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“O Church, Arise”

Allen Dvorak
09/15/24 - Sun AM

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A reading will be from Ephesians chapter 6.

Verses 10-20 I'll be reading from the ESV. Ephesians 6, 10-20.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand, therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

To that end, keep alert, perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak. Well, good morning. I appreciate your presence here this morning, particularly those of you who are visiting with us. We are grateful for your willingness to come and worship with us, and we hope that you are encouraged and edified by the time that we spend together. I want to suggest to you at the very outset of our study this morning that music has power. Debbie and I had the opportunity just a couple weeks ago to spend some time with our Zimbabwean brethren, and I love their singing. Their singing is very moving, even though I only understand about one out of every ten or fifteen words. And so it's hard for me to relate to the message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Of the songs, but just the melody and the fervor with which they sing is very moving. And the influence of a song is definitely increased by its lyrics. In fact, I would suggest to you that the most crucial thing in our worship in song are the lyrics. The scriptures indicate that our singing has at least two purposes, and the passages that we typically look at are in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3. And those passages suggest that, first of all, that our singing is worship to God, that we are singing and making melody to the Lord with our hearts. At the same time that our worship in song is directed to heaven, it is also directed to one another. As we teach and admonish one another in wisdom in the songs.

Of those purposes, you can see clearly, depend upon the lyrics of the songs. We don't offer praise by melody. We offer praise in the words that we sing. And the same thing is true of the teaching and admonishing that we do as we sing. Well, if I got up here this morning and began teaching something that was very contrary to what you can read in your Bibles, you would probably object. There would be some correction made by the elders. That might be one of those things like in the old time cartoons where they had the little hook that comes and, you know, grabs you and kind of whisks you away. That might happen. You wouldn't put up with teaching that was contrary to the truth of God's word. And we really shouldn't put up with it in our songs. I don't know. If we're teaching and admonishing one another in the songs that we sing, those songs really need to be accurate.

With respect to what the Scriptures teach. Many of our songs make allusions, as you've probably noticed often, to specific Scriptures, even borrowing sometimes specific words or phrases from Scriptures with which we are familiar. Some songs use phrases and certainly use some of the figures that we see in Scripture as well. And so this morning, I want to talk about the song that we just sang. I think it is a wonderful song. We sang it not too long ago, and as we were singing it just a couple, three weeks or more ago, it struck me how many different connections there are in this song's lyrics with various Scriptures and even some concepts in Scripture, if not specific references. to verses themselves.

I know that we just sang this song, and so you maybe have the lyrics in your mind, but we're going to look at each of the verses of this song, and I want to point out what I think are some of the connections, some of the references that the song makes. And I think my objective this morning primarily is simply to emphasize the message of the song, but to show that this song is grounded in so many different passages. I'll be frank with you. I am absolutely certain that I'm not going to bring out every passage that perhaps the songwriter had in mind, and I may bring out some passages that maybe the songwriter didn't have in mind, but it's astounding to me how many connections there are in the verses of this song, O Church Arise, with scriptures that we are familiar with. And so I want to point out that this song is grounded in so many different passages, and I want to begin with the first verse.

And if you'll pardon me, I'm going to go ahead and reread the verses, even though we just sang the song so that these concepts are fresh in our mind. Verse 1 says, O church, arise and put your armor on. Hear the call of Christ our captain. For now the weak can say that they are strong in the strength that God has given. With shield of faith and belt of truth, we'll stand against the devil's lies. An army bold whose battle cry is love, reaching out to those in darkness. I want to suggest to you that the summary of this first verse is simply that as Christians, we are engaged in a spiritual battle. I know most of us, if not all of us, really would prefer not to be involved in controversy. We would like to get along with other people and to have peace and harmony. Not just with our brethren, but with others as well.

But the Bible says that we are soldiers in Christ's service. It uses that figure the New Testament does many times, and this song does as well. As Christians, we are engaged in a spiritual battle. And as a result, we are instructed to put on the panoply, the armor of God. In fact, twice in the reading that was done from Ephesians 6, we are told to put on or take up the armor of God. And there are references to specific parts or elements of that armor.

I'm going to read the various scriptures. We've got a number of scriptures that I want to kind of look at. If you'll pardon me, I'm not going to spend the time to give you the context of every scripture that we read, but rather just make the connection to the verse with which it's associated. Unless, of course, you want me to give the context of every passage.

Yeah, I think that was no. So I'm going to just read these passages quickly, and I think you'll see the connections. Of course, the passage in Ephesians 6 verses 10 and 11 tells us to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. That's the charge that's given in this first verse. Put your armor on. Arise, put your armor on. And also in verse, in the third stanza, for now the weak can say that they are strong in the strength that God has given. And it emphasizes the fact that our strength, our defense against the evil one lies in the armor that God provides his people. I'm having a little bit of trouble this morning with drainage, and so if you'll pardon me, hopefully I won't lose my voice or anything, but if we continue.

In chapter 6 of Ephesians, Paul writes, Stand therefore having fastened on the belt of truth and taking up, in verse 16, the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. Those elements of the panoply or the armor of God are mentioned here will stand against the devil's lies with these elements or pieces of the Lord's armor.

It's interesting to me that the verse, the second stanza says, Hear the call of Christ, our captain. In the ESV, the phrase or the word captain is not used in the translation of Hebrews 2.10 or Hebrews 12 and verse 2. But in the New King James Version and in the King James Version, that's the translation. He is the captain of our salvation. Vine makes the observation that that word archegos is a word that means one who takes the lead or who provides the first occasion of something. And Jesus is the one who is our captain. He takes the lead. He took the lead in opposing Satan. He took the lead in suffering for righteousness. And he's the one who went first into the presence. The first.

Fruits of those who would follow eventually. That's us. And so the Hebrew writer says, for it was fitting for him for whom are all things and by whom are all things and bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering. This verse also emphasizes that our strength is in the Lord. And I understand that's very difficult to read, but Paul is talking in second Corinthians, the 12th chapter about the fact that he had seen many revelations and in order to humble him, it was permitted that he be afflicted by a thorn in the flesh. And he prayed to God for the removal of this thorn. But the Lord's response in verse nine, middle of that section was my grace is sufficient for you for my power, is made perfect in weakness. And so Paul then concludes, therefore, I will.

Boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, and I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Now that's not necessarily the case with everyone. An individual may wallow in their weakness, but Paul is saying that when I am weak, and I am forced to depend on the Lord for strength, that's when I'm really strong. And the verse brings that out. For now the weak can say that they are strong in the strength that God has given. In 2 Corinthians, the 13th chapter, verse 4, Paul once again talks about weakness. For he, Christ, was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him, by the power of God.

There's something interesting about this battle, however. If you look at the verse, the last two lines, stanzas say, an army bold whose battle cry is love reaching out to those in darkness. That's not typically the battle cry of those who are involved in some sort of carnal or physical war or battle. Destroy the enemy is kind of the cry that you would expect. But the battle cry here with us in our bold fight against the enemy is love. And we are reaching out to those who are in darkness. In Ephesians, the fifth chapter, verse eight, Paul reminds them that at one time they were darkness, these Christians. But now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. He wrote to the Colossians. Colossians in chapter one in verse 13, that Christ God, or rather, I should say, has delivered.

Us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son. We were called out of darkness, Peter would say in 1 Peter 2, that we might proclaim the excellencies of God. When the apostle Paul was making his defense in the book of Acts in chapter 26 before the Roman governor and King Agrippa, he related the commission that he had been given by the Lord. If you recall, Paul had been a persecutor who became a saint who was commissioned as an apostle. And Paul says in chapter 26 and verse 18 that he was called by God to go to the Gentiles to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. They may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

We were in darkness, but now we're children of light. And our task as soldiers of the Lord is to reach out to those who are in darkness, help them come into the light of life. Well, let's take a look at the second verse. And once again, I'd like to read it along with you. The writer says, Our call to war, to love the captive soul, but to rage against the captor. And with the sword that makes the wounded whole, we will fight with faith and valor. When faced with trials on every side, we know the outcome is secure, and Christ will have the prize for which he died, an inheritance of nations.

We're in a different kind of fight. If you notice, he says, we love the captive soul, the one that we're trying to reach, the one that we're in battle with. We're actually trying to release that person from the bondage of sin, obviously through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We're instruments that Christ uses in that task. But notice also, he says, and with the sword that makes the wounded whole. Back in Ephesians 6, Paul says that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. But you don't heal people with swords. You injure them with swords. Typically in a physical body, that's your offensive weapon and a defensive weapon as well. But it's the way that you strike at the enemy. But the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is the way that the wounded is actually healed. And there's irony. In the phrasing of...

That verse. In 2 Timothy 2, verses 24 through 26, Paul also helps us gain perspective in this struggle that we have with the people around us. And the Lord's servant, he wrote, must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. Not quarrelsome, kind, patiently correcting with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil after being captured by him to do his will. Our call to war, to love the captive soul, the people around us in the world are not really the.

The enemy. They are those who are being held captive by the evil one, by their own choices, and yet our task, our struggle, is to help free them from this bondage.

With the sword that makes the wounded whole. In 2 Corinthians, the 10th chapter, in verses 4 through 6, Paul talks about the kind of warfare that he was engaged in. It appears from the beginning of that text, that chapter, that Paul may have been accused by some at Corinth of behaving in somewhat of a carnal way. But Paul says we don't fight with carnal weapons. He says instead the weapons of our warfare have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete. Paul says what we're trying to do is change the way people think. We're trying to defeat the ideas that would keep people in bondage to sin. We don't use weapons of, carnal warfare.

We're trying to capture the minds of people using the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. This particular verse ends by saying, and Christ will have the prize for which he died, an inheritance of nations. It's interesting that usually when we think of an inheritance in New Testament terms, we think of our inheritance. We think of eternal life. And Peter writes about that in 1 Peter 1, verses 3 and 4. But this verse is talking about Christ's inheritance. And it reminds us, perhaps, of the Messianic second psalm, where in the midst of that psalm, the writer says, I will tell of the decree. The Lord said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you. A verse that's quoted several times in the New Testament and a place that's quoted in the New Testament. It's applied each time to the Christ, to Jesus. Ask of me.

And I will make the nations your heritage. Heritage is just another word for inheritance. And the ends of the earth your possession. So inheritance here, as defined by the verse, is the nations who would come into this body of Christ, who would belong to Christ, who would become part of his kingdom, those over whom he ruled. Even in Isaiah 53, a passage that we typically think of as describing in great detail suffering of Jesus on the cross, and that is certainly true. But as you work down toward verse 11, the writer Isaiah says, Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied. His knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. God is being spoken of, but Christ is the one who is going to make many to be accounted righteous. How did he do that?

He died on the cross. He provided for our forgiveness. And in that sense, we become part of His inheritance, part of His heritage. The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1 and verse 12, and I'm quoting from the New King James Version here, he writes, For this reason I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day. When we become Christians, we are making a commitment to Christ, and the promise that He has made for us is that we will have eternal life. Paul says, I'm confident that God can keep what I've committed to Him until that day of judgment, until that day. In Ephesians 1, verse 18, I believe this passage is really talking about the very same thing as the song that we're looking at, that.

Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints. We are, as God's people, Christ's inheritance.

And he died to achieve that inheritance.

The third verse, I think, can be summarized briefly as being Christ the victor. Come, see the cross, where love and mercy meet, as the Son of God is stricken. Then, see his foes lie crushed beneath his feet, for the conqueror has risen. As the stone is rolled away and Christ emerges from the grave, this victory march continues till the day every eye and heart shall see him.

I had to cut the number off here on this particular verse. There are so many verses that relate to the things that are said here, some of which we will not take time to look at. But I want you to notice a couple of things here that we won't point out necessarily in verses. If you look at the second line, it says, as the Son of God is stricken. But when you go down to the sixth line, it says, and Christ emerges from the grave. Why did the author of the song swap those two ideas? Why did he change from the Son of God to the Christ?

And I think the reason is to emphasize what was going on at the cross. It wasn't just a human being being put to death. It was the Son of God in human flesh. And I think that's the reason why the Hebrew author says more than once that by one sacrifice, he has cleansed forever all sins of those who will respond to him. And he says in verse 5 there, And as the stone is rolled away, and Christ emerges from the grave.

Christ, a term for the anointed one, a term that describes one that God has selected. The Christ is the king of the Old Testament. We could put 2 Samuel 7 up here, 12-14, where David is promised that one of his descendants would sit on the throne. Or we could look at Romans 1 and verse 4 that talks about the resurrection of Jesus Christ being essentially the demonstration of the Spirit to the validity of Jesus' deity. There are so many verses that relate to this idea that the resurrection is tied to the rule of Jesus Christ. And we'll kind of try to indicate some of that as we go through some of these passages.

The first two lines, see the cross where the Son of God is stricken. Then, see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet. The contrast there. The cross looked like a defeat. I think even the apostles may have seen that as a defeat, not understanding what was going to be accomplished there. Peter defends Jesus in the garden with his sword to stop what's going on. But this was part of God's plan. The cross is the instrument of Jesus' victory. I'm going to thank Phil for going through some of the passages here, and I won't bother to comment on them because he made a good point about the love of God being illustrated in the cross. But John 3.16 was one of the passages that he suggested. And Romans 5.8, another one that Phil read this morning, suggesting that, in the cross, what we see is the love of God.

1 John 4 also read by Phil a little bit earlier this morning as we were contemplating the Lord's sacrifice in preparation for partaking of the Lord's Supper. When God gave His Son, it's talking about putting Jesus on the cross. And that was a manifestation, an exhibition of divine love. But the cross is where love and mercy meet because it's through the cross that God can extend mercy to us and not have to provide us with justice, which is what we deserve as a result of our sins. Think about that concept that love and mercy are perfectly joined together in that death, that sacrifice on the cross. But the risen Savior rules. We esteemed Him. Stricken. That's an interesting word. When was the...

The last time you used the word stricken in any other context other than maybe reading from Isaiah chapter 53. That's just not an English word that we use very much. And so it stands out in the stanza as being the connection to Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 4. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But the risen Savior rules. In Acts, the second chapter in that sermon on the day of Pentecost, Luke records the comments of Peter. And Peter says in verse 34, for David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, the Lord said to my Lord, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. That all the house of Israel know therefore for certain that God has made him both Lord, one who has authority to command, and Christ, the anointed King.

Of the Old Testament, this Jesus whom you crucified. Jesus was raised from the dead and was made to rule. In Psalm 89 and verse 23, another psalm that I believe is messianic, the writer says, I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes in verse 25, For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. Jesus is ruling and he is crushing his foes under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. In Hebrews 2, verse 14, there's an interesting statement there that has to be understood according to the meaning of the words that are used there. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil. The word destroy there has to be understood in the sense of bringing to ruin, essentially defeating, not annihilating or causing someone to pass out. The devil still is at work. He still exists.

But as far as his power is concerned, the end has been foreseen. Death will be destroyed. He's the one who has the power of death. But in the resurrection, Christ will have the victory. And so Hebrews 2.14 talks about the victor, the conqueror, as he emerged from the grave as the first fruits of those who would follow in the general resurrection. Jesus is the conqueror. And the last two lines of this verse, interesting, I don't know if we are making this connection, but in 2 Corinthians, the second chapter, in verses 14 and 15, Paul makes an allusion there, I'm pretty confident, to the Roman triumph that might be granted to a general, a Roman general, who had had some noteworthy campaigns or who had won some great war with...

Some enemy out in the provinces.

And the triumph was a once-in-a-lifetime honor. The general would be in a chariot drawn by white horses. And to that chariot sometimes would be tied significant captives, maybe the king or generals, other generals that had been defeated. And flowers would be on the streets, and the aroma of the flowers would contribute to the whole experience of the triumph. He would then ride through the streets of Rome in this triumph, while the people of Rome gave him honor and praised him for his accomplishment. And in 2 Corinthians 2, Paul talks about that very thing when he says, But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fruit. Fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ.

God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. This victory march continues till the day every eye and heart shall see him. You know, that Roman triumph, it would end. It was probably a relatively brief thing in terms of a person's lifespan. But what the writer here is saying is that we continue to be led in this victory march, that every day you and I as Christians are living faithful to the Lord. We are essentially evidence of his triumph. And that lasts until the day, as he says, every eye and heart shall see him. Well, verse four, by the way, did I mention that I am using the 12 verse edition of this song?

I don't know any verse, any edition that has 12 verses. This is the last verse, the one that we sang. So Spirit come, put strength in every stride, give grace for every hurdle, that we may run with faith to win the prize of a servant good and faithful. As saints of old still line the way, retelling triumphs of His grace, we hear their calls and hunger for the day, when with Christ we stand. Glory. And I think the summary of this verse is basically the achieving of glory. The Holy Spirit empowers us as we believe the revealed Word of God. I'm going to share with you two verses that are taken out of prayers that Paul wrote in his epistles. The first one is in Romans, the 15th chapter. In this benediction, Paul says, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.

So that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope. So Spirit, come, put strength in every strife. The Spirit can empower us, as Paul talks about in Ephesians 3 and verse 16, that according to the riches of His glory, Paul prays on behalf of the Ephesians, He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being. Now, some may conclude that that's a special work of the Holy Spirit, in some way a miraculous thing. I don't think that's what's being said here. I think the Holy Spirit works in you and works in me, in the inner man, as we understand and apply the Word of God, the revealed Word of God, revealed by the Holy Spirit. And so the Holy Spirit empowers us in the inner man, so that we can run. With faith.

And able to for every hurdle in Hebrews the 29th or the 10th chapter verse 29th verse spirit is referred to as the spirit of grace this is in the context of a warning talking about those who are leaving the Lord but I find it interesting that the Holy Spirit is described as the spirit of grace not hard to understand why it's through the spirit that we experience the grace the favor of God if it hadn't been for the revelation of the gospel we wouldn't know anything about what maybe God would do for us and the verse goes on to talk about us running a race and I think the figure changes here a little bit which frankly is a little disappointing to me but it's another figure that's used in scripture to talk about the life of a Christian not just the battle as a soldier in the Lord's army but also one who's running this race you as you'll see.

In Hebrews the 12th chapter in verse 1. The verse, that we may run with faith to win the prize, servant good and faithful. Hebrews 12 and verse 1 says, therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, I think that's a reference to the people who had been mentioned, some by name and others just in a general way in chapter 11. Individuals who operated by faith, who acted on their faith and accomplished great things. Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. I don't believe that the Hebrew writer is saying that all of these people of the Old Testament, all those who have passed on, who have been faithful, that they're watching our lives. But I think they serve as witnesses to the fact that it is possible for us to live successfully. And again...

Reward to be approved of God as these Old Testament saints were.

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. The Holy Spirit enables us by empowering us in the inner man. The Apostle Paul in Philippians 3, I think, also makes an allusion to that same idea of pressing on, being persistent, enduring in this race. Brothers, I do not consider that I've made it my own, he writes, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. In this fourth line, he says, Run with faith to win the prize of a servant good and faithful. Does that bring a passage to your mind? Maybe it brings Matthew chapter 25, that parable of the talents, where Jesus talks about three individuals given responsibility, and then the accounting for that responsibility.

Verse 20, And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, Master, you delivered to me five talents. Here, I've made five talents more. His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You've been faithful over a little. I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. And it's said the same thing with the next man who also used the talents that had been given to him to achieve gain. Good and faithful servant.

We hear their calls and hunger for the day when we, with Christ, stand in glory. Christians hunger for their eternal reward. In 2 Corinthians, the fifth chapter, Paul writes about our bodies, describing them as tense, temporary dwellings. And that's really what they are. They're perishable. They're mortal. And we'll, at some point, shuffle off this physical coil and our spirit will await that changed body, that resurrected body. He says, for in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling. That's the idea of hungering or desiring intensely. If indeed, by putting it on, we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened. Not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal... may be swallowed up.

By life. It's not just that I want to eliminate this body that's weak and mortal. I'm looking forward to a better body, one that is immortal, one that is sown or reaped in honor and power. In the fifth chapter of Romans, we see the same thing. We stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

We're going to be studying 2 Corinthians 4 in the auditorium class this morning. We'll be looking at this particular verse, verse 17. Because in the verse, by the way, anybody in the class who wants to write down this answer, I'm giving you the answer right here to one of the questions. But what Paul does is he takes this verse and he contrasts two things in two ways. He says this light momentary affliction, talking about the severity and the duration of the affliction that might be ours in this life, is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. And so Paul says, because of that, we look to the things that are unseen, not to the things that are seen. We're looking forward to, we're hungering for the day when with Christ, we stand in glory, that eternal weight of glory.

And then finally in Colossians 3 and verse 4, Paul writes, When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

In this life...

From time to time we deal with death. The death of loved ones. The death of people that we've known over the years. And we understand that this is all temporary.

And we need not get too comfortable in these bodies because life is short and tenuous.

And it can end at any time. But what we are looking forward to is that glory that's on the other side of the end of this life.

This song is a call to action. We're engaged in a spiritual battle. It's different than physical battles. We're actually trying to recover those who have been taken captive. And the real enemy is the evil one who has made them captives through their sin. The victory of our leader, Jesus Christ, is brought before our eyes in this song. Oh, it looks like he's stricken. But then he emerges from the grave. He's the conqueror. And it is through that cross that he gains the victory for us. And we're reminded in this song of the successful finish of others in the past. Those who tell of God's grace that they've experienced. I think that's an allusion to Hebrews 11, as we noted earlier. And it gives... Gives us strength. And helps us...

Endure knowing that this is not an impossible task. This fight, this race we are running. The rich lyrics of this song make many connections to Scripture. But I want to focus on that last couple phrases in verse 4. Paul writes in Romans 2, beginning in verse 7, as he talks about the judgment. He says, To those who by patience and well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek. But glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good. The Jew first and also the Greek. The Jew first and also the Greek. The Jew first and also the Greek. first and also the Greek.

With Christ in glory? Or will you suffer wrath and tribulation and distress, the fury of the Lord because of unrighteousness? What does your future look like this morning?

It doesn't look like glory. If that's not what you're anticipating, then you have the opportunity this morning through your obedience to the gospel to join the Lord's army, to be given that hope of eternal glory, the eternal weight of glory that awaits all those who serve Christ in this life. What does your future look like? If we can assist you in changing that this morning, then we want to encourage you and invite you to do so as we stand in service.