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Good morning to everyone. Welcome to Free Grace Baptist Church and a warm welcome to visitors who are with us uh this morning. It's great to be in the house of God. Just uh a number of announcements this morning before we get to worship. First off, uh we are bringing Calvin and Chanel Jones into membership. Are we doing that this morning? Where's Where's Jim Butler? We are doing that this morning. Okay. Um, so that's uh that's wonderful. Adding to our membership, welcoming them into the membership. Are we bringing them up front? Okay. I forgot to confer with uh with Bishop Butler. Um uh leaving Free Grace Baptist Church. Uh uh Brennan and Emily Stopp. So this is their uh this is their last Lord's Day with us. Uh good morning. Um we will have a book for them. We normally have books for those uh uh departing from us and so we will get that uh to them, but they're moving to Alaska. Uh so if you would like to visit them, it's only a 45ish hour drive. Um make sure you stock a lot of granola bars. Um evening worship tonight is 5:00 p.m. Uh Wednesday night Bible study, 7:30 this week. Uh, Pastor Porter, who likes speaking of himself in the third person, is preaching tonight. Uh, Pastor Butler has a night off. Not a night off in that way, but a night off preaching. And a reminder lastly, that the uh, confessing the faith conference is coming up next month. It's coming upon us here very quickly, April 25th and 26th. Uh there is some information at the back of the church and if you have not registered already um I cannot bind your conscience but you need to no you don't need to. Uh if you'd like to attend though the uh you can register. The information is at the back and you can register uh online. Well let's begin our worship then if you'll turn with me um in the scriptures to Psalm 18. Uh before we get to worship though, as we need to call up Calvin uh and Chanel Jones to welcome them into membership. Let's uh let's do that. Come on up. It's uh wonderful. And just a just a reminder uh they were members at the Suriri Reformed Baptist Church and they're now uh members here with us. And normally when we talk about or when we welcome members into the church, we read a couple uh paragraphs of our confession just to remind ourselves that membership isn't uh isn't something imposed upon the scriptures, but it is something that comes from the scriptures and is good for Christ's church and Christ's people. This is our confession in chapter 26. In the execution of this power, wherewith he is so entrusted, the Lord Jesus calleth out of the world unto himself through the ministry of his word by his spirit those that are given unto him by his father, that they may walk before him in all the ways of obedience which he prescribeth to them in his word. Those thus called, he commandeth to walk together in particular societies or churches for their mutual edification and the due performance of that public worship which he requireth of them in the world. The members of these churches are saints by calling, visibly manifesting and evidencing in and by their profession and walking their obedience unto that call of Christ, and do willingly consent to walk together according to the appointment of Christ, giving up themselves to the Lord, and one to another by the will of God in professed subjection to the ordinances of the gospel. So, we welcome we welcome Calvin and Chanel into the membership here at Free Grace Baptist Church. It's a delight to have you with us. Hey kids, you like being up here? Yeah. Hi. It's so nice to have you up here. Well, let's pray and then we'll uh we'll move to worship. Let's play uh pray for our brother and our sister. Lord, we thank you for this addition to our membership. We rejoice in your goodness to this church. We rejoice in your goodness to your churches and we pray that we would be a blessing uh to to them and them a blessing to us. That we would enjoy the peace and the unity of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. and that we would grow together in the grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Do bless them and bless this church. Help us to stand as one man in one spirit striving for the faith of the gospel. And we pray in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Yes, you. Okay, let's turn to the worship of our great God then as we look to Psalm 18 for our call to worship. And when you get there, we're going to read verse 46 to verse 50. Psalm 18, beginning at verse 46. This is the word of God. The Lord lives. Blessed be my rock. Let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God who avenges me and subdues the peoples under me. He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me. You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore, I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name. Great deliverance he gives to his king and shows mercy to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever more. Amen. Well, let's stand together and sing as a church. We're going to sing 213 213 together. Let's stand and sing. Glory be to God the Father. Glory be to God the Son. Glory be to God the Spit. mighty God. [Music] Halleluah. Glory be to him. Glory be to him who love us. Wash us from all sin and sin. Glory be to his name. Halleluah. Halleluah. Praise the lamb that was sing. Glory to the king of angels. Glory to the churches king. Glory to the king of nations. Your praises. Hallelu. Halleluah. to the king of glory singing praise [Music] eternal angels sings glory is praise. [Music] Halleluah. Halleluah. Praise the mighty king of [Music] kings. Let's go to our God in prayer. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this Lord's Day morning. We thank you for this time of worship. We rejoice that you have woken us up on a new day where we can behold your creation where we can avail of your upholding power, that you uphold and sustain all things by the word of your power. And we thank you that as the redeemed of Christ, we can gather together in this place to sing your praises. And we pray that you would help us to do so. We pray by your spirit that you would help us earnestly and genuinely to praise you in spirit and in truth. Uh lift us up to uh those high places of reflection upon so great a God and so glorious a salvation through Jesus Christ our precious savior. We rejoice in the blessed truth that you did send him forth in the fullness of the times. Born of a woman and born under the law to redeem those under the law. We thank you that he was perfectly obedient to your holy law in every place and in thestead of those who believe in his name. We thank you that upon Calvar's cross, he died so as to secure the salvation of a multitude that no man can number. That we do not have a redemption of perhaps or an atonement of maybe, but we have sure salvation through Jesus Christ our precious savior. We rejoice in the fact that he rose again the third day and Lord God that he ascended to your right hand where he now ever lives to intercede for his people. We rejoice in the blessed saving power of Jesus Christ our prophet, priest and king. And we pray that you would help us to rejoice in his name, to sing his praises, to rejoice in the grace and in the mercy of you, our triune God. We pray that you'd be with Pastor Butler as he preaches your word. We pray that you would strengthen him in this pulpit for that central act of worship, the preaching of your word, that he would be animated by the spirit, that he would have that courage and conviction and confidence in this pulpit. And Lord God, that those of us listening in the pews would be edified, your saints would be strengthened, encouraged by the word proclaimed, and that by the Holy Spirit and by the preaching of the gospel, sinners this morning would be saved. We pray Lord God that none would leave because it is possible only with you that that none would leave without singing the praises of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and rejoicing in the salvation of Jesus Christ our savior. We pray for those who are unable to join us Lord those traveling for missionary work of those unable to join for uh reasons of health and and injury and disease. We do pray that you'd be with each and every one, that you would strengthen them in their various places, that you would cause them to know the presence of their God, and that you would cause them to reflect upon the glories of Christ. We do pray for Brennan and Emily as they travel to Alaska. We pray that you would be with them, that you would grant them safety as they travel, and that you would grant them uh much joy and much happiness in their new location, and that they would uh be in a church there, Lord God, that proclaims the gospel and that upholds the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. Do be do be with them. We thank you for adding to our membership, Calvin and Chanel. We uh pray that we would, Lord God, as a church be a blessing to all our members, to all those who do attend. We pray that you would cause us by your spirit and for your glory to be unified in the things of of saving truth and rally around Jesus Christ, our precious savior, our prophet, priest, and king. We do pray, Lord God, that you be with those who govern over us. We pray that they would not do so in wickedness, that they would not do so in tyranny, but they that they would do so in upholding justice and proper righteousness. As we prayed this morning, Lord God, we pray that you would cast down those who would seek to uphold wickedness in the land and that you would lift up such who would govern in according to proper righteousness. And we do pray, Lord God, that you would continue with us in worship. We ask that you would help us to worship you in spirit and in truth. do uh cast away anything that would interfere with our focus and our attention given as we pray, as we sing hymns, as we read the scriptures, and as we participate and engage in that central act of worship, the preaching of your holy word. We do pray that you would help us and that you would receive all honor and glory in this place. And we pray in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. Well, let's stand together and sing another hymn. This time it's Psalm 103C. 103C. We're going to sing stanzas 1 to 4 of 103C. Let's stand and sing [Music] together. My soul bless the Lord for he bless his name. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] He redeemed you from [Music] the passion he Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] He [Music] Oh, show me all his all [Music] his Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] retain his he will never deal with us as Heat. Heat. [Music] All the earth is sold to those who fear the Lord. This is all his fores [Music] and [Music] break. You can turn in your Bibles with me to the Gospel of Luke. As we continuously read through the New Testament, we finished the Gospel of Mark last Lord's day. So, we begin this third gospel, the Gospel according to Luke. And I'll read from chapter 1 uh verse 1 to verse 25. Once again, the word of God, Luke 1:1. In as much as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilos, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. instructed. There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachcharias of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all commandments, uh, in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless. But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. So it was that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of the division of his division according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zachcharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will uh and you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zachchariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." And the angel answered and said to him,"I am Gabriel who stands in the presence of God and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time." And the people waited for Zachcharias and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he had uh but when he came out he could not speak to them and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. So it was as soon as the days of his service were completed that he depart departed to his own house. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and she hid herself five months saying thus the Lord has dealt with me in the days when he looked on me to take away my reproach among people. Amen. Well, just a brief comment with regards to the unmititigated certainty of the truth of Christianity. We don't rest upon a religion that's built upon once upon a time in a land far away. Uh, in other words, Christianity, our our truth, our religion does not rest upon fantasy and fairy tale. Look how Luke begins his gospel by more than once in in different ways setting forth and stating the certainty of the account that he's about to write concerning Jesus Christ living, dying, and rising again for the sins of his people. Notice at the beginning of Luke's gospel, we see here that he's writing a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us. He's uh speaking with regards to his uh interviewing eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. Speaking with regards to eyewitnesses, those eyewitnesses and ministers also delivering the truth of the the uh the reality and history of Jesus Christ to us. And then he talks about himself here. It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things, to write to you an orderly account that you may know the certainty of the things in which you were instructed. Our religion comes with a certainty. And Luke uh again doesn't say once upon a time, but he sets he sets the gospel in history. He sets the gospel amongst people, amongst institutions, amongst places, amongst persons and things. Just very briefly, if you turn to Luke 2 for a moment and read Luke uh beginning at verse one of Luke chapter 2, how Luke sets this, he sets the truth before scrutiny uh scrutiny. You know, truth doesn't fear being analyzed and being scrutinized and being critiqued because it is the truth. And we ought not fear Christianity coming under the eyes of those who seek to disprove it because God is great and can open their eyes to understand the sure and certain truth. Luke sets it in context of history. And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took uh place while Corinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. You know these these things that Luke writes can be analyzed against again persons, things, places, buildings, architecture, reality, all of these things. Our religion of Christianity comes to us with unmitigated certainty. So what does that mean? It means that the promises of God are sure in the holy scriptures. Everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. He who believes the Son has life. It's also sure and certain then on the warning for those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. What a blessing and what a joy to be found in Christ. To be found saved not by deeds of righteousness which we have done, but by virtue of the saving perfections of Jesus Christ. What a horror it is to be found outside of Christ, in our sins, dead in trespasses and sins, and under the wrath of God. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and you will know the joy of the certainty that Jesus Christ saves his people from their sins. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word, for your truth. We rejoice in your goodness to us in disclosing Jesus Christ, our precious savior. We do pray that you would help us, Lord God, as we continue in worship to have our attention focused on your worship and to now as we move into singing another hymn and into the preaching of your holy word. Do keep us solely focused upon the worship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And might the truth avail in this place today. We pray in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. We'll stand and sing our final hymn then. It'll be Psalm 46 C. Psalm 46 C. Let's stand and sing [Music] together. Is our [Applause] [Music] reuge ever near us. We will not hear the word for God is to cheer us. All the mountain is free and [Music] salore. Our mighty one will hear us. The city is forever blessed with living waterers well since And she stands on her ground sh and all his peace from all the nations. The Lord of host is our father is our eternal dwelling. Behold my [Music] proation. His grace to cease. Praise peace to every nation. Be still for me is Lord by all the earth is our Oh son is our [Music] song. Well, you could turn with me in your Bibles to John's Gospel. We're in John 17, the high priestly prayer of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So John 17, the focus primarily will be verses 17 to 19, but I do want to read beginning in verse 6. So John's gospel John 17 beginning in verse 6. I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours. You gave them to me and they have kept your word. Now they have known that all things which you have given me are from you. For I have given to them the words which you have given me and they have received them and have known surely that I came forth from you and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom you have given me for they are yours and all mine are yours and yours are mine and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world. And I come to you. Holy Father, keep through your name those whom you have given me that they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. Those whom you gave me, excuse me, those whom you gave me, I have kept, and none of them is lost except the son of predition that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by the truth. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our father in heaven, we thank you for the Lord's day. We thank you for the blessings that you have poured out on us and the gospel of our salvation. We pray that the Holy Spirit who gave us the word would guide us now and help us to see the the glory of Jesus Christ in this high priestly prayer. We thank you for that priestly office and for what he does in terms of intercession and ultimately his sacrifice on behalf of guilty sinners. We ask that you would forgive us now of all of our transgression of your law. We know the apostle tells us to let our conduct be worthy of the gospel. And yet we say with the hymnwriter, we say with scripture that we are prone to wander and prone to leave the God that we love. We thank you for that loving kindness we sang of in Psalm 103. We thank you that in the gospel you take our sin and you cast it away. We thank you that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared. And so cleanse us even now. And God, we pray for any and all here that are dead in those trespasses and sins that you would awaken them. Cause them to see themselves before a holy God. And may they as well see this holy savior that is uh the one who forgives and the one who gives a righteousness that avails with you. We ask these things now in the name and for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, as we come to this particular section, we remember the upper room discourse or the farewell discourse in chapters 13- 16 where Jesus addresses the disciples, the apostles prior to his ascension on high back to his father and he speaks of that departure over and over and over again in the gospel record. Well, here before he goes to Gethsemane, he prays. And we call this a high priestly prayer much because of what we'll see in verse 19. Notice what Jesus says there. It says, "And for their sakes I sanctify myself." I'll try and explain that when we get there, but that is the priestly office of the Savior on behalf of his people. So, he gives them the upper room discourse. He's going to be turned over to the to the godless and the god haters to be delivered up to be crucified. But before that, he's going to pray. And this prayer didn't take a long time. It's taking us a long time to work our way through it because it's rich theologically. But in terms of time frame, upper room prayer, and then he goes to Gethsemane, and there he's arrested and brought before Pilate and then delivered up to crucifixion. So the time frame isn't long. It isn't hours upon hours. All things are moving very quickly now in the passion week of our Lord Jesus. Well, last time we considered the first petition of our Lord for the apostles specifically. He prayed for their protection. He prayed for their protection. Notice he speaks of his own preservation of them. While I am with them in the world, I have kept them. There has been no harm that has come to them except the son of predition. This was prophesied. This is according to scripture. And so he commends them to the father. And this is very helpful. and beneficial for them because he's telling the disciples that he's going to depart to be with the father. So his physical absence could mean some scary things for them. So he asks the father to continue to protect them while they are on earth. And here he prays that the father would sanctify them. So verses 17 to 19 we see the sanctification of the apostles. And again I'll try and explain what he's doing and what he is saying here. But I want to consider two things. The sanctification of the apostles properly in verse 17. And then secondly, the mission of the apostles in verses 18 and 19. Remember, he's preparing these men for his absence. He's preparing these men for his ascension on high. They are going to be those who take the gospel into the then known world to preach, to make disciples, to found churches. And in fact, New Testament documents tell us that they are foundational in terms of the church. Christ of course is the chief cornerstone. But in 1 Corinthians 3, Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 20, we see that the the apostles played a foundational role in the beginning of the church. So first let us notice what he prays in verse 17 under the sanctification of the apostles. The petition is simple. It's just two quick words. He says sanctify them. And then we're going to see what by your truth means in just a moment. So the instrument of their sanctification is the truth. And then he further identifies that truth as the word of God. But what does he mean by sanctify them? Let me give you two dictionary definitions here. Set aside something or make it suitable for ritual purposes to consecrate or to dedicate. Include a person in the inner circle of what is holy both in cultic and moral associations of the word. Consecrate, dedicate, sanctify. So you see that mindset or that understanding rather is to consecrate, dedicate, to set them apart. The Old Testament cultic mindset and by cultic there I don't mean Jehovah's Witness. I mean the religious apparatus that was old covenant Israel. So in the cult there you had things that were consecrated or dedicated or sanctified set apart for use in the Lord's house. For instance, the utensils that that would be employed in the Lord's tabernacle or in the temple, those would be consecrated. They'd be set apart. They would be sanctified from a common to a holy use. Same with the priests. The priests were consecrated. They were dedicated. They were set apart. And our priest here is praying for the disciples that they be consecrated, that they be dedicated, that they be set apart for the specific task at hand. He is commending them to the father so that the father is able to use them for that particular purpose. So the mission specifically will be specified in verse 18b. He's going to send them into the world as consecrated, dedicated, set aart people for a particular function in the service of God most high. And I think there's a close connection between the petitions that Jesus prays for the apostles. He prays for their protection and he prays for their sanctification. Notice specifically in terms of protection in verse 15. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. So protection has as its mind or as its definition protection from the evil one. But not only are they to be protected from the evil one, they're not only supposed to be on guard from the evil one, they're to be consecrated for usefulness to the holy one. They're to be dedicated. They're to be set aside so that they can function in the capacity that Christ is going to send them out to make disciples to baptize disciples to make churches with those disciples than to write to those churches that are made up of disciples the New Testament documents and then perpetuate that glorious mission throughout the ages. So Christ wants him uh wants his apostles to be protected from the evil one but set apart specifically for service to the holy one. Now in terms of the preservation he speaks of that. In terms of the protection he speaks of that. In terms of sanctification he is doing that here. So notice in two brief petitions Jesus pretty much comprehends all the needs that the apostles are going to have. He's not praying for their food, for their shelter, for their clothing. And I'm not suggesting it's wrong to do that. But he is praying for them with reference to what they are commissioned to do, to go into the Roman Empire, to go into Jewish synagogues, to go throughout the world and proclaim Christ and him crucified. What is it they're going to need? They're going to need protection from the evil one and consecration unto the holy one. So those two brief petitions summarily comprehend basically everything that the apostles are going to need in terms of their mission and in terms of their usefulness in the hand of the master. Now in terms of that keeping from the evil one and consecration to the holy one with reference to the devil they are set apart from him. They are as that word sanctify has as its kind of primary meaning to be set apart. They're set apart from the devil. They are contrary to the evil one. Remember Jesus' dispute with the religious leaders in John chapter 8. He says, "You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do." Well, the apostles are not like that. They are not of their father, the devil. They are not contrary to the Lord Jesus Christ. They are not wanting to kill the Lord Jesus Christ. So, thus far, Christ has preserved them from the evil one. Thus far he has commended his father to protect them from the evil one. And this sanctification of this consecration or dedication is going to make them or indicate that they're contrary to the evil one. As well they are consecrated for Christ that master servant paradigm and as well they are filled with the holy spirit to undergo the task that the lord Jesus gives to them. So notice he then says what is the truth or or what is the means by which this sanctification comes. Sanctify them by thy truth not just by an immediate snap of divine finger power. He doesn't just say you know make them holy here right now. No sanctify them by thy truth. Sanctify them by the use of means. Sanctify them. Transform them to be sure. But again, not a divine snap of the fingers such that they come out of some machine and they're now automatically, specifically, and only ever pure. No, the means or the instrument is the truth. The prayer is not a prayer for an immediate transformation, but rather a due use of the ordinary means. The prayer is one for God's blessing upon that use of means, the instrumentality of truth, whatever he means. He's going to further define it for us in a moment. But here right now, sanctify them by thy truth. The prayer contains the request to the father. But the prayer as well expresses to the hearers, the apostles, the very means or instrument that they're going to need for that sanctification. So he says, "Protect them. I don't want you to take them out of the world." Verse 10, but rather protect them while they're in the world such that they don't fall prey to the evil one. I want you to sanctify them, Father, not with this immediate transformation that all of a sudden they're brand new sort of radiant beings who glow only light. No, that's not it. Sanctify them by thy truth. And we need to learn that in this particular context, he is speaking particularly to his apostles. But we need to hear this language. Sanctification doesn't come by magic. Sanctification doesn't come by hocus pocus. Sanctification doesn't come with a price. I mean, it comes with a price. If you're actually holy, you're going to be persecuted for the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not you can buy it. You don't go to the pastor. You can't go to a priest and say, "Give me 10 units of of holiness and and I'll give you, you know, 100 bucks or whatever the going rate for holiness units happens to be." It's not like that. How as God's people do we get further conformed under the image of his son? You've probably heard this before. Read your Bible. Come to Bible study. Come to church. Be where scriptures opened up. Be where the word of God is proclaimed. Be where the word of God is taught. You want to be like your savior, you've got to have the truth. He prays sanctify them by thy truth. It's not a magical process that cont uh that goes on. The prayer is focused on God's truth and sanctification. Before he further defines and says, "Thy word is truth," let's just pretend for a moment that he doesn't say, "Thy word is truth." And think about what he says here. Sanctify them by thy truth. Sanctify them by the Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and that word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. And that one further goes on to identify himself as the way, the truth, and the life. Father, sanctify them by their knowledge of me. Sanctify them by their their understanding of me as well. Sanctify them by the truth of the spirit of truth. In John 14, John 15, and John 16, the Lord Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the spirit of truth. So again, he's going to go on to say, "Thy word is truth." And there I take it as incarnate word, the Lord Jesus, but as well written word. We'll look at that in just a moment. But the spirit of truth is necessary. So if or as he pray, sanctify them by thy truth. What is it that they're hearing that they most definitely need? They need the father, the son, and the holy spirit. They need the lord god of truth. They need the son who is truth. They need the spirit who is truth. Yet not three truths, one truth. So that's what they see is going to be absolutely crucial to their sanctification, to their having been set apart, to their consecration or dedication for the ministry that the Lord Jesus has entrusted to them. Now notice, well before notice, serial of Alexandria made the observation. In truth, the disciples would never have reached such a level of glory that they would be lights for the whole world. And neither would they have withstood the temptations of the tempter or the assaults of the devil if their minds were not sealed by participation in the spirit and empowered by him to carry out an unheard of and superhuman command. He's not stretching that. Oh, come on. Unheard of and superhuman. Yeah. 12 men go out into the Roman Empire, go into the unbelieving synagogues, the unbelieving synagogues. You're going to preach the Jesus that they rejected. The Jesus that they resisted, the Jesus that they shouted out, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" We see in the book of Acts how that goes over in the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul. They they deliver him up to the Roman magistrate to get them off their backs, but as well to the Roman Empire. And as I've explained before, at this time, the Roman Empire looked at Christianity, or would a bit later once you get to the book of Acts, as something of a subset of Judaism. Now, it's not, but that's how the Roman Empire looked at it. And for the most part, the Jews were left alone to do their own religious thing. So, initially in the Roman Empire, the the Christians were left alone to do their own thing. If you read the book of Acts, the first enemy of the church is unbelieving Israel. They deliver up the apostles to the Roman magistrate. And very often the Roman magistrate is saying, "Why are you telling us this?" Shared this recently in a I think it was the Saturday morning class or or or one of one of the teaching opportunities in the church. Galo in Acts 18. He says, "This is a theological debate between you guys. Why would you involve us in this?" I think he said it probably a little nicer than what I'm saying it, but that's the essence of the gist. Now, as time went on in the empire, there was an increasing opposition to the church. You remember Nero? Nero burns the city down and he blames the Christians. They were a great scapegoat to try and pass the bot. But when you think about 12 men going in to do this, it is unheard of and it is superhuman. And there were those who responded. These men are turning the world upside down. So Sirill is right when he speaks of this as uh a as a as a superhuman sort of a thing. He says, "If their minds were not sealed by participation in the spirit, empowered by him to carry out an unheard of and superhuman command as they were led easily by the light of the spirit to perfect a perfect knowledge of the divinely inspired scripture and the holy dogmas of the church." Other words, sanctify them by thy truth will cast them onto the truth, the Lord God of truth, father, son, and holy spirit. But then Jesus goes on to further delineate and says, "Your word is truth." Again, a reference to Jesus, the word who became flesh, that says of himself that he is truth. We might move out a little bit further and understand that in the upper room, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit is going to teach that the Holy Spirit. In fact, he says in 16 that it's to your advantage that I go away. Imagine that. You've grown to love the Savior. you've you've you've grown to to to be, you know, just in awe of the Savior and he tells you, "It's to your advantage that I go away." You'd probably think, "Wait a minute, Lord. I I don't want you to go away. I can't see how that will be advantageous to me should you go away." But he says it will be. Why? Because I'm going to send another comforter. I'm going to send the spirit of truth. And he's going to take these things and teach you. and he's going to remind you and he's going to bring to remembrance all that I have said. You need the ministry of the Holy Spirit basically as he says in the upper room discourse. And so they are cast now upon that word that is going to bring them great hope, great comfort, but is going to be the very nature of their ministry. The spirit of the living God is going to bring to their remembrance all the things that Jesus had taught. He's going to help them understand the Old Testament. Remember Jesus in John 5 rebukes the unbelieving Jews and he says, "You search the scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life, but these are they which testify of me." And then he says in John 5, continuing that same context, you you should listen to Moses. Why? Because Moses wrote about me. Brethren, these 12 are for or 11 at this point are finding their way. They're learning to be sure. But the day of Pentecost and fulfillment of Joel 2 and the promise of the spirit in a very powerful measure is going to set their minds on a proper path of a christocentric that means Christc centered interpretation of Old Testament texts. Right? They need that. They need to see how everything spoken in the Old Testament was about the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not suggesting they're not getting it here. I'm not suggesting that they're dullards here or that they're fools here, but on the day of Pentecost when the spirit comes, the emphasis isn't upon tongue speaking. The emphasis is that Christ at the right hand of the father is enthroned on high and in accordance with the prophetic scripture has poured out this holy spirit that then enables the apostles to preach and teach with a uh Christ centered emphasis and then to pen the pages of the new testament Jesus says sanctify them by thy truth thy word is truth. So when these apostles go about and preach and teach, some of them will write. And when they write, they're uh writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And so what Jesus prays here is that everything about them in terms of this consecration, this dedication, this setting apartness, it has to come through the instrumentality of the father, the son, and the holy spirit. It has to come through the instrumentality of those divine scriptures. Those scriptures in the Old Testament which promised and anticipated the Lord Jesus. Those scriptures of the New Testament that are going to show the fulfillment and the the explanation of those scriptures. In other words, sanctify them by thy truth. Thy word is truth. Gil says the gospel is here meant and is so-called on account of its original. It comes from the God of truth. And because of the concern which Christ who is the truth has in it, he being the author, preacher, and sum in substance of it. And because the spirit of truth has dictated it, leads into it, qualifies men to preach it, and makes it effectual. And because it contains all truth necessary to salvation, and nothing but truth, and particularly that eminent truth, salvation alone by Christ. Now this is the means both of the beginning and increasing and carrying on the work of sanctification in the hearts of God's people as well as of an experimental knowledge of it and an increase of that knowledge does more and more qualify the ministers of it for their ministerial work and service which seems here chiefly designed. So Gil says generally speaking this is what all of us are dependent upon for any growth and sanctification. But specifically with reference to apostles and those who would come later in the church in the office of elder whose task primarily is to teach. How do they get from point A to point B? They go to speaking school. They they figure out how to manipulate manipulate crowds. They they figure out how to work people. No, they're devoted to a study of God's truth. They they they grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If the apostolic ministry was absolutely connected to the truth, then why would we think church ministry subsequent to that should be given to entertainment, should be given to group therapy, should be given to whatever else it is versus an an exposition, an application of God's holy truth. Sanctify them not by experience. Sanctify them not by feeling. sanctify them not by the warm fuzzies. Sanctify them by thy truth. And brethren, one of the concerns that that that that that some have seen in our day is that we search out the feelings. We search out the experience. We search out everything other than the truth. Maybe we should listen to Jesus here. Sanctify them by thy truth. Thy word is truth. You want to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, get more truth in you. You want to be further conformed unto the image of his beloved son, get more truth in you. I'm not sure why this is such a difficult thing in the context of church life. If you want to get into shape, you have to change the way that you eat. If you want to get into into shape, you have to pick up heavy things and put them down again. If you want to get in shape, you have to get your cardiovascular system moving. It's pretty obvious and pretty common. And yet, we've got people in the church, I don't know why I'm not growing. Can I offer a suggestion? Can I make a recommendation? It's very simple. Read your Bible. Don't miss church. Don't miss Bible study. Well, why? Why? I I I don't get it. I don't understand it. It's a perplexing thing. We get it in the natural arena in terms of putting on good weight and taking off bad weight. It's a simple formulaic algorithmic sort of an approach. Don't eat junk and run around the block a few times. Pretty simple. How is it for us in growth in grace? Don't eat junk and run around the block a few times reading your Bible while you do it. Sanctify them by thy truth. Thy word is truth. Notice secondly the mission of the apostles in verses 18 and 19 after this prayer for protection and sanctification he now gets into the crux verse 18 as you sent me into the world. Now brethren we're not going to spend a lot of time on this phrase because we've spent a lot of time on this phrase. This is the the the phrase that is the the the very confines of the book. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. We're met with that in the prologue. And why did the word come? He came to his own. His own received him not. But those who received him, to those he gave the right to be the children of God. So in the prologue itself, we've got the identification of the word. He's God. God the son. We've got the mission of the word. He came to his own. His own received him not. But as many as did receive him, to them he gave the right to become children of God. And we see the very uh nature of the word. He became flesh and he dwelt among us. He's he's spoken of it as recently as John 16. Notice in verse 28, I came forth from the father. I think that's eternal generation. And have come into the world. That's the incarnation. again I leave the world and go to the father. So there's been no shortage of times where Jesus has referred to what he does in 18A. As you sent me into the world, now note this connection. Note the the the the inextricable link here, I also have sent them into the world. The petition for protection and not extraction from the world is here fleshed out. Right? Go back to verse 15. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. Why does he pray that they're not extracted from the world and immediately present with God? Because he's going to send them into the world. He's going to send them on this mission. Just as the father sent the son, so the son sends the the apostles. And why does the son send the apostles? have already referred to it to make disciples to baptize those disciples made to plant churches with those disciples to encourage them to meet with them to to Sabbath rest with them as a as a foretaste of that eternal rest that is awaiting for us all of the purposes that you see in the New Testament scriptures for the church Jesus sends the apostles to to initiate that task. So notice verse 18. As you sent me into the world, I also sent I I also have sent them into the world. Now he then goes on to speak of the preparation of the apostles. Notice what he says in verse 19. And for their sakes I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by the truth. Again, just that sort of definitional statement from earlier to set aside something or make it suitable for ritual purposes to consecrate, dedicate to include a person in the inner circle of what is holy both in cultic and moral associations of the word consecrate, dedicate, sanctify. Isn't that interesting? Jesus predicates their sanctification. He predicates their mission to the world on his own sanctification. Now, brethren, he's not praying here for a growth in holiness. He's praying about what he's going to do when that hour comes. He's talking about being a priest. He's sanctified himself so that we are sanctified. There are passages that indicate this is the meaning here. And again, this is why I think it's called the high priestly prayer or one of the reasons because of what he says here. and for their sakes I sanctify myself. Remember the priest in the Old Testament, he didn't just wander into the tabernacle and he didn't just wander into the temple. There was a consecration procedure. There were washings. There were, you know, sacrifices. There were, you know, means to employ such that he could go in in an authorized way. When he tries to do that in an unauthorized way, God kills him. In the case of Naab and Abaiu, they offer up strange fire according to Leviticus 10 in a context, by the way, where Leviticus 1:6 describes, defines, and delineates what kind of sacrifices you're supposed to bring into the presence of the holy God. And then in chapter 9, Israel does it correctly. Fire comes down out of heaven and consumes the sacrifice. And God is pleased and the people rejoice. So why these men on the heels of that take strange fire, profane fire, and offer it up to the Lord? I don't know. But God killed them as a result. They weren't sanctified. They were dirty priests. They were not operating according to God's holy law. They were not built or they were not working with that that legislation that was built into the system. You don't just wander into the presence of God. And that's what I suspect they did. There's some debate about this, but I think they tried to go into the Holy of Holies. They weren't supposed to go into the Holy of Holies. That was a one-time by the high priest a year sort of a thing. I say that because the Day of Atonement legislation in Leviticus 16 gives a nod back to Naab and Abaiu. So, some suggest, and I think they're right, that Naab and Abaiu tried to go into the Holy of Holies in an unauthorized way with profane fire. The bottom line is is that they did not obey God. So God killed them. They were not sanctified for that particular purpose or use. So Jesus sanctification in verse 19 is not his prayer for more holiness on his part. I'm not suggesting that according to his humanity that well I am suggesting that he was holy, harmless and undefiled. This is the sanctification of our savior as priest. Notice in John 10. John 10, same language used of Christ or by Christ of himself. Notice in John 10 at verse 36, do you say of him whom the father sanctified and sent in the world? You are blaspheing because I said I am the son of God. Turn to the book of Hebrews where I think this comes out very clearly as well. The sanctification of Jesus that he refers to in John 17:19 has to do with the arrival of the hour and his functioning as the priest. He is the sacrifice. He is the sacrificer. He is consecrated to this task. He is set apart for it. He is dedicated as the high priest. Notice in Hebrews chapter 1 first there's a reference to Psalm 45. Notice in Hebrews 1 at verse 6, I'm sorry, verse 9. Verse 9. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, God your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions. That's Psalm 45:7. And I think the anointing there goes along with this priestly office of the savior marked out, set apart, consecrated, dedicated for the specific task of redemption. Turn over to Hebrews 9. Hebrews chapter 9. So the sanctification of our Lord that he is speaking of in John 17:19 is the very foundation for the setting apart the consecration or dedication of these apostles both to redemption and to their particular work of preaching redemption. Notice in Hebrews 9:14, "How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" See that connection? Because of Jesus sanctification setting apart for this priestly activity, the people of God are sanctified or washed or cleansed as a result. Turn over to Hebrews chapter 10. This passage, I think, is misunderstood by some who teach that Arminianism must be true because it sounds like somebody was in the covenant and they lost their salvation. That's not what Hebrews 10 is teaching. Hebrews 10:29. Of how much worse punishment do you suppose will he be thought worthy who has trampled the son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing? People make that he a he like us. It's Jesus. Jesus is the he in verse 29. Look at again of how much worse punishment do you suppose will he the sinner the reprobate the the apostate in this context be thought worthy who has trampled underfoot or trampled the son of God underfoot counted the blood of the covenant by which the son of God was sanctified a common thing and insulted the spirit of grace Christ's sanctification there calling him a failure calling him unclean calling him a son of a li whatever it is it is Jesus who is set apart for that particular priestly activity. Our confession in chapter 8 paragraph 3. The Lord Jesus in his human nature thus united to the divine in the person of the son was sanctified and anointed with the holy spirit above measure. That's his point here in John 17:19. And for their sakes I sanctify myself. That brings us to conclude here at verse 19. The sanctification of the apostles is founded upon the priestly office of Jesus. I I hope you get that connection because we're going to extend it in just a moment when we get to some some thoughts about how this applies to all of us. Just know that if it applies to the apostles as unique, special individuals that God used in the history of the church, it extends to us as not as unique, not as special individuals in the history of the church. But we can't lose sight of the fact that these are apostles. These are men that are being equipped go into the world and to turn it upside down for Jesus. These are men that are being called upon to to to receive the Holy Spirit to go preach from place to place to place to place and then to take pen to paper and write the very word of the living and true God. There's a unique status that these men possess and Jesus is telling them why or how they may be sanctified. It is as a result of the finished work of our blessed savior. I have several texts that you can see in the New Testament that use of sanctified, set apart, consecrate, dedicate, whatever, however we want to define it as it applies specifically to believers in Christ as it applies specifically to believers. Why are we sanctified? It's because of the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. Life, death, and resurrection of our Lord. We're not sanctified because we're good. We're not sanctified because we're holy. We're not sanctified because of something in us. We're sanctified because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on behalf of guilty, vile, helpless sinners. Remember, he says, "I do not pray for the world, but I pray for those whom whom you have given me out of the world." They're not a select bunch that got themselves out of the world. They were chosen by God in his grace for salvation. And that salvation comes as a result of the sanctifying work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. He is speaking of his priesthood. The apostles are set apart by redemption for or rather for redemption by the truth. And the apostles are set apart for the ministry by the truth. Notice in John 20, John 20 specifically at verse 21. This is as formal a commissioning ceremony as we have in Matthew 28. Here we have John 20:21. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you. As the father has sent me, I also send you." Brethren, you have to see something unique about the place of the apostles in language like this. As the father has sent me, so so I've sent you. I mean, that passage is not for you when you go down the street and you hand out a track to somebody. I mean, it is kind of, but it's kind of not. These apostles were unique men. These apostles were unique individuals in redemptive history for a specific task. And Jesus commisss them to go do his ministry. Peace to you. As the father has sent me, I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." So, we got this breathing of the spirit upon these men. And then we turn to the book of Acts in Acts chapter 2. And what happens in verses 1 to4? We've got this mighty rushing wind come down upon the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. They're commissioned by Christ. And that's predicated not on their specialness, not on their, you know, snowflakess, not on their ingenuity, not on their intellect, but on the sanctification of our Lord Jesus Christ, that prophet, priest, and king who went to the cross for them. The ministry of the apostles are they're saved by God's grace through belief in the truth. They're consecrated for God's use by belief in the truth. And I want to argue now finally that that's their primary purpose in the New Testament. That that's easy, right? What are they supposed to do after Jesus ascends on high, leads captivity captive? What are they supposed to do? They're supposed to go preach. It's pretty simple, right? And then they're supposed to take pen to paper and write down what it looks like for the church in the absence of the apostles. Kind of like what Jesus is doing here. I'm going to be absent physically from you. Never spiritually. He's always with them. He tells them in John 14:18, I will come to you. I will not leave you as orphans. Again, for them having seen him for three years and not seeing him now, probably took a little while to connect the dots that yeah, he's with us. But the way that Jesus is preparing those disciples is the way that those disciples prepare the church. Oh, I don't know say for instance of 1 Timothy 3 1-7 at Titus 1 5-9 specifically verse 9 with special emphasis on the use of the truth both in the edification of the saints and the reputation of heretics. Where' the church go wrong? Why entertainment? Why self-helpism? Why, you know, the polished guru standing in front of everybody sipping his latte and just giving you a few helpful thoughts to navigate the week. That's not what the apostles left in terms of their legacy to the church. They had been sanctified, set apart, consecrated, devoted by the sanctification of Jesus, the high priest who was cut off for his people and their sins. And they told us as the church what is requisite. How do we evade the clarity of a second Timothy chapter 4? preach the word, not preach experiences, not preach feelings, not preach emotions, not preach, you know, self-help, not preach just principles for h happy living here on earth. Preach the truth. Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering. That's a big order, but a pretty simple one, isn't it? not entertain, not hold, you know, therapy sessions, not emotionalism, not what's happened, where'd we go astray? Jesus does for the apostles, the apostles do for the church. And we're in a day and age where a lot of people, thankfully, that's changing. Thankfully, there's some good stuff happening. I'm not, you know, Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, always the dark cloud. I I'm a happy guy. Very happy guy. Trust me, there are things that are happening in a positive direction, but there's also lols. There's also dips. And those lols and dips are usually connected with a failure to get one's mind wrapped around a very simple proposition in scripture. Sanctify them by thy truth. Thy, thy word is truth. It's a failure to get one's mind wrapped around the very simple process outlined in 1 Timothy 3 1-7 on how to identify men who function as elders in the church or Titus chapter 1:es 5-9. It's always amazed me the connection that you have with first Timothy chapter 3 and the qualifications for elders. On the one hand, Acts 20, on the other hand, Revelation chapter 2. What happens in Acts 20? The Apostle Paul addresses those Ephesian elders. And the Apostle Paul warns those Ephesian elders that that from among yourselves, men will rise up. They'll be like savage wolves, not sparing the flock. Why are they going to do that, Paul? Because they they want to make a name for themselves. So, you got that Acts 20's situ Acts 20 situation. Then you've got the qualifications for eldership in 1 Timothy chapter 3 which is Timothy's in Ephesus. You got this Acts 20 sort of announcement that some from among you Ephesian elders are going to become savage wolves. And then you've got the first Timothy chapter 3, Timothy and E Ephesus. Then you've got Revelation chapter 2, that first church of the seven churches of Asia Minor. If I ask you the question, how do you identify? How do you know the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2? Well, they're the ones that lost their first love, man. Yeah, they did. But you know what they got right? And I think at least practically, personally, I doubt I could prove it. But my feeling is, my emotional train is that they were so caught up with what they were doing that it was difficult to have a heart on fire in terms of devotion to Jesus Christ. He's not saying they're apostates. He's not saying you're dead to me. He's not saying you've become goats. You're retrobate. You you you've lost your first love. Well, what was it that was occupying them? You tested those who said they were apostles and were not. That's commendable. Just like Jesus, I've lost none of them except the son of predition. The apostolic ministry was so important to our Lord Jesus Christ that he had to get the goat from out among them. He had to get the the reprobate out from among them because those 11 men bloodbought by that priest filled with that Holy Spirit with that that mission before them to go and preach to make disciples and to plant churches. That is such a valuable task. You have to look at a Judas sometime and say, "You know what? It ain't for you." Just like the church in Ephesus learned. They learned to test those who said they were apostles and were not. So they rejected them. They refused them. They cast them out. John Kelvin makes this observation concerning Titus 1:9. That's the passage wherein the elder must be capable with the word. He says, "This is the chief gift in a bishop who is elected principally for the sake of teaching. For the church cannot be governed in any other way than by that word. He wishes that a bishop should hold it fast so as not only to be well instructed in it, but to be constant in maintaining it." That's crucial. Listen to Spurgeon as he's uh addressing his students at the pastor's college. He says, "Brethren, if you are not theologians, you are in your pastors just nothing at all. You may be fine rhetorics and be rich and polished sentences, but without knowledge of the gospel and atmness to teach it, you are but a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol." He's right. That doesn't make you a bad guy. Doesn't make you a sinful guy. doesn't make you a monstrous guy. It just makes you an unqualified guy for church eldership. It's not a sin to be unqualified for church eldership. I mean, there could be sins as to why you're not qualified for church eldership, but not everybody's going to be an elder. But the ones who are elders are under that mandate of 1 Timothy 3:2. They they must be able to teach. But he's so nice, but he can't teach. He's got really good feelings, but he can't teach. He's full of emotion, but he can't teach. Do Do you see the point? Father, pro protect them from the evil one in the world. Sanctify them by thy truth. Thy word is truth for their usefulness in the world. And then those men inspired by the Holy Spirit, not inspired the way we get inspired when we look at a sunrise, but God breathed through them. And they said, "This is a mark in the church throughout the ages. It's an emphasis on the truth." How does Paul describe the church in 1 Timothy chapter 3? 1 Timothy chapter 3, the church of God, which is what? the pillar in the ground of the experience, the pillar in the ground of the the feeling, the pillar in the ground of the sappy, you know, musical displays, the pillar in the ground of, you know, a therapy session. No, it's the pillar on the ground of of what? It's the truth. That is the marching order. That is the instruction. That is the governing principle in our religion. May God bless, strengthen, and encourage our church, the churches in our association, and any churches that may ever think to join our association with this commitment to the truth. And if you're not a believer here this morning, I want to tell you about this Jesus in his priestly work. A priest is the sort of a fellow in the Old Testament that would go to God on behalf of others. Kind of a neat concept. The prophet came from God to others and you know let him have it. The priest goes to God on behalf of others. And the priest does two things for them. He intercedes or he prays for them and he makes sacrifice for them. You say, "Well, why do I need sacrifice?" Because you're a sinner. See, the Bible teaches that without the shedding of blood, there there is no remission. You say, "Well, that seems odd." No, God's holy. He's righteous. He's just He must must punish sin. The Bible everywhere tells us that. But the way of atonement, the way of of of reconciliation is through blood. That's why in that Old Testament setting, there was legislation concerning the various sacrifices that one was to bring to the tabernacle or the temple in order to get right with God. All those things pointed forward to who John calls the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the sacrifice. He is the priest. He is the victim. He is the offerer. He is the yay and amen of God most high. Everything that guilty sinners needs need, he has it. He brings forgiveness through his blood. that that life of absolute perfect righteousness is is is given to those who believe. So the things that you and I need, we need forgiveness because God is angry with the wicked every day. That that's not been mitigated. Can't say, "Well, that's the Old Testament. That's the New Testament. That's every every expression you'll ever have. God is angry with the wicked every day." We need forgiveness, but we also need to be clothed in a robe of righteousness. Our brother's going to preach on that tonight from Galatians chapter 2, the doctrine of justification by faith. What happens when I believe on Jesus? My sins are forgiven and I receive that robe of righteousness by which now I get to enter into the presence of God. There's nothing greater. There's nothing better. There's no better position. There's no better place. There's no better hope than that. And that's what Christ gives us in the gospel of salvation. Well, let us pray. Our father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for our Lord Jesus that that great high priest who did what what earthly pre priests in the old covenant couldn't do. What the blood of bulls and and and and cows and and sheep that could not atone for sin, but it pointed forward to that lamb who does take away the sin of the world. And we rejoice in that. We praise you for it. And we ask for this church that you would protect us from the evil one. You would sanctify us by your truth. And we pray that in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, let us stand and sing 572 in praise to our great and glorious triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. [Music] 572. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without amen. Amen. [Music] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. Well, please be seated.