WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:02.080 Morning, everybody. 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:04.400 Much better. 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:05.440 Good job. 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:07.440 Happy New Year. 00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:10.720 Wow, you really fell off there. 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:11.599 I tricked you. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:13.279 I tricked you with two of them. 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:16.160 You gotta stay on your toes when I'm when I'm up here. 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:17.440 Happy New Year. 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:21.199 I hope and pray you had a great uh Christmas. 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:31.039 Um I know there can be ups and downs with that, and uh celebrating a new year, turning over a new leaf, um, New Year's resolutions and all that. 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:32.320 My name's Matt. 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:39.920 I am uh one of the pastors here, and uh, I'm thankful to be able to bring the word to you this morning. 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:42.320 Uh we're in the season of Christmas. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:44.880 I love to point this out, uh, especially to my kids. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:46.880 Christmas is not just one day. 00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:50.799 Christmas is 12 days, it's a season in the church calendar. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:58.000 And so this normally there's two Sundays uh during Christmas this year because of the where Christmas landed on a Monday. 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:02.320 We only have one Sunday, so today is the Sunday within Christmas. 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:07.040 And Advent that we've been through the last four Sundays, it's all about anticipation, right? 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.239 It's all about looking at God's promises and looking forward to their fulfillment. 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:19.040 We look we look back to Jesus' first Advent at his birth, but we also look ahead to his second. 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:25.760 And just like Israel in the Old Testament, we wait with anticipation in the fulfillment of God's glorious promises. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:31.200 And that can be tiresome, we can lose faith, we can begin to doubt, it can be a struggle. 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:34.799 That is the walk of the people of God. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:41.920 But during Christmas, we kind of pause from looking ahead, and it's time to celebrate. 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:49.680 It's kind of apt that it falls here on New Year's Eve, because New Year's is a time of celebration, right? 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:54.560 We we pop out the bubbly, we we watch the ball drop, we shout. 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:59.120 Um, and that is uh appropriate for Christmas. 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:10.960 Christmas is about celebration, it's about meditating on the fulfillment of God's promises, even as we await the full fulfillment of them, right? 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:15.759 We give and receive gifts during Christmas because Jesus is the greatest gift, right? 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:19.360 The gift of the Father of the Son to us. 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:26.560 As Isaiah says, for to us a child is born, and to us a son is given. 00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:30.159 So this morning I want us to meditate on the nature of that gift. 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:38.000 What was the gift that Jesus was to us on Christmas and to all God's people? 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:41.439 As I said, we become so accustomed to Christmas, right? 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:56.240 Especially if you've been a Christian for a number of years, and maybe you get confused or tied up in, right, Jesus, keep the Christ in Christmas and kind of the fun and excitement of buying and giving gifts and all the other stuff that comes together. 00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:02.479 Sometimes we lose our understanding of the heart of God at Christmas. 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:06.879 And I think the passage that we're looking at this morning captures that so beautifully. 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:10.800 I'm excited for us to look at it this morning. 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:11.759 So let's jump in. 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:13.840 We're just gonna jump in here with point one. 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:20.080 Jesus was ecstatic to come into the world to save us. 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:31.840 This passage in Isaiah, starting in 61, going over into 62, this is one of the few servant songs in the prophet Isaiah's prophecies. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:55.919 This is where the servant of the Lord, the one who was to come, the savior of God's people, who is kind of a shadowy figure before he came, even when he came, these are the songs of the Savior, the servant, singing about, singing to God, about what God has called him to do and what he is going to do. 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:59.759 And this part of the song, it begins with joy. 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:03.199 He says, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:06.560 My soul exalts in God. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:09.520 So what's he exulting about? 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:16.240 Well, he talks about how he's clothed with garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness. 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:18.319 He is getting decked out. 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:22.879 And then it couches it in the language of a wedding. 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:31.600 He says, as a bridegroom adorns himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and a bride adorns herself with jewels. 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:33.279 I think it's interesting. 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:37.759 The servant likens himself both to a bride and to a bridegroom. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:42.800 All of God's people can relate to what's going on here. 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:48.720 Whether a man or woman, we know what it's like to get dressed up for a special event. 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:49.839 Right? 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:55.360 When you get all decked out, maybe you're going to a fancy party tonight, maybe you'll wear your nice clothes. 00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:57.279 And it just makes things special, right? 00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:03.519 We dress up for special events, and it helps to mark the occasion. 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:08.240 It's a wedding feast, it's a wedding celebration that's coming. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:11.600 The servant is coming to a wedding. 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:13.759 And he's like the bridegroom, he's like the bride. 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:20.639 And this is language that the New Testament picks up about the servant, about Jesus. 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:26.800 And he's likened to a bridegroom coming to redeem and to rescue his bride. 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:37.839 And the end of the story in the book of Revelation, it talks about the consummation, what everything will be like at the end of all things, and it says it will be the wedding feast of the Lamb. 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:42.959 What will the life to come, what will the world to come look like? 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:44.959 It will look like a party. 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:48.079 An incredible wedding. 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:53.600 This year, coming up, Stacy and I will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:54.480 We did it right. 00:05:54.639 --> 00:06:03.120 We got married in the year 2000, so whatever year it is, I never don't know how long we've been married. 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:05.279 That's a life hack. 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:07.279 Um, if you want. 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:11.040 Um, 24 years ago, and I remember that day. 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:13.199 I would like to say I remember like it was yesterday. 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:13.920 That's not true. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:15.839 I remember like it was 24 years ago. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:20.079 Um, but I remember it with great affection. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:40.720 I remember little funny moments like when my dad, who's here today, uh, and the pastor who's marrying us, right before the ceremony we were kind of standing in this little ante-room, and the pastor was making kind of um funny jokes, kind of crude jokes, to kind of lighten the tension, and um, so it was very memorable. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:52.079 Um talking about well, I won't I won't say what he was talking about, but there were two things uh there's two main things I remember about getting married. 00:06:52.319 --> 00:06:55.199 First is how excited I was, you know. 00:06:55.279 --> 00:07:03.199 This we we were engaged for nine months and kind of that that whole build-up and all the planning and all of that, and having our friends there. 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:07.680 We were the first in our friend group to get married, so we had no idea what we were doing. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:12.959 Um, and uh, there's actually a picture here, so you can go, oh, is there a picture? 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:16.639 Yes, there it is. 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:18.000 Thank you. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:20.319 Isn't she beautiful? 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:22.560 Yes, she is, she still is. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:32.319 Um, just how how exciting it was uh to see this relationship uh come to this climax, if you will. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:37.360 The other thing I remember is how much work a wedding is. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:42.720 We, like I said, we were engaged for nine months and it felt like we were cutting it close. 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:53.439 You gotta find a location, you gotta figure out the food, you gotta do the guest list, you know, you cut it off at a certain level, and like who's gonna be mad that they weren't invited? 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:57.279 And um, I remember we were going, we were um registering. 00:07:57.439 --> 00:08:09.839 How awesome is registering for stuff for your wedding, but I was kind of your typical clueless uh engaged guy, and I was kind of hanging back and like, hey honey, whatever, you know, what did you think about this? 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:11.680 I was like, uh I don't care. 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:16.639 And she just stopped and she said, No, you will care because I care. 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:18.959 And I was said, yes, ma'am. 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:28.000 And it was a great, it was a great premarital thing to learn that uh you need to care about what your spouse cares about. 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:30.240 Anyway, lots of little stories like that. 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:37.519 Um, this next picture is of the bridesmaids with Stacy, and I show this because it kind of captures the work. 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:46.559 Not only do you have to do all that stuff with food and location and guest lists, uh, Stacy's mom, who is to her left, actually made all of those dresses. 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:52.879 Uh, so I think it took her nine months to do all of that by hand, by herself. 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:57.679 Weddings are a lot of work, a lot of planning. 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:00.720 But you know it's worth it. 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:01.360 Right? 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:03.679 There's so much joy and so much excitement. 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:13.600 You come together, you celebrate love, you celebrate a new family, you celebrate, right, a man leaving and cleaving to becoming one. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:17.679 And that's what this servant song is expressing. 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:26.960 This was the heart of God, this was the heart of Jesus as he anticipated coming into this world. 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:31.039 It wasn't begrudging, it wasn't reluctant. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:38.320 He was so excited to come and find his bride and to be united to her. 00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:41.919 And beloved, if you're a Christian, that's you. 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:45.440 That is what Jesus held in his heart. 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:56.000 And if you will, you can imagine the father like a proud parent, was also excited about this incredible wedding day. 00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:58.240 And it echoes what we hear in the New Testament. 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:04.159 Hebrews 12, 2 says that it was for the joy set before him that Jesus endured the cross. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:05.679 What was that joy? 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:15.600 It was the joy of marrying his bride, of finally standing at that altar, exchanging vows, and becoming one. 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:20.799 I love the way Dane Ortland captures this idea in his book, Gentle and Lowly. 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:33.519 He says, it was the joyous anticipation of seeing his people made invincibly clean that sent him through his arrest, death, burial, and resurrection. 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:46.639 When we today partake of that atoning work, coming to Christ for forgiveness, communing with him despite our sinfulness, we are laying hold of Christ's own deepest longing and joy. 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:51.200 That longing that Isaiah 61 talks about, it hasn't ended. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:56.000 That is still the way your Savior feels toward you. 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:05.440 Especially us. 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:10.720 Let's look at verses uh chapter 62, 1 through 3. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:13.519 For Zion's sake, I will not keep silent. 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:23.840 For Jerusalem's sake, I will not be quiet, until the righteousness, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, her salvation as a burning torch. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:33.279 The nations shall see your righteousness, all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:41.519 You shall be a crown of beauty in his hand, in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:47.440 One of our beloved Christmas movies, I'm sure you all have one. 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:49.120 It's a fun conversation. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:50.799 One of ours is Elf. 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:54.159 It was the first Christmas movie we saw this year. 00:11:54.879 --> 00:12:01.200 Perhaps you are familiar with Will Farrell in this uh hilarious Christmas movie. 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:06.480 But there's one scene where Buddy, the elf, kind of an elf, he's a human, but he thinks he's an elf. 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:12.559 Um comes to New York to meet his dad and he he inadvertently falls in love. 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:22.879 And he goes on his first date through New York, and they look at beautiful Christmas trees, and um, I think Buddy is kind of taken by surprise by this. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:30.399 And uh he came to New York to find his dad, and so he goes, and his dad is like the Scrooge character, he's mean and heartless, and all that kind of stuff. 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:49.679 And his dad is having this incredibly important business meeting in this big conference room, and after the date, Buddy goes straight to his dad's office, he bursts into the conference room, he takes off his hat, he he slings it and turns around, he says, I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:52.960 And that's just what this passage is saying. 00:12:55.200 --> 00:13:01.440 Jesus wants everyone to know that he loves his bride. 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:02.879 Did you hear what it said? 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:05.600 Kings will see your righteousness. 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:10.960 Nations will stand in awe of God's love for his people. 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:17.200 In fact, do you know what that means, actually, for those of us in this room who are not ethnically Jewish? 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:18.799 That's actually us. 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:20.159 We are the Gentiles. 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:29.279 We are the nations who saw God's love for his people, Israel, and we came to be part of that love. 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:32.799 We are the fulfillment, actually, of these words. 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:42.320 But in coming to Christ and putting our faith in him, we become part of God's people, part of Christ's bride. 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:44.399 Jesus loves us. 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:46.639 He wants everyone to know. 00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:49.279 But but here's the fascinating thing. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:52.399 Who do you think it matters most to? 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:55.600 Who does he want most to know of his love? 00:13:56.080 --> 00:13:58.399 Look at uh verse, this verse again. 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:02.320 He says, For Zion's sake, I will not keep silent. 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:07.279 For Jerusalem's sake, I will not be quiet. 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:14.799 Zion and Jerusalem, they kind of are metaphor for the city of Jerusalem, which was the metaphor for God's people, whom he loved. 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:19.759 And he said, It's it's for my people's sake that I will not keep silent. 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:23.919 It's for their sake that I want the nations to know. 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:25.759 You see what God is saying? 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:26.879 What Jesus is saying? 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:33.919 He's saying, the people I care most about knowing the depth of my love is them. 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:40.559 He wants us more than anyone else to know how much he loves us. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:46.960 And if you've walked with Jesus for any amount of time, you know that that's true. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:53.440 I think we, of all people, easily forget how much God loves us. 00:14:54.240 --> 00:15:04.639 As we experience hardship and suffering, disappointment when life doesn't go the way we want it to, we we begin to forget or we doubt whether God loves us. 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:24.080 And I think this is one of the most profound theological points that I've been struck with in recent years, and that is that our understanding, believing, and embracing God's love for us is the most foundational and important theological truth we can embrace. 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:45.440 And I think that's what Paul was saying in Ephesians 3 when he said this, he said, For this reason I bow my knees before the Father that he may grant you the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and the length and the height and the depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:50.559 I mean, look at Paul is like totally waxing eloquent. 00:15:50.960 --> 00:16:00.159 The length and the depth and the height and the width, the love of Jesus for his bride is limitless. 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:03.840 It engulfs us in a beautiful way. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:07.360 Listen again to what he says in Isaiah 62, 4. 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:22.639 He says, You shall no more be termed forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed desolate, but you shall be called, my delight is in her, and your land married, for the Lord delights in you. 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:30.720 Beloved, this is what Jesus wants for you to know that he delights in you. 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:34.559 I love the way the ESV Study Bible talks about this verse. 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:56.879 He says, Isaiah explains that in God's great plan of salvation, he not only forgives his people, protects them, heals them, provides for them, restores them to their home, reconciles them to each other, transforms them so that they are righteous, honors them, exalts them above all the nations, and makes them a blessing to all the nations, as he has called them to be. 00:16:56.960 --> 00:17:02.559 But more than all of these things, he actually delights in his people. 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:04.559 Why did Jesus come? 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:05.759 Why was he born? 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:07.279 What was the joy set before him? 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:08.319 Why did he go to the cross? 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:09.599 Why was he resurrected? 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:12.880 Because he was passionately in love with you. 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:17.680 Beloved, I am not a big fan of New Year's resolutions. 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:20.720 Uh, but if there's one, I would encourage you. 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:31.279 It's to step into this new year with the resolution to grow in understanding and embracing how much God loves you. 00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:33.039 All right, point three. 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:37.200 A brief word to those who struggle to believe what we're talking about. 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:47.680 First, if you struggle to believe, and even this morning I've talked with some of you who are going through incredible suffering and struggle to believe the truth of the gospel. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:50.480 Maybe that once was easy to believe. 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:54.319 But if that's you, then I want you to know that you are in good company. 00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:58.400 Because these words were spoken to a people in exile. 00:17:58.640 --> 00:18:05.039 They were spoken to a people who had lost their homes, family members, lost everything. 00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:10.000 And it was into that situation that the Lord spoke. 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:15.200 The Lord speaks these words to people who struggle. 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:17.200 The Lord loved them. 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:21.119 They struggled to believe that he would provide for them. 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:28.000 But remember that that's why these words were given and why we need to return to them again and again. 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:39.440 Like Joseph, you're invited to remember that though much of what has happened in your life has been evil, the Lord can use it for good. 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:53.519 Like Job, you're invited to honesty before the Father, honesty about the suffering and the loss you've experienced, and not to let go until he has met you in those places. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:19:06.799 With Mary, you're invited to cherish up all these things in your heart, meditating on his promises even as you experience the not yet of this current fallen world. 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:09.359 Again, a quote from Wortland. 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:18.480 He says, All our natural intuitions tell us that Jesus is with us on our side, present and helping when life is going well. 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:21.759 This text says the opposite. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:25.599 It is in our weakness that Jesus sympathizes with us. 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:34.240 The word sympathize here is a compound word formed from the prefix meaning with, joined with the verb to suffer. 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:38.720 Sympathize here is not cool and detached pity. 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:47.039 It is a depth of felt solidarity, such as is echoed in our own lives most closely as a parent to a child. 00:19:47.279 --> 00:19:50.079 Indeed, it is deepen, deeper even than that. 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:52.319 In our pain, Jesus is pained. 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:55.279 In our suffering, he feels the suffering. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:58.880 His heart is drawn into our distress. 00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:06.079 Beloved, sometimes we think when we are going through hard things that God is far off. 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:11.519 But imagine your spouse or someone very close to you is going through hardship. 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:13.920 What would your heart be for them? 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:17.279 It would break with them and for them. 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:21.519 And you would long to be with them and to and to help them. 00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:25.519 That is exactly Jesus' heart for you. 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:37.440 And what we see as we walk through suffering and as we look at it through the scriptures, we see that even as that comes into our lives, that is part of God's loving work in our lives. 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:43.119 For us to see the depth of his love, though it is often a mystery. 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:54.000 So even as and if we struggle to believe that Jesus is with us in our distress, the scripture calls us to remember the truth. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:56.960 And that that is exactly where he is. 00:20:57.119 --> 00:21:00.720 He is with us in our struggle, in our celebration. 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:03.359 He is Emmanuel, God with us. 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:11.920 As we step out of one year and into another, let us lift the glass to our King and our Savior, the child who was born in Bethlehem. 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:13.359 Let's pray. 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:18.079 Our Father and our God, Lord, thank you for this passage. 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:23.599 Thank you that you have revealed the true depth of your heart for us. 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:29.920 God, to be cherished, to be loved, to be died for. 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:34.000 Lord, thank you for how you've loved us. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:40.960 And for those of us who struggle to believe, Lord, would you meet us even this morning with your compassion and your presence? 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:44.000 Remind us that you are with us even in our suffering. 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:49.680 That you suffered for us and that you invite us into a fellowship with your suffering. 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:54.480 That we would know you better and in fact know your love more fully. 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:56.640 We pray and ask this in Jesus' name. 00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:57.359 Amen.