It's a wonderful hymn, I've known it for many years, something for the, what can I do for him who's done so much for me? Not to merit heaven, that's been bought for us and purchased at great price. There's nothing we can contribute. But you would think, having been shown such mercy, that I would desire to serve him with all my heart. Give me a faithful heart likeness to thee, that each departing day henceforth may see some work of love begun, some deed of kindness done, some wanderer lost, sought, and won, something for thee. How can I serve him? So we're moving into this very powerful section of Romans. In a sense, we could think that the opening 11 chapters are difficult ones. They are what we call doctrinal. They're full of the truths of the glorious gospel. And when we got into chapters 9, 10, and 11, as Paul was inspired by the Spirit to deal particularly with the question of Israel, and when we focused on chapter 11 and moved through the verses there, They were tough, they were not easy things to think through. But in a very real sense, now once we get to this practical session, I believe the task is more difficult. There's something glorious and wonderful gazing at truth, Christian truth and doctrine, realities, historical realities, what God has done, what he is doing, what he will do, the truth about God and us and the gospel, God's plans in time and eternity for the nations and individuals. We can look at it and we gasp and we wonder, oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. And we can gasp and we can be amazed at what God has done. But when it comes to a practical response, I'd say this is very difficult for you and for me. Because if we go through these chapters now, if I preach them right, and if it is using clear words that you can understand, and you're willing to engage your brain and follow, if the Holy Spirit takes the words and applies them, which is absolutely vital if anything's going to change in our lives, then you and I ought to feel uncomfortable. While we can glory in truth, when it comes to practical application, because we're not yet the finished work, because we're not yet in heaven, if we don't feel uncomfortable in these verses, then there's something wrong with you, or there's something wrong with the preacher. We shouldn't be able to sit under these verses and think, oh, glorious, how wonderful, because we're coming to the practical application. So these are difficult verses. We ought to be made uncomfortable, but it's necessary that we are made uncomfortable. One of the dreads I've always had is reaching some sort of a plateau in the Christian life where I almost think I've arrived and I can start to coast towards the finish line. Wherever that might be, of course, we never know. Maybe tonight my finish line is there. Maybe I've got another 30 years. Maybe I'll reach the age of the Duke of Edinburgh when he left this little world. So then I've got another, well, quite a while to go. Imagine another 36 years of me, Jill, Goodness me. Who knows? Well, I dread to think I'm going to course my way towards it. We reach a plateau. It's one thing to think about backsliding. We'd recoil against that, but something far more subtle is to plateau. You know that time when you were first converted and everything was fresh and wonderful? Well, we could never do enough. We want to be there and we want to do. Of course, maybe the zeal was over the top, but there's a balance somewhere. We reach at some certain stages, a miasma of just being lost in going through the routine of attending and doing things and work and family. May we always be zealous for the work of the Lord. So these are difficult verses. They should make us uncomfortable, but they are necessary. And as the words are applied by the Spirit, up north we used to have a saying, we've still got a saying up north, if there's something being said and you think, are you talking to me? And my mom would say, well, if the cap fits, wear it. If the cap fits, if it applies to you, then take it on board, take it on board. And spiritually, if the cap fits, may we wear it gladly. And there may be tough times as we go through these verses, but may we be willing to be refined. I've been praying that throughout this lockdown period, that as a church, as individuals, oh Lord, refine. That means consuming dross both in the church generally and in us as individuals where we make up the collective. Who will the Lord remove from the fellowship? Who will he bring in? What will he remove from my heart? What will he bring in? Consume the dross, the fire of the word, in the power of the Spirit, and refine the gold, such that Christ is being reflected more and more clearly. So we come to these verses here, and I appeal to you, therefore, Brothers, today we're just looking at verse one, and this is the positive aspect. Next week we'll look at a negative aspect, and here's the positive. I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. As with most of Paul's letters, he gets maybe halfway or just before halfway or here just after halfway, and there is this word, therefore, and you can tell at that point there's going to be application from what he has been saying. If he wants to pause now and reflect and look back, Therefore, he says, let's reflect, Paul's saying, let's look back and think back at chapters 1 to 11. I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, in full view of the mercies of God that I've been inspired by the Spirit to cover in what we have as 11 chapters. He would have a continual scroll that he's been writing on and now he pauses I've really said all I'm inspired to say by the Spirit on the gospel, so now I'm coming to a therefore, we can't leave it with truth, there must be application of truth. Truth isn't there to be just admired, although we do admire it, it's to be applied to our lives. So here Paul Taken up by the Spirit in view, looking back at these great, great truths I've been inspired to write about in view of, now look at it now, not the mercy of God, but the mercies of God. Manifold, many faceted mercies of God. Paul says, I want you to remember. and I don't want you to forget. I don't want you to forget the mercies of God. Here's the first, looking back, therefore, in view of the mercies of God, keep the mercies of God in focus. That's why I began with this particular hymn, Jesus. It is a prayer. Keep me near the cross. It's there, a precious fountain free to all a healing stream flows from Calvary's mountain in the cross. And all that it means in the cross, be my glory ever. Now, the hymn writer, of course, the hymn writer's not inspired. And so he's got this line. In the cross be my glory ever, till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river. A suggestion there that once I've reached heaven, I don't need to glory in the cross. Well, I think there we're going to magnify him even more, perfectly and wonderfully. For the mercies of the cross, it'll always be in view. We'll worship and look upon the lamb who has been slain, and there he will be. rich wounds, yet visible above in beauty, glorified. So we'll continue remembering the mercies and the wonder of our Saviour. Never forget, never forget, in view of the mercies of God, never forget. So practical application number one, don't forget chapters 1 to 11 may always be in view. Jesus, keep me near the cross. And then we need to move on. We need to move on. We need to act. We need to be galvanized into action. And in these words, there's a little bit of sadness about what Paul is writing here. A little bit strange. Where he uses these words, I, of course it's Paul who's writing, but he's inspired by the Holy Spirit. So, I, Paul, you might write, I, the living God, I, the Lord Jesus Christ, I, it's very sad he has to write this, I appeal to you, brothers, brothers, so those who are brothers in Christ, Jesus Christ, our elder brother, through what he's procured for us on Calvary, Now he's making an appeal, Jesus making an appeal. In view of the mercies of God, I appeal to you brothers. So he's speaking to beneficiaries of God's mercy. And he's having to appeal to you and to me tonight. And that's sad that he has to make an appeal. He has to say, and the word paracletos, which means please. Please, if you are the mercies of God, please. But why would it be necessary for God to appeal to us? And it is God making his appeal to us. Many times we're told that God makes his appeal to us through his people, Paul, as if God were making his appeal to the world through us, be reconciled to God, and now he's appealing to us through the apostle Paul to believe us, that we might get on and do something in the light of the mercies of God and not just coast our way to heaven and live at ease, please. He says, I'm making an appeal to you in view of these great mercies. Why is that necessary? Why would God have to make an appeal to us as a church this evening? Why is he making an appeal to you as an individual tonight? Well, number one, When you cover this to an extent, it's because we do forget. We forget. For me, it's 45 years since I first came to know Christ as my Savior. I remember the initial zeal, and it lasted for a number of years, that initial burst. I think I was unwise in some of the things that I said and did. But I'd rather have that than this almost a cool indifference that can settle on a heart. And we settle into that and God has to make his appeal to us again in view of all that he's done because we forget the world is ever near. Flesh and its lusts wage war against us, and the devil, as we're thinking about Sunday mornings, is ever near to tempt, to distract, to disillusion, to derail us in our Christian life. He can never stop us getting to heaven, as we've been thinking of, once saved, always saved. But he'll be very active to put us out of action. And so because we'll forget so easily, God makes his appeal to us in view of the mercies that have been shown to you. Listen up, we need to stay focused on Calvary. Say that again, stay focused on Calvary. So many hymns in the hymn book we could have sung tonight. Here's an old favorite, and I'm sure our friends in Northern Ireland sing this very well also. It's one familiar to you. Tell me the old, old story. Do you ever tire of the gospel? You should never tire of the gospel. Always something thrilling and wonderful and new about the gospel. Tell me, tell me the old, old story of unseen things above, of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love. Tell me the story simply. See, there's a problem. Preachers try to be clever at times and make things a little bit complicated, but it really is a simple gospel. Tell me the story simply, as to a little child. Oh, I love the children's stories and the way the children respond. How wonderful. For I am weak and weary and helpless and defiled. Tell me the story slowly. that I may take it in, that wonderful redemption, God's remedy for sin. Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon. The early dew of morning has passed away at noon. Monday morning, I woke up in mid Wales to two inches of snow. It was incredible. By about 11 o'clock, green hills, sunshine, blue sky, and it had gone. Disappeared. Disappeared. How quickly we can forget. Tell me the story softly with earnest tones and grave. Remember, I'm the sinner whom Jesus came to save. Tell me that story always. If you would really be in any time of trouble a comforter to me, what is our comfort in life and in death? It's the gospel and only the gospel. It's not forms of church government or you're about to die and the minister comes and talks to you about whether deacons should be elders and orders of church. You're not interested? Tell me about Jesus and his love and what happened on Calvary. And it's not just when I'm dying, but it's in life as well. How am I going to live a life that's worthy to be called a Christian life if I'm losing the view of Calvary? Tell me the same old story, when you have cause to fear that this world's empty glory is costing me too dear. Yes, and when that world's glory is dawning on my soul, tell me the old, old story. Christ Jesus makes the whole. What a glorious hymn. Why does this appeal have to be made? Number one, well, we forget too quickly. Keep Calvary in view. Keep the events of Calvary in view. Remember who was there at Calvary? Remember who should have been there at Calvary? There's the mercy of God. Should have been me. And it should have been you, but it was him. And then he has to make this appeal because sin hangs around. Now, it's dealt with in those early chapters there in Romans. The old man is dead. He was crucified with Christ. When Christ died, I died. And what you see now is the new man. I'm the new man in Christ, but it's still me. And still sin hangs around. It's not the old man, but there is the expression and the smell of the old man still hanging around. It needs to be dealt with. And sin is all about what I want. And sin is all about me and mine. Do I want to do that? Well, I'm not so sure I want to do that. What does the Lord want me to do in view of the mercies of God? but saying, oh, this side of glory, he hangs around, the old man, the expression of the old man hanging around, still what I want, self rising up. And then I'm pretty thick at times. We can be pretty dull. I genuinely don't understand what I need to do in response to God's mercies. So God makes his appeal and starts to spell it out for me. So what should I do? What is the appeal God's making to you tonight as you're sitting comfortably at home or us here in the chapel? If we get it, we shouldn't be comfortably sitting. It should make us uncomfortable at least to consider and to think. So what does he ask me to do? But the positive is here in verse one. Then there comes a negative in verse two, but let's stick to the positive tonight. Here it is in verse one. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God or in view of God's mercies to, what do I do? Present your bodies as a living sacrifice. presents your body as a living sacrifice. So for you and for me, I'm to do something, I'm to present, and the word means to offer, to provide, to give, to bring, to bring. Some offering bring thee now, something for thee. What does God desire? It's interesting the term that's used here, the Greek word soma, does mean body, present your, It's not the total essence of who you are that's singled out here. It includes all that you are, your mind, your heart, your soul. Yes, certainly, all that I am and have. All that I am, the essence of me and the physical nature of me. But God's making his appeal to focus here on the body, the emphasis on physicality. So God is saying, get real, get practical, get practical. I want practical, lively service from you physically. It's going to be work. You know, we sometimes don't get it. So often don't get it. We understand we have to go to work and earn money to buy things. and to live, and work by definition. The clue is in the name, work. So it means work, and because of the four, it's toil, and it's hard. I understand that. And I do it because there is a recompense and a reward. There's a paycheck at the end of the month, and I've got to pay the mortgage. So I take my, and it's my body that goes. You know, so often people say, and Christians say, well, I'm with you in spirit. What use is that? The boss rings up, where are you? I'm with you in spirit, I'm thinking of you. Great, pick up your P45 then and move on, mate. We'll not put up with that here, but we've put up with it in the church. You think God puts up with that? Well, he's very, very patient. He's not like our earthly bosses, what mercies he puts up with rubbish like that. That has a good sense about that, when we can't be there, I am with you in spirit, lovely, lovely. But why not actually be there physically when you can be? And that's the emphasis here, you see, it's why I'm spelling it out. Does it make me uncomfortable? Yes, it does. because the word comes to me as well as to you. We're all under the shepherd and his word. So the body, present your body, something practical and lively and physical about this. We need to work out our salvation. So a parallel turning point in Philippians is Philippians chapter two. We have the introduction, that great doctrinal statement about Christ, And he humbled himself and therefore God highly exalted him. And then chapter two in verse 12, he's again a therefore. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not only in my presence, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Do something about it. You have been saved. You see the example of Christ. You see his mercies, what he did for you. Now get on and live it out. Live out this salvation. You have been saved. Let it shine. Let it show. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it's God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do, see again, practical, do all things This is very powerful. Without grumbling or disputing. There are far too many grumpy Christians. Far too much grumbling goes on. Is it my turn again? I was on the rota last week. Why don't they ask me to do this or that? Grumble, grumble, complain, do all things, whatever it is. without grumbling or disputing that you may be blameless and innocent children of God, without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as lights in the world." See, the world's full of grumbles. People worry or wonder, and we should worry and wonder, am I being a witness in my neighborhood and at my place of work? My friends, I don't want to get to the extent where I say things like, well, you don't need to speak, let your life shine. But in a sense, there's some great truth about that. Our lives ought to declare that we are quite different. And the fact that we don't grumble and complain all the time about the boss or about the amount of work we've got to do, but we're serving the Lord. It's the Lord God that you are serving. So do all these things and what a light then we will be. So present your bodies, there's something physical here, the emphasis is on the body, of course it's the whole of me, heart, mind, soul and body, but the body is emphasised here. Get to the meetings when you can. It's wonderful being on Zoom but now we can be here and if you can be there, here, be here. And as we open things up, I mean the worry is you're going to get used to being at home. No, I don't think that is a big danger. I can't think of any members here who actually rather be at home. Maybe there will be one or two, there's always got to be some maybe on the fringe who are just quite happy with this. And maybe just feeling, well, one service is enough to be there. Look, there are actually one, two, three zones free tonight. If you're at home, there are three zones free tonight. Well, I'm with you in spirit, well, why not be here physically? If you could be, why are you at home? Bring your body, be actively involved. And how do I bring my body along? present your body as a living sacrifice. So he's using an Old Testament image now. In the Old Testament, the people would approach God and the priests and the high priest, and they would take an animal sacrifice, but it was dead. It was dead. The head had been slaughtered, and the blood had been poured out, and the sacrifice is offered to God. of what Christ was going to do. And he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Do you know a sacrifice, it had no plans for itself. And when we're told here, and the appeal is made, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, A Christian ought to have no plans for himself. What are your plans? We could say glibly, well, I'm seeking the Lord on that matter, but we really ought to be seeking the Lord on that matter. What would you have me to do, Lord? See, essentially, a Christian has no plans for himself, should have no plans for himself. Let's remember these words, lest we forget, of Jesus Christ himself. Mark 8, verse 34. And calling the crowd to him, along with his disciples. Now he wants everyone to hear this. It's been recorded here in the Bible. It's not only in Mark, we'll find it in the gospels as well. It's such a crucial point that Jesus is going to make. He calls everybody together. Now, gather round. I want you to hear this. And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, if anyone would come after me, you want to be my disciple? You want to be one of my people? If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself. There's the battle. And take up his cross. and follow me. It's a powerful image, certainly in the first century under Roman occupation, to be carrying a cross. If you saw a man carrying a cross, he had no plans for himself. Somebody else had made plans for him. And he was just carrying the cross. And this is the Christian life. What do you want to do at university? What do you want? Are you going to stay in the same job until you retire? Are you going to retire? No, I'm stepping down. What are you going to do next? I don't know quite yet. What plans have you got? I have no plans. I've been bought with a price. I'm following after him. What would you have me do, Lord? Take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? You know, to be, who's the richest man currently? I lose track. It's the Amazon guy, I think. Bezos. $200 billion. What do you do with that? Well, you worry. You worry because you might lose something as the share price goes down. I don't know what you do. It won't buy you happiness and it doesn't get you to heaven. In the blink of an eye, it's gone. 99 years. You look at the history of the Duke of Edinburgh and there he is as a little boy. Wasn't a happy childhood, lots of difficulties for him, but it's gone now, it's gone. He lived in a palace, he had castles around the nation. Not anymore, not anymore, it's all gone. What can a man give in return for his soul? These are rhetorical questions, nothing, nothing, nothing. We forget, we forget. So I offer my body as a living sacrifice, as a living sacrifice. The Old Testament sacrifice died. But for us, because of the mercies of God, chapters 1 to 11, Jesus died, so I don't need to die. So I can be a living sacrifice. Seems to be a total contradiction. I get to live in the service of God. It's no longer me, but it's all about what does he want me to do? If I happen to be at A point where I've maybe got time for a cup of coffee in the morning. I love Radio 2 and Ken Bruce, although they play all the wrong records these days. I keep mourning at Jill, why don't they play proper Radio 2 music on Radio 2 anymore? It's all too modern. Back to Perry Como and all that sort of thing and Frank Sinatra. But anyway, Popmaster comes on at 10.30. And I enjoy Popmaster and I've never got above, I think about 21 is the most. Generally, if I can get out of single figures, I'm thinking I'm doing very well. But there was one song they played back from the late 70s, early 80s. It was a punk band and they played it and said, who was the group? And it was Eddie and the Hot Rods. And I knew this band, Eddie and the Hot Rods, used to be a favorite of mine in my teenage years. And the song was, do anything you want to do. Do anything you want to do. My friend, look, that was a punk band. There were no punk Christians. We don't do anything we want to do. We seek what he wants us to do. And because of the mercies of God, Christ died so we can live. It was thrilling this morning, again, the way the children interact with the preacher when they're invited to do, they're not bashful and they'll speak it out. What did Jesus do for us on the cross? Little lad here, he died for our sins to save us. Four years old, great. Wonderful. How thrilling. It's worth a morning service just to hear that being said. Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. We don't have to die. Again, back to the mercies of God. How do I offer my body and myself holy and acceptable to God? In the Old Testament, it wasn't any old animal that would do. It was the best of the flock that had to be taken. Go back to those early times there in Genesis and chapter four and Cain and Abel bringing their offerings. Cain rushing out a few carrots, anything we'll do, offering it to God, the fruits of the ground. Abel took his time and brought the choice of his flock and Abel was accepted and Cain was rejected. And what about us? What are we bringing today? not just to a church service, as I awaken tomorrow morning and I'm gonna go to work or to school or to college, in what attitude? What will I offer him? Something, something for thee? What do we do? He needs the best of my time, my energy, my talents, my gifts. I'm a living sacrifice. I would be willing, hearty, energetic, enthusiastic. I don't offer God the dog ends of my life. And so God makes his appeal. Paracleo, please, please. Practical, living, hearty service. Now it's clear because Paul is dealing with this here in this letter to the Romans and it comes first of all, the church in Rome would have had a list of problems that Paul knew about and inspired by the Spirit, he begins to address certain issues. An issue that he has learnt about in Rome is one that's not uncommon today. One of their issues must have been sluggish service. half-hearted, wearisome service in the cause of the gospel. Now, I love that term sluggish. It's very descriptive. You've seen a slug of you? How they just move so sluggishly, slowly melting along. Sluggish Christians. lively, soaring like eagles. I wonder, I reckon they had rotas in Rome, I reckon they had rotas. Certainly they had outreach efforts. There were corporate worship services. What were they like? Well, clearly there was a dullness, a sluggishness and a laziness. Could you join the rota? Could you help with this outreach team? Can you serve in this particular area? And what answers were coming? Well, if you can't get anybody else, then do get back to me. Now I say this ought to make us uncomfortable. We're not here to have a nice happy, happy, happy, happy time because there are issues that need to be dealt with. So I'm speaking to me and speaking to you. It's an application of what is here. Could you help, if there's nobody else, do get back to me? Or if I've got time, if I've got time, Or maybe quite a disheartening response. Oh, okay then. Yeah. Oh, okay. Here's a wonderful one. This really stops you dead in your tracks. Can you help out in this particular, there's a real need here. Can you help out? Well, I'll pray about it. Ooh. Well, that's so spiritual. Well, I can't, I can't really. There's no comeback on that, isn't there? Oh, wow. What can I say to that? Yeah, well, you pray about it and get back to me. The needle will still be there. Are you able to do it? Can you fill in? Here, I'll pray about it. Oh, well done you. That's a spiritual response, isn't it? And puts the pastor in his place. You're going to pray about it. Lovely. And then there's the answer. Well, and this would have happened in Rome. Can you help? No. Well, at least he's honest. No. but in view of the mercies of God. And given the fact that He, He, He, Jesus has given you gifts that are there to be used, then we ought to get on and do it. 24-7 is for Him. The life I now live, says Paul, I live for the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself. But here's a problem now, and let's be honest, because verse two deals with an issue we need to deal with. There is a problem when it comes to work and service for the Lord. Think about my life, think about your life. There's family, there's work, there's leisure that's necessary, there's church. Now, it's all for Jesus, all for him. But what is the balance? What is the right work, life, family, leisure, church activity balance? And where does it come? I think verse two deals with that. I'll just read it. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may, here's the thing, discern what is the will of God. What is good and acceptable and perfect? What is right for you in that balance? So offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Now we come to a conclusion tonight, which is your, now here's the English translation in the ESV, which is your spiritual worship. Your spiritual worship. The Greek words are interesting, and commentators differ as to how they ought to be translated, which is why translations do give different words here. Reasonable service, some say. Spiritual worship, others say. Logikon, letrian. Logikon, letrian. First one, spiritual logikon. Now, it doesn't take too much of a little bright spark. I mean, Jill, you can work out logic, can't you? She's nodding her head. Logical. Is that what you're thinking? Logical. Yeah. In view of the mercies of God, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. This is logical. And so you get reasonable. Reasonable. Worship, service, a logical service, a reasonable service. So offering our bodies, now whether I'm at work or at school or at college or asleep or at home or playing tennis or serving the coffees or welcoming on the door or in the youth meeting, the morning service, evening service, even in garden church, 24-7, true worship. is our logical service, flows from the gospel. If I lose sight of the gospel, there'll be a disconnect and I'll say, well I can't be bothered, somebody else can do it. Well if you can't find anybody else, or well I'm just too busy, or no I'm with you in in spirit but he keep in sight the cross and the mercies of God and the brevity of time and the enormity of eternity and what lies ahead of us and it's only logical I give this little spark to him and it is a very little spark and he ought to shine brightly not when I heard it now but you can't well I've heard it many times you can't burn a candle at both ends You're working too hard. You can't burn a candle. Yes, you can. It just burns for shorter but brighter. And you end up in glory quicker. It's a win-win. It's a win-win, surely. Reasonable, logical, work it out. Glory. Heaven. Surely can't wait to get there. There are certain things I'd like to see. I've seen my children's children, or quite a few of them. I'm thinking, well, what's my next target? My children's children's children. I'm thinking, well, what can that be? And how about my children's children's children's children? If I get to be the Duke of Edinburgh's age, then maybe I might get to that. But whatever, it's a spark. But maybe I'll work too hard and maybe I'll, I don't know, to burn brighter for shorter and then glory 24-7. True worship are lively response to the mercies of God. Romans so far chapters one and verse one to chapter three and verse 20 shows my misery. Chapter three and verse 21 to chapter 11 and verse 36 shows God's mercies. Chapter 12 verse one to chapter 16, 27 shows what my reasonable response ought to be. in view of the mercies of God. Now look, my friends, again, myself, for you, never ever forget. And having the mercies of God in view, let's get on with it. Just do it. And there's a whole raft of things that need doing in the life of the church. And as we open up, are we uncomfortable tonight? If you are, God is at work. If you're able to listen to this and just breeze through it, something's wrong with you. or something's wrong with the preacher, I can assure you, there's nothing wrong with the gospel. It is altogether wonderful. Let's pray. Father, thank you for this brief time in your word. And as you have been speaking, pray, Lord, you'd help us to listen attentively, but not just to be hearers. but also doers of your word. Lord, what would you have me to do in view of your mercies? What gifts have you given that we're going to come on to very shortly in this passage that we might use them to your glory? Help us, we pray, to shine brightly for you. In Christ's name, amen.