Thank you so much for leading us, Mark, Jake, and Sarah. It looks like I'm going to get to preach 1 Peter 3, 17 to 22. I'm still working through a little remnants of the chest cold I had last week, so be patient with me if I cough and sputter a little bit. 

We are back to 1 Peter, continuing our study in this first epistle, and we come to some really tremendous and interesting verses. I would say perhaps perplexing thoughts from the pen of Peter. Remember that Peter's writing to Christians who are suffering persecution for their faith, who are struggling with the difficulty of their situation, and his intent is to encourage them to persevere, encourage them to commit themselves to God and His will. 

He's shown us the greatness of our salvation in chapter 1, pointing us to the eternal and away from the temporal. He's encouraged us to set our hope fully on the grace to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This has been a theme of his writing: to remember who you are and what you have in Christ because of the new birth, because of regeneration, the salvation that God has provided through Christ. 

Also remember that the suffering you are experiencing is temporal. It's for a little while, but the promises in Christ are eternal. Eternal life, grace sufficient for today, the hope of His coming. Peter's second theme, which we pick up again today, is that suffering is sometimes the means that God uses; that it is necessary in order to accomplish His will and purpose. 

We've seen interesting truth in our last several studies, something perhaps we would not have thought or understood. The means that Peter has given us by which we can remain under the pressures of persecution or suffering, trusting God to accomplish His purpose, is an attitude of submission. He has instructed us to be submissive to those who are in authority over us, whether that be the government, our employer, or the relationships within the home. 

The way to endure suffering in this world is through an attitude of submission. In chapter 2, Peter used the ultimate example of unjust suffering and an attitude of submission in the cross of Christ. The key phrase in the whole epistle is found in 2.23 when it says, "...who when He was reviled did not revile in return, when He suffered He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously." 

He committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. He submitted Himself to the will of God. And when we have an attitude of submission in the various relationships of this life as God intends, we are ultimately submitting ourselves, committing ourselves to God. Also, we have seen that this is a witness to the world; the very reason that we are here. A quiet and peaceful life, working with our hands, minding our own business, having an attitude of submission to those in authority over us, these things are tied to our witness in this world as well.

Peter exhorts us to "...live such a good life among the pagans." Paul and Timothy tie this kind of life to God's will to save men. An attitude of submission, trusting God, allows us to endure suffering, but it also allows us to be a witness in this world. 

In our text this morning, Peter ties all of these themes together. And the context here is set in the previous passages on submission, on entrusting ourselves to God, knowing that through suffering, if it is necessary for a short time, God accomplishes His will and purpose. 

Let's look at our text together, 1 Peter 3, 17. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient when once the divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 

There is also an anti-type which now saves us, baptism. Not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to him. 

Well, I printed you guys outlines three weeks ago, but I forgot to bring them today. So we have five points. First, if it is the will of God. Second, for Christ also suffered. Third, he went and preached. Fourth, the answer of a good conscience. Fifth, suffering for the will of God. 

Well, first we see in our text, if it is the will of God, verse 17, for it is better if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. This statement in verse 17 summarizes all that Peter's been teaching in the previous chapters. You are suffering, he says, you're experiencing persecution. This is exceedingly difficult; it's discouraging. But we must understand that this is temporal, that it is sometimes necessary as part of God's plan and purpose, and it's better to suffer for doing good than it is for doing evil. 

Back in chapter 2, Peter said that this, suffering for doing good, taking it patiently, this is commendable before God. Again, he gives Jesus as a premier example in those following verses, saying we were also called to this. When you were saved, when God saved you, he called you to this, in your identification with Jesus, to suffer in this world. 

There is an important qualifier always given with this statement, we see it in verse 17: if it is the will of God. Earlier, Peter said, if need be. It's not always necessary for us to suffer in order to accomplish the will of God. We will not always be suffering persecution in this Christian life. In fact, oftentimes, I would say most of the time, life is very good. There are many blessings, even comfort and prosperity. Certainly, we have known this in our experience. 

You'll remember from our last study, this truth expressed in verse 14, where Peter said, but even if you suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed, and do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. Wiest comments on the language here, he says, the words, but even if you suffer, are in a construction in Greek, which refers to a rare thing, a possible, but not probable thing. 

It's very interesting. Paul promised in Timothy that all who desire to live godly in this ungodly age would suffer persecution. This is true, but it does not mean a constant state of suffering or persecution. So it is important for the audience of this letter, and for us to understand these words. If it is the will of God, if it is necessary for God to accomplish his purpose, then he will allow you to suffer. 

Because the whole encouragement here is that in submitting ourselves to the suffering, enduring or remaining under the persecution, we are submitting ourselves to the will of God and trusting Him that he is accomplishing his will and purpose. So it's better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good. 

And then we see the example of Jesus and what God accomplished through his suffering in verse 18. Notice the word for. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. 

It's better for you to suffer, if it is the will of God, for Christ also suffered. Was Christ's suffering unjust? The most, right? The ultimate injustice. How did Jesus respond to this unjust suffering? He committed himself to the one who judges righteously. He did not fight. He did not revile in return. He did not threaten. He did not seek justice for himself. He trusted God. He remained under the suffering, knowing that it was necessary. 

And did God accomplish his will, his purpose, through this unjust suffering on the cross? This is really the message of our text. There are some perplexing words we're going to look at here in a minute, things that are somewhat difficult to nail down, but the heart of the message here for the suffering believers to whom he writes is this. God accomplishes his will. He accomplishes great things, things of eternal value, through suffering. 

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. Through the single greatest example of unjust suffering, the ultimate in undeserved persecution and suffering, and the highest attitude of submission and trust in the will of God, the greatest purpose of God was accomplished. That is our salvation and the exaltation of Jesus to his proper place of rule and authority. 

The message of these suffering believers in the example of the cross, the message to these suffering believers in the example of the cross of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection is this. Look at what Jesus suffered, the creator, the sustainer of all things, the one who never sinned, the one who was perfect and holy. Look at the unjust suffering that Jesus experienced. Look at how he endured and remained under and trusted God. 

And my brothers and sisters in Christ, look at what God accomplished through this suffering. Not only his will to accomplish salvation for those who believe but also to glorify himself and return the glory to Jesus that he had before the world began. Turn over to John 17. I've found myself in this passage a lot lately. 

John 17, Jesus' high priestly prayer. Now verse 1, he says, Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son that your son also may glorify you, as you have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do. 

And now, O Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was. And how did he do this? Through suffering. Because God deemed it necessary in order to accomplish that great purpose. This is what we need to understand when we experience suffering or persecution in this life, and this is the intent of Peter in our text. 

For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit. If it is the will of God, for Christ also suffered. 

Notice also that Peter says Christ also suffered once, once for sins, the just for the unjust, in order to bring us to God. He suffered once for the purpose of bringing us to God. In this verse, we see the truth of the gospel of our salvation. Jesus died for sins. In other words, the purpose of his suffering was to pay the penalty that we deserved because of our sins against God. 

When Jesus saved us by his death, burial, and resurrection, he saved us from the wrath of God to come for my sins. He didn't save me from financial troubles in this world. He didn't save me from suffering or experiencing trials and tribulations in this world. He saved me from the wrath of God for my sins, eternal death in the lake of fire. 

And he did this by his one-time death. This is such a vital statement. We see the author of Hebrews make heavy weight of this. I want you to turn to Hebrews 7 at verse 27. We're going to look at a few verses in Hebrews 7, 9, and 10. 

Hebrews 7, 27, the author writes, "...who does not need daily..." speaking of Jesus, "...who does not need daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the people's. For this he did once for all when he offered up himself." 

Look at chapter 9 at verse 12, Hebrews 9, 12. "...not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he entered the most holy place, once for all having obtained eternal redemption." Look down to verse 26. "...he then would have had to have suffered often since the foundation of the world, but now once at the end of the ages he has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for him, he will appear a second time apart from sin for salvation." 

Now chapter 10 at verse 11. "...and every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down at the right hand of God from that time waiting till his enemies are made his footstool for by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." 

And the author of Hebrews started his letter with these words in chapter 1. He said, God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 

My friends, it says when he by himself purged our sins, he sat down. Why do you sit down? There were no chairs in the temple because the work was never finished. You sit down when the work is finished. Sometimes you kind of lay down when the work is finished. But that's what he's saying here. He had by himself purged our sins and now he has sat down at the right hand of God. Jesus died once, and in that one-time event he accomplished our salvation, purged our sins, took the wrath that we deserved in our place, and he sat down. 

The work is finished. It's accomplished, and it was accomplished through suffering, through unjust suffering. Jesus prayed. He agonized in the garden, praying to the Father that there might be another way. But there was no other way, and he submitted himself to the will of God. If it is the will of God, if it is necessary, it's better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil, for Christ also suffered. 

The only way that salvation could be accomplished was through suffering. Turn over to Romans 3.19 with me. We looked at this passage yesterday at Doug's funeral, and a great opportunity to preach the gospel to a lot of people yesterday, so thank the Lord for that. 

Romans 3.19, now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Send the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe, for there's no difference. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Here we see the eternal plan and wisdom of God. Paul just spent the first three chapters up to verse 19 explaining the condemnation of all men. In chapter 1, 18 to 32, we see that men reject or hold down the truth, like Mark was talking about this morning, the truth of God, and they create their own gods and they create religions. They craft religions after their own corrupt nature and gods who will wink at their sin. 

I grew up in such a religion. It taught that Jesus' one-time death was, quote, insufficient for our salvation, and that in fact we must sacrifice him again and again and again and again in order to expiate our sins. They call it the sacrifice of the mass, where at the beck and call of the priest, Jesus comes from the right hand of God to represent himself in a real and true sacrifice where he is immolated—that word means killed— on the altar in order to pay for our sins. 

And that's not all; I must also contribute my sufferings, my alms, my good works to make up what was lacking in the sacrifice of Christ. And if I don't quite measure up, if Jesus' sacrifice and my works together aren't quite enough, if I don't quite meet the standard through suffering, through participating in sacraments and religious rites and rituals, don't worry, I can finish paying for my own sins in the fires of purgatory. 

It's blasphemy, my friends. It's a total rejection of the truth of the gospel that Christ died once for sins, the just for the unjust, in order that he might bring us to God. And the promise we see in our text that through faith in Jesus alone, I can have a good conscience before God. I can know that I have eternal life. 

I was taught in my youth that to say that you know that you are saved is a sin of presumption, and this single sin would condemn you to hell. You can't ever know when you're continually working your way and hoping. It's interesting to me that the Apostle John says in 1 John 5:13, I write you these things that you may know that you have present possession, eternal life. Our brothers and sisters, religion is not the plan of God. 

The plan of God is laid out explicitly in the Romans 3 passage we just read. We cannot obtain righteousness through works. We are sinners and we deserve the wrath of God. We must receive the righteousness of God through faith alone in Jesus alone. Because God set Him forth as a propitiation, a full satisfactory payment, how? By His blood, His death. 

How do we receive His righteousness? Through faith. God demonstrated His righteousness at the cross. You see, God is holy and just. He must punish every sin. Now in the Old Testament before the cross, God had passed over sins, meaning He did not exact the punishment of death on all who sinned the moment they sinned. It was hanging out there. There was a question as to God's justness. But at the cross, Jesus demonstrated the righteousness of God by paying the full penalty for every sin ever committed, past and future. 

This is the meaning of the word propitiation. And in this way and only this way, only in the mind and wisdom of God could God remain just, punishing every sin and be the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring us to God. What a glorious truth is the gospel of Jesus Christ and what a demonstration of the wisdom and power of God. We can trust Him even through sufferings. 

Well next we see in our text, He went and preached. Verse 18, for Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison who formerly were disobedient when once the divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared in which a few, that is eight souls, were saved through water. 

Well these are difficult words and there's considerable disagreement as to what Peter means here. Like I said, I don't believe this is the core of his message here, but let's try and sort it out the best we can, paying attention to the words in their context. I remember Bobby and I went to Northland College up in Ashland, we called it Treehugger University, that was an interesting place in the early 90s. 

But after I had graduated college and we'd lived in Indiana a while and we moved back up here and I met Guy and was led to Christ largely through the ministry of this church, I went back to Northland College and started a Bible study. There were about 700, 800 students in that little school and we had about 70 kids coming, and this was a pagan place, you know. But they were coming to this conference room and every week I'd go there and teach Bible study. 

But I remember we were working through this text one evening and there were two environmental studies majors, young kids sitting next to me there, and both of them atheists, you know, but they had a Lutheran background. At that point I had taught out of this text in Ephesians 4 that Christ had descended into hell, per the Apostles' Creed; it was a kind of a peripheral thing, we weren't really on this. 

But I'd said that Christ descended into hell, preached, you know, heralded his victory over those in prison. The next week this boy comes back to me and he says, I want you to show me that, I don't think you're right about that. This caused me to have to study it out. As I studied it out, I realized that that actually is a Lutheran view and that the scriptures don't really support that. 

It became known in my household as the neener-neener-ha-ha view. I don't think it fits in the scriptures that Jesus went down into hell before the spirits and said neener-neener-ha-ha. So I want to tell you what I do think it means. And I'm perfectly humble about this text because it's exceedingly difficult. What we just talked about before is very important, very clear. What we're going to talk about next is very important and very clear. 

In the middle here, I'm not sure what Peter's mind is all about, but we'll do our best. So in verse 19, we see the words, by whom? This refers back to the word spirit. Now the question is, who does this word spirit refer to or what does it refer to? In verse 18, it says that Jesus was raised by the spirit, made alive by the spirit. 

The Bible tells us several times that God raised Jesus from the dead, but specifically we see in Romans 1-4 that it was the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. Listen to Romans 8-11. Romans 8-11 says, but if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. 

So I think it's reasonable to say we have some support that Jesus was made alive by the Holy Spirit, and the word spirit in our text refers to the Holy Spirit. The other option there, just so you know, is that there's a contrast between the word flesh and spirit there, and it's referring to Jesus being killed in his flesh, but made alive in his personal own spirit. I don't think that holds water. I think it was the Holy Spirit. 

So then verse 19 says, by whom, by the Holy Spirit, Jesus went and preached. Now this word preached is interesting. It's the word keruso, and it means to herald or proclaim. It does not necessarily mean to preach the gospel. This is true. There's another word, euangelizo. This is often used of preaching the gospel. However, the word in our text, keruso, is used 61 times in the New Testament, and although it is sometimes used of heralding or proclaiming something other than the gospel message, the vast majority of times (45 times I think) an overwhelming number of the 61 times it's used, it's used of preaching the gospel, of preaching Christ, or of preaching the kingdom. 

Some examples for you: Acts 8.5 says, then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. That's the same word there, preached. First Corinthians 1.23, Paul says, but we preach Christ crucified. Same word. The most common use by far of the word in our text, translated preached, is to preach or proclaim Jesus or the gospel. 

So if Jesus went, notice he went, it says, and he preached, and he did this by the Holy Spirit, who did he preach to? The text says the spirits in prison. I would translate this as the spirits who are now in prison. In fact, that's how the NASB translates this verse: the spirits who are now in prison. 

Notice we have some interesting timing words in the next verse. Verse 19 says, by whom he also went and preached to the spirits now in prison, who formerly were disobedient when once the divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared in which a few, that is eight souls, were saved through water. 

So notice those timing words, formerly. They were formerly disobedient when? When once the divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah. So at what time were these spirits who are now in prison disobedient? In the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. What were they disobedient to? I think Peter helps us a little bit in 2 Peter 2.4. 

If you want to turn to 2 Peter 2.4, he brings this up again. He’s speaking of God's ability to preserve the righteous and punish the wicked, for if God did not spare the angels who sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment, and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people—notice these words—a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly. 

Here, Peter refers to the time, in the days of Noah, when these spirits now in prison were disobedient, and what were they disobedient to? It says that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, of the truth, of the good news, and how did Noah preach those 120 years? I would submit to you by the Spirit, by the Holy Spirit. 

Peter brings this up because of the salvation aspect of the ark, of those who were saved through water. So I believe, tying it, I believe, to the salvation work of Christ through suffering as we see in the next verses, tying the salvation in the ark to the suffering work of Christ and us being saved through water. 

What the words and context lead me to is that this preaching to the spirits who are now in prison by the Holy Spirit was through Noah in the time the ark was being prepared. Noah was a preacher of righteousness, but they were all disobedient to that good news message and are therefore, they were swept away in the flood and are therefore held in the prison awaiting final sentencing to the lake of fire. 

I understand there are other views, I understand that the words are a bit confusing, but again this is not the heart of the text, it's a segue into what Peter says next which fits into the context of what we looked at in verses 17 and 18. 

Look at 1 Peter 3.18 again. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also he went and preached to the spirits now in prison, who formerly were disobedient when once the divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, now here's our segue, were saved through water. 

And then in verse 21, he says there is also an antitype which now saves us, baptism—not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to him. 

Well here in verse 21 we see the answer of a good conscience toward God, and this is a great verse, my friends. Peter's words about Noah being saved through water lead him to the antitype, water baptism. The word translated antitype here in verse 21 is very important for us to understand. 

My wife says I can't say this word; it’s a figure. See we say figure. It's a figure, all right? It's a symbol. The King James Version translates it a like figure. I'm doing good, honey, aren’t I? It's a like figure, all right? It literally means the counterpart to the reality. In other words, water baptism is a symbol of the reality of our salvation. It's not the washing of water or the removal of the filth of the flesh. 

He says it's the answer of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You see, it is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our union with him in his death, burial, and resurrection. Water baptism is a symbol, a picture, a figure of that union. We see this language in Romans 6 as well. Paul says what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 

How did we die to sin? We were united with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection. I don't think Paul has in mind water baptism in Romans 6 as Peter does in our text, but we see the truth of our union to Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection. Water baptism is a symbol of this reality. 

Now there's another very important word in this verse. There is also an anti-type which now saves us, baptism—not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

I'm not usually a big fan of the NIV, but in this verse they nail it. Listen to how they translate verse 21: "And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also, not the removal of the dirt of the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." The word translated answer in the New King James Version means a promise or a pledge. 

The word speaks of an inquiry as if you're asking a question, and it speaks of the answer given. The question here is who is giving this answer? Who is making this pledge? Water baptism is a picture of the reality of our salvation in union with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection. We are saved when we place our faith in Jesus, and this regenerative work of God happens at that point. 

But water baptism is only a picture of what has already happened; it's a symbol. That's why we only do baptism by immersion, because sprinkling water on a baby's head doesn't symbolize death, burial, and resurrection. We put you under the water, death, burial, and raise you to newness of life out of that water. It's a picture, it's a symbol, and we're immersed. 

So the verse says that we have a pledge of a clear conscience toward God through the resurrection of Christ in water baptism. My brothers and sisters, it's God who makes that promise. It's God who gives us the answer as to how we can have a clear conscience toward Him. It's God who makes the pledge, giving us that answer because of what Jesus has accomplished. It's a beautiful picture, it's a wonderful promise, and the message once again is that good comes, the good that God works, how? Through suffering. 

Verse 22 of our text, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. We see in Jesus, our example, that through the greatest unjust suffering of all time, God accomplished salvation; He glorified Himself; He demonstrated His righteousness; He showed Himself to be righteous, punishing every sin; and He exalted Jesus to His glory at His right hand, all in the universe and the creation having been made subject to Him. 

All of this was accomplished through suffering. All of this was accomplished through the unjust suffering of Jesus on the cross when He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us in order that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. If God can work such great things through suffering, when He deems it's necessary, for a brief time, then shouldn't we count it all joy when we fall into various trials, knowing that He is perfecting us, that He's refining us, that He's keeping His promise to make us like Jesus and to use us as a witness in this world to save lost men? 

We should be encouraged by these words, my friends, encouraged to endure, to persevere, to trust our Abba Father through whatever comes upon us in this life. That's Peter's message. 

Let's close in prayer. Father, we thank You for telling us the truth, for being patient with us, continually teaching us. Thank You for the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth. Thank You for the Word of God and for this place where we can preach the Word of God freely and people have a desire to know the truth. We trust You. We praise You. We give You glory. In Jesus' name.