a couple of years ago when we went through the book of Acts, or if you've recently read Acts 19, you might remember that right here in the city, Of Ephesus, Paul was preaching, and the gospel went forth so powerfully that much of the city came to faith in Christ and stopped worshiping idols. That was bad news for the silversmiths who made those statues. All of their money was going away. And so they rioted. And they came together in the town square and they cried out for two hours: Great is Artemis of the Ephesians. Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.

27:30And it's almost as if Paul is writing a direct response to that and saying, Great indeed is the one true God, Jesus of Nazareth. Almost seems a direct response. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness. Friends, what Christians believe is a mystery. It's not a contradiction, but it is a mystery. And that mystery is encapsulated in this ancient creed that we find here. He says, First, we believe that Jesus was manifested in the flesh and vindicated by the Spirit.

28:14John chapter 1 is one of the most glorious chapters in all of the Bible, I think. And it talks about Jesus and how he has always existed with the Father, but was distinct from the Father as a person, and yet at the same time was equal. One with God the Father. And as you read through John chapter 1, you eventually come to verse 14. Look at what it says. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

28:53The incarnation of Jesus is a wonderful mystery that we celebrate each Christmas. It is the greatest miracle of all. The resurrection of Jesus is a great miracle, but remember, other people were raised from the dead, not just by Jesus, but by prophets in the Old Testament. We one day, our great hope is that we too will be raised to eternal life. The greatest miracle in all of Scripture is the incarnation. It is God adding humanity to his deity and coming in the form of a man.

29:30Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was born of a virgin. And he wasn't born in a palace as a prince. He was laid in a dirty feeding trough. He grew up not as the son of royalty, but in a humble home, sweating, walking around dirty in those streets and in those cities, traveling, touching unclean sinners, touching those with diseases as well as those who had died. God took on flesh. And he took on all of it, the full human experience. And then, of course, at the end of his life and ministry, he was betrayed. He was crushed, crucified in our place and for our sins. That is why Jesus took on flesh, ultimately. Yes, he is our example. Yes, he showed us the best way to live, but Jesus came for a greater purpose than that. Jesus came to die in our place, to serve as our substitute.

30:30He was manifested in the flesh, but not only was he manifested in the flesh, he was vindicated by the Spirit. And the word vindicate means something like justified or proven to be right. And Jesus was vindicated all through his life and ministry. Think about his baptism. When John the Baptist is baptizing Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on him, and God the Father saying from heaven, This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.

31:01Think about throughout his ministry, he was vindicated by his miraculous life. In fact, Nicodemus, who is one of the greatest teachers in all of Israel, came to Jesus under the cover of darkness at night. And he approached Jesus and he said, Jesus, we know for sure that you came from God because nobody could do these works that you do unless God was with them. He was vindicated by his miraculous life, and ultimately, he was. Was vindicated by his resurrection from the dead.

31:34Look at what Jesus says early on in his ministry in John chapter 2. So the Jews said to him, What sign do you show us for doing these things? Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews then said, It has taken 46 years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days? But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

32:12He was manifested in the flesh, and he was vindicated by the Spirit, especially by his resurrection from the dead. Secondly, Paul confesses, we believe Jesus was seen by angels and proclaimed among the nations. At his birth, of course, angels announced his coming and rejoiced at it. Luke chapter 2 is a well-known scripture. Look on the screen. And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you. You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.

33:22I think I know that passage so well, mainly from a Charlie Brown Christmas. Not so much from reading it a lot, but hearing Linus say it. But those are glorious words. That angels came and announced him, his coming, celebrated it. But friends, the greatest announcement wasn't from angels, it was from the apostles, those eyewitnesses of Jesus' resurrection, who saw him after he was raised. But keep in mind that right before Jesus rose from the dead, where were they? They were huddled in a locked room, scared for their lives. They weren't going and telling everybody about what they had seen and heard. They were frightened. But after Jesus' resurrection, everything changed. In fact, he appeared to them after his resurrection in Acts chapter 1. Look at what it says. Jesus tells them, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.

34:25The same disciples that were scared to death, huddled together before Jesus' resurrection. Resurrection and before the Holy Spirit filled them, they were now empowered to go and make disciples of all nations. Many of them, almost all of them, were martyred for their faith. No matter the threats, no matter the persecution, they said, We have seen him alive, and we are going to tell everybody that we see about this great news. He was seen by angels and proclaimed among the nations. And then finally, Paul says, We believe Jesus was believed on in the world and taken up in glory.

35:07The whole book of Acts shows how people responded to the gospel message in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and then to the end of the earth. And while many people did believe the gospel, many people did not. And the persecution against them increased and increased over the years. But the irony for the persecutors was that the more Christianity was persecuted, the more it spread. They tried to stamp it out, but the more they jailed Christians, the more they killed them, the more people came to believe the gospel. And friends, the same is true today.

35:43It might surprise you to know that Christianity is not growing the fastest in free countries like the United States of America. Christianity is growing fastest in countries like China and Iraq and Iran, where it is illegal to meet together. And worship God. Where in some of those places, North Korea, it is illegal to own a copy of the Bible. But the more Christianity is persecuted, the more it spreads. This is exactly what we see here. Jesus is believed on in the world.

36:18And believed on to the point that many were willing to give up their lives, but they were willing to do that. Because Jesus rose, and they believed that they would rise with him. That's our great hope, friends. Look at Romans 8 on the screen. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

36:58He was believed on in the world and taken up in glory. Now, why is all of this so important? All of this is so important because what we believe about Christ is the foundation for life together in the church. Jesus lived and died and rose, which is our hope and our example. His life, death, and resurrection is our hope. If Jesus did not come in the flesh, did not live perfectly, and did not die as our substitute. On the cross and rise again, then as Paul says, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. There is no hope for us apart from Jesus' living perfectly, dying in our place, and rising again.

37:43And Jesus is our example. As he himself says in Mark chapter 10, he did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. What we believe about him and his life is the foundation for our lives together because he laid down his life. You and I are called to lay down our lives. Jesus was seen by angels and proclaimed among the nations. But, friends, that work is far from over. In fact, there are billions and billions of people who have never heard the name of Jesus and who have no opportunity to hear the name of Jesus because there may not even be a Christian who speaks their language, who is among their people group. And so that's why it's so critical for us to become disciples who make disciples here and abroad, because some of these people live across the ocean, but some of these people live across the street. And so it's critical for us to continue the work of gospel proclamation. We not only have a commission to do so, we have power from the Holy Spirit to carry it out.

38:53And then finally, Jesus was taken up in glory. And so we can have full confidence that if we believe in him, we too. Will rise with him to eternal life. Friends, the constant struggle is to believe the truth and to live in light of it. We're called to believe the truth, the mystery of godliness that is summarized here in this passage. And we're called to live in light of it, to conduct ourselves in a manner that honors the Lord that we serve.

39:23So may sound theology forever be linked with godly living here at New Life, because what we believe about Christ is the foundation for our life together as a church. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much that in your divine providence, Paul wrote to Timothy, and that Luke and the other gospel writers wrote to individuals and churches, that Peter and John wrote to individuals and churches, so that your word would be forever available to your people.

40:10We thank you, remembering our place in history, that men and women in Germany and in England and all over the world gave their lives. They were burned at the stake for their belief that the scriptures should be translated. Into the common language. We thank you that we have this word to us, not in the original Hebrew and Greek, which almost none of us can read, not in Latin, which the scholars can read, but in our everyday heart language. And we want to pray for the work of Bible translation all around the world. We pray especially for the missionary families that we support, the Jobs, who are about to embark on a decades-long journey of learning the language and translating it into the scriptures into that language. We pray for the decures who will embark on that journey within the next year.

41:13And we pray that you would strengthen them for the task so that people will come to faith in Christ through hearing the gospel and so that they will have the word available to them to forever govern their beliefs and their behavior. God, forgive us for not treasuring your word like we should. Far too often, our Bibles are gathering dust and our apps are unopened while we read article after pointless article on the internet. God, would you help us to value and treasure your word?

42:00This precious gift to us, and to believe it, and to live in light of it together as a church. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.