I need the wisdom of my Fatherly, which has provided him to know the Word of God. He must meet with every hope to be Father, we thank you for this privilege of worshipping you, that we can raise our voices in song, that we can sing your praise, that we gather together as your people through faith in Jesus Christ. And now, Father, as we come to look into your Word, how we thank you and praise you for this, the living Word of God. We ask you, Lord, to teach us this morning and then to help us to understand and remember the things that we are taught. May we seek you with all of our heart. May we love you and may we follow you and serve you. We ask all these things in Jesus' holy name. Amen. Please be seated. So I live about a half an hour away, and this is the first time that I've preached from this pulpit. But that's okay, there's a lot of other people who live only half an hour away, and they've never preached in this pulpit, and they never will. So this is a great privilege for me. Thank you, Eric, for inviting me. I've been invited because of the Lenten Lecture Series that Eric wanted to have this year on the topic of homosexuality and I was invited not because I'm only a half an hour away but because this is something that I have studied extensively I lived in Bloomington, Indiana for a number of years and I was asked there to begin a ministry to people who are homosexual to help them find freedom from homosexuality And so I did that for a few years and while I did that I finished my doctorate of ministry at Covenant Theological Seminary and it was on this subject of helping people find freedom from homosexuality. Now some people would think as soon as we even begin to talk about this subject in a church and someone would accuse us of being homophobic, homophobic, being afraid of homosexuality. And whenever anyone says that to me, I tell them, I'm not homophobic, I'm theophobic. To be theophobic means to have a fear of God. And so what I'm concerned about is God and his word. And I believe we all ought to be. And if I would say that to someone, then I might also point out to them what is written in Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10, beginning with verse 26, says this. For if we go on sinning willfully and receiving the knowledge after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the spirit of grace. For we know him who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, and again, the Lord will judge his people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. We better be theophobic. We ought to be in fear of God, and we ought to acknowledge what his word says about all sin, not just homosexuality, but all sin. I embarked upon this study because I consider homosexuality to be a horrible trap in which men and women are caught. And I am convinced that those who want to be set free need all the help and encouragement they can get from brothers and sisters in the church who do not struggle with homosexuality. I believe it is necessary that I provide the biblical basis for my concern. And so I will begin this by looking at the primary text in scripture. that have been traditionally associated with the subject of homosexuality. I don't have just one text this morning, I have about six. So that means this sermon will be six times as long as you're normally accustomed to, so get very comfortable. And Eric's squirming in his chair right now, thinking that that might be true. What I'm going to do is, first I'm going to set forth the traditional understanding of each of these texts, and then I'm going to show some contemporary, what is called gay theology interpretation of each text, and then a response to that gay theology. There are those who believe that a homosexual orientation is God-given, and that it is perfectly acceptable for a person to be homosexual, not just in orientation, but also in sexual behavior. We will consider their position. There are others who see the scripture as forbidding homosexuality, regarding any expression of it as sin. These men and women would have us stand firm in our view that homosexuality is sinful. Yet they would also have us extend a compassionate hand to the struggler as we should to any other sinner. And point him to the transforming power of God in Christ. We will look at what these people have to say as well. Our first text is The first scripture that was read today from Genesis chapter 19. You can turn there in your Bibles if you want. I'm not going to read it again. It has been read for us. It's an account of the destruction of Sodom. When we read that two angels were visiting Lot in Sodom. Lot invited them into his house. The men of the city. And it tells us in the text, all the men of the city. came to Lot's house and called out to Lot, asking him to bring the men out to them. Now, the translation we heard this morning said so that we might have sex with them. And that's a way in which that text could be translated. But the Hebrew word there can simply be translated, we want to know them. The men were asking to bring these two visitors out that we may know them. The traditional understanding of this expression has been that the men of Sodom wanted to engage in homosexual sex with Lot's visitors. The New American Standard Bible renders these words, bring them out to us that we may have relations. And then some of our editions of the New American Standard has a footnote that says that we may have intercourse with them. The visitors who are identified as angels take Lot and his family out of the city and it is destroyed with brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. The traditional explanation for the destruction of Sodom has been that it was destroyed for the common practice of homosexuality. The traditional explanation for the destruction of Sodom has been called into question. It is argued that homosexuality itself was not an issue in Genesis chapter 19. Homosexual rape was an issue, but even this, we're told, was not the major issue. These more recent scholars, what I call the advocates of gay theology, suggest that the sin for which Sodom was destroyed was not homosexuality at all, it was inhospitality. John Boswell states the position simply, when the men of Sodom gathered around to demand that the strangers be brought out to them, that they may know them, they meant no more than to know who they were, and the city was consequently destroyed, not for sexual immorality, but for the sin of inhospitality to strangers. Now you've got to admit, that's a stretch. This argument is strengthened by an appeal to the word, the Hebrew word yada. Translated no in Genesis 19.5. Now it is true that yada appears 943 times in the Old Testament. Listen to that. That one word, yada, appears 943 times in the Old Testament. Out of those 943 times, only 10 times does it carry a sexual meaning when it comes to no. So it might be a man knows his wife, and then the next thing you know, she has a baby. And so if he knew his wife, it meant that he had sexual relations with her. But it's only 10 out of 943 times that the word has the sexual connotation. The argument that Sodom was destroyed for the sin of inhospitality, however, makes no sense. Especially in light of Lot's responses. Lot's first response was, do not so wickedly, my brethren. This statement could hardly apply to a simple request to get to know his guest. Regarding Lott's second response, the offer of his virgin daughters in the place of his guest. This is another senseless gesture, if the man wanted only a social knowledge of his guest. Boswell and others insisted Sodom was destroyed for inhospitality. Yet we would ask, why, if these men had innocent intentions, was the city destroyed for inhospitality? They wanted to be hospitable as far as Boswell was concerned. Whose rudeness was being judged? Lott's or theirs? But there is still more that could be said about Sodom. If homosexuality was being punished, wasn't it homosexual rape and not what we refer to today as homosexual orientation? What would have occurred had the men of Sodom been able to have their way with lost guests would have been homosexual rape. But for such an event to include all the men of the city, both young and old, homosexuality must have been commonly practiced. in Sodom. There are those who would have us then turn to Ezekiel chapter 16 verse 49 where we read, Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom. She and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. You hear that and you think, yes, this is where we get the argument that it was for the sin of inhospitality. I heard someone speak on this at Indiana University. And he was arguing that, see, Ezekiel himself is saying that this is why Sodom was destroyed. But what this man failed to do was go on to the next verse. You just got to go to the next, the very next verse. Verse 50 says this. Thus, they were haughty and committed abominations before me. Therefore, I removed them when I saw it." This is what God goes on to say through Ezekiel about Sodom. Various things can be meant by abominations. However, the same word is used here in Ezekiel 16 and verses 22 and 28 to describe sexual sin. And it also refers to same-sex acts, this same word, in Leviticus 18.22 and Leviticus 20.13. Ezekiel implies the opposite of what some claim. It actually implies that the sin for which Sodom was destroyed was homosexuality, not inhospitality. The pro-gay interpretation of Sodom's destruction has some merit. Homosexual rape was attempted, and the Sodomites were certainly guilty of sins other than homosexuality. But in light of the number of men willing to join the rape, and the many other references, both biblical and extra-biblical, to Sodom's sexual sins, It is likely that homosexuality was widely practiced among the sodomites. And it is very likely that the sin for which they are named was one of many reasons judgment fell on them. Well our next text is Leviticus chapter 18 verse 22 and Leviticus 20 verse 13. Leviticus 18.22 is a command given by the Lord through Moses and the command is this you shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female it is an abomination the same command is expanded upon in Leviticus 20 verse 13 there we read if there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman Both of them have committed a detestable act. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them. Did you hear what I read? Can it get any clearer than that? So the traditional understanding of these texts is based on a rather straightforward, plain reading of the text. What does it say? A man is forbidden to have sexual intercourse with a man. That's what it says. Male to male sex is called an abomination. The act itself is described as detestable. Death is the assigned punishment. Now I'm speaking about this this morning and I've been invited to and Eric is concerned that this topic be addressed because of the culture in which we live. And we have television programs, we have movies, we have neighbors that tell us, look, the love between two men and the love between two women is no different than the love between anyone else. But because it's a private matter, none of us really give a whole lot of thought to what goes on in the bedroom. God gave a lot of thought. to what might go on in the bedroom. And he calls the relationship of a man having sex with a man an abomination. God says that. Now in our culture, we're not supposed to say that. And we want to be kind, and we want to be loving to others, and we want to say, well, I guess that's your business. Do we have the freedom, as Christians, who are in submission to the word of God to just say that's your business and leave it at that. There are those who have disputed this traditional understanding even of these very plain words. The basis for their dispute is primarily the argument that they suggest that these commands were part of the Levitical law known as the Holiness Code. And so they maintain that the Holiness Code contained requirements that were binding for Old Testament Israel, but which are no longer binding for the Christian Church. The Holiness Code is described as a list of laws and punishments which spelled out requirements for Israel to remain holy in God's sight. So one of the spokesmen for the Gay Theology is a priest named Daniel Helminiak, And Daniel Helmaniac says that to be holy was to remain separate from the Gentiles. To be like the Lord God and not like other people. In other words, a main concern of the Holiness Code was to keep Israel different from the Gentiles. According to Helmaniac, the point is that the Holiness Code of Leviticus prohibits male same-sex acts because of religious considerations, not because of sexual considerations. Another man, John Boswell, insists that even where such subtleties were not well understood, the Leviticus proscriptions were not likely to have much effect on early Christian morality. The reason for this, he argues, is because within a few generations of the first disciples, the majority of converts to Christianity were not Jews. and their attitude toward Jewish law was to say the least ambivalent. Well, no doubt this was true that when strictly religious restrictions were being considered the Gentiles could care less. Both Helmaniac and Boswell want us to recognize the prohibition in Leviticus of male-to-male sex was solely a religious matter. Helmaniac actually states, the argument in Leviticus is religious, not ethical or moral. But is this true? The prohibition of male-to-male sex is found in the midst of commands forbidding adultery, incest, and bestiality. Are these also to be regarded as merely religious restrictions, not ethical or moral? Actually Boswell maintains that although both chapters also contain provisions against incest and adultery which might seem to stem from moral absolutes their function in the context of Leviticus 18 and 20 seems to be as symbols of Jewish distinctiveness. What Boswell and Helvaniak and others continue to ignore is the fact that Leviticus 18 and 20 deal primarily with behaviors that are condemned in both the Old and New Testaments. Incest, idolatry, homosexuality, adultery, witchcraft, to name a few. The argument that male-to-male sex was strictly a religious prohibition for Israel that has no lasting moral or ethical implications is lost unless it is also argued that the prohibition against these other activities was also without lasting moral or ethical implications. Such an argument on biblical grounds simply has no foundation. In Leviticus 18 and 20, God is clearly forbidden male to male sex. and his assigned punishment for it undoubtedly identifies it as sin. And what is written in Leviticus 18 and 20 is just as applicable today as it was when it was first written. The third text is from Romans chapter 1. I was talking to our youth, Bishop Cummins, on Friday night, and I asked them if they knew of any place in the scripture where it talked about homosexuality. And one of the girls told me, yes, Romans 1. And someone else said, well, it's somewhere in Genesis. And she was right. And that's all they knew, but at least they knew that much. And so I imagine that if there's one text that you know that the scripture talks about homosexuality, it's in Romans chapter 1. This is what Paul writes in Romans 1 verses 26 and 27. For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions. For their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural. And in the same way also, the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men, committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. The traditional understanding of this passage is that the women and men here are guilty of what John Calvin described as reversing the whole order of nature. According to nature, according to God's design in his creation of man and woman, Sexual intercourse was something that God intended would only occur between a man and a woman. And yet Paul writes of women engaging in sexual intercourse with women and men engaging in sexual intercourse with men. A number of revisions of this traditional view have been suggested. Each challenges the interpretation of the word nature. The most common revision is the suggestion that Paul was not thinking of the nature of all mankind, or even of all women, or of all men. It is argued that Paul had in mind the nature of specific women and men. And in particular, Paul was thinking of women and men who are themselves heterosexual by nature, but who, contrary to their nature, Now you see what's happening here. They're suggesting that there's a heterosexual nature and there's a homosexual nature. And as far as they're concerned, what Paul is writing here in Romans 1, it is those who are by nature heterosexual, who contrary to their natural sexual orientation, engage in homosexual activity. Boswell insists, Paul did not discuss gay persons, but only homosexual acts committed by heterosexual persons. And so that's how you ought to read Romans chapter 1. However, throughout this passage, beginning at verse 18, Paul is not speaking of individual men and women. Paul is speaking of mankind in general. When in verses 26 and 27 he separates the sexes, he separates them as sexes, male and female, not as individual men and women. Now here I'll get just a little technical. The Greek words Paul uses for men and women here are sain and gune, are rare in the New Testament, being used only when the writer wishes to emphasize the gender of the subject. Paul especially emphasizes in Romans 1 that homosexuality is unnatural to the man as a male and to the woman as a female. Not because of what may or may not be natural to their personality, but because of what is unnatural to their gender. Of course, Paul didn't write of sexual orientation. That wasn't something spoken of in his day. But if we apply the category to his thought, it is apparent that he does not assume that each person has a heterosexual orientation, rather he explains that created humanity has a heterosexual orientation that has been corrupted by rebellion against God. God made them male and female, and this was God's design in terms of created heterosexual orientation. And thus, it is not that certain women or specific men have acted against their heterosexual nature and have engaged in homosexual activity. Instead, anyone who engages in homosexual activity is acting against mankind's created heterosexual orientation and thereby demonstrating mankind's rebellion against God. Okay, have I worn you out already? Is it already too long? I'm getting there. It's getting closer. You know, this is very intense. And any one of these texts could involve a sermon by itself. I'm just trying to show you that there are texts in scripture that speak to this issue. And if we're going to have an opinion within our culture, as Christians in our culture, that opinion ought to be informed by scripture. Not just by how we feel, but by what scripture says. So this text, This was also read this morning. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 1-11 were read, but it's verses 9-11 that is really the key here. Paul begins this passage with a question that expects an answer in the affirmative. He says, Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? He asks that question. Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? He expects you to answer yes, I know that. Of course we know that the unrighteous, those who remain unrighteous, who are not clothed with the righteousness of Christ, will not inherit the kingdom of God. Based on this foundational truth, Paul continues, do not be deceived, neither fornication Nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers shall inherit the kingdom of God. In Galatians chapter 5, Paul provides another list of what he calls the deeds of the flesh. There he also concludes by saying, those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. And then in Ephesians 5, Paul writes, for this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man who is an idolater has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Now if you would take a look at those three lists, the one here in 1 Corinthians 6, the one in Galatians 5, and the one in Ephesians 5, this is what you would discover. Every one of us is guilty of one or more of those sins. There is not one of us who is not included in one way or another in these passages. So does that mean that none of us will inherit the kingdom of God? Well, this is how Paul answers that question in 1 Corinthians 6. He says, and such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the spirit of our God. The traditional understanding of this passage is that men and women can be redeemed from all sin. Of course, with one exception, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. I'll let Eric cover that one. But we can be redeemed from all sin. And this includes redemption expressed in terms of cleansing, sanctification, and justification from homosexuality. But of course that means that this view involves a conviction that homosexuality is sin. That it is a practice from which someone needs to be redeemed. For those who deny that homosexuality is a sin, they insist that there is another way, not of understanding this text, but of translating the word homosexuals within the text. The word here for homosexual, and it's a long Greek word, occurs only here in 1st Corinthians 6 and in 1st Timothy chapter 1. In 1st Timothy 1 it is found in the midst of a list of sinners for whom Paul says the law is made. The proposed translation of this word would apply then to both of these texts. It's generally agreed that this word is a compound word consisting of two terms. One means male and the other means the word that is for bedroom or bed and refers to lying with. And so that is having sex with someone. Those who reject the word homosexuals maintain that this long Greek word does not simply refer to male to male sex in general. as the word homosexual does. Instead they insist that it refers to the exploitative, lewd, and wanton sex between men. John Boswell holds that to Paul and his contemporaries, it did not denote homosexuality but male prostitute. However, there's another word that the New Testament Greek would use for male prostitute. That was the word pornos, from which we get pornography. This was used by Paul technically to mean male prostitute and certainly would be used by Paul when referring to one. The combination of the two terms here does not even suggest prostitution, only sexual contact between men. And so this term in 1 Corinthians 6 and in 1 Timothy 1 is correctly rendered homosexuals. The scripture does classify homosexuality as sin. As Joe Dallas rightly concludes, homosexuality, and this I guess if you hear nothing else this morning, you should hear this statement. Homosexuality is never mentioned in scripture in anything but in negative terms. Both Old and New Testament writings contain prohibitions against not only homosexuality but sexual relations of all kinds outside of heterosexual marriage. And there is nothing in the entire Bible offering any commendation or instruction for homosexual relationships. Did you get that? There's nowhere in scripture homosexuality is spoken of in a positive way. Never. It's always in an extremely negative way. Are we to just dismiss that? Are we to say, well that's because, as many of these authors would say to us, it's because the writers of scripture didn't know what we know. You know, even if Paul and Moses and others didn't know what we know, didn't God know what we know? Doesn't God know much more than we know? And so when they say that the writers of Scripture didn't know what we know now, they're dismissing the fact that this is not the Word of man, this is the Word of God. And that's where we need to stand. This is the Word of God. Now, I probably should end there, but I really can't. And I know my time is long, but I have to take you to this one more place in Scripture. It's Genesis 1 and 2. Then God said, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. And God created man in his image, and in the image of God he created him. Male and female, he created them. Then in chapter 2, the Lord God said, it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man and he slept. Then he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. And the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which he had taken from the man and brought her to the man. And the man said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. And then we have this statement. For this cause, a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they shall become one flesh. In these texts, we have the foundation of human sexuality as it is expressed in the creation of man, male and female. The traditional understanding has been that sexual intercourse was intended to occur only between a man and a woman, and apart from a few tolerated exceptions in scripture when men had sexual relations with their concubines, it was only to occur between a man and his wife. Even among heterosexuals, we don't have the freedom to just go lie with any woman or any man that we want. It was to be between one man and one woman, and that man and woman were to be husband and wife. Daniel Helmaniak disagrees with this traditional understanding of the Genesis account. He regards Genesis as a lesson in religion, but he insists it is not a lesson on sexual orientation. He maintains that nothing in these two chapters, Genesis 1 and 2, suggests that heterosexuality in contrast to homosexuality was a concern in the author's mind. And so to read that 20th century concern into the text is simply to misuse the Bible. It is his opinion that a similar analysis applies to other Bible texts about the love of woman and man for one another. Helminiac would have us believe that nothing in these two chapters suggests that heterosexuality, in contrast to homosexuality, was a concern in the author's mind. On the contrary, another man named John Jefferson Davis insists, foundational, foundational for any Christian understanding of human sexuality is the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2. Davis sees in these two chapters nothing less than God's establishment of heterosexuality as being normative for mankind. He cites the fact that human sexuality is reflected in the differentiation of two, not three or four sexual genders, and not some androgynous combination of the two. Sexual differentiation is the basis of human marriage, procreation and family life, which is the primal form of human community. The texts that I've taken you to in scripture that point to the sinfulness of homosexuality do not stand alone. As a matter of fact, they stand squarely on the foundation of the creation account of human sexuality in Genesis 1 and 2. It's especially important in these times in which we live that all of us would be familiar with these biblical texts that have to do with human sexuality in general and with homosexuality in particular. Not so that we can have fuel for the stoking of fires of hatred against those who are homosexual. And that's what's happening in some churches. They use these texts to fuel their fires of hatred against homosexuals. That's not the reason why we should know these texts. But so that we can better understand their lifestyle or their struggle from a biblical perspective. It is certainly true from a biblical perspective that homosexuality is sin. So is heterosexual lust. and heterosexual promiscuity, and all sexual activity outside of the marriage of a man and a woman. For the most part in the world in which we live, including this part of the world that we know as the United States of America, people could care less what the Bible says about homosexuality. Although it seems to be that many people are eager to promote what pro-gay theologians declare it says. But we who are members of the body of Christ must not only care, we must be fully committed to what the Bible says about this subject just as we would be fully committed to what the Bible says about any subject. However, and this is where I'll close, Our knowledge about these things must be seasoned with salt. That is to say that whatever a person's sin might be, we must focus more on the grace of God in Christ than on the particular sin of an individual. That's going to be the subject of this evening's talk. And yet I'll close with this. It is wrong for us for any reason It is wrong for us to condone what God condemns. On the other hand, it is also wrong for us to insist on bitter antagonism when God calls us to gentle compassion which longs for deliverance from sin, repentance, and redemption. We should have the same hope for the person who practices or struggles with homosexuality that we have for ourselves. This hope is beautifully summed up in these words. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest grain, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. Let us pray. Father, thank you that we could have your word written and preserved and it's in our language. We can read it. We can study it. We pray the Lord that we would be like the Bereans and we would search the scriptures to see if these things are true. So Lord, may those who have heard me this morning, not just take my word for it, but may they search the scripture to see if these things are true. May we live our lives in submission to you and to your word. And then Lord, use us as your servants to proclaim your word through a fallen world, and to do so with humility, with love, and with grace. Through Christ we pray. Amen. That was his end. I need a neck massage after that. But we are a people who are not afraid of the truth and never be afraid of the truth. Let us now worship the Lord in the giving of our tithes and our offerings. O be thy sheep and follow thou'st way, The sky above Surely, surely the Lord agrees. The Lamb of God is led to the Fountain, And He is ready for Him, She resisteth. We always love His love. We always love His love. Oh, little one. Only thy sheep have bought us bread. He has turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of the soul. Amen. In Thy love for every soul, you May God take this time to prepare our hearts to receive the body and blood of our Lord. If you are visiting with us, please know that this is the Lord's table, that it is the Lord who is attending the invitations. If you have been baptized in the Triune Name of God and are in good standing with His Church, our Lord tells you to come. Let's now pray for the whole state of Christ's Church. Amen. Almighty and ever-living God, who, by and by whom we applaud, has taught us to make prayers and supplications, and to give thanks for all men, we humbly beseech Thee, most mercifully, to accept our palms, oblations, and to receive these, our prayers, which we offer unto Thy Divine Majesty, beseeching Thee to inspire continually the universe of Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and comfort. And grant that all those who confess Thy holy name may agree in the truth of Thy holy words, and live in unity and godly love. If they seek to be also so to direct and dispose the hearts of all Christian rulers, they may truly and impartially administer justice to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of Thy true religion and virtue. Give grace, O Heavenly Father, to all bishops and other ministers, that they may, both by their life and doctrine, set forth Thy true and lively Word, and rightly in duty administer Thy holy sacrifice. Do all Thy people give Thy heavenly grace, and especially to this congregation here present, that with meek heart and due reverence may hear and receive Thy holy word, truly serving Thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life. And we most humbly beseech Thee of Thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succor all those who in this transitory life are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity. And we also bless Thy holy name, for all Thy servants departed this life in Thy faith and fear. We seek You, Lord, to give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may be partakers of Thy heavenly kingdom. Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only mediator and advocate. Amen. He who truly and earnestly repents you of your sins and are in love and charity with your neighbors and intend to lead a new life following the commandments of God and walking from henceforth in His holy ways, drawn in with faith and take this holy sacrament to your comfort and make your humble confession to Almighty God, the Baptist, meaning you." Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of all things, Judge of all men, we acknowledge and bewail our medical, sins, and wickedness, which we from time to time most seriously have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against Thy Divine Majesty, proving the most justly Thy wrath and indignation against us. We, who have received your tent, and are heartily sorry for these ungracious doings, the remembrance of them is tremendous unto us. The burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, Most Merciful Father. Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, say, forgive us all of this past, and grant that we may ever thereafter serve and please Thee, in unison with Thy, the honor and glory of Thy name, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who of His great mercy prompts forgiveness of sins, of all those who with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto Him, have mercy upon you, and deliver you from all your sins, confer His strength in you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Hear what comfortable words our Savior Christ said unto all who truly turn to Him, Come unto Me, all ye who travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. So God loved the world, and He gave His only begotten Son, to the end of all who believed in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Here also St. Paul said, this is a true saying and worthy of all men to be received, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Here also St. John said, if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the propitiation for our sins. Lift up your hearts! Let us give thanks unto our Lord God. It is very meek, right, and our bounden duty, we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God. Therefore, with angels and our angels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify Thy glorious Name, evermore praising Thee, and say, ♪ Holy, holy, holy Lord ♪ ♪ God of glory forever and ever ♪ ♪ Lord of glory forever and ever ♪ O come ye, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. We do not presume to come to this Thy table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, in Thy manifold and great mercy. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Thy table, but I want the same Lord who is properly, as always, to have mercy." Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat of the flesh of Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, and to drink His blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by His blood, and our souls washed through His most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in Him, and He in us. Amen. All glory be to Thee, Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who of Thy tender mercies give Thy only Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption. Who made thereby His one oblation of Himself most often, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. And at Institute and in His Holy Gospel, command us to continue a perpetual memory of that His precious death and sacrifice until His coming again. Hereafter, O merciful Father, we most humbly beseech Thee to grant that we, receiving these, Thy creatures of bread and wine, according to Thy Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, Holy Institution, in remembrance of His death and passion, may be partakers of His most blessed body and blood, who on the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread. And when He had given thanks and drank it, He gave it to His disciples, saying, This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." Likewise, after supper he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, drinking all of this, for this is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins. Do this as off that ye shall drink it in remembrance of Me. through us, life and love. So I thank Thee, I thank Thee, I thank Thee, I thank Thee, But it's not all that I should know, that I should know. You are the center of the world. You are the one. You are the only one. You are the most important one. You are the center of the world. oh I'll hold you close to my heart And mercy on us never grows And mercy on us never grows And mercy on us never grows Beloved, the gifts of God for the people of God come, for all has been made rich. the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is given for Thee, may preserve Thy body and soul unto everlasting life. The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for Thee, may preserve Thy body and soul unto everlasting life. The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is given for Thee, may preserve Thy body and soul unto everlasting life. Devotee, keep this. Remember that the Christ's body was given to Thee. Feed on Him with Thy heart and Thy faithfulness. Thanks be to Thee. Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given to Thee, may it preserve Thy body and soul for ever and everlasting life. Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given to Thee, may it preserve Thy body and soul for ever and everlasting life. The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was shed for His affection, possession of our body and soul, and to our well-sustaining life. Drink this in remembrance of the Christ's blood that was shed for you. Thank you. The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bye bye. the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was given to me, be preserved thy body and soul for ever and ever. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. The body of our Lord Jesus Christ was given to me. May it preserve thy body and soul, and for a lifetime, your heart shall be as great as while you study in the priesthood. May it preserve thy body and soul, and for a lifetime, your heart shall be as great as while you study in the priesthood. The body of our Lord Jesus Christ was given to me. May it preserve thy body and soul, and for a lifetime, your heart shall be as great as while you study in the priesthood. The body of our Lord Jesus Christ was given to me. May it preserve thy body and soul, and for a lifetime, your heart shall be as great as while you study in the priesthood. The body of our Lord Jesus Christ was given to me. May it preserve thy body and soul, and for a lifetime, your heart shall be as great as while you study in the priesthood. The body of our Lord Jesus Christ was given to me. May it preserve thy body and soul, and for a lifetime, your heart shall be as I am the Lord Jesus Christ I am the Lord Jesus Christ Jesus Christ, you are the Savior of my heart. Jesus Christ, you are the Savior of my heart. I can't help but feel that I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. He is the Son of the Father, the Son of the Holy Ghost, the Son of the Father. My eyes, my eyes My eyes, my eyes My eyes, my eyes My eyes, my eyes He is coming to save you. And I know that He is coming to save you. And I know that He is coming to save you. And I know that He is coming to save you. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Hare, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Hare, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ. I've never felt so happy in my life I've never felt so happy in my life I've never felt so happy in my life I've never felt so happy in my life I've never felt so happy in my life But I know that You, Jesus, are in my heart And I know that You are in my heart And I know that You are in my heart I love you He's come to set us free He's come to set us free He's come to set us free He's come to set us free He's come to set us free The power of Christ can be found in my heart. I believe in the power of Christ. I believe in the power of Christ. I believe in the power of Christ. You and me, I'm so proud of you And I'm so proud of you And I'm so proud of you And I'm so proud of you to give it to thee. May it preserve thy body and soul, and live long in the Father's Son. Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the symphony, you and I are so alive. I guess you're not quite surprised by those chimpanzees, but I'm happy to be here with you. So come and join my tour of the symphony, as I embody it's soul with a whisper. In the morning, on the river, and in the evening, Stay with me now It's so beautiful to be your child I'm going to play a part of my father. May God help us and lead us in His love. I want to be holy, holy, with the Lord. He loved them, He made them proud, And to me, He will be a child. He'll bring them strife, Heal me, Lord, when I'm lonely, lonely, lonely And we cry holy, holy, holy. And we cry holy, holy, holy. Nithyananda. And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. not be as a son to temptation, but to deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen." Almighty and ever-living God, we most heartily thank Thee for that Thou dost not save to feed us who have duly received these holy mysteries with the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of Thy Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. and thus assure us thereby of Thy favor and goodness towards us, and that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of Thy Son, which is the blessed company of all faithful people, and are also heirs through hope of Thine everlasting kingdom, by the merits of the most precious death and compassion of Thy dear Son. And we most humbly beseech Thee, O Heavenly Father, so to assist us with Thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship and do all such good works as Thou has prepared for us to walk in. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all honor and glory, world without end. Our closing hymn is De Gloria Excelsis, page 103 in the Book of Common Prayer. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we thank Thee for life and for freedom, for God, that we live. O'er the field and the sun, deep and wide, O'er the land and the sky, O'er the hill and the valley, O'er the sea and the land. God is in the world, He is in our prayer, God is in the land, God is in the water, God is in the city of our love, God is in the world, He is in our prayer, Lord of all creation, Lord of all creation. Two things I'd like for you to do. Number one, please thank Dr. Crown for being with us as he is away from those whom he loves, the Shepherds. We appreciate his time and effort to show your appreciation for coming back, by coming back tonight at seven o'clock to finish up our lecture series. Also, be sure to give honor to those who are older than you in our congregation as we celebrate our elderly and have a dinner for them. All those who are of the silver generation, please know that you are honored in this place. Until we come again, peace of God will pass with all understanding. Keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost be amongst you, and remain with you always. Amen. so Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! so so I don't know. I don't know. uh This is like my next year. I want to do it. so I don't know. I don't know. so so oh Yeah. Yeah. oh We are the children of God. We are the children of God. We are the children of God. I will never know, never know uh so Yes. I'm sorry. oh Oh, oh, oh. Thank you.