WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.580 I'm gonna start turning to that part of your Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 00:00:07.580 --> 00:00:09.619 Luke, of course, is the third gospel. 00:00:09.619 --> 00:00:20.059 And Luke one, of course, details the events leading up to the birth of Christ. 00:00:28.500 --> 00:00:33.939 Now, the unique thing about the book of Luke is that it was written by Gentile. 00:00:33.939 --> 00:00:36.799 Luke was a physician. 00:00:36.799 --> 00:00:44.640 It's a Gentile, and this is actually part one of his two-part series. 00:00:44.640 --> 00:00:58.920 We wrote the book of Luke, which obviously is an account of the life, ministry, and death of Christ. 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:12.519 And he also wrote Acts, which is an account of the spread of the gospel, from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, to the ends of the earth. 00:01:12.519 --> 00:01:22.799 And also, Luke tells us in his books, the purpose of his writing, which is really helpful. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:28.939 And Luke, if you can see it easily, you can just look at Luke one, verse three. 00:01:28.939 --> 00:01:55.920 He says, "It seemed good to me also,"having followed all things closely for some time past,"to write an orderly account for you,"most excellent Theophilus," and here's the purpose, the reason he wrote it,"that you may have certainty concerning the things"you have been taught." That's interesting, isn't it? 00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:12.099 Theophilus had been taught things about Christ, probably had a pretty robust account, but Luke says, "I'm writing this detailed account down"so that you can have certainty about it. 00:02:12.099 --> 00:02:16.120 "I have followed this matter closely,"as Luke says himself there. 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:24.599 "And here is an account for you,"so that you can have," what was the word he used there? 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:32.819 "Certainty." And John puts it a little bit different. 00:02:32.819 --> 00:02:43.439 In John chapter 20, he says that he wrote his account so that you might believe upon Christ and have eternal life, which is essentially the same thing as what Luke is saying, isn't it? 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:50.219 Luke is saying that you would have certainty, that you would believe that there would be no doubt in your mind, and John says the same thing. 00:02:50.219 --> 00:03:02.680 I just point that out to start us out this morning, because we ought to read the books of the Bible with the purpose of the author in mind. 00:03:02.680 --> 00:03:05.039 That helps us know how to read it. 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:15.180 And that helps us know that when we read Luke, when we read John, the other gospels, that we're not first and foremost looking for keys to successful Christian living. 00:03:15.180 --> 00:03:22.460 We're not looking first and foremost to try to develop a systematic theology. 00:03:22.460 --> 00:03:23.840 We do those things, that's true. 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:25.759 But those are secondary. 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:42.400 First and foremost, we read the gospels that our faith in Christ might be nourished, that we might read the accounts of Christ and fall on our knees and say,"I believe you are the Son of God." And you might say, "Well, I've done that. 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:45.560 Of course, I'm a Christian." But we do that over and over. 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:50.560 And that's what it means to be a Christian, to constantly confess and profess our faith in Christ. 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:57.060 And it's no difference for the passage we're studying this morning, which is Luke 1, 67 through 79. 00:03:57.060 --> 00:04:06.039 God has a message for you, a word for you. 00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:09.080 And it's Luke 1, 67 through 79 this morning. 00:04:09.080 --> 00:04:10.419 Let me pray. 00:04:10.419 --> 00:04:12.319 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:18.699 We thank you that it is clear and that it has been preserved for us in written form. 00:04:18.699 --> 00:04:21.220 What a blessing that is, O God. 00:04:21.220 --> 00:04:41.680 Thank you for forgiving Luke life, for preserving his life, for putting him at the right places, at the right times to talk to the right people so that he might produce this writing for us, this scripture, this sacred writing, and also the book of Acts. 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:43.079 We thank you for that, O Lord. 00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:47.319 We know that it is a mercy to us that you did that. 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:50.259 So we worship you. 00:04:50.259 --> 00:04:51.100 We turn to you now. 00:04:51.100 --> 00:04:53.319 We ask you to speak to us through your word. 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:55.759 Please help us in Christ's name we pray. 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:56.959 Amen. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:01.879 Let me read the text before we consider its contents. 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:05.279 Starting in verse 67, Zechariah's prophecy. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:20.120 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied saying,"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,"for he has visited and redeemed his people"and has raised up a horn of salvation for us"in the house of his servant David. 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:48.220 "As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old"that we should be saved from our enemies"and from the hand of all who hate us,"to show the mercy promised to our fathers"and to remember his holy covenant,"the oath that he swore to our father Abraham"to grant us that we being delivered"from the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear"in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 00:05:48.220 --> 00:06:04.199 "And you child will be called the prophet of the Most High"for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways"to give knowledge of salvation to his people"in the forgiveness of their sins"because of the tender mercy of our God. 00:06:04.199 --> 00:06:24.060 "Whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high"to give us light to those who sit in darkness"and in the shadow of death"to guide our feet into the way of peace." And the child grew and became strong in spirit and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. 00:06:24.060 --> 00:06:28.500 This passage is about the everlasting love of God toward you. 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:40.040 From this love, who shall separate us? 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:45.139 How Christ loves you. 00:06:45.139 --> 00:06:51.079 "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed," said Christ. 00:06:51.079 --> 00:07:16.740 "But my steadfast love shall not depart from thee." Believers, those mountains that you have seen, those whose vastness causes you to wonder, maybe the Rocky Mountains that you've driven across and you've looked down from the top of them, it's not that they may, but they will depart. 00:07:16.740 --> 00:07:30.860 "Yet the love of Christ toward you"is so unfathomably high"and sure that it shall never depart, it cannot. 00:07:30.860 --> 00:07:43.519 "Though the very heavens themselves grow old like a garment,"yet the person of Christ shall not depart." And the love of Christ remains. 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:58.680 Even though the heavens and the earth and every creature decays and dies, still the love of Christ toward believers will continue young and fresh and flourishing. 00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:04.240 Love led him down to the cradle. 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:08.180 Love led him up to the cross. 00:08:10.279 --> 00:08:18.720 Now, here we have a poetic prophecy uttered by Zechariah after the birth of his son, John the Baptist. 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:23.800 Now, remember, Zechariah was unable to speak for the duration of his wife's pregnancy. 00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:34.740 And finally, his tongue is loosed and his first words after being completely mute for all that time was this spirit-filled proclamation. 00:08:34.740 --> 00:08:44.379 Now, this passage, of course, it's a part of the rising action that's building toward the climax of the birth of Christ. 00:08:44.379 --> 00:08:46.320 And that takes place soon after. 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:51.320 But we can't rush past this to get to the stable, not yet. 00:08:51.320 --> 00:09:00.500 God desires to speak to you through this section of his word right now. 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:01.840 And here's the essence. 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:06.879 Here's the essence of the message to you from this passage this morning. 00:09:08.139 --> 00:09:11.039 God delivers his people. 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:17.919 Or to put it another way, God is your deliverer. 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:21.779 Believer, I am looking at you right now. 00:09:21.779 --> 00:09:23.279 I'm talking to you directly. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:27.399 God himself is your deliverer. 00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:31.159 I'm making as much eye contact as I can. 00:09:31.159 --> 00:09:35.659 I want you to know that and believe it. 00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:40.600 Now, this is a general statement and we'll see kind of how this unfolds in a moment. 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:46.980 But what a truth to hang your life upon. 00:09:46.980 --> 00:09:58.580 This passage speaks of the enemies who hate us, God's tender mercy toward us and our wholehearted devotion to our deliverer. 00:09:58.580 --> 00:10:07.139 And I want you to see this prophecy and this passage as a token of God's love towards you, for you. 00:10:07.139 --> 00:10:09.600 So let me show you some particulars about the passage. 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:23.539 We can divide the passage into three sections and it's helpful to note and you'll see this, I think, that it moves from a general description, the sort of zoomed out view to a more specific. 00:10:23.539 --> 00:10:29.879 So a general description of God's deliverance and then specific details. 00:10:29.879 --> 00:10:36.360 So think of it like a pair of binoculars where you hold them up and you can hit the little lever and it zooms in 10 times. 00:10:36.360 --> 00:10:40.600 You can hold it up, you can click it again and it zooms in 50 times. 00:10:40.600 --> 00:10:44.980 You see more detail each time though you see less of the big picture. 00:10:44.980 --> 00:10:47.299 That's what this passage does. 00:10:47.299 --> 00:10:54.019 So the first section, the big picture, this is verses 67 through 69. 00:10:54.019 --> 00:10:58.980 We'll start in 68 with a prophecy. 00:10:58.980 --> 00:11:04.259 It says, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,"for he has visited and redeemed his people. 00:11:04.259 --> 00:11:15.799 "He has raised up a horn of salvation for us"in the house of his servant David." So here we have the big picture of God's action towards his creation. 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:17.279 We can't see the details here. 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:22.620 There's really not any details given, deliverance, salvation, we don't see the details. 00:11:22.620 --> 00:11:26.320 Instead, we're given the thesis statement of history. 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:33.659 The thesis statement of our whole existence, God is the Redeemer of his people. 00:11:33.659 --> 00:11:50.980 Now mankind has fallen into a state of sin and is hopeless, lost and separated from God, but all those whom the Father has given to Christ will certainly come to Christ and be redeemed by the Father. 00:11:50.980 --> 00:11:59.620 And I want you to notice who the active party is in those, the two verses of the prophecy I just read. 00:12:00.460 --> 00:12:03.299 It is God who does the action. 00:12:03.299 --> 00:12:06.519 He does the saving, he does the delivering. 00:12:06.519 --> 00:12:11.519 We are passive, we merely receive the blessed deliverance. 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:16.500 This truth has important implications and effects. 00:12:16.500 --> 00:12:20.399 Don't miss this, this is critical. 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:29.720 Those who know that deliverance is all from God worship more wholeheartedly. 00:12:29.720 --> 00:12:48.200 Those who slide into the error of thinking they had something to do with their salvation, don't worship wholeheartedly because they have to hold some praise back for themselves. 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:52.700 Don't miss this. 00:12:52.700 --> 00:13:00.139 We are like Gomer, we play the harlot and while we were still sinners, God pursued us. 00:13:00.139 --> 00:13:04.120 He treated us tenderly, he redeemed and rescued us. 00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:07.659 Psalm 111.9, he sent redemption to his people. 00:13:07.659 --> 00:13:14.059 He has commanded his covenant forever, holy and awesome is his name. 00:13:14.059 --> 00:13:24.259 And Psalm 130 verse seven, Oh, Israel, hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is steadfast love and with him is plentiful redemption. 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:28.399 So God redeems his people. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:39.179 And if you are a believer this morning, God has redeemed you and he is redeeming you and he will not fail. 00:13:39.179 --> 00:13:45.259 But please do not overlook this important aspect of God's redeeming work. 00:13:45.259 --> 00:13:50.559 God's saving work toward his people originated in God himself. 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:54.860 He redeemed you because he loves you and he chose you. 00:13:54.860 --> 00:13:59.500 You did not force his hand by your good works. 00:13:59.500 --> 00:14:04.940 You did not meet the moral standard to qualify for this great blessing. 00:14:04.940 --> 00:14:08.740 He loved you when you in no way loved him. 00:14:08.740 --> 00:14:11.879 But now let's zoom in a bit closer. 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:18.059 In the next section, we're given a bit more clarity about God's redeeming work. 00:14:18.059 --> 00:14:23.659 Verses 70 through 75 would be the next section in this prophecy. 00:14:23.659 --> 00:14:28.759 And here we're given the general contours of what God does to deliver us. 00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:34.340 Here when we click the button in the binoculars and it zooms in, we're given more detail. 00:14:34.340 --> 00:14:37.240 What we see in these verses is a progression. 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:46.480 We see God's mercy for his people, which resulted in his deliverance of his people. 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:56.960 And then God's merciful deliverance of his people results in their turning to him to serve and worship him. 00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:59.860 You see that? 00:14:59.860 --> 00:15:03.059 Mercy, deliverance, worship. 00:15:03.059 --> 00:15:12.679 Those who are delivered from sin and death are made spiritually alive and given a new heart oriented toward God. 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:14.740 His spirit dwells within them. 00:15:14.740 --> 00:15:19.740 Therefore, they no longer serve Satan, but God. 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:24.179 What a beautiful redemption. 00:15:24.179 --> 00:15:27.279 What a beautiful story. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:34.600 Those who are born again are like Zacchaeus and say,"Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:45.179 And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." You see, when God delivers someone, they turn to him and they worship. 00:15:45.179 --> 00:15:48.539 We turn to him and we worship. 00:15:48.539 --> 00:15:52.980 We are here this morning because God has delivered us, are we not? 00:15:52.980 --> 00:15:59.460 Now look, in this passage, there are three gospel promises. 00:15:59.460 --> 00:16:02.419 Look at verse 74 and 75. 00:16:02.419 --> 00:16:16.600 After it speaks of his mercy, then it says that we being delivered from the hand of our enemies, there's the deliverance, might serve him. 00:16:16.600 --> 00:16:17.600 And there's the worship. 00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:20.740 But look what it says, it qualifies the service. 00:16:20.740 --> 00:16:32.379 It says, describes it, says that we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all our days. 00:16:32.379 --> 00:16:43.559 These promises are rooted in the death of Christ. 00:16:45.059 --> 00:16:48.940 Watered by his precious blood. 00:16:48.940 --> 00:16:52.539 Let me explain it. 00:16:52.539 --> 00:17:02.919 We serve God, we worship God without fear and dread because the blood of Christ, through his blood, we are made children. 00:17:02.919 --> 00:17:08.720 And God is no longer our wrathful judge, but our loving father. 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:19.619 We serve God in righteousness and holiness because through the blood of Christ, God looks upon us as though we have never sinned. 00:17:19.619 --> 00:17:23.400 That's astounding, isn't it? 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:34.579 With the robes of Christ on us, his righteousness, God looks upon us as though we have never sinned. 00:17:34.579 --> 00:17:44.259 And the work of the spirit in us results in lives that are more and more conformed to the image of Christ. 00:17:45.160 --> 00:17:48.059 And we serve God forever, forever. 00:17:48.059 --> 00:17:50.859 We serve God forever. 00:17:50.859 --> 00:17:59.539 We worship him forever because through the blood of Christ, our eternity is secure. 00:17:59.539 --> 00:18:07.480 The death of Christ is sufficient to lay claim on us permanently. 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:13.579 There will be no transfer of ownership here. 00:18:13.579 --> 00:18:22.859 No one, nothing can pluck us out of the hand of God who can separate us from the love of God in Christ. 00:18:22.859 --> 00:18:39.779 There are many things that will change in your life, believer, you will go through chaos and tumult, but your name will never be blotted out of the book of life. 00:18:40.920 --> 00:18:45.920 Christ's love towards you will never change. 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:52.460 In the last section, section three, here we see specific plans. 00:18:52.460 --> 00:18:58.160 So the first section we have the thesis statement, the big idea. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:04.039 And in the second section, we see the general contours, mercy of God, deliverance, us turning to worship him. 00:19:04.039 --> 00:19:10.240 And then in section three, there's actually very specific plans here. 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:12.220 And we know where this is all headed, right? 00:19:12.220 --> 00:19:21.400 We understand whenever I say deliverance, you automatically think a hope of Christ walking up to Golgotha. 00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:31.140 But when this prophecy was uttered by Zachariah and the people heard it, and those reading this book for the first time when Luke wrote it, they don't know where this is. 00:19:31.140 --> 00:19:34.980 They're thinking, wow, what's going to happen? 00:19:34.980 --> 00:19:41.140 Well, in this section, 76 through 79, there's some clear plans laid out. 00:19:41.140 --> 00:19:47.180 It's made clear that God's deliverance is centered around the removal of our sin. 00:19:47.180 --> 00:19:57.359 In this section, John the Baptist's role in God's deliverance of his people is described with some detail. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:10.240 We are told that he will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins. 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:20.240 So here it's zoomed in really tightly on the ministry of John the Baptist, which is a part of God's overall work of deliverance. 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:23.579 Remember the first section, God is delivering his people. 00:20:23.579 --> 00:20:25.660 God delivers his people. 00:20:25.660 --> 00:20:29.319 He does it because of his mercy and his people would turn to worship him. 00:20:29.319 --> 00:20:31.960 And now we see the specific mechanics of it. 00:20:31.960 --> 00:20:36.960 Well, John is going to go before the Lord? 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:47.180 Wow, he's gonna go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins. 00:20:47.180 --> 00:20:59.920 But what I want to key in here is this specific part, forgiveness of their sins, because that hasn't been mentioned yet in the prophecy. 00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:03.559 It says that we're going to be delivered from our enemies. 00:21:03.559 --> 00:21:12.759 But here, finally, we see it has to do with our sins being wiped away and that our enemy isn't just Rome. 00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:21.079 It's not some physical material enemy necessarily, talking about spiritual realities here. 00:21:21.079 --> 00:21:26.079 And because of sin, we sit in darkness. 00:21:26.180 --> 00:21:31.180 God's redemption of his people hinges upon forgiveness of sin. 00:21:31.180 --> 00:21:45.200 We are in the shadow of death, but the light of the gospel leads us to faith in Christ and repentance of sin. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:52.539 John the Baptist would preach in the wilderness and point people to Christ. 00:21:52.539 --> 00:21:54.980 That was his role. 00:21:54.980 --> 00:21:58.640 Of course, no one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:03.119 No, they put it on the table so all in the house might see. 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:17.119 John the Baptist testified, he said himself,"I am not the light," but he did remove the basket and he pointed people to that light that they might receive forgiveness of sin and be saved. 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:21.240 The forgiveness of sin, of course, is necessary. 00:22:21.240 --> 00:22:26.599 We've already mentioned that all is sin and falls short of God's glorious standard. 00:22:26.599 --> 00:22:31.339 No one's life holds up under the scrutiny of God's law. 00:22:31.339 --> 00:22:37.240 So I must ask here, what will you do with your sin? 00:22:37.240 --> 00:22:41.420 I'll skip the part where I ask you if you've ever sinned. 00:22:41.420 --> 00:22:45.460 We all know you've sinned, I've sinned, all have sinned. 00:22:45.460 --> 00:22:51.299 The real question is not have you sinned, but what will you do with your sin? 00:22:52.460 --> 00:22:54.059 What will you do with it? 00:22:54.059 --> 00:22:56.299 What is your hope of deliverance? 00:22:56.299 --> 00:23:00.079 Do you profess to be a Christian? 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:05.839 If you do, what is the root, what's at the root of your profession? 00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:08.380 What makes you a Christian? 00:23:08.380 --> 00:23:13.319 Remember, salvation is of God alone. 00:23:13.319 --> 00:23:15.819 It is all of grace. 00:23:15.819 --> 00:23:33.299 And if you examine yourself and you think through that question carefully, and you find that anything but the blood of Christ is at the root of your profession of faith, then you are in grave danger. 00:23:33.299 --> 00:23:50.759 Dear unsettled soul, if there are any here, the shepherds of this flock, Grace Bible Church, we are here to reason with you. 00:23:51.720 --> 00:24:00.359 To lead you to faith in Christ and Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins. 00:24:00.359 --> 00:24:04.099 Let's wrap this up. 00:24:04.099 --> 00:24:09.099 Let's close with some applications and some helps. 00:24:09.099 --> 00:24:18.039 In Zacharias prophecy, we see a breathtaking survey of the love of God toward his people. 00:24:18.039 --> 00:24:21.740 God is our deliver. 00:24:21.740 --> 00:24:27.920 His tender mercy toward us has compelled him to act on our behalf. 00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:30.579 And now we turn to worship. 00:24:30.579 --> 00:24:38.500 We enter into the way of peace and we serve our God without fear forever. 00:24:38.500 --> 00:24:52.480 So let's close by meditating upon three particulars about the love of Christ that's laid out for us here in this passage and see if we can draw a few applications. 00:24:52.480 --> 00:25:08.319 First this, consider that no condition was so low to which Christ did not condescend to show his love for you. 00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:20.039 Nothing was too, no position was too low to stoop to for Christ, to show his love for you. 00:25:20.039 --> 00:25:34.920 High love stoops low and the higher the love is, the lower it is willing to stoop. 00:25:38.359 --> 00:25:53.599 There was once a great prince who shed his royal garments and put on the clothes of a day laborer so that he could take up employment with a crew of men who were building a house because that's where his beloved lived. 00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:58.880 He did it so that he could simply catch a glimpse of her. 00:25:58.880 --> 00:26:02.880 This is what Christ did. 00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:08.980 He emptied himself and took upon himself the form of a servant. 00:26:08.980 --> 00:26:15.359 He became of no reputation to draw near to his beloved you. 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:20.200 How low he stooped for you. 00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:21.819 How high is his love? 00:26:21.819 --> 00:26:42.680 Second, consider that there is no failing, there's no weakness, no sin so vile that he does not overlook to declare the surpassing greatness of his love for you. 00:26:42.680 --> 00:26:49.900 What an unpleasant thing it is to consider our sin. 00:26:49.900 --> 00:27:07.799 What an unpleasant thing it is to examine our lives up until today and consider the ways that we have failed God and that we have rebelled against him, broken his law. 00:27:07.799 --> 00:27:12.119 How unpleasant that is. 00:27:12.119 --> 00:27:38.700 But how glorious it is to consider that Christ knew of all of that, every last detail, every last thought, every last motivation and he said, my love is set on you and it will not fail and I will rescue you. 00:27:38.700 --> 00:27:52.279 Great love passes by and pardons great faults and how great are our faults? 00:27:52.279 --> 00:27:58.119 Peter denied Christ three times yet Christ loved him. 00:27:58.119 --> 00:28:04.900 Those things which men will not overlook in their neighbor, Christ does. 00:28:04.900 --> 00:28:07.539 His love is far greater than ours. 00:28:07.539 --> 00:28:16.440 Lastly, consider that no gift was so great that Christ did not bestow upon you. 00:28:16.440 --> 00:28:28.740 Love gives gifts and Christ has given you all things for all things are yours. 00:28:28.740 --> 00:28:34.059 Isaac's love to Rebecca was shown by the gifts that he sent to her. 00:28:34.059 --> 00:28:42.200 Believers, for your sake, Christ became poor that through his poverty, you might become rich. 00:28:42.200 --> 00:28:46.779 You have eternal life, you have heaven. 00:28:46.779 --> 00:28:54.220 Yet what greater gift is there than Christ himself? 00:28:54.220 --> 00:28:59.220 Christ has given himself for you and to you. 00:28:59.220 --> 00:29:12.059 Christ said, as the father has loved me, so have I loved you, abide in my loves. 00:29:12.059 --> 00:29:28.019 Brothers and sisters, God is your deliverer and he is compelled by his steadfast love, his tender mercy toward you. 00:29:28.019 --> 00:29:33.460 And that love and mercy originates in God himself. 00:29:33.460 --> 00:29:37.299 It's not based on your performance, what he did or didn't do. 00:29:37.299 --> 00:29:42.940 And because it originates in God himself, it will not change. 00:29:42.940 --> 00:29:49.339 Lord, we thank you that your love for us does not change. 00:29:50.539 --> 00:29:54.420 That your tender mercy is constant. 00:29:54.420 --> 00:30:25.299 Though the mountains crumble and fall into the sea, though the earth give way, though the sea toss and turn in chaos, though it seem everything around us is shaking, your loving gaze set upon us will never change. 00:30:25.299 --> 00:30:36.799 Your love for us and your mercy toward us does not ebb and flow like the tide. 00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:40.859 It doesn't change. 00:30:40.859 --> 00:30:43.859 Being like our emotions change is constant. 00:30:43.859 --> 00:30:48.980 And we thank you, oh Lord. 00:30:48.980 --> 00:30:50.859 Upon that we ground our lives. 00:30:50.859 --> 00:30:59.099 Upon the gospel, the greatest demonstration, the clearest demonstration of your love for us. 00:30:59.099 --> 00:31:00.880 It's in Christ name we pray, amen. 00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:03.319 Thanks.