This week as we gather for
worship we will begin with a benediction.
I hope you recognize the irony in this.
We begin with what should be at the end.
A benediction is defined as a blessing, or good word spoken at the end
of a service. As I was growing up our
Pastor would often raise his hand over the congregation at the end of the
service and proclaimed these words:
Now may the God of peace who brought
again
from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great shepherd of the sheep,
by the blood of the eternal covenant,
equip you
with everything good that you may do his
will,
working in us that which is pleasing in
his sight,
through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21
The book of Hebrews closes
with one of the most beautiful and profound of all scriptural
benedictions. It is both a prayer of
praise directed to God and a petition requesting a blessing from God. It has been said that as a preacher proclaims
God’s word to the people, he must
also pray God’s word into the
people. This is what we see the writer
of Hebrews doing in this passage. As you
prepare for worship I encourage you to meditate on the following truths and
spend time in personal worship, thanking
God for each of these:
Our God is the God of
peace. Peace is intrinsic to God’s
character and is the essence of the gospel blessing that is ours through
Christ. “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom 5:1)
Our God is the God of
promises. “By the blood of the eternal
covenant” we are promised a new heart and established in a personal
relationship with God through the atoning work of Christ on the cross and the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (see Hebrews 8:8-ff)
He is the God of power, who
demonstrated that power in raising from the dead our Lord Jesus. Peter describes the practical implication
of this power when he writes: His divine power has granted to us all
things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who
called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his
precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers
of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world
because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
He is the God of protection,
who gives his people a faithful great Shepherd to care for and protect our
souls. Jesus said this about
himself: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they
may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:10-11)
He is the God of provision,
who not only equips us with what we need to do his will, but also works in us
to do it. I love the meaning of the word
“equip” used here. It means, “to mend
what is broken”, to restore something so it can be useful again. You may feel you are broken beyond repair,
or that you are past the point of being used by God. This text declares that God is not finished
with you yet. The power that raised
Jesus from the dead is the same power God uses to mend your broken life and
make it useful to Him.
This is a message each of us
needs to hear. This is a message many of
your family members and friends need to hear.
I hope you will invite them to come with you Sunday to hear it.
As a part of our worship we
will sing a new song based on Psalm 23 entitled The Lord Is.
You can hear it at this website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qkMs06XKaA
The depths of Your grace who can
measure,
You fully supply all I need,
You restore my weary soul again and
again,
and lead me in Your righteousness and
peace.
You’re with me through every dark
valley,
there’s nothing that I have to fear,
You are there to comfort me again and
again,
protecting me, assuring me You’re
near.
The Lord is, The Lord is my shepherd.
The Lord is, The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want
You gave Your own life for my ransom,
so I could rejoice at Your side
You have shown Your faithfulness
again and again,
there’s nothing good that You will not provide
I will dwell in Your house, All the
days of my life
I will dwell in Your house, All the
days of my life
No comments:
Post a Comment