Our Advocate (1 John 2:1-2)
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you. God is light. In Him, there is no darkness at all. This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. Good morning. My name is Chet. I'm one of the pastors here. We are walking through the book 1 John. If you'll grab your Bibles and go to 1 John, we'll have the words on the screen.
We're going to look at two verses this morning. The letter of 1 John was written by the Apostle John to the church. And it was meant to be spread out and used throughout the church. And that's what we're doing still today. It's written to those who belong to Jesus for them to answer some questions and to be able to identify what it looks like to belong to Christ and what a church, the church, is supposed to look like. The identifying markers of the church.
Our aim this morning is pretty simple. So I'm going to give a bit of an illustration to try to help you picture what we're going for this morning and we'll get into it. Given the way my wife works right now and the way my wife, her job and my work and our sons in school, we spend a lot of time just kind of swapping off who's working, who's watching children. But every once in a while, if both of my sons are in school, I have about three hours where I have no responsibilities, no children, no demands on my time. I like to refer to this three hours as the best three hours ever. It's very rare.
I love my family. I love the work I get to do. But this happens once a week at best where I have about three hours. It used to be that I could get up early in the morning and have that time to myself. But my sons wake up at 5.30 in the morning.
So it's hard to want to get up that early to have that much time away from where it's still and quiet. So in that three hours, a lot of times what I'll do is I'll go somewhere where it's quiet and where I just get to kind of take in my surroundings. And so one of the places I love to go is I love to go to the river. And there's a spot by the river if you go like you're going to the zoo. And instead of going to the zoo, you turn right. There's a place over there where you can trespass and see the river.
They may have opened it now, so it may not be trespassing. And I was out there one day, and I'm watching the river. And it looks the same, but it looks constantly different. Like it's moving, but it's the same the whole time. There's some of those big river rocks out there, and it was right when it was starting to get warm, which I know in South Carolina is an ill omen. But I was just enjoying it that day.
It was earlier this year, and everything smelled green. Like I remember just standing there smelling, and everything smelled alive. I remember one time when I was young, my dad said that something smelled green, and I was like, how on earth can you smell a color? And I like thought that was crazy. But now I'm old enough to be able to smell colors, and it smelled green, and it was great.
And I was just soaking it in. And just, as Ecclesiastes says, that the eye never tires of seeing, and the ear never tires of hearing. And I'm just absorbed in God's beautiful creation, and just appreciating it, and just trying to gaze into it, and just take the time to slow down and enjoy something as beautiful, and as good as the scenery that I was in. And that's our goal today. Okay. There's a bit of doctrine in the two verses we're going to look at that is absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.
So our goal, as we've gathered this morning to study this, is just to try to take it in. To just for a little bit gaze at the glorious nature of the salvation that we have in Christ, and just try to wrap our heads around it, try to get it into our hearts, try to grow in our love for Christ this morning as we see what He has done for us in the cross. And then respond in surrender and worship to a glorious Savior King. That's our hope this morning. So we're going to read the verse, we're going to pray, or the verses, we're going to pray, and then we're going to walk through it.
It says this, it's 1 John chapter 2 verses 1 and 2. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins. And not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Let's pray.
God, we ask that by the empowerment of Your Spirit, that we would be able to grasp the beauty of the reality of the propitiation in Christ. And we pray, Lord, that by Your Holy Spirit, those who believe would grow in their love and their worship of You. And those who do not yet believe, that You would draw them, that You would convict them, and that You would save them. So that they might participate in this glorious truth that is ours in Christ. In Jesus' name, amen. So John's writing, and he says, My little children.
It's an endearing term. He's older at this point. It's a bit condescending, but I don't think he means it that way. That he's loving and looking out for his family. And he says, My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. Now, that's helpful.
We need the apostles. We need those who are empowered by the Spirit to help us know how not to sin. To give us some direction. To give us some counsel. To guide us away from sin. Sin is bad.
And it's destructive. It harms us. It's a baited hook. Tastes good for a second. And then causes great harm. And so we want to not sin.
This idea of sin is missing the Mark. It's going past where you were supposed to. So it's rather than hitting what you were aiming at or what is right, you fail and you sin. Or that you, there's like a no trespassing sign. We're not supposed to go beyond this bounds, but we go beyond it. And it is what has ruined and destroyed the world.
It's where all the trouble and all the pain and all the hatred and all the injustice comes from. Our desire to sin. And so he says, I'm writing this so that you won't sin. But then his next word is a little bit odd. He says, but. Now you would expect, and if you're not familiar with Christianity, you would think that he would say, I'm writing to you that you wouldn't sin.
And immediately, if this is your first time hanging out, it's your first time looking at the Bible, you go, knew it. That's all they care about. That's come on. I'm in here at Good Behavior Club. And then he says, you would think he would say, so. Therefore, the rest of the thing would be lists of do's and don'ts.
That's not what he does. He says, I'm writing that you might not sin. He doesn't want us to sin. He says, but. If anyone does sin. You ever just see yourself show up in the Bible?
Isn't that nice that that's there? I'm hoping it gets better from here. But he's making some. I know. I don't want you to sin. We don't want to sin.
Collectively don't want to sin. But if we do. Then he goes into what happens next. But if anyone does sin. We. Have an advocate with the father.
Jesus Christ. The righteous. Now in order for that statement to be as beautiful. And as appreciated as it needs to be. We have to understand how sin works. Because the first question you need to ask is.
Why do we need an advocate with the father? If you don't understand the nature of sin. You have to ask. Why do I need an advocate with the father? If you understand the American legal system. And you and I are out doing.
Hooligan things. And. You go to get arrested. And as they're. You know. Making sure you don't hit your head.
They've already beat you up. But now they're really worried about the front of your head. And they're getting you in the car. And I said. Don't worry. My dad's a lawyer.
And then they close the door. That information makes sense to you. That's helpful information to have. Because you understand. I'm going to have to face a judge. I'm going to need a lawyer.
But if I yelled at you. Don't worry. Village idiot has buy one get one free pizza on Mondays. You're like. I don't. What?
I'm still. What does that have to do with. Anything. If you don't understand. What's happening here. Then him saying.
Jesus is our advocate. Is like. I don't. Okay. What happens with my sin and the father. Like.
I need to understand this. This reality of what's going on. So we're going to take a second. Before we can appreciate. We need to understand the nature of sin. And how it works.
There is. A judgment. Day. First John 4 17 says this. That there's the day of judgment. That the father is a righteous.
Judge. Colossians 3. 5 and 6 says this. Put to death. Death therefore. What is earthly in you.
Sexual immorality. Impurity. Passion. Evil desire. And covetousness. Which is idolatry.
On account of these. The wrath. Of God. Is. Coming. God.
The father. Is a righteous judge. Who has wrath. For sin. And. Sinners.
That it's not just. Against the sin. But it's against the sinners. It's those who participate. In the sin. That he has.
Wrath. That is coming. First John. He says God is love. We're going to get there later. Americans know that.
But God has wrath. For sin. And. Culturally. We're not. We're not big fans.
But I just want to pause for a second. Help you understand. That you actually. There's part of you. That appreciates wrath. You just don't like it.
When it's God. Having wrath for sin. But there's part of you. That appreciates it. In the. In the book.
True Grit. The main character. Her dad's been murdered. She's going to find. A U.S. Marshal.
To hunt down the guy. Who's run into Indian territory. Out in Oklahoma. I believe. He's trying to escape. And she's going to find.
A U.S. Marshal. To help her catch the guy. And when she shows up. She says. I got some money.
I'm trying to hire a marshal. And this guy says. Well there's a couple in town right now. He says. There's a guy named Rooster Cogburn. He's.
He has no pity. He's very aggressive. And he. He. He's. He's rough.
And they go. But this other guy. You don't want him. This other guy. He's by the book. He brings people back in alive.
And she says. I want Rooster Cogburn. I want the guy with no pity. Who. Who's going to get this job done. I don't.
I don't want the guy. Who. Who may or may not. Be able to keep doing. I want the guy. Who's going to find the person.
Who harmed my father. There's a reality to. We. Desire. When there's real sin. And real harm.
We desire. Real. Justice. We want something. To be done about it. It's like when we're watching.
The Denzel Washington movie. Where he's. The bodyguard of that little girl. And she gets taken. And you see him get upset about it. You want him to be upset.
And you want him to go get the people. Who took her. And you're like. Which movie is that? It's like four Denzel Washington movies. But that's what we want.
There's part of us that desires this. Now we can get it wrong. Sinfully. And we can go into revenge. But if you have real harm.
Someone has really hurt you. There's been real sin against your family. You want a real judge. You want a real prosecutor. You want a real prosecutor. There's part of us that knows this is good.
And desires it. But then when it comes to. God sits in this seat. We need to see the beauty of that. But because we're sinful.
We want to reject that idea. Or. We want to say. I'm glad that he does that. Because I know there are some bad people out there. But what I've done actually isn't that bad.
I'm not that sinful. But if you don't understand. How much wrath you deserve. You won't see how beautiful Christ is. The rejection of the idea of the wrath of God. Is first and foremost a rejection of.
The authority and truthfulness of the scriptures. You've got to get rid of the Bible. If you want to reject the idea of the wrath of God. Because it says over and over again. That he's a judge. And that he has wrath.
Zephaniah 1.18. I'm going to show you just a couple. Neither their silver nor their gold. Shall be able to deliver them. On the day of the wrath of the Lord. And part of us wants that.
We don't want. Just because you're rich. You don't have to face consequences. God's a righteous judge. In the fire of his jealousy. All the earth shall be consumed.
For a full. And sudden. End. He will make. Of all the inhabitants of the earth. That God has a day of judgment.
He has a day of wrath. Matthew 3.7. This is John the Baptist. When he's preaching. He says. When he saw that many of the Pharisees.
And the Sadducees. Were coming to his baptism. He said to them. You brood of vipers. Who warned you. To flee.
From the wrath. To come. That God has wrath. Anger. Judgment. Coming.
For. Sin. We have to understand. That this is the. Teaching. Of the scriptures.
And so if we say. Well what I have. What. Yeah. That's good. That's fine.
But what I've done. Isn't that bad. Well. I want to show you something. Ephesians 5. 5 and 6.
Ephesians 5. We're about to read. Is very much. Basically repeating. Repeating. What we just read.
In Colossians. But I just want to show you. It shows up in multiple places. Says. You may be sure. Of this.
That everyone. Who is sexually immoral. Or impure. Or who is covetous. That's an idolatry. Has no inheritance.
In the kingdom of Christ. And God. Let no one deceive you. With empty words. For because of these things. The wrath of God.
Comes upon the sons. Of disobedience. The reason I think. This passage. In Ephesians. That passage.
In Colossians. Is particularly helpful. For us. Is that you might have. A place in your brain. Where you go.
Yeah. Stalin. Hitler. Murderers. Serial killers. But I'm just in a different category.
I'm not that bad. But in both of those lists. It listed sexual immorality. And covetousness. And if those aren't foundational. To the United States.
If those aren't foundational. To the things that we say. Well this isn't that big of a deal. The idea that I want things. I don't have. And I want my neighbors things.
And when I see what they have. You know one of the most normal questions. We have. In this perfectly normal conversation. Where did you get that? That statement.
It comes after. Covetousness. I like that. Where did you get that? How much was that? Where can I find that?
Because in general. We see things. We want them. We pursue them. And we pursue sexual sin. And one of the things.
That our culture has told you. Over and over. And over again. Is that sexual sin. Does not harm anybody. But the reality is.
That it is an attack. On the beautiful design. Of God's world. And he has wrath. To come. To say.
That what I have done. Is not that bad. Is to reject. The glory of God. And it is a rejection. Of the beauty.
Of his creation. Because so often. We evaluate. The harmfulness. Of something. By the object.
That it was committed against. If I took a pencil. And a sheet of paper. And I poked a hole. In that sheet of paper. Blank sheet of paper.
This is destructive. Probably shouldn't have done it. Did I do it. While I was angry. Why are you tearing things up? If that was your Scantron.
For your SAT. That you had just gotten done taking. Well that was a lot more malicious. I have caused you. A lot of trouble. Less trouble than you think.
You didn't do that well on it. If that was the Mona Lisa. I am in a whole lot of trouble. If that was someone's face. Because we were in an argument. This.
I mean. We've jumped up in. Because it's the object. That the action is done against. So when I say.
My sin's not that big a deal. What I'm saying is. God's not that glorious. He's not that holy. Also. When I say.
My sin's not that big a deal. I'm saying. I'm a better judge. Of morality. Than God is. You just got to at least.
Own. That's where you're coming from. That I. The one who sinned. And did something wrong. Have a better gauge.
On what is right and wrong. Than God. When we say. Well I lied. But you know.
It wasn't that big of a lie. Well your lie. Wasn't just the situation. Your lie was an attack on truth. And truth is beautiful. And God wrote truth.
And God wrote truth into the world. So that we might have ease of relationship. And we might have joy and delight. And we might be able to trust one another. And you know how much problems are in the world. Because we don't believe in one another.
And we don't trust one another. And your one little lie. Is not just an assault on the situation. And the relationship you're in. But it's an assault on the truth of God.
And when you say. It's not that big a deal. You're saying. He's not that glorious. And his world isn't that beautiful. A rejection of the idea of wrath.
Is a failure to see. The absolutely contaminating nature. Of sin. And it doesn't harm us that much. It's not that big a deal. I love the way.
A friend of ours is. A youth director. How she illustrated this. She's a good cook. She bakes well. And she made brownies for her.
Entire youth group. And she just set them out. When they showed up. And they were all hanging out. You know. I don't know.
Playing ping pong. It was back in the day. They were probably playing hacky sack. With Spencer or whatever. And eating the brownies. And enjoying themselves.
And she gets up to talk. She starts talking about sin. And she says. I have a confession. I need to confess. Probably a sin.
It's probably a sin. I need to confess that to y'all. I went in my backyard. While I was making my brownies. I had the batter all mixed up. I went in my backyard.
Y'all know I have a dog. And I've got just a little bit. Just a little bit. Of dog poop. And I put it in the brownie mix. Just a little bit.
And they were like. What? She's like. The brownie mix y'all ate. Y'all know. Look.
It didn't mess it up. It tasted fine. Y'all didn't notice. They're like. You made us eat poop. Poop brownies.
We ate poop brownies. She's like. They're not poop brownies. They're brownies with poop. You know. No.
These are. And they. They lost it. They're arguing with her. Kids were picking up the phone. Like.
I'm going to be sick. I need to call my mom. Like. She's like. You're not going to be that sick. And the point she was making.
Maybe I should say. She didn't actually feed them poop. The point she was making. Was that it only takes a pinch of poop. To make. A whole batch of brownies.
Poop brownies. Poop brownies. That's how sin works. Righteousness is 100% purity. It only takes a pinch. To make us unrighteous.
And to say. Well it's not that big a deal. That's not how it works. And do not. Treat brownies. With greater care.
Than you would treat your eternal soul. That's crazy. And so to reject the idea of the wrath of God. Is to reject the scriptures. Reject the glory of God. Reject the beauty of creation.
To reject the understanding of the extreme contamination of sin. And it is to reject your hope of salvation. Because if God isn't that wrathful. And if he's not that glorious. Then Jesus isn't that beautiful.
And the cross isn't that glorious. You see he says this in Romans 2 5. He says. Because. But because of your hard.
And impenitent heart. Meaning that you've heard these things. You've been called to repentance. You've been told to see your sin. And your heart. It just bounces off.
Your heart is impenitent. You're not. You're not repentant. You're not seeing your sin. You don't feel shame. You don't feel guilt.
Because of that. You are storing up wrath. For yourself. On the day of wrath. When God's righteous judgment. Will be revealed.
If you have not repented. And placed your faith in Jesus. I want you to hear this. This is not an attack. This message is not wrathful. To tell you that wrath is coming.
Is not wrathful. To wait until it shows up. Is harmful and wrathful. But we are pleading with you. Paul's pleading with you. The scriptures are pleading with you.
To repent. To see your sin. And to run to Jesus. But if you have not repented. I need you to know. And I need you to hear clearly.
If you have not trusted in Christ. You are storing up wrath. For yourself. On the day of wrath. And there is a day of wrath. But.
If anyone does sin. We. Have an advocate with the Father. This is what 1 Thessalonians says this for Christians. God has not destined us. For wrath.
But to obtain salvation. Through our Lord. Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. Christ. Lived.
A perfect sinless life. That is why he is called in 1 John. 2. 1. Jesus Christ. The righteous.
That he is. Righteous. He lived. A perfect. Sinless. Life.
He did not. He did not deserve wrath. He did not deserve wrath. Had not earned wrath. Was not in the same position of us. Where he had stored up wrath.
For the coming judgment. He was blameless. And therefore. Was the only one. Who could swap places with us. To bear the wrath of God.
And to give us righteousness. If he had sinned. He would be in the same spot with us. Deserving of wrath. But because he had not sinned.
And he is righteous. He dies on the cross. And those who place faith in him. Can be redeemed. He dies on the cross. He is buried.
He rises again. And he lives forever. Before the throne of God. As an advocate. For those who sin. Hear what he is saying.
He says. My little children. My little children. I don't want you to sin. But if you sin.
We have an advocate before the father. We have the risen Christ. Who stands. Before the throne of God. Our sin. Does not make it.
To the father. Our sin. Made it to Jesus. And Jesus atoned for it. And he stands before the father. And he says.
There is no wrath. For this one. We have an advocate. That stands before the father. Who lives. Who has conquered sin.
On our behalf. How does he do this? He is the propitiation. For our sins. Say propitiation. Say propitiation.
Yeah. You want to. You want to get a Greek word tattooed on your shoulder. That's it. Do propitiation. It's a good one.
Propitiation. Propitiation. Is the idea of the sacrifice. That absorbs the wrath of God. For an actual offense. It's the.
In the Septuagint. Which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament. It's the day of atonement. It's the day of propitiation. It's this day where the sacrifice is made. See in the Old Testament.
They would sin. And they knew they'd sin. And they would go to the temple. And they would. Go take an animal. And the animal would.
Would go in their place. This lamb or this bull. Would go in their place. To atone for their sin. Because when we sin. There's real punishment that is deserved.
And God made a system. To help them learn. The devastating. Life. Murdering nature of sin. And that they would.
Sacrifice a lamb. And that Jesus Christ comes. As the perfect lamb of God. Who atones for our sin. That's what it says. In 1st John chapter 1.
That he does this by. The blood of Jesus. That we're cleansed by. The blood of Jesus. This is why we talk about. The blood of Jesus.
This is why we sing. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Because it takes blood. To atone for our sin. Because we are deserving of death. In our rebellion.
We are deserving of wrath. Hebrews 9. 22. Indeed. Under the law. Almost everything.
Is purified with blood. And without the shedding of blood. There is no forgiveness of sins. Your sins. Will be paid for. In blood.
And it will either be. The blood of Christ. Who bears the wrath for sinners. Or you will pay for it. Bearing the wrath. For your sin.
But that's how it works. So I want us to see something. I think John says this. With a smile on his face. Do you know how beautiful it is. For him to look at you.
And say. You ought not sin. I know. But if you do. Jesus stands in front of the Father for you. I know.
I know. I don't want to sin. I know. I don't want to sin. But I keep on sinning.
Praise Jesus. The advocate. Who stands in front of the Father for you. Glory. Glory. To the name of Christ.
Who stands before the Father for you. That your sin. Does not hold you. Or claim you. Or accuse you. Or condemn you.
Praise Jesus. You need to know that your forgiveness was costly. That he paid for it. I've heard recently this argument. That it's not really forgiveness. If someone pays for it.
That's crazy. All forgiveness is paid for. If you owe me a hundred dollars. If I owe you a hundred dollars. This will be more realistic. If I owe you a hundred dollars.
And you say don't worry about it. Did that one hundred dollars disappear? You paid for it. That hundred dollars came out of you. You can try to get it back out of me. But somebody's got to pay for it.
And God the Father. Through Christ the Son. Both God. Paid for our sin. He incurred the debt. And the wrath.
For us. So that we might be forgiven. It has been paid for. Our forgiveness was costly. But guess what?
Your debt's been paid. And there is no more wrath for you in Christ. There is no more wrath for you in Christ. We are not destined for wrath if we're in Christ. When you sin. You see your sin.
And you hate your sin. And there's this tendency to feel this shame. And this weight. And this oh my goodness. I've separated myself from God. Oh.
I've fallen so short. If you are in Christ. You do not atone for your sin. You do not bear the wrath of God. You do not feel bad for a week. So that you can atone and pay back.
We don't pay back. It's already been paid. When we see our sin. We walk in the light. And we praise Christ the King. Who stands forever before the Father.
To actively apply the work of the cross for us. He stands by the Father. To complete continually. The work of His sacrifice for us. And that our sin is not stored up. Our sin is washed away continually.
By the active advocate that we have before the Father. The risen Christ. We bear no shame. We store no wrath. We carry no guilt. Because Jesus bore our shame.
Jesus took our wrath. Jesus carried our guilt. And we do not rob the glory of Christ. To act like for one ounce of a second. That I can bear the weight of my sin. And that I can somehow atone for it.
But I press back into Christ. And I press the glory of His risen work. And His atoning sacrifice. And I praise the King. Who does not hold me accountable for my sin. But that in Christ has taken the wrath.
Through His propitiating work. And stands as an advocate before the Father. On our behalf. This is why John. The same John in the book of Revelation. In a vision.
He's standing there. And they say. Behold. The lion. Of the tribe. Of Judah.
And John says. But when I looked. He looked like a lamb. Who was slain. Because Jesus Christ. Is the lion.
Of the tribe. Of Judah. But if you're in Christ. He's the lamb. Who was slain. He's the atonement.
For your sacrifice. He is not out to get you. He is out to redeem you. He has worked for you. And in our sin. We do not grovel in shame.
But we praise the glorious nature of Christ. Who redeems sinners like us. It's to the praise of His glorious grace. We need to know that our forgiveness was costly. We need to know that our debt was paid. But there is no wrath anymore for us.
And we need to know this was done in love. 1 John 4.10. We'll get to this later. But it's going to be a while. So we're going to go ahead and read it now.
In this is love. Not that we have loved God. But that He loved us. And sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. That He came to redeem us. Because He loved us.
That His pursuit of us was a pursuit in love. He's not frustrated with you if you're in Christ. He's not disappointed in you. He's not withholding good things from you. He's not disgusted with you. He's not growing angrier and angrier with you.
All of those would be functions to degrade the finished work of Christ on the cross. And that is not degraded. When He said it is finished, it is finished. And if you are in Christ, He pours out love and grace and peace and forgiveness on you continually through the work of Christ. Then He says this.
1 John 2. 2 John 3. We who are in Christ have an advocate in Christ who has propitiated our sins. Who has taken the wrath of God on our behalf. Who stands to apply it. And He is our hope.
But He's also the only hope for the world. That if they are going to flee the wrath that is to come, they must flee to Christ. That there is no other hope. There is no other salvation. There is no other propitiation. There is no other way to stand on the day of judgment.
You either stand in your own self-righteousness and are destroyed. Or you stand in the righteousness of Christ and are forgiven. He's not just the forgiver of our sins. But he's the hope of salvation for the world. If you have not trusted Christ, flee the wrath that is to come and run to him where there is forgiveness. Yes, we ought not to sin.
We're going to talk more about that. This is the fuel for obedience. We'll look at that next week. We ought to repent of sin. We ought to walk in the light. We're going to.
He says that's actually a Mark of Christians. We're going to. But we're going to because when we sin, we have an advocate. When we sin, we are forgiven. When we sin, we have a continual hope. Come to Christ and be forgiven and be redeemed and have his work applied to you.
Forever. The band's going to come back up. And we're going to respond by praising Christ. John 3, 36 says this. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life.
But the wrath of God remains on him. If you are in Christ, let's praise his glorious name. We may have some sin to confess. You may have some things you need to bring in the light. Bring it in the light as someone who has an advocate that stands before the Father. Bring it in the light as someone who is redeemed.
Do not hide in the darkness like you have stored up wrath for yourself. Do not run from this Savior. And if you are not a believer, if you have not yet placed your faith in the Son of God, we would invite you to trust Christ who atones for sin. In just a moment, as Raz plays, we're going to receive communion as a church family, which is where we actively, physically, tangibly remind ourselves of the active, physical, tangible work of Christ. That he died on a cross. That he was buried in the tomb.
That his body was broken and his blood was shed for us. And that it covers us. That he, through that sacrifice, covers us. That there is no wrath for us. That there's freedom and hope and joy. And so when we fall into sin, when we fall into temptation, that we repent and we run back to him in praise.
We don't grovel. We walk boldly into the throne room of grace, to the glory of Christ, not to our Lord. We do not act as if we somehow earn the right to walk into his presence, but we come boldly because that right has been sealed and satisfied and earned for us by Christ. And so we partake in communion. We remind ourselves of that. If you are not a Christian, this is not for you.
Because this is a remembrance of Christ's work. It's an application of Christ's work. And it's looking forward to Christ's continued work and his return for us. We want Christ for you. We want his blood to cover you. We want him to stand as an advocate for you in the heavens before the Father so that we are not storing up wrath.
We would invite you to repent of your sin and to ask Jesus to save you. Let's pray. God, we ask that through the power of your spirit you would help us. Help us to believe this. Help us to feel this. Help us to know this.
So that we might respond. In the midst of our sin. In the midst of our failure. That we might respond like we have an advocate in the heavens. Who has atoned for our sin. That it does not stain us.
That it does not separate us from you. To believe that is to believe that Christ is incapable of saving. That Christ has not given us his righteousness. And so, Lord, may we respond as those who are redeemed. Hating our sin. And loving our Savior all the more.
And God, we ask that your Holy Spirit would bring conviction. That you would help the wrath that is to come to be so real. So that we might flee. So that anyone in this room who has not trusted in you as their Savior. But has been trusting in their own morality and their own wisdom.
Who's been thinking, I'll get it together later. I'll do this later. That would quit soaring up wrath. But would run to you so that you might atone for them. And you might satisfy the wrath of God. I pray all this in Jesus' name.
Amen.