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[0:00] And let's turn in the scriptures to 1 Timothy chapter 6, 1 Timothy 6, and we'll read verses 17 to the end of the letter.

[0:11] Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

[0:27] Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

[0:49] Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.

[1:08] Grace be with you. As we come tonight to the end of 1 Timothy, Paul has some concluding remarks for his young son in the faith.

[1:22] Or maybe better, God has some concluding remarks for you. Because this letter wasn't just for Timothy, was it? It was for the church.

[1:33] It is for God's people. It is for you. This letter has ranged far and wide over various topics, but they all come back to one thing, and that is the well-being of the church.

[1:46] The well-being of God's people. False teachers will hurt the health of the church. Men and women who don't know their proper roles in the church will injure the well-being of the church.

[2:01] True and faithful elders will build and strengthen the church. People who know the truth and live it will make for a healthy, faithful church.

[2:14] People who pursue serving one another and treat one another as they ought in the church will make for a strong body of believers. People who worship God and are not controlled by the love of money will make for a healthy church.

[2:32] Those who fight the good fight to the end, not departing from the faith, will be good for the church. Tonight, Paul returns to the theme of money and shows that wealthy people who use that money for the kingdom and who hope in God are good for the church.

[2:56] Are good for the kingdom of God. And we want to ask a question tonight, and that is, where is your hope? He talks about people that have money, but he says, make sure your hope isn't in that money.

[3:07] Make sure it's in God. And then he concludes with a challenge, a reminder to guard the truth. So two things tonight. Where is your hope? And guard the truth.

[3:20] And do not let it go. So first, where is your hope? Paul's just warned against the love of money. The danger of serving an idol, a God, other than the one true and living God.

[3:36] But now he makes some qualifying remarks. He wants us to understand that it's not wrong to have money. Because he addresses those who are rich in this present world.

[3:46] And he doesn't tell them to stop being rich in this present world. It's not wrong to be a Christian and to have a lot of money. It's not wrong to be rich.

[3:57] It was a rich disciple named Joseph from Arimathea that took the body of Jesus and laid it in his own very expensive hewn out tomb in the rock.

[4:08] That was a rich disciple. Now, riches will bring peculiar temptations to Christians. Jesus himself said that it's hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

[4:21] But it's not wrong to be wealthy. And here are a few warnings and directions to know how to handle your riches, because with God all things are possible, including those people of some means making it into the kingdom.

[4:36] And you say, good, I don't have to listen tonight, because I ain't wealthy. I got no money. Good. Paul's word isn't for me tonight.

[4:49] Wrong. There are warnings and directions here how to handle your money regardless of how much you have.

[5:00] Even if you are not rich by the United States standards, to whatever extent God has blessed you, receive these warnings and directions.

[5:11] When compared to many people in the world today, you are rich. There are people that they're not just living from paycheck to paycheck and things are tight.

[5:22] There are people that have no paycheck. There are people that don't just have, they can't have the nicest of clothing. They have no clothing.

[5:33] There are people that don't have the best food. Not just that, but they don't have any food at all. And not just the nicest house, but no house at all. And so we here, whether we realize it or not, are very wealthy, blessed, rich people in this world.

[5:51] And so the warning is for all of us who have any sort of possessions, any sort of wealth at all.

[6:03] What are particular dangers for those people who have money or the things that can buy? Well, first of all, don't be arrogant. Don't be proud.

[6:16] Command those who are rich in the present world to not be arrogant. Riches don't make you a better person. They don't make you more worthy.

[6:28] And so they ought not be a source of pride for you. Remember, it's God who gives them. And any boasting then that a Christian does can only be in the cross of Christ. It should only be in the Lord.

[6:43] How sad it is to see haughty, arrogant, rich people flaunting their riches and alienating those around them. As well as incurring God's disapproval. What do you have that you did not receive?

[6:55] And if you receive, the answer is nothing. You've received it all. And if you received it, then why do you boast as though you didn't receive it? Has God given you money and things?

[7:08] Well, don't be proud of it. Be thankful to God for it. Secondly, don't be proud. But secondly, don't put your hope in those riches. The temptation comes to put your hope in these things.

[7:19] And again, you don't have to be rich by the standards of the United States to face this temptation. Have you ever wondered how you would get along without your fill-in-the-blank? Your house, your car, your clothes, your food, your savings account, any other material thing, then you know what it is to be in danger of hoping in money and the things that it can buy.

[7:43] And some people, again, they say, oh, again, that's not a temptation for me because I don't have any riches to hope in. Do you know that that makes an equal temptation? The flip side of this we'll see is to put your hope in God.

[7:56] And a lot of times people that don't have riches, they don't hope in God. They just despair. They say, how can I get along without this? You too are putting your hope in riches. It just happens to be riches that you don't have at the moment.

[8:09] Instead of putting your hope in God. It's fundamentally flawed thinking to put your hope in things and money because everything material is by definition, Paul says, uncertain.

[8:22] It is fleeting. Don't put your hope in wealth, which is so uncertain. It is tenuous. Everything that you have could be gone in an instant.

[8:33] That's not a very popular thing to say. Nobody wants to hear that. But do you know that there have been more tornadoes this year in our country than in any recent year, at least on record?

[8:45] And we're not even into the worst of the season. You know that a tornado could come and could destroy your home and everything in it. I hope that it doesn't.

[8:56] I pray that God keeps us safe. I teach my boys to pray when they hear thunder and wonder what's happening. To pray and to trust the Lord. And we can do that. And you know that he will keep us even if your house is destroyed, even if your life is taken.

[9:10] He takes his children safely home. But to put your hope in something that is so uncertain is a danger. It's foolishness. Your home could be gone in a moment.

[9:21] The bottom could drop out of the stock market. And all of your investments could be suddenly worth nothing. Your uncertain riches are no place to have your hope.

[9:32] Young people, you would do well to learn this lesson now. Don't put your hope in money or in the things that it can buy. Cast but a glance at riches, says the wise men, and they are gone.

[9:47] For they will surely sprout wings and fly off to heaven. Beware of the deceitfulness of riches that can choke out your young faith. These things are uncertain. They are no place for hope.

[9:59] They are no place for trust. The world will make it seem as those with the most toys and the most money are the best off. It is simply not so. Don't listen to the lie of the world.

[10:13] Listen to the truth of God's word. You have to wonder if this wasn't part, at least, of the rich young ruler's problem. He was unwilling to part with his things, with his money.

[10:24] He obviously loved his things. And you wonder if he didn't hope in them as well. He went away sad because he knew he wasn't doing what Jesus said. But you have to wonder if he went away hoping in those riches.

[10:36] Maybe I'll be alright with my things. Or you think of the story that Jesus told about the rich man. And he had all these barns full of his wealth and the crops that he had taken in.

[10:49] And there's more crops coming. He said, oh, I'm going to tear down my barns and build bigger ones. To hold all of my stuff. This man clearly hoped in his riches. They were his confidence.

[11:00] And listen to what Jesus says. Here's the man. I'll say to myself, you have plenty of good things laid up for many years. And isn't that what people say? Man, I've got my retirement all squared away.

[11:11] I've got things laid up for many years to go. I'm good to go. I'm fine. You have plenty of good things, he says to himself, laid up for many years. Take life easy. Eat, drink, and be merry.

[11:21] But God said to him, you fool. This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself, but is not rich towards God.

[11:38] Man in that story's hope was in riches and things. And not in God. Don't you make the same mistake? Don't you make the same mistake? Now, Paul says, here's some warnings for those of means.

[11:54] For those with riches. Don't be proud and don't put your hope in them. But now he gives some direction. What should such a person do? Well, put your hope in God. There's a place for your hope.

[12:07] A sure place. The God who gives these good gifts for our enjoyment. He is the source of our hope. Don't hope in the things. Just hope in the God who so richly supplies those things for you.

[12:17] And then, if this is your hope, when things disappear, when your home is destroyed in a tornado, when all your investments are worthless, when everything that you have is gone, your life isn't over.

[12:31] You're not in despair because your hope wasn't in those things in the first place. And so if they're gone, that's okay. Because the God who gave those things is not gone.

[12:42] He is still there. He is still your God. He is still faithful. And so far better to have your hope in the God who gave those things in the first place than in the things themselves.

[12:55] And you notice that this God provides these things for our enjoyment. I believe sometimes that a false perception or notion exists that Christians need to be poor to be really holy.

[13:09] Christians of substantial means, wealthy Christians, are sometimes, I believe, made to feel guilty because they are wealthy.

[13:20] Because they have and enjoy riches. And this passage blows any such notion right out of the water. It cannot stand. You notice that our hope is to be in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

[13:40] Unto. For the purpose of our enjoyment. You remember chapter 4 and verse 3. They forbid people to marry. And order them to abstain from certain foods.

[13:50] And it shouldn't be that way because God created them for the purpose of being received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. They are for our enjoyment. God has blessed us with these things.

[14:04] If God has blessed you with riches, you may enjoy them without guilt. But don't cross that dangerous line into hoping in those things.

[14:14] Instead of the God who gives them. So hope in God. Who gives all things richly for our enjoyment. But then, more direction.

[14:25] Do good and be rich in good deeds. There's a reason it speaks of those who are wealthy in this present world. Command those who are rich in this present world. Don't be arrogant and so on.

[14:36] Command them to do good. To be rich in good deeds. You know, you can't take your riches with you. You can accumulate all this wealth and you die and it stays here. And it doesn't go with you.

[14:49] But by doing good. And being rich in those good deeds. You lay a firm foundation for the coming age. In this way, verse 19.

[15:01] They will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age. So that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. Now, Paul isn't abandoning justification by faith alone.

[15:13] Apart from works. Not at all. God enables his people to do good works. That he receives as pleasing in his sight. And we must do such things as evidence that we have been justified by faith alone.

[15:25] And we are to be rich in these things. And there will be, the scriptures teach, degrees of reward in heaven. And those who have been rich in good deeds will be richly rewarded in the life to come.

[15:40] And so, lay up a future foundation by being rich in good deeds. And being willing to share and generous with what God has given you. Don't hoard your wealth.

[15:51] Again, you can't take it with you. And your wealth in this present age will do you no good in the age to come unless you use it to lay up treasure in heaven. He says to be generous.

[16:02] Be willing to share. You know, if your hope isn't in that money, then you'll be glad to part with it. Knowing that God is the one who provides and cares for you. Here's the real blessing of being of some means in this life.

[16:15] You can use those means generously. You can share with those who are in need. You can use it to advance the good of the kingdom. And this is interesting that he tells us. That in using our wealth.

[16:28] In being generous and willing to share. We lay up treasure. A firm foundation for the coming age. Whether you like it or not. It is a fact that we live in a world that is driven by money.

[16:39] You have to have money to operate in this world. Churches have to have money to be able to function in this world. We wouldn't have lights on tonight.

[16:52] Or have... Is the air on tonight? Are we air tonight? Because it's hot. Air conditioning tonight. It gets warm with the spotlights and you can't really even tell. If there's air on.

[17:04] But we couldn't have those things without money. We couldn't have the building that we're in without money. We couldn't support pastors without money.

[17:14] We couldn't support and send missionaries without money. That's just how the world works. It takes money.

[17:26] And the church needs individuals who are willing to use the wealth that God has given them to advance the kingdom. There's laying hold of life indeed. Says Paul. By investing in the kingdom, the return on your investment is not good interest rates and more money.

[17:42] It's even souls. You can't buy souls. But by investing in God's purposes in the world, you can advance the kingdom.

[17:52] Talk about laying up treasure in heaven. Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth. Where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven.

[18:03] Where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also, says the Savior in Matthew 6.

[18:14] Riches can be a dangerous, enslaving thing when they occupy the throne of our heart and we serve them. But God can take a wealthy person and use them greatly for his kingdom.

[18:28] He can take people of average means. Or even below average means. You remember the Macedonians who gave beyond what they were able? In 2 Corinthians 8.

[18:39] He can take people like that and use them greatly for his kingdom. At whatever level God has blessed you. We're all to invest our lives and our riches.

[18:53] Whatever they may be. For the good of others and the good of God's kingdom. So there's some instruction for those with money. Don't hope in it.

[19:05] Hope in God. Where is your hope tonight? I hope it's not in riches. I hope that it's in the God who so richly gives those things. But secondly, a concluding warning for Timothy.

[19:19] Guard what has been entrusted to your care. Guard the deposit that's been given to you, Timothy. When you, you know, Paul's writing a letter here. And when you write a letter, maybe you start out with your purpose for writing that letter at the beginning.

[19:35] And we've got graduations going on. And there's graduates and they're getting gifts. And they'll be expected by their parents to write thank you notes. And there'll be a thank you card.

[19:48] And if they're doing well, they'll get one that says thank you in the middle. And they just have to fill up the space below the thank you in the middle. And so they'll begin, thank you for the gift.

[20:00] I know this because I've done it before. And then maybe there'll be some filler in there. Thank you for your prayers.

[20:11] Thank you for... There'll be some filler. And then at the end, they return to the purpose for which they wrote. And they'll say something like, thanks again. Love, whoever. And Paul does that here.

[20:23] He began with a warning about false teaching. And now he hasn't just been giving us filler here. It's the Word of God. But when he gets to the end of the letter, he returns to the idea with which he began.

[20:34] A warning against false teaching and an exhortation to guard the truth. And so he says to Timothy, guard that truth that has been entrusted to your care.

[20:45] Guard the deposit. What is the deposit? Well, just over a page or maybe on the same page, 2 Timothy 1. Look at verses 13 and 14 of 2 Timothy 1.

[20:57] The good deposit is, verse 13, What you heard from me keep as the pattern of sound teaching with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you.

[21:08] Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. That's the same word that's in our text. The good deposit. The good deposit that Timothy received was the teaching of God's Word.

[21:20] It is the truth. That pattern of sound teaching. That's what Timothy has received. He received it from God, through the Apostle Paul, from his mother, from his grandmother. Timothy had received these things and he was to guard it.

[21:34] It's theology. It's good teaching. It's the understanding of who God is. And who men are in light of who God is. It's the truth about Jesus Christ and his perfect saving work.

[21:46] It's the call to respond to that saving work in repentance and faith. It's how God's people ought to live in a hostile world. It's what will come of those who reject God.

[21:56] And what will come of those who put their hope in God and are saved by his grace. It is God's Word. Here is a summary. Here is the good deposit. It was entrusted to Timothy and that has been entrusted to us.

[22:11] And what does he say to do? Guard it. Guard it. Protect it. With the word deposit and guard it. You get the idea of a bank.

[22:21] When you deposit your riches in the bank, you trust that the bank will guard it. That they will protect your money. You have confidence that your monies will be safe in that bank.

[22:33] Because you've deposited them there. And if you've got something really valuable, maybe you'll open a safety deposit box. Where you have one key and the bank has the other key. And so you have to have both keys to open.

[22:44] It's the most secure place. And you put your most treasured items in that safety deposit box. And you trust that that bank will guard them. And will protect them. And that nothing will happen to your money or your things while they are in that bank.

[22:55] They will not be stolen. They will not be devalued. They will not disappear. They will not partially be lost. And so it is with the truth that God has given to us.

[23:09] It should be safe with us. It cannot be twisted into lies when it is in our possession. It is secure as our money is in a bank.

[23:20] And even more secure. We cannot let it go to chase after something else more interesting or exciting. We cannot let our children or our churches be led astray from this truth. We must guard our hearts and our minds in the truth that God has given to us.

[23:35] It must be safe with us. The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth. We seek to guard the truth here. And to do that we have to know what that truth is.

[23:47] We study it. We read trusted authors. We come and hear it preached. We want you to be challenged by the preaching here. We want to stretch your minds here. So that you know the truth. So that you are ready to give an answer for what you believe to any that might challenge you.

[24:02] It is especially the job of the pastors to do this. That is why Timothy is exhorted to guard it. But it is also our job to equip you to know that truth and to guard it and to keep it.

[24:13] But there will be threats to that truth. And Paul names just two of them here. Turn away from. Godless chatter. And the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge.

[24:26] A couple of threats to the truth. Through this good deposit. Godless chatter is the first. There is sort of the trivial. And Paul has talked about this. Idle chatter and foolish talk.

[24:38] And old wives tales. And a bunch of gossip going on. There is a danger of that. And if we are honest with ourselves. Sometimes we like a lot of the godless chatter.

[24:50] Whether it comes to us over the phone. And the latest little piece of information. That might be bordering on gossip. But really needs to be shared and passed.

[25:01] We like that. Or that mindless. Godless chatter that comes through the television at us. Much of godless chatter these days goes on I think.

[25:13] In instant messaging. In text messaging. Or writing on someone's virtual wall on their Facebook. I'm not saying there's anything inherently wrong with the phone.

[25:27] Or TV. Or instant messaging. Or text messaging. Or Facebook. Or any other of those forms of communication. But I do believe they have facilitated the flow of godless chatter.

[25:39] Parents. Do you know what your kids are talking about? Or listening to? Do you know what the list of all of their texting. Abbreviations mean? Do you know that OMG is Oh My God?

[25:54] And that when you punch that into your little phone or keyboard. You're taking God's name in vain. And you are not turning away from godless chatter. But participating in it. Paul says turn away from this garbage.

[26:06] Turn away from means don't listen to it. And don't participate in it. A little godless chatter may seem harmless enough to you. But do you see the end?

[26:18] Do you see where all this goes? Some have professed these false ideas of knowledge. They've not turned away from godless chatter. And in so doing they have wandered from the faith. They've missed the mark.

[26:30] Regarding faith. It is important. It is significant. Oh man. The standard they hold up at church is too high. They're too strict.

[26:41] That standard BTW by the way. Is God's word. It's not something we pulled out of a hat to be mean. This is the standard that God gives.

[26:52] It's too strict. I'm going to aim for a slightly less stringent or strict form of godliness. Where a little godless chatter is no big deal. Who cares what I text and talk about?

[27:04] I want to indulge in a little fleshly pleasure without getting preached at about it. And feeling guilty because of it. You're aiming too low. And you will miss the mark. Respecting faith.

[27:17] You'll miss heaven. You'll hit what you aim for. A life that is dishonoring to God. May He preserve you and me. From something as innocent seeming as godless chatter.

[27:31] But there's more than just trivial godless chatter. That's a threat to the truth. There's the contradiction of what is falsely called knowledge. A little heavier duty than godless chatter.

[27:41] This is the lie. Pretending to be the truth. Exactly what Satan, the father of lies, wants you to think. That his lies are reality. It's godless philosophy.

[27:53] It's a godless explanation for the origin of the earth. It's a way of living that assumes there is no god. Or if there is, that He doesn't matter. It's false teaching about God.

[28:06] It's a theology of a small god. Who doesn't know the future and can't control it. A god who doesn't care how He's worshipped. There's many sorts of lies out there today pretending to be the truth.

[28:17] Here's a fitting warning for high school graduates. We have six of them this year. Most of them aren't here tonight. But if you listen to it later, or if you are here, there's one.

[28:31] At least. Let me tell you our six so you know who they are and can pray for them. We're going to recognize them next Sunday morning. And you can see them. They'll all stand up in front of you. And you can take their names down.

[28:43] But these people are going into the world that hates the truth. They're going off to schools where the truth will not be taught. Where some truth will be taught.

[28:53] But the truth of God's Word will be attacked and vilified. Going into military. Where God's truth is not loved. In alphabetical order, they're Courtney Barr and Jonathan Heaney and Taylor Heaney.

[29:06] And Aaron Ladig and Allie Morin and Mary Wester. And you graduates would do well to guard the truth as you leave.

[29:18] Some of you to go away. Some to stay at home and go to school. Some to work. To the military. But it will come from all sorts of angles. It will come from friends. It will come from roommates.

[29:30] It will come from professors. It will come from false teachers. It will come over the radio. It will come through your TV. It will come through some churches, sadly.

[29:44] False teaching. And that's why, while we've had you here, we've sought not to just feed you baby food, but to give you the truth. To make it work. To stretch your minds.

[29:54] So that you know the truth. So that you can guard that good deposit. Because when you go into the world, you're not going to be spoon-fed. You're not going to be coddled and patted on the back.

[30:05] You're going to be fed truckloads of godless philosophy and lies. And you have to be ready for those lies. And you have to know the truth. It means you'll have to be discerning.

[30:17] You don't have to be a graduate to listen to this tonight, okay? It's for all of us in the world. And those of you that are still in high school moving that direction. But you must be ready. You have to be discerning.

[30:28] You have to take what you hear and examine it against God's Word. This is the standard. This is the good deposit that you've received here. What are you going to do with it? Are you going to guard it? Or as soon as you're out from under the influence of home and church, you're going to throw it out the window and soak up whatever the world feeds you.

[30:46] You must guard it. You must turn to it when you're being bombarded with falsehood masquerading as truth. You must cling to that truth when everyone around you is pressuring you to believe the lie.

[30:58] Will you stand for that truth even if the rest of the class thinks you're crazy and old-fashioned? God, help you to guard the truth. It's not just for graduates, is it?

[31:09] We're assaulted with lies in the workplace, in our homes, via TV and the internet, and radio and books. And all sorts of sources. We must be ready, people, to guard the truth.

[31:22] Anything that is contrary to God's Word must be rejected out of hand. Listen to His truth. Hope in the One who gave it. And trust in Him. These things, again, as we wrap up this letter, will contribute to a healthy church.

[31:37] You've got a church full of people that hope in God. And that love the truth and guard it and defend it. You're going to have a healthy church. So Paul concludes with this.

[31:48] And then, a blessing. Grace be with you. It's grace be with you all. You, plural. It's y'all where I come from, in South Carolina.

[31:59] Grace be with all of you. It's not just for Timothy. It's for everyone there in the church at Ephesus. It is for you. And what more comforting words could there be?

[32:10] Whether you're graduating from high school or just going out for another week in the world as you have for so many weeks gone by. Grace to you.

[32:20] God's great grace to you. Apart from the grace of God, you and I would be nothing. You know, for all of us here, saved and unsaved alike.

[32:32] It's God's grace that's keeping us alive. God shows you common grace every day. The fact that you're still living and breathing is a sign that God is a gracious God. Some here have experienced His saving grace.

[32:46] And know what it is to have a God who forgives sins for undeserving sinners like us. Grace. That's grace. Grace indeed. We are a blessed people.

[32:57] And Paul blesses Timothy and the Ephesians and us with that blessing. Grace to you. This grace is yours. And if you haven't experienced saving grace, that saving grace can be yours.

[33:11] You can try to get through life without it. And with God's common grace, you'll make it okay to the end of your life. But in eternity, you'll have nothing to show for it.

[33:23] And you'll suffer forever. Or you can tonight come and trust in Christ and be saved by the grace of God. And walk through life with every hope and confidence and go on to enjoy life indeed.

[33:38] Where is your hope tonight? Is it in yourself, in your things, or is it in a gracious God who saves sinners like you and like me?

[33:50] We need that grace each day for forgiveness of sins, strength to live for Christ, all of this of grace. And so may God bless us with His grace. Grace to you moms tonight.

[34:03] Grace to you dads. Grace to those of you working to try to provide for your families. Grace to you moms that are staying at home and seeking to raise your children according to God's Word.

[34:17] Or having to do both work and raise your children. Grace to you students that have two days of finals left. Grace to you who are sick and suffering.

[34:30] Grace to you who feel like you can't make it through another week. Grace to you Sunday school and Wednesday night teachers. Week in, week out.

[34:40] Prepare and prepare. And often go unappreciated and unrecognized and unnoticed. Grace to you. Grace to all of you VBS workers planning for next week.

[34:54] Grace to you children. Grace to you graduates as you step out into a big world. May our big God go with you.

[35:05] Grace to all of you, God's people. Amen. And we want to sing a concluding song tonight. And it is partially these words.

[35:18] Grace be with you. A song that we can think especially of our graduates for. But a song for each of you. Sometimes when we sing, we sing to God.

[35:30] Directly worshiping Him. Sometimes when we sing, we sing about God. We sing things that are true of God. And sometimes when we sing, whether we recognize it or not, we sing to one another.

[35:44] We're to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And when we sing onward Christian soldiers, we're singing to each other. Press on in that fight, Christian soldiers.

[35:56] And what we're going to sing tonight is a new song that we haven't sung before. But we're singing to one another. And it's the words grace to you, peace to you, and love to you.

[36:09] And you'll see them from the overhead. I'm going to ask Cindy to play it through once so you can see the words and hear it with the music. And then we'll stand together and sing. But as you sing, you're singing this to your brothers and sisters in Christ.

[36:21] That even as Paul wishes this, and it's a prayer really, that God would grant grace to you. It's Paul's prayer for Timothy and the Ephesians for us. Let's make it our prayer for one another tonight, that he would grant this grace to us.

[36:35] Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for your grace. We thank you for your grace to undeserving sinners. We thank you for what you have done for us in Jesus.

[36:49] And we pray that you would give us grace each day to live for Jesus. To seek to honor him by hoping in you and not in our things.

[37:00] May we seek to honor you who have been so gracious to us. May we seek to honor you by guarding the truth that you have given us. And not being so easily turned astray by godless chatter and things that are falsely called knowledge.

[37:15] Help us to cling to that which is true knowledge. That which you have revealed to us in your word. Make us then faithful servants as we walk out of these doors into a world that is hostile towards you and your truth.

[37:27] Equip us to guard the truth and to be faithful to you. And we do thank and praise you that you've guarded us and kept us thus far. Take us safely home to heaven, we pray.

[37:38] And help us to walk always in the light of your grace. Knowing that it is only by grace that we live and move and have our being. We thank you for what you have done for us.

[37:49]  And we pray, we thank you, bring these requests to you in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.