WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:04.080 This fall, we're going to study our way through the book of Colossians. 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:11.679 So, as we study Colossians, we're going to be asking ourselves the question: how do we live and how do we grow with Jesus? 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:12.880 How do we rest in Jesus? 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:14.000 How do we live with Jesus? 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:15.439 How do we grow with Jesus? 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:22.879 Paul wrote this letter to the people in Colossae in about AD 60, so this is about 30 or so years after the life of Jesus. 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:25.039 And Colossae is in southern Turkey. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:26.879 Here's a map to give you a little bit of an idea. 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:30.399 Italy's in the top left corner, go across the Mediterranean Sea. 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:32.719 In southern Turkey, you have Colossae. 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:34.799 This city was a marketing center. 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:35.920 It's pluralistic. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:39.359 There were lots of ideas floating around about what life should be about. 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:41.439 World views were competing. 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:43.520 So a lot like today in that way. 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:47.119 And these people had heard the gospel of Jesus. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:51.280 Full forgiveness in Jesus alone, full righteousness in Jesus alone. 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:56.719 And then a new teaching was developing, a so-called deeper teaching. 00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:06.000 And Paul writes this letter to this church to say there's nothing, nothing deeper than Jesus. 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:08.079 There's nowhere else to go. 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:16.319 If we look at the structure of the book, it teaches us, the structure itself, Colossians begins chapters 1 and 2 with God's promises to us. 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:18.239 What is promised to us in Jesus? 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:21.760 The indicatives, what's been indicated to us in Jesus? 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:24.319 Paul is just lavishly pouring that out. 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:27.040 Out of one and two come three and four. 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:28.959 God's call on our lives. 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:30.000 How should we live? 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:32.879 What are the imperatives for us? 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:41.519 So we move from the promises of God's grace, which empowers and animates the fruits of God's grace. 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:51.519 A couple of months ago, I got onto a plane, I took my seat, I had the bulkhead seat, so there was a wall in front of me, so I couldn't put my backpack like under the seat in front of me. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:54.000 And so I started getting out my stuff. 00:01:54.079 --> 00:02:03.439 I got out my iPad and I got out that charger cord and I got out my AirPods and I got that charger cord, and then realized I needed a converter, so I got out the converter, and I get all that, I put my backpack up. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:07.439 I sit down, in my lap is just a mess of cords at this point. 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:12.159 And I'm paranoid, I'm gonna drop one like down in there, and you know, forget it, it's gone forever. 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:15.840 So I'm paranoid, just a mess of cords, just a nest. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:34.319 And I look over, and this other guy across the aisle, he very calmly and coolly pulls out of his backpack this little pouch, and he just sits down, cool as can be, and unzips it, and every cord is rolled up perfectly. 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:37.840 And I'm like, I want to be him. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:39.280 Who is who is this man? 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:40.400 Where did he come from? 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:41.280 What does he know? 00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:44.080 What else does he know about life that I don't know? 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:46.080 Too arrogant to ask him. 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:47.360 So I just start Googling. 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:48.400 Like, what is that? 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:49.680 What is that pouch? 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:50.639 What is that thing? 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:51.919 I'm like, Googling. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:57.280 So I I order the Cal Pac Tech Organizer. 00:02:57.439 --> 00:02:59.599 And I'm so excited about this thing. 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:00.960 It's gonna take a week to get to me. 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:01.919 It wasn't on Amazon. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:03.360 You'd go straight from their website. 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:04.960 It's gonna take a week to get to me. 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:09.599 And I'm such a dork that every day I'm clicking to see where it's at. 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:12.159 When will it get to my front porch? 00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:13.759 You know, like, okay, it's on its way. 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:19.840 Every day I'm so excited about this Cal Pac Tech organization. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:20.879 Finally, it shows up. 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:23.199 I immediately hustle home. 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:27.520 I go and I get that thing and I unbox it and I get all my chords. 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:29.039 Here's a picture of it. 00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:38.159 Oh sometimes I just unzip it. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:42.719 I do. 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:47.439 I try to do that when nobody's at home because I'm ashamed that I do it. 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:51.919 I just unzip it and look at it, and like, oh, that is beautiful. 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:53.759 Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you? 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:54.960 You're like, that is beautiful. 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:56.479 That is beautiful. 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:08.639 I was so excited to unpack this Cal Pack tech organizer and integrate it into my life. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:10.479 I'm that big of a dork. 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:16.240 Now you you may not be that big of a dork about something like that, but you know the feeling because you ordered something. 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:18.560 You ordered it and it was on its way. 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:21.680 Maybe you tracked it or you're just hoping it's gonna show up and you can't wait. 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:22.240 Is it here yet? 00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:23.279 Did it come? 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:28.720 And you're excited because you want to open it, you want to integrate it into your life. 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:34.560 All right, well, this is a sermon, I'm a preacher, so here's the sermon question. 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:44.560 The question is, how does the gift of Jesus, which has been given to you already, how do you unpack that and integrate it into your life? 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:47.439 Because it's possible just to have it. 00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:55.279 That you are fully Jesus's and Jesus is fully yours, but not necessarily integrated into your life. 00:04:55.600 --> 00:05:01.279 What are the implications of this good Jesus? 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:03.680 So let's study Colossians. 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:06.240 We're gonna break this down a couple verses at a time. 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:07.920 Colossians 1, 1 and 2. 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:18.160 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ, a classe, grace to you and peace from God our Father. 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:26.079 So the beginning point, sort of foundational point, number one, we experience peace and wholeness through God's grace alone. 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:37.600 Paul's greeting here, and also in a lot of his letters, is grace and peace to you, which is still interesting because the Jewish people would always greet peace to you. 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:46.160 Peace is this word shalom, which is a state of life, a way of being, it's a sense of fullness, it's a way of wholeness of heart. 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:51.519 And so Paul takes their typical greeting, peace to you, and he says, Grace and peace to you. 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:58.480 As if to say, there's no shot at peace unless you know God's grace. 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:06.800 As we come alive to God's grace, as we integrate it into our lives, we experience greater peace. 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:09.040 Verses 3 through 5. 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:22.720 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:29.120 Point number two is this our assurance is in Jesus' work for us, not our work for Him. 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:35.199 To be assured is to be confident, like to be confident and at peace. 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:40.560 Tuesday morning, I wrote most of the sermon on Tuesday morning as I sat on my back porch. 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:47.839 As I sat on my back porch on Tuesday morning, I never once was concerned that I was trespassing. 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:56.480 I was never never concerned, I was not anxious, I had no fear, I was fully assured, fully confident that I was allowed to be there. 00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:03.519 And even if somebody had come up and said, hey, you can't be here, you can't be, I would say, no, no, no, no, this is you, you can't be here, is what I'd say. 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:06.399 I'd say, get off my property. 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:07.600 I'd say a few things. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:09.040 Why are you in my backyard? 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:10.319 I'd have a lot of things to say. 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:11.920 But say it happened. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:20.480 I could, I could actually say, just one second, I could go in my house, I could I could show them paperwork that I bought this house. 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:21.360 Right? 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:24.399 The receipt brings full assurance. 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:25.759 A purchase has been made. 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:30.319 And the point is that Jesus, the cross and the resurrection, it gives us that assurance. 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:33.199 It's that receipt that we have, that we're always like, no, no, no, no. 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:37.759 Like, no matter how I feel or what my emotion is right now, like I have a receipt. 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:39.600 It's the cross and the resurrection. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:42.079 And that's what brings me my assurance. 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:50.000 And that's why, verse three, we can live in gratitude to Jesus, and why verse 4, our faith is not in a system or in our merit, but it's in him. 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:57.040 Verses 3 through 5, Paul assures these people in Jesus. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:00.639 He gives these markers of the Christian life. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:04.399 The first marker we see in verse 4 is just faith in Christ. 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:05.680 That's the beginning point. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:07.920 That we rest in Jesus. 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:10.240 Jesus is enough. 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:12.879 The second marker is love for others. 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:15.360 Meaning they have a love of Christian fellowship. 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:18.720 There's just something about being with other Christians. 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:23.040 And the third marker is hope for the life to come. 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:25.600 A joyful expectation. 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:28.560 And our home in heaven to come. 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:30.800 Notice what he does not list. 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:37.679 He does not list your spiritual disciplines, as good as they may be and as helpful as they are. 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:39.840 He does not list your spiritual resume. 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:42.399 He does not list your righteousness report. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:47.200 He says, Jesus, love of others, hope in heaven. 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:50.639 We are assured because of Jesus. 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:55.039 Verses 5 through 8, starting in the second half of verse 5. 00:08:55.279 --> 00:09:10.399 Of this you have heard before the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing, as it also does among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God and truth. 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:19.120 Just as you learned it from Epiphrast, our beloved fellow servant, he is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:22.559 Point number three is this fruit, we could say godliness. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:30.639 Fruit, godliness, develops not when we try harder to be better, but when we root deeper in Jesus. 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:32.240 Look at that verses five and six. 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:35.360 Of this you have heard before in the word of church, the gospel, okay? 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:38.399 The gospel, beginning of verse six, is come to you. 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:40.000 It came toward you. 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:43.440 God has pursued you, as indeed in the whole world. 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:44.559 And what is that doing? 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:48.960 The gospel in you, the message of Jesus is enough for your full forgiveness and full righteousness. 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:57.200 It's bearing fruit and increasing, as it also does among you since the day you heard it, and understood the grace of God and truth. 00:09:57.360 --> 00:10:05.120 Verse 6, that word understood, it means to know with implications into your life. 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:06.000 Right? 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:08.799 It's the CalPAC Tech organizer. 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:12.799 You have it, and it's understood into your life. 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:16.080 It's integrated into your life. 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:20.639 In the gospel, we're safe with God. 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:24.639 We're beloved and we're secure because Jesus alone. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:28.320 That brings such a safety and a security and assurance. 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.039 That we're loved while we're a mess. 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:37.679 I think Megan prayed, like whatever condition we're in, whatever condition we're in, Jesus loves us. 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:40.559 I mean, that brings such a security to us. 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:49.279 And in that confession that we're imperfect, sinners in need of grace, it can bring a peace and it brings a healing to the heart that wants to self-justify. 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:52.480 And now the gospel begins to bear fruit. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:54.399 Verses 9 and 10. 00:10:54.720 --> 00:11:12.960 And so from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing the knowledge of God. 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:19.120 Point number four is this what God does in us creates the life that flows from us. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:23.600 So the inner life leads to the outer life. 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:32.000 Paul is arguing that if peace and wholeness and godliness and fruit and all that are desired, don't move on from Jesus. 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:36.720 And then Paul kind of lays out a process for us in these verses. 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:38.559 How is this birth? 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:39.840 How is this fruit birth? 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:41.360 How's the godliness birth? 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:42.480 Look at verse 10. 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:46.000 So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, okay. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:47.759 How are we gonna do that? 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:50.799 Fully pleasing to him, how are we gonna do that? 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:56.559 Bearing fruit in every good work, okay, and increasing in the knowledge of God. 00:11:56.720 --> 00:11:58.720 How are we going to do this? 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:03.600 If all we have is verse 10, we are doomed, aren't we? 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:05.200 We're doomed. 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:06.879 But that's not all we have. 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:14.080 We have verse 9 in front of it, that you may be filled in the knowledge of his will, spiritual wisdom, that we are filled by him. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:22.000 And then we have verse 11, being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy. 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:29.679 So the fruit of verse 10, that kind of life, endurance, patience, fruit, wisdom. 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:32.799 It comes through his strength and his might. 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:41.840 So the process over and over and over again, what God does in us creates the life that flows out of us. 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:58.960 So if you're trying to get the life on the outside to work on your own and your own merit and your own behavioral management, but you're never going into the heart to say, you know, Jesus, I want you to save your Lord in my heart, and I want the implications of your lavish grace in my heart. 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:01.759 If you're never doing that, you're just gonna be exhausted. 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:09.200 You'll be very condemned because you won't really be resting in your forgiveness, and then you'll be exhausted because you're trying to be really, really, really, really good. 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:14.000 And at times you'll be very proud because you're gonna pull it off a little bit. 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:18.639 And then you'll have a horrible couple days and you'll be in despair. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:24.080 And the gospel rescues us from all this sort of self-justification and self-righteousness. 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:31.919 And it deepens us, but we're deepened into our sin that we're not these things, and we're also deepened into Jesus, that He is more than enough. 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:36.559 So we're humbled and loved, which gives us a peace. 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:46.879 And then it gives us patience with imperfect people, it bursts compassion toward people who are not perfect, and it builds endurance. 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:49.759 Verses 12 through 14. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:56.799 Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints and light. 00:13:57.039 --> 00:14:04.559 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:12.320 You see it here in the verses, verse 12, he qualified us, who has qualified you, so it's his work, not ours, in whom we have redemption. 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:14.159 In him we have redemption. 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:15.440 His work, not ours. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:21.519 Point five is this gratitude is the life lived with Jesus. 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:27.440 The kingdom of light refers to a life with God, goodness, truth. 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:31.360 Darkness is an image of slavery, of lies. 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:33.120 So let's ponder these two images. 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:34.240 Here's the first image. 00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:38.159 This is an image of this is the southern coast of France. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:45.600 300 days of sunshine, beautiful water, you have a glass of Bordeaux, red wine. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:47.759 I mean, this is unbelievable, right? 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:49.840 Oh, this is lovely. 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:52.960 And then let's ponder Siberia. 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:58.000 And I would just say, like, like which one? 00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:02.240 Like which one, which one would you prefer next week? 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:02.879 Right? 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:05.679 Which one would you prefer for your life? 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:09.600 I mean, this is the imagery Paul is building for us. 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:16.879 A way of light, a way of freedom, or a way of darkness and a way of slavery. 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:23.840 The kingdom of darkness is any life oriented around the lie that God's grace is not enough for you. 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:33.360 That either you think you're too far below it, too guilty, too ashamed, or you think you need to add to it because you're proud and self-righteous. 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:39.200 We accept all sorts of lies about ourselves, how we're not enough or how we need to do more. 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:49.039 But gratitude is the life of the Christian because we see that Jesus is enough, whether we're the rebel or we're the self-righteous. 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:54.080 Our sin is put upon him who knew no sin. 00:15:54.879 --> 00:15:57.120 So we become the righteousness of God. 00:15:57.279 --> 00:15:59.279 His righteousness is given to us. 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:05.679 Last year, Sam Rapp and Keel and I went to play golf up in Tennessee with a friend. 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:11.759 We woke up early, we drove up I-75 to play a course that none of us could ever get onto ourselves. 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:12.559 It's private. 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:13.679 It's private. 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:15.120 You can't go, it's private. 00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:19.039 But our friend is a member. 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:26.080 So we pull off of this highway onto this little driveway, like a one-lane little driveway. 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:27.279 There's no sign. 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:31.679 There's nothing, just one little driveway back into the forest. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:34.000 And this course is in this valley. 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:35.039 There's no houses. 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:37.679 All you see is forest and mountains. 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:39.200 It's unbelievably lovely. 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:41.279 This driveway cuts to the forest. 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:43.759 There's nothing, you can't hide anything better. 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:46.559 This place is completely hidden. 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:50.000 There's nothing there except a gate and a call box. 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:52.720 So I roll down the window, three ministers. 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:54.399 Three ministers. 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:08.880 So call the box and they say, you know, good morning, how can I help you? 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:12.480 I did not give them my name. 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:15.839 I gave them my friend's name. 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:20.720 Because I'm qualified through my friend. 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:26.160 And the gate opens, we play golf, we eat, there's a snack hut. 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:27.200 That was unbelievable. 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:28.799 Just in the middle of the course. 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:31.519 Let's just stop and just go inside and eat. 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:33.839 We played golf. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:35.359 We ate, we drank. 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:36.240 It was amazing. 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:38.640 I never once did I cut the grass. 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:40.319 I did not clean the windows. 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:41.759 I did not vacuum. 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:44.640 I'm not sure if I picked up my golf bag, to be honest. 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:46.319 I think other people did it for me. 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:47.920 The entire time. 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:53.200 I did not work my way in, and I did not work my way to stay there. 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:57.839 I was qualified because of my friends' qualifications. 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:01.759 That's an image of Jesus for us. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:08.319 That Jesus is more than enough to get us in and to keep us in. 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:15.119 You and I are not qualified by our work, by our record, our qualifications, but by Jesus alone. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:19.519 So grace and peace to you. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:20.640 Let's pray together. 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:29.920 Heavenly Father, we are so grateful that by Jesus alone we are at peace with you, for all of our sin has been forgiven by the blood of Jesus. 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:40.240 All the righteousness we ever need comes to us, the righteousness of Jesus, and we are your beloved, secure and assured and confident because Jesus is enough. 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:46.559 Forgive us for the ways we rebel, forgive us for the ways we're so proud in our righteousness and self righteousness. 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:50.559 Forgive us for the ways that we don't rest in your qualifications for us. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:59.279 Would you give us even more faith in Christ, love for others, endurance, and a hope in heaven? 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:00.640 In Christ's name we pray. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:01.279 Amen.