The following is a sermon transcript from our Sunday Service at The Rock Church in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Each week, we gather to worship, learn from God’s Word, and grow together. This transcript is provided as a free resource to encourage and equip you in your walk with Christ. While you’re welcome to read and share this content for personal use, we kindly ask that it not be redistributed or published elsewhere without prior written consent from The Rock Church.
You’ve heard it said, it only takes a little extra to turn ordinary into extraordinary. But I tell you, it only takes a little extra understanding about an extraordinary God. In other words, the world in their thinking, in their living, thinks about moving from the ordinary to the extraordinary in very different ways than the Christian does.
I’ve said it many times before, but the world loves to focus on self. It’s the power of self, the improvement of self, the discipline of self. Self, self, self. But the Christian loves to focus on Christ—the power of Christ, the completeness of Christ, the perfect obedience of Christ. Heard it said, all of Christ for all of life.
Do you want to move from the ordinary to the extraordinary? Consider this: an ordinary people, but we serve an extraordinary God.
The Barrier to Worship
So what is it that’s keeping us from beholding and worshiping this glorious Christ? Much of the time, it’s self that gets in the way. “Oh, God will never use me. I have too many problems. I’m too ordinary. I’m not that gifted.” And on and on the list goes.
But any student of the Bible knows that God is all about using the ordinary and regular to show off His glory. Throughout Scripture, we see that God uses the weak to show Himself strong. God uses the poor and the needy, the helpless and the hopeless, the tired and the torn down.
Is that you today? God looks down from heaven and sees this empty vessel. He says, “Yes, I can use this. There’s nothing in there, nothing in the cup. I can fill it up.” The one whose cup is full of pride and prowess and personal agenda, He resists.
Come to the Table
Dearly beloved, come to the table of the Lord. Come and drink from the spring that never runs dry. Come and eat from the table that’s never barren or lacking. This is where we come for the ordinary means of grace.
You see, the American church culture is all about the attractional model. What do I mean? Build it and they will come or give them great entertainment and they will keep coming. We use the world’s systems to grow the church—the lights, the smoke, the carefully orchestrated music, the emotionally driven preaching.
But what if God was not only into using ordinary people, but ordinary means of grace?
What Are the Ordinary Means of Grace?
What do I mean by that? What are these ordinary means of grace? Well, primarily:
- The preaching of God’s Word
- The prayers of God’s people
- The singing to God and one another
- Communion
- Baptism
It’s why when we gather on a Sunday morning, there’s something powerful happening—something that only can happen in the gathered church.
But the question is, if God primarily works this way, isn’t there other ways that He’s working in the world, in us, in the church? Well, of course. A healthy gathering without a healthy scattering is like words without action. All talk. It’s knowing something and believing it with all of your heart, but then having no effect on your life or the lives of others.
This morning, we’re focusing on some additional means of grace that God uses to affect change in our lives and the lives of others for the glory of God. And there’s three things that I see here in the text:
- Discipleship
- Endurance
- Application of God’s Word
And we’re putting them all under the umbrella of this big idea, which is this:
God works through the ordinary means of grace to form Christ in some very extraordinary ways.
1. Discipleship: A Means of Grace to Form Christ in Others
2 Timothy 2:1-2
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
So this is Paul talking to young Timothy. My child, some translations say “my son,” be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
And what you’ve heard from me in the presence of many faithful witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
There is something here that lays the foundation for which we serve the Lord.
Notice in the text, Paul doesn’t say, “Under the full weight of the law, now young Timothy, I charge you, do what I say, I’ll be watching, I’ll be enforcing.” No. Why?
Consider your Christian life. Perhaps your personal experience. All you’ve known is the law of God—the rules, the regulations. Don’t disappoint your Heavenly Father. Don’t miss out on your opportunity. Your blessing is coming, but it all hinges upon your personal ability to maintain obedience to all that Christ has commanded you.
I’ve talked about this before, this idea of the indicative (what is true) always driving the imperative (what must I do). We cannot separate the two.
If you have put your faith and trust in Christ… guess what is true about your position in Him? Forgiveness, acceptance, and rest.
And I want you to notice how Paul is so wise in motivating young Timothy toward faithful ministry. He begins with the gospel and moves to the law.
What am I talking about? When I talk about the gospel, I’m referring to everything that God has graciously done for you in Christ. It’s all the spiritual benefits that you have in Christ. And there are so many.
So what does that look like here in the text? Paul says this: before you attempt, before you put together your programs and curriculum, before you want to teach and train others in this faith passed down among the saints, you better be strengthened by grace.
Strengthened by grace. What does that mean?
Obviously, we’re talking about spiritual strength. And from whom do we draw that? Quite clearly, Christ, indwelling us by the power of the Spirit.
Let me put it to you this way: what motivates you toward obedience? What’s better for me to remind you of—what you must do for God, or all that God has already done for you?
Of course, it’s all that God has already done for you that causes your heart to well up with joy and worship. See how indeed we are strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus?
It’s recounting, it’s meditating, it’s understanding all of the spiritual realities. What are they?
You’re in Christ. You are forgiven of all of your sins. You have been cleansed of all of your guilt. You will be preserved until the day of the Lord. You have been restored into a right relationship with God. You have been guaranteed of eternal life by the down payment of the Holy Spirit.
Dare I continue? Is that list too long? Did I lose you? Did you get bored? No!
Brothers and sisters, this is the grace of God. This is the strengthening power that is in Christ as we consider and understand the helping favor of God. What does that do to our hearts? Instead of burden and drudgery, our religious affections, as Jonathan Edwards called them, are stirred.
Check out your notes for the definition. But it’s Isaiah 40:29-31:
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength… But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.
Our spiritual strength, the grace that is in Christ Jesus—how does that strength come forward? We’ll be able to endure the most difficult of spiritual battles. Why? Because the Lord is on our side. Who can be against us?
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
That’s what Paul said to the church in Corinth. And because of my weakness, he says, I’m going to boast all the more. Really? Yeah.
So the power of Christ may rest upon me so that I can say, “Look at the weakness and then look at the Savior.”
It’s the strengthening power of the grace that is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, is there any fruit that we’re not able to bear for the kingdom of God? There’s none. We have the Spirit of Christ. We have the power of the resurrected Christ working in us.
And it’s only from that position of strengthening grace that we would ever dare to consider this topic of discipleship.
The Pattern of Discipleship
What is this all about? Discipleship. Why do I mention this? Pastor, I don’t see it in the text. I don’t understand. But it’s certainly a pattern. That’s what we talked about last time—a pattern of forming Christ from one to another.
There’s a teaching. There’s a training. There’s a time spent. It’s the blueprint. We’re ultimately raising up the next generation of leaders in the church.
If you’re under 30 years old, please stand—just kidding. Got your attention now. You are the next generation of the church. You’ll be leading the church. The question is, how are we as a church considering this important discussion?
I brought it up at the last elders meeting and it began a discussion. It began something that we’re praying, something that we want to see and practically carry forward.
Where in the text? Notice, if you consider, there are actually four generations of leaders right here. In this text:
- First: from Christ to Paul
- Second: from Paul to Timothy
- Third: from Timothy to faithful men
- Fourth: from faithful men to others also
There’s got to be a plan. We’ve got to do something about this. This is important stuff.
So when we think about discipleship, it’s the idea: mentor, mentee. It’s an investment, one to another, to be used of the Lord to form Christ from a position of being strengthened by His grace.
Gospel: strengthened by His grace. Law: go make disciples.
We talked about last week this pattern of sound doctrine. That’s why we consider the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith written in 1689 as following a pattern of hundreds of years of faithful men who trained others also.
That’s remarkable. That’s some wonderful fruit. That’s some church planting and missions like anything else. Amazing.
Discipleship and Leadership in the Church
As we consider that, we can be a bit overwhelmed. This whole concept of discipleship—we are intimidated by it because we look at it as requiring all this effort and time spent.
But if you’re married and have kids, you’re doing some discipling. Your spouse and your kids—you’re pointing them to Christ or away from Him. And this is why we need to be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Notice Paul doesn’t take this lightly, as if it were all about his doctrinal system that he created, his teaching, his personal interest. No. He says there were many faithful witnesses to what I’ve said. They agree with this pattern of sound doctrine. I’m not speaking here out of turn. It’s the gospel of Christ. It’s the purity of God’s Word to be protected and safeguarded.
And this is part of the proper care of Christ’s church—1 Timothy—and now the proper conduct of Christ’s church—2 Timothy. There will be natural relationships formed within the church. I’m sure you’ve seen that yourself. You’ve naturally connected with some people more than others. And that is a wonderful thing. That is the Lord encouraging you first. Hey, recognize. And then—intentional. Be intentional about it.
We have some small groups coming up in a couple weeks. It’s a great opportunity to be discipled.
But when it comes to training up leaders within the church, how do we approach this idea of discipleship—followers of Christ multiplying, making disciples, teaching and training?
Paul makes it very clear. It’s faithful men.
I’ll be honest with you. This is the key to a healthy local church. I’m not discounting the importance of women in leadership that they provide. But where you see healthy, qualified men leading the church, you’re going to see a healthy church. It’s part of God’s design that has stretched back to creation with Adam, with the model for marriage, with the man as the head of the home.
This does not mean that women hold a lesser value. Of course not. Equal in value and importance, different in role.
What does it look like in our church?
Well… it’s always looking out into the members of our church and asking, who is God raising up in our midst among the members? Raising up qualified men to serve as elders and deacons is a crucial part of growing a healthy church.
We certainly have that pattern to follow. As we consider the riches of reformed theology, the biblical theology, we have been greatly blessed. In fact, we’ve talked about this. One aspect of focus is the law-gospel distinction. You heard me just use it.
If I just told you, “Go and make disciples, and I’ll check in on you in a week or so. And if you’re not there yet, big trouble with the pastor.” That’s law. That’s heavy. That’s burden.
But when the gospel drives your obedience of that command of Christ, and now there’s joy, now there’s freedom, now there’s strength. And from that grace, we can pursue the law that Paul gives us.
We’re not antinomian. We’re not opposing the law. We’re saying there’s no power in it. The power comes from the gospel. The direction comes from the law showing us the way to go.
What does Paul give us here in the text? It’s to train up faithful men.
How does a church train up faithful men? They do so under the grace of Christ. In other words, we can set up all kinds of formal programming telling the men of the church, “Okay, as long as you take these classes, you read these books, and you sign on the dotted line of our doctrinal statement, you too can lead this church.”
That’s not how it works.
There is a grace that God works in the heart of the believer first. There is a calling. There is a burden. There is a strengthening. And as we meditate upon all that Christ has done for us, there we see and desire to invest in this—the next generation.
We want to see and ensure that we have faithful men serving here at this church in 20 or more years.
You see, what happened with the mainline churches in America is that the faithful men faded away. And when these faithful men don’t stand up to serve, well, the women will. And the result? The roles reversed.
And again, this is not to say that women can’t lead well. I’m saying that this is the design of God’s church, the design of the home.
Consider any church that has departed from orthodoxy. The first move is ordaining women to the role of elder-pastor. And then the next move is, “Well, we don’t really believe the Bible. I mean, homosexuality is not really a sin. The Bible is not really the Word of God.”
So who are these faithful men?
Well, they’ve been tested. They’ve been shown that they can be trusted—that they will faithfully discharge their duties as deacon or elder-pastor.
We then also ensure that these are able men. Ability means that they have the ability to carry out the duty. If it’s a prospective elder, that they can teach, that they can lead. If it’s a deacon, that they can serve and they can delegate. And all these abilities are nothing without the character of God formed in them, given to us in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
Bottom line is, this whole idea of discipleship is a deep, rich topic that we need to continue to pursue.
Forming Christ in others—that’s Your job, Lord, not mine. Lord, use me as the means of grace to be used of You to form Christ in another.
Pray about what that looks like in your life—if God is calling you to disciple someone or you need someone to invest in you. Raise your hand and do it.
2. Endurance: A Means of God’s Grace to Form Christ in the Heart
2 Timothy 2:3-6
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hardworking farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.
Whether a teacher, as Paul introduces, or whether a soldier, an athlete, or a farmer—what is the one quality that is crucial to the success of any of these roles? It’s endurance.
And we can all agree that endurance is a marker of God’s grace in our lives. How’s that? Well, it’s quite easy to give up, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you say?
In fact, we love stories of those who haven’t given up. Stories like Anthony Robles, with only one leg, who beat all the odds to win the NCAA wrestling championship. We love these stories because they inspire us in our weaknesses. We think, “Well, if he can do it, I can do it.”
And the Christian faith is the story of the ordinary to the extraordinary. But it’s not the story of making our lives extraordinary. It’s the story of showing off the extraordinary glory of our great God and Savior.
The Soldier
As we consider this soldier analogy, we come to the understanding that we are in a battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord. As Christians, we are warring against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
It’s ever so crucial that we understand that we are not just civilians only concerned about our day-to-day lives. Yes, we need to have concern about our necessities—food and shelter and clothing—but we must understand the spiritual battle that is before us.
Notice this about soldiers: you ever see a soldier fight alone? Not very often. They don’t last very long.
Is there any such thing as private Christianity? No. For a Christian to say they don’t need the church is like for a married man to turn to his wife and say, “I don’t really need a relationship with you.”
You would scoff at that. You would scorn at that.
And yet many simply feel as though all they need is Jesus and their TV, and they’re good. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
For a marriage to be healthy, the relationship must be cultivated, treasured, and upheld. Yet many orphaned Christians wage the battle alone and ask the question, “Why is it so hard? How could a good God let a believer suffer like that?”
Paul is saying here—and we need to be very clear—that suffering is par for the course. I know it’s not really a thing in America. It’s not very popular to say, “Hey, welcome to the church. Today you’ll probably suffer. Today you’ll probably lose something. Today you’ll probably have a bad day.”
No, they’re going to puff you up. They’re going to build you up. They’re going to speak all kinds of pleasantries and love to you and woo you.
Suffering is what Paul says to share as good soldiers of the Lord. We share it together. We endure it together. We do it as a team.
The Power of Team
It’s funny, that thing about team. I see a lot of teamwork here in the Bible. And we adopt that too. Our church is about leadership as a team.
Why is that important? Because we will never be healthy if one guy runs the show, makes all the decisions, and does all the work. We’ll never grow.
But we need to have these healthy teams:
- Elder team
- Deacon team
- Small group team
- Men’s, women’s, children’s, and youth ministry teams
And from those teams, more teams. If one team member needs help, the other lifts them up. No solo. Not a good thing. Not healthy. Not going to grow.
But as we consider here, soldiers for Christ, we’re waging war, but we have Commander Christ in control. That’s who we serve at the pleasure of, and we look to please Him in all of our pursuits.
That’s the key theme that runs throughout Scripture. You can even go back to Joshua 5:14, as he falls before the Lord. Joshua bows before the commander of the Lord of hosts. Here it is: Christ.
Encouragement in the Battle
All of Christ. Why does that bring comfort—that we’re not only soldiers together, but soldiers under Commander Christ?
- We’re battling together.
- We have a perfect and just Commander.
And He knows the beginning from the end. And we ultimately know that Christ has won the victory. He’s won it. It’s done. Sin and death and Satan have been defeated.
Our commanding officer knows our weaknesses. He knows our desires. He knows we have this tendency to do whatever feels good or make us feel happy or just want to believe in ourselves more. Self is god.
Then Christ comes in by faith. The Holy Spirit takes residence in our soul and influences us for our good and God’s glory.
What happens when we’re sidetracked by the cares of life? It’s what Paul’s talking about here—civilian pursuits. It’s those things that distract us from the ultimate reality that our citizenship is not of this world.
It’s not of the Christian nation. It’s of the new kingdom that is to come. We realize our citizenship is in heaven, under King Jesus.
Being a soldier is hard work. I’ve never been, but I imagine it is. It’s arduous. It’s going through battles. It’s entering a battle with unknown enemies. It’s being aware that your enemy is always near, looking for ways to steal, kill, and destroy you.
And if we get too comfortable with the passing pleasures of sin, we find ourselves falling down quite easily.
The Athlete
What do we know about the athlete? Do they show up to run the race or participate in the games without any training? No. They work hard.
Do they just show up on the course and are ready to go without preparation? Of course not. They get up early, they stay late, they observe a strict diet, they exercise. They do it all. Why? So that they’re ready to run.
But what if they just run the race only to win, and then we find out later that they were using performance-enhancing drugs? Oh no. They would be disqualified. They would forfeit the prize. We would look at them with shame.
So it is with a believer. We’ve been given God’s Word—our guide to show us Christ. We don’t lie and cheat and steal to advance the kingdom. That would be ridiculous.
No, we pursue holiness and godliness so that others would see Christ in us, so that we can point others to Christ. And when they compliment us and say, “Wow, look at what…” we can say back, “Look at what Jesus is doing in me.”
“You don’t even know half of it. This is all of God you’re seeing. I’m not a patient person. I’m not a loving person. Just the opposite. I’m riddled with fear and anxiety. But Christ has given me peace—peace from the wrath of God.”
And this endurance that people see in our lives when we don’t give up on the faith? They see it. It’s powerful. And we will—if you’re not already in an enduring race right now, oh, it’s coming.
Ready. Show the world that we’re in Christ. And nothing could change that.
There’s nothing worse than an athlete that doesn’t play fairly. And there’s nothing worse than a Christian who says one thing with his words and something completely different with his life.
Now, I’m not saying that Christians are perfect. Quite the opposite. A true Christian is the first one to humble himself and ask for forgiveness when he falls flat on his face in sin.
But it doesn’t mean that a Christian is going to live a life of willful disobedience. “All of grace, no law, just going through it.” That indeed disgraces Christ and His gospel.
The Farmer
We also have to be like the hardworking farmer.
What is he like? He knows that it’s going to take a lot of hard work and patience before he sees the fruit of his labor. And so the one thing that he knows he can’t do is give up.
He can’t walk out there halfway. He’s got the field. He plants some seeds. “Oh Lord, you’re going to take care of the watering, right? You’re going to just send some storms and some animals that will just show up and till the soil for me, right? You’re going to take care of that. You’re going to provide the optimal conditions for growth.”
No. We get in there. We till. We fight. We labor.
But many of us want the instant results. We want to sit back and say, “Lord, how come you’re not working in my life like I want you to?”
I tell you, this is the American version of Christianity. This is the American Jesus that you’ve been sold. That He will do whatever you want for Him. Ask whatever you want and you shall receive whatever you want.
And that mentality, more often than not, is rooted in this idea of a prosperity gospel. That God wants to bless you. It’s all about the blessing. “The blessing’s coming. Glory.”
No. There’s something wrong with that.
The Christian life is a life of endurance, having been strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And it’s knowing that the Christian life is hard. That we might not see fruit—for years.
What do I mean?
Praying for someone that’s not a Christian—your spouse, your loved one, your co-worker, your neighbor. You put their name on the mirror and you say, “Lord, I’ve been praying for months and even a year now. Nothing.”
That doesn’t mean we give up.
Just like the farmer gets the first share of the crops, we get the first share of seeing the fruit of our prayers and faithful endurance. For me, I get to dig in the Word, get all this good stuff, receive it, and then give it to you. That’s the firstfruits of my joy. Nothing short of incredible.
Pray. Study. “God, give me the riches. Help me to show the people Christ.”
3. Application: A Means of God’s Grace to Form Christ in Our Lives
2 Timothy 2:7
Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
Now, this is an interesting topic because for some, the application of God’s Word is “between me and the Holy Spirit. Don’t guide me. Don’t direct me.”
They need to work out what it means on their own before Jesus to apply God’s Word to their lives.
Now, others place too much emphasis on the application piece, leaving the hearer thinking, “Okay, the Christian life is all about doing. Do, do, do.”
It’s all robotic. It’s all rather rote.
No. I think the application is quite here in what Paul is saying to Timothy and to us: “Think about what I said. Consider what I say. Ponder these words.”
Notice Paul doesn’t say, “Okay, you better do it.”
He says:
- Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ.
- Then go make disciples.
- Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ.
- Then go endure the trial.
- Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ.
- Then take this Word and understand what it means for you.
Because the Lord will give you understanding.
The Living Word
The Word of God is quite dynamic—not in what it means, but how we apply it to our lives.
Let’s be clear: we are forever students of God’s Word because it is forever changing us.
It’s why we say this phrase: Always reforming. We’re not always changing. We’re always being changed by God’s Word. As it does what? Penetrates your heart and your mind.
You didn’t come here today to hear somebody talk. You want your life transformed. You want to change how you think and live. You want to hear from God. And we have His Word to do that.
It changes all that. We serve the Living God, and we have the privilege of studying the Living Word.
What do we know about His Word?
- It’s alive.
- It’s active.
- Sharper than any two-edged sword.
- Piercing to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow.
It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit speaks to us through His Word.
“How’d you know that about me, Pastor? You said something that was very personal. I’ve told no one.”
I didn’t. The Lord uses His Word to change people’s lives by the power of the Spirit.
I would never, though, show up on a Sunday morning completely unprepared for preaching. That would be foolish. That would be unfruitful.
Instead, God uses our human study of the Word along with the divine illumination of His Word. It’s our mind and hearts.
Practical Encouragement
Consider this: soldier, athlete, farmer. I’m trusting that the Spirit will give you understanding. He will show you what this text—how it applies to you.
Perhaps you’ve been idle, a bit removed from the family of faith. Perhaps the Lord is calling you to disciple another believer. You keep thinking about it. You keep praying about it. You keep resisting it.
It’s time. Make it. Do it.
Maybe you’re just coming back to the Lord. You need someone to disciple you. Raise your hand. Ask for help.
Maybe you’ve forgotten about the spiritual war that you’re in.
There’s so much in this text. But if you miss everything, don’t forget this:
God is working through these ordinary means of grace.
Don’t keep looking forward to the extraordinary. Don’t keep looking for extraordinary for you, but for the extraordinary God who is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
And yes, it’s hard. And yes, it includes suffering and soldiering. But it’s also seeing the wonderful works of the Lord. That’s the wonderful witness to the local church here—to see people come to get baptized, to get saved and baptized, to see their lives transformed for the glory of God.
Final Exhortation & Prayer
I want to encourage you, just like Paul was encouraging Timothy:
The Lord will give you understanding in everything.
He’s not going to leave you to figure it out.
“Go ahead, just figure it out.” No. He’s given us His Word, His Spirit, and the local church to do life together. That’s by grace, and we can be grateful for that.
So as we close, let’s be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Let’s ask the Lord to strengthen us. Let’s ask Him to remind us that:
- We’ve been forgiven of all sin
- Cleansed from all guilt
- Preserved until the day
- Restored into a right relationship with God
- Guaranteed of eternal life by the down payment of the Spirit
And if God has done all of this for us, surely He’ll use us to disciple others, to endure through hardship, to receive understanding in how we are to apply His Word. These are means of grace.
Let’s not forget about these means. In fact, let’s get excited about them. Why? Because we have confidence in our God to use them, not only to form Christ in our hearts, but in the lives of others.
So in application, you see it on the screen:
Ask the Lord to give you understanding.
Heart condition, life situation. Where do you need grace? All of it.
Thanks. Yes.
Let’s take a moment now. Let’s confess before the Lord that we need His grace.
If you’re too strong, if you got life figured out, you don’t need to pray with us. But others can pray. Because we’re tired and weary. And we’re in need of the Lord’s strength.
So confess that, and then mount up on the wings like eagles, so that when you run, you won’t grow weary, and when you walk, you won’t grow faint.
It’s the grace of God, richly available. Let’s receive from the Lord today, from His table. It’s always bountiful.
Let’s confess now, and I’ll close in prayer.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we bow before You, our great High Priest, forever making intercession for us at the right hand of the Father, giving us the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to lead us into all truth, to transform us by the renewing of our minds as we offer our bodies a living sacrifice. It’s a reasonable worship. It’s acceptable to You.
Lord, our lives are no longer our own. We’ve been bought with a price. So we want to glorify You with our bodies, with our lives, with our hearts.
We need Your grace. Because it’s so easy for us to deceive ourselves, to isolate ourselves, to walk in darkness.
But You say, “Come. Come to Me. I’ll give you rest.”
So Lord, give us rest today as we go forward in active service under Your command, playing according to the rules, hardworking as a farmer, trusting You for the results, but never growing weary, never giving up.
There’s a harvest of righteousness that awaits us if we don’t.
So help us, Lord, today. Strengthen Your people. We need You. We need this.
We pray all this in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Final Confession Reading
Before we sing the last song, we’ll read a short—really one sentence—from the London Baptist Confession of Faith. As a reminder, this does not carry authority greater than God’s Word. This is a roadmap to point us to all the riches that is God’s Word.
So I want to remind us all from:
Chapter 5: Divine Providence, Paragraph 3
“In His ordinary providence, God makes use of means, though He is free to work apart from them, beyond them, and contrary to them, at His pleasure.”
Ready to Take Your Next Steps at The Rock Church in Mount Laurel?
The Rock Church in Mount Laurel, New Jersey exists to help people know God, follow Jesus, and make disciples who multiply. Whether you’re new or already part of our church family, we’re here to help you stay connected! Plan your visit to experience a Sunday with us, or download the Church Center App to stay updated, join a group, register for events, and more.
