Transcription downloaded from https://sermon-library.fbcmustang.org/sermons/103715/saved-secure/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] So, we'll be in two primary texts this evening, and I'm not continuing on in Hebrews, just! to clarify. I'm going to let Joey take that, but one of the things that I wanted to just think about! is a particular doctrine that some of you guys are probably familiar with, and I think it's on the screen. Yeah, basically it's the doctrine of what we'd call eternal security, and what we're going to do is we're going to unpack that, look at that, and see what the scripture has to say about it. So, you see two scriptures up there. Those are the primary ones we'll be in, but I'll reference quite a lot. You guys don't have to turn to all of those, primarily just these two, but if you want the scripture references that I give, I'm more than happy to give that to you after the service, but I want to introduce our time of worship through preaching this evening by asking a question. So, I want you guys to kind of turn to your neighbor and ask, where is the safest and most secure place you can think of? Go ahead. I'll give you guys a minute or two to talk about it.

[1:14] She can go first. All right, all right, let's come back together.

[1:39] So, someone tell me what you guys came up with. What you got, Wade? A rich person's bunker. Yeah, you're talking about like prepper style. Yeah, yeah. What you got, Joshua? Heaven? That's true. That's true. That is the Sunday school answer. What you got, H?

[2:00] A nuclear bomb shelter. You paused a little bit on the shelter part, so I was a bit nervous. What you got, Jackson? Alcatraz? All right. What you got, Ellie? Hold on one more time. A storm shelter? Yeah, yeah. What you got, Cambry? At church? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, what are some characteristics of all the places that we talked about, just out of curiosity? Someone shoots something.

[2:26] Steel is a firm foundation. It doesn't move, probably. Maybe it has a reputation of being secure against outside forces. Maybe those nuclear bombs we were talking about. What you got?

[2:44] You die slowly on the inside. That's a little morbid. Let's think about some more positive thoughts, right? Another characteristic of a safe and secure place, you guys probably think it doesn't fade away. Some of these places, maybe it's hard to find. And the question is, what do we get out of looking for security and safety in this world? You guys are in, a lot of you guys are in public school.

[3:10] You interact with people around, right? A lot of times, people are probably searching for something like maybe peace. I've heard maybe something to get you through the day, right? Something that's secure.

[3:21] A lot of people place their security in their finances. I'm going to lock this money up and not let anyone touch it. And one of the things I want us to look at this evening is what the Bible says about security. And the truth of the matter is, the most security a person can have is in God with salvation. And there are many things you've probably seen people treasure and value. And these things will perish or fade away. But this is the one thing that doesn't. And tonight, we're going to look at what this means for us. And as I mentioned before, that this doctrine or truth that the Bible teaches is also called eternal security. So, I want to start by explaining this doctrine, right? What is it?

[4:10] What is eternal security? The Bible talks about this everywhere. But as you guys can see, this doctrine is primarily found in Romans chapter 8 and 1 Peter 1. And basically what it says is that God will never allow His holy ones to see corruption. In other words, once someone is truly saved, they have no fear of losing that salvation. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that God's children won't face real battles with sin and suffering in this world. They truly do. They most certainly will. As a matter of fact, we may even experience more as the Bible promises. But this means that none of that will cause a child of God to go from having the saving grace of God to not having it at any point in time. And the scriptures tell us many times that God is faithful and He'll keep His promises. And one of those promises is that those He saves are His for good. And there are a few texts we'll look at this evening that teach this very thing. So, you guys are probably thinking, okay, so we've talked about eternal security. Why is it important? And I would argue that this doctrine of eternal security, it serves as a foundation of our joy as Christians. Just a couple weeks ago, we looked at the source of our joy, right, in D&L weekend, being God's character and His promises. And this is what He promises. The Christian life is not one devoid of conflict, strife, and suffering. As I said earlier, as a matter of fact, in most cases, you encounter even more suffering as a result of professing Jesus. 2 Timothy 3.2 says, indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will face persecution. There are times in the

[5:59] Christian's life where the only thing we have to cling to is this promise. And I want to be clear that this is not some sort of psychological remedy for any time you feel bad. I would argue this goes much deeper and is much more important than just confessing positive things to make it through the hard times. It's also important to understand that our hope as Christians is not rooted in wishful thinking, but it's rooted in the reality and character of God Himself. And some of you guys have probably been around some funerals. Have you guys ever heard someone at an unbeliever's funeral, like the person who died didn't know the Lord, and someone at the funeral says, at least they're in a better place. Have you guys ever heard that before? So this is harsh, but that's wishful thinking at best.

[6:49] The truth is that they have zero clue where that person is spending eternity if they don't understand the gospel. And this is a sad way at coping with pain and loss in the world. And I say this from personal experience. My unbelieving brother said those very words about my unbelieving mother at her funeral, right? He said, at least she's in a better place. And I'm like, in my mind, I didn't address in this way, but I said, in my mind, I was thinking, you don't really believe that though.

[7:15] You're just trying to cope, right? So when we think about this doctrine, this truth the scripture tells us as we'll look at, it has some implications. And one of those major implications for eternal security in our lives as Christians is what the unbelieving world sees. You guys have probably seen this if you know your Bible at all, and in the New Testament, Acts and stuff, that Christians are known as some of the strangest people to an unbelieving world for the way that we behave at times. Many stories in church history record Christians being persecuted for their faith. And this isn't anything odd. Christians get persecuted all the time. But when they march to the gallows praising God, it raises an eyebrow.

[8:00] Christians singing hymns while burning alive isn't something ordinary people do. We don't just see this in church history either, but it's recorded in the very scriptures themselves. Whenever I think about this, I think back to Acts 16 when Paul and Silas are in prison. If you guys are familiar with the story, they were in prison and prison conditions weren't anything good back then, right? They didn't have TV time. They didn't have internet and cell phones and three square meals a day, right? You can imagine the things the average person would be doing sitting in that prison, right? So your average person sitting here and they don't belong there, you can imagine what they would be doing. Maybe pouting, maybe complaining, maybe grumbling, wondering if they did the right thing after all. I mean, I shouldn't be in prison, but you know. And as our Bible study group on Sunday nights has been talking about, it's one thing when you're suffering for doing the wrong thing, right? When you're punished for doing the wrong thing.

[8:55] But it's an entirely different thing when you're doing everything right and you're still punished. You're still in jail, right? And what does the scripture say that Paul and Silas were doing, though? They were praying and singing hymns. They were praising the Lord as they're in jail. The Bible even tells us how we should look at trials and suffering in our lives. We're to be thankful for it. James tells us to count our trials as joy. Doesn't this sound strange? And the major question behind all of this is why? Why do Christians seem the most happy and joyful whenever they go through the worst circumstances this world has to offer? And the answer is this truth. You see, as Christians, you are empowered by the Spirit of God to see and to treasure that which is eternal. And I would argue the only thing that has any value, it's salvation. It is this truth that allows Christians to march to their deaths, praising the God who saves. And this is the truth that allows Paul to have the discourse he has in the first chapter of Philippians, known as the book of joy. I won't make you turn there, but I'll read you a passage for a minute. He says, for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

[10:10] If I'm to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me, yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell. I'm hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

[10:21] But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and join the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again. That was Philippians 1 verses 21 through 26. Paul, even before that, right, he says, I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has served to advance the gospel, right? Paul wrote the book of Philippians from prison. You can imagine that that probably isn't the first thing on your average person's mind whenever they're in prison, but that was on Paul's mind, and that was on Christians in church history, right? In this passage, Paul's in prison bouncing between two desires that he has. He wants to serve the church with everything that's in him, but the longer he lives, as we can resonate, the more he longs to see his Savior, the more he longs to be with his Savior. And he's okay either way because he knows that he's going to see Jesus soon, whether it be in another day, whether it be another month, another year, a few years. He knows where he'll end up. This is a truth that Christians stake their lives on, and I want to argue tonight that you can too. So let's dive in. I'm going to read our first text in 1 Peter chapter 1.

[11:45] I'm going to ask the Lord for help, and we'll begin. So if you guys want to turn there, 1 Peter chapter 1. We're going to start in verse 3. Starting in verse 3 in 1 Peter chapter 1, he says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. If you'll pray with me. Father, I thank you for your word. Lord, what a gracious gift you have given us in the form of your word. And I ask as we open it tonight to look at this precious doctrine that you have communicated to us. Lord, I ask that you would grant us hope through it, you would help us to understand it, and that you would help us just to further rest in you this evening. And I ask it in Christ's name. Amen. So I have two points tonight, and you guys can write them down. Super theological, right? When it comes to our salvation, my first point is that it ain't going nowhere. Yeah, that's the point. It ain't going nowhere. So first point, it ain't going nowhere.

[13:09] Second point, can't nobody touch it, right? Super theological, I know. But 1 Peter 3 tells us this, right? First point, it ain't going nowhere. The Bible tells us a lot of things about things that perish or fade away. James 5 says this, come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you, will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Isaiah 40 tells us, the grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Things fade. Things perish. We even experience this all throughout our lives. Cars break down. Trees and plants die. Phones need to be replaced. And sadly, a cup of coffee doesn't last forever, as much as I would want it to. That iced Americano, I just wish it would last forever. And we tend to act like they last forever, though. We get so excited whenever we get a new thing, even though we'll have to replace it in a few years time. And when it breaks, we throw up our hands as if it's supposed to last forever. There's one thing that we can rightly believe this about, though.

[14:32] Something that will never perish. That will never fade away. Because the Bible tells us, our salvation, it ain't going nowhere. Paul gives us several descriptors about this, or Peter, sorry, gives us several descriptors about this salvation, or as he calls, inheritance. The first thing he says is, it's imperishable. It's not like a gallon of milk that expires after a couple of weeks.

[14:55] This thing doesn't have an expiration date on it. He says it's undefiled, in that it's pure. It's not corrupted by sin or death. Remember, back in the garden, things didn't die before sin entered the world. And he says, it's unfading. It's not like a bad tattoo. It doesn't diminish over time.

[15:16] Peter also says something interesting. He says, where this thing is kept. We began talking about secure places. And Peter says that our salvation is kept in heaven for us. So I'll give you guys a story. Some of you guys have met my brother. If you guys were at D-Now Weekend, he was the one right here with the afro, right? He's got some great hair. When we were in college, Dylan is a great guy. Love him to death. And he's smart. He's finishing his PhD right now. He's one of the smart guys.

[15:47] Something slipped through the cracks, though. When we were in college, he liked to leave his car unlocked. And there was one particular evening at his dorm. And it was a pretty safe campus, just in general. There was one point where he was in his dorm, left his car unlocked, and he had like lots of stuff in there. He had like a toolbox, guitar, like lots of money and all that stuff.

[16:08] And then he gets, he walks out of his dorm that morning and realizes that someone broke into his car and wiped him clean, right? They took everything in there, right? So I guess you could say that anything you wanted to stay in one spot, you would not put in Dylan's car. He just would not, it would not stay there, right? Someone would take it because he kept it unlocked. And back to our salvation, it's beautiful that our salvation is not kept in my brother's car, right? But it's kept in heaven for us, right? God is intentionally keeping it in a place where it won't be moved. Think about that. Peter goes on in the text to assure us even more of both our headings this evening. Our salvation is kept in heaven for us, but we're at the same time being kept by God. Some translations say, when it says, who are being guarded through faith, some translations say, protected by the power of God.

[17:10] Notice that Peter is driving this point home that the safest place one can be is in the arms of God himself. This is the living hope we were brought into at our salvation. This is why this hope is alive.

[17:23] It's not dead. To end this short passage, Peter tells us that we get to see the full of our salvation at the end, right? He says, who are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In the moment we wait, but there will be a day where we will experience the salvation fully. The moment when we pass from this world and we meet our Savior face to face. That's what Paul looked forward to. That's what Peter is writing about. Our salvation isn't going anywhere. Now, if you guys want to turn with me to Romans chapter 8, we'll see that when with regards to our salvation, can't nobody touch it. I'll give you guys a sec to turn there. So we're going to camp out in verses 38 and 39, but I'm going to read starting in verse 35 to kind of give us some context. Paul says this in Romans 8, starting in verse 35. He says, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Verse 38, for I am sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[19:14] Paul is driving the point home that with regards to our salvation, can't nobody touch it. Some translations start in verse 38 and translate it saying, I am convinced. Paul's absolutely certain of the truth that he states here. He's taking this thing to the bank. He goes on to talk about a lot of things that would normally cause worry in our lives. Some language we don't use anymore, but the concepts are the same. These are things like persecution, different kinds of pain, hunger, lacking clothes, physical danger, or even harm from a weapon when he's talking about the sword. In the first list in verse 35, Paul kind of zooms into some more physical dangers, but in verse 38 he kind of starts to zoom out to some larger scale things. In verse 38, these are things that may pose a greater threat, like the loss of life, spiritual beings, governments, the unknown future, things that are above or below us, and he tacks on everything else at the very end, right? If you didn't get the point that I'm talking about everything, right, he says, and everything else in all creation. Paul is sure about all of these things doing what? He says that none of them can separate us from the love of Christ once we have it. So let's zoom in for a sec. There's one particular word I want you guys to look at in verse 39, or kind of phrase, if you will. He says, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God. So notice that Paul's making a statement of ability, not a statement of permission. Let me explain. You guys ever had that teacher, well, I guess before Minga, right? You guys ever had that teacher where you walk up, and you're like, can I go to the bathroom? And she goes, excuse me, I'm may you? And you're like, oh my word. Anyways, you guys ever had that teacher before? Like, I think we all have, to the point where I think I got in trouble one time, because I was even more confused, because she said may you, and I thought she was asking me if I had permission. I said yes, and I walked away, and I went to the bathroom. That wasn't a good day. But anyways, you roll your eyes and sigh, and then do as as she implies. And in that moment, you're asking for permission. Follow me here. The teacher says you may go to the bathroom. She's giving you permission to go. If she said you can go to the bathroom, she'd be saying you have the ability to go, which in that case is stupid. Think back to Paul's argument. It's not only that God doesn't give permission for these things to separate you and I from his love, but they aren't even able to if they tried. And Paul is sure of this, and you can be as well. I won't make you turn there, but John 10 27 says this. Jesus is speaking. He says, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

[22:17] My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. And listen, no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. The same principle is applied in that text. No one has the ability to snatch us out of the Father's hand. My second point isn't may nobody touch it, but can't nobody touch it. So we understand what this doctrine is. We understand kind of what it implies. The question is, what happens when we have a wrong understanding of this doctrine, and when we think that we are saved insecure? When I was growing up, I'll give you guys another story. I had a good friend that I had known since pre-K.

[22:56] It was kind of funny, because when we found out, we found out in first grade that interestingly enough, we were born in the same hospital on the same day. It was really weird. I always joke that I was the older one, but this girl, she was the Bible Bowl champion for years when we were growing up. Like, she knew all the obscure Old Testament kings, and queens, and all the dates, and everything, to the point where I was like, this girl knows more about the Bible than I'll ever know. The only issue, though, was that she went to a church that had a wrong understanding of this truth. When we were in college, we had many long conversations about passages in Scripture, because our church taught that you had to be baptized in order to be saved. And if you decided, you could just wake up one morning and walk away from God's grace. I spent hours trying to get her to understand that that's not what the Bible teaches.

[23:45] And I'll give you one of my reasons. So, someone answer for me. What does Jesus promise for those who believe in Him? Think John 3.16. Eternal life, right? So, now let's say that I woke up one morning, and I stubbed my toe. I tripped in the shower and spilled coffee on myself, and I said, I've had it. I'm done being a Christian. Maybe sounding like the king that we've been learning about in Sunday school. Now, that's a dumb illustration, but let me see if I can hit a little closer to home.

[24:17] Let's say that I walked an aisle, prayed a prayer at Falls Creek, and I'm on fire for Jesus during that summer. Then when school starts, I start hanging around with other sinful crowds and say, you know, I think I'm done with this whole Jesus thing. And for time's sake, I won't go too much further. But the Bible says that in both of those instances that I walked away from the faith, faith, and that I never had it to begin with. However, with my friend's belief, she would say that I had eternal life, but I walked away. So, let's say that I was a Christian for two years before I walked away. Well, the truth is, I never had eternal life. I had two-year life. The eternal life that Jesus offers is, in fact, eternal. Part of that being eternal is once you have it, you can't lose it. And it's not this thing where God is keeping us from leaving when we actually want to.

[25:09] When we're saved, He changes our desires. Philippians 2 says that it is God who works in you both to will and to work to that of His good pleasure. Once someone has tasted and seen that the Lord is good, you won't want to leave. God changes our desires. And that's helpful for you and I because we would lose our salvation. As a famous pastor said, if you could lose your salvation, you would. And that's the point that Paul's making in Romans. We are kept by God. And this means through all of my emotions, all of my struggles, my pain, my sorrow, and everything else that I've got glory waiting for me afterward.

[25:50] Jesus says in John 6 38, That is the truth of the Bible.

[26:19] So what shouldn't we do with the right understanding of this doctrine? So it's what a lot of us get accused with in saying, oh, you believe once saved, always saved. So you believe that someone can live however they want. I got my get out of hell free card and I can just live how I want, right? But Paul already addressed that earlier in the book of Romans. Romans chapter 6. If you guys don't have a study Bible, you could probably just look over to the left on the same page and you'll see it. He says, what shall we say then? Are we to continue on in sin so that grace may abound? By no means.

[26:54] But God's grace certainly is not our just get out of hell free card. We don't just punch our ticket as a kid and say, I've got my place in heaven saved. Now I can go and live how I really want. Remember how Philippians tells us that God changes our desires. What we want is Christ. And if previously that's how you thought about salvation, if you thought that I can get my seat saved in heaven and I can live how I want, you should really examine yourself to see if you're actually saved. A famous preacher by the name of Justin Peters says this. He says that Christians stumble into sin. They don't swim in it.

[27:32] So just a couple of applications from this doctrine that were coming to my mind as I was kind of putting this together. Just a bit of helpful truths for you guys to take home with you. The first one, when we think about our eternity being secure in Christ and the scriptures that we've looked at about Jesus keeping us to the end, is that following Jesus gets easier. You will be sanctified until that day. Philippians 1 verse 6 says that, and I am sure of this. Paul's certain of a lot of things. He says, and I'm sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Some translations say will perfect it. That is an ongoing process. I can assure you, Christian, that as you seek after the Lord and you live longer in the faith, that following Jesus will get easier. It will get easier to put sin to death. It won't be completely until we reach glory. But trust me, you can fight this battle. A famous hymn writer by the name of John Newton says this,

[28:39] I'm not what I ought to be. I'm not what I want to be. I'm not what I hope to be in another world. But still, I am not what I once used to be. And by the grace of God, I am what I am. So you can be sure that God is going to continue to make you more like Jesus. You will continually be sanctified if you are in Christ.

[29:02] Secondly, I want to give you guys some hope. You can fight sin. A lot of times when we don't really think about this doctrine, we don't think about the fact that we're secure, we can kind of think we're just hopeless in the thick of sin. And I want you to remember who you belong to. The Holy Spirit guarantees you that you'll be brought to the end. And he also helps you in the fight. 1 Corinthians 10, 12. It says, therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed, lest he fall. Setting up for verse 13. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful. Listen. And he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. But with the temptation, he will also provide a way of escape that you may be able to endure it. And that's all because he's keeping you throughout all of your days as a Christian. You can fight sin. No matter how tough the battle, God is with you. So thirdly,

[30:02] I want you guys to take a look at the finish line. Hebrews 12, one of my favorite passages in scripture that changes pretty often just as I live life and different things minister to me. But as of right now, Hebrews 12 is one of my favorite passages. It says this, therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight in sin which clings so closely. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to whom? Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Now, I know I don't look like it, obviously, but I used to run races for fun. Don't ask me why. But one of the major things that got me through these 5Ks and 10Ks was the second I rounded that corner and I saw that finish line. Once I saw it, suddenly all the hills, the blistering heat, and everything else didn't matter. Christian, I hope you see the finish line tonight. Think about how the author of Hebrews describes Jesus. What does he say? Basically, he's the author. He began the faith, and he finishes it, and he's in everything in between, right? Not only did he begin it for us, but he's the one making sure it makes it to the end. Now, that doesn't neglect our responsibilities, but I hope that that encourages you. Ephesians 1 says this, in him, Christ, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. With Ephesians, the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance.

[31:50] If you have the Spirit in you, you have God's guarantee that he's going to bring you to the end. So, as I conclude this night, I want you to understand that this is the good news.

[32:01] Jesus died to save us, yes. However, if he died just to give us this two-year kind of life, it's not worth it. No, man, our life is eternal. We've been asking a question throughout our study of Hebrews this semester, is Jesus worth it? And I can assure you, and I can answer that question definitively as a yes, he is. There's a quote by a man named C.T. Studd, and a lot of preachers have clung to this quote in life. It says, only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. So, the reason that this doctrine, the doctrine of our security is so important to us as Christians is what we talked about earlier. This allows Christians to march to their graves, singing praises and hymns to God for who he is and what he's done. They know that in a moment, all pain will cease, and they'll finally see their Savior face to face. And I want to remind you of that today, Christian. Because of Christ, you can face any struggle. You can face any temptation.

[33:09] You can face any heartache, challenge, or conflict with joy, because your eternity is already fixed. Remember when things get tough, when it comes to your salvation, say it with me, it ain't going nowhere. Yeah? And can't nobody touch it, right? And I also want to ask a general question, just to all of you. Do you have this kind of hope? Are you sure of where you're going to spend eternity?

[33:38] When your ticket is punched, where will you go? There's a quote by one of my professors in seminary. His name is Jim Hamilton. He says this, and this is one of my favorite quotes by him. He says, if you're not a believer in Jesus, who looks after you? Who will come for you? To whom are you joined?

[33:57] Do you have a family? If you will repent of your sin and trust in Jesus, you can be a part of the family of God. And I want you to know that if you realize that you don't have this kind of hope, that the door is wide open for you, if you would just but turn to Christ. And know this, if you repent of your sins and place your faith in him, you can be certain that you are saved secure.

[34:21] Let's pray. Father, I just thank you once again for just the living hope that you have caused us to be born again into. What I ask for us as Christians that we would cling to this in all times, Lord, in times of a blessing, in times of plenty, and in times of struggle, times of sorrow, times of heartache. Lord, I ask that for the unbelievers in this room, that you would just place a burden on them. Lord, that you would show them the reality that the only thing that matters is what's going to happen in light of eternity. Lord, as we are so quick to pursue temporal things, things that promise small pleasures and they only please for a time, Lord, I ask that you would help us to find our joy and our satisfaction in you. And that you would help us to, as Jesus says in Matthew, that we would just rest in you, that we would cherish the rest that you give us as a result of your character and your promises. And I ask, Lord, that as these students go into their small groups, that you would have fruitful discussion, Holy Spirit, that you would just be in and throughout that. And Lord, I just ask continually that we would seek to worship you and praise you for who you are and what you've done.

[35:30]  It's in Christ's name that I pray. Amen.