Luke 9:24-27

Luke chapter 9, I’m going to read verses 22 to 27. Our focus this morning is on verses 24 to 27. But beginning in verse 22, saying, The son of man must suffer many things, be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be slain and be raised the third day. And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged if he gain the whole world and lose himself, or be cast away. For whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him, shall the son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory and in the fathers and of the holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God. God. May the Lord blessed to us, his sacred and holy word this morning. In the ruins of Pompeii in Italy, the archaeologist found the body of a woman who was petrified, actually, by the lavish. She was buried so quickly, and then it must have cooled quickly enough that she had, petrified into like stone. She was buried so quickly by the volcanic eruption that destroyed their city that her body was just preserved. In her hands, she was clutching her jewels, which she evidently had been trying to gather up up before fleeing her house. But her foolish actions and her… delay certainly cost her her life. She lost both her jewels as well as her life. There are many today who would like to cling to the treasures of this world and the treasures of heaven, but ultimately by doing so, you lose both. You cannot serve God and Mammon at the same time. Jesus has spoken here about suffering many things. at Jerusalem and being put to death and being raised the third day in verse 22. And then he told his disciples of their need to deny themselves to take up their cross and to follow him in verse 23, which we looked at in our last study. To those who were imagining a carnal, glorious kingdom of this earth. This had to come as a shock. This is not what they thought they were getting themselves into. But to tell his disciples so plainly, so honestly, look, this is what’s going to happen. Shows how Jesus was very upfront with his disciples. about the situation. Nothing hidden, nothing deceptive about his message whatsoever. And it argues well for the disciples that they all stayed with him. We know that there was really only one who would betray him who really demonstrated that he loved Mammon more than he loved the Lord, and that was Judas Iscariot who sold his Lord for 30 pieces of silver. I want to speak this morning on reasons to take up your cross. Talked about taking it up last week. Here are the reasons to do so. One, he tells us here in verse 24, Your eternal happiness depends upon you taking up your cross. Verse 24, for whosoever will save his life shall lose it. Whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. Now the first thing he tells us here is avoiding the cross to save your life is the very way to lose your life. The love of this earthly life makes people reluctant to pick up the cross to follow Christ in suffering for his cause. In an effort to maybe pursue, the good life you have and all the pleasures and benefits that you have in this life, you can, and many have, ended up denying Christ, losing eternal life. The weight of eternity really depends upon what you value most. Do you value your earthly life or do you value eternal life? To preserve your temporal life. life by forsaking Christ is the most foolish thing you could do. And yet, sadly, many are guilty of it. Many to avoid persecution and death have cast Christ aside and abandoned the Christian faith because for them to follow Christ costs too much. It costs too much. They could not be faithful unto death, and therefore, therefore they don’t have a crown of life laid up for them as Revelation 210 talks about. One day, a rich young ruler came to our Lord with a very important question. He came to seek eternal life and he asked Jesus, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? now he claimed that he had kept God’s commandments from his youth up and he said what lack I yet and at this point Jesus speaks of the cost of following him and what does he say he says this in act or Matthew 1921 go and sell and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me. Are you willing to forsake all but follow me? Now Jesus here really is addressing the main sin of the man, which is the 10th commandment, covencesness. He’s not willing to give up what he has. When the young man hurt the cost of following Christ’s love for his earthly life proved to be greater than his desire for eternal life. and the Bible says the man went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. It costs too much in his estimate to follow Christ. Avoiding the cross to save your life is the very way to lose it. Jesus says. Resolving to lose your life for Christ’s sake is the very way to keep it. He says that the second phrase here, verse 24, Whosoever, shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. Now many in order to serve Christ in this life have paid a heavy cost, have paid a price in regard to this earthly life. They’ve suffered loss. Some have suffered great loss. How many in doing Christ’s work have spent themselves, bore themselves out, made themselves sick, were made nigh unto death, Paphroditis in the service of the Lord. Many lost earthly things, they sacrificed them in order to serve Christ. Many down through history have chosen rather to die than to deny Christ, his truth, and his ways. They loved not their lives on to death, revelation to the love. The wise man makes least account of this life and the things that belong to this life. The one who knows Christ realizes he needs to hold the things of this life with a loose hand and be willing to let them go if necessary. It’s not that we shouldn’t be thankful for all the good things that God gives us. should be. But those good earthly things are not the most important things that we have in this life. But when we give these things up, we expect to gain forever, in effect, all that we risk or all that we lose for Christ. We expect Christ to more than make up for our earthly losses in this life. we look at the apostle Paul you can’t look at this man without seeing his willingness the sacrifice everything including his life in order to serve the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ think of his missionary service the beatings he went through the imprisonments the stoning and even the martyrdom being experienced facing execution by Nero. He says, I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departures at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. I’m ready to go. If it means giving my life, I’m ready to go. But he expects the gain by dying. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteousness, which the Lord just judge will give me on that day. The Lord will make up for it. This is why Christians have gone to the scaffold with joyful countenance. These people, there are people who have been, you know, led to the stake to be burned to death for their fate. And what are they doing? They’re singing the songs. Of praise to the Lord. You have assurance of eternal life. You have the joys of heaven that await you. And thus with Paul, we can say, well, if we have to die, we have a desire to depart and be with Christ. Your eternal happiness depends upon you, taking up your cross. Secondly, refusing to bear your cross in order to pursue earthly gain leads to the loss of your soul. He tells us this in verse 25. For what is a man advantaged if he gained the whole word, and lose himself or be cast away. The greatest gain, earthly gain, is not worth the loss of your soul. I suppose if you could gain all that this world has the offer, reach the pinnacle, be the richest person in this world. And have all the pleasures and honors that are related in this life, these things is what Jesus is what Jesus is is talking about when he says they would never compensate you for the loss of your soul. So what we have to do is we have to weigh earthly things against eternal things. Very carefully. The possession of the world and all that it contains is never really going to make you happy. And friends, the dread of eternal suffering spoils all the earthly enjoyment of it. Let me ask you this question. When Judas got his 30 pieces of silver, was he happy? Was he happy when he got all that silver? Conscience bothered him, didn’t it? He knew he had betrayed innocent blood. And so what he did, what he do, he took the money back. He tried to give it back to the religious leaders at the temple. They said, we’re not taking it back. you know what is that to us we’re not worried about it where you feel bad about it and he throws the money down remember right there at the temple onto the ground he goes out and he hangs himself why did he do it because though he gained all this wealth he lost his soul he was a castaway and he knew it what amount of gain in this world is going to going to compensate you for the loss of your soul in the book of second kings. We have this servant of Elisha the prophet named Gahazi, who is a very covetous man. And this becomes obvious because his chief concern is gain. That’s the dominating sin that he has. This becomes obvious. This becomes obvious. obvious when the prophet Elisha heals Naiman, the Syrian army commander of leprosah. And Naaman is so happy, he wanted to give something of a reward to Elisha the prophet. He had brought this whole caravan of ten camels full of wealth. And Elisha refuses any of it. Because God’s grace is free. And he wanted to convince they that. It don’t cost anything. Now Gauzi is checking out the ten camels with all this stuff on it. And he’s thinking to himself, look at all that silver, ten talents. Six thousand pieces of silver. Ten changes of garment. And he’s upset with the light. What’s the matter? What’s the matter with my master? Why? He has spared name in the series. and not receiving in his hand that which he brought. He should have taken something. We could all been rich. I can’t let this opportunity escape me. It’s just too good. And so what does he do? As he says, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him and take something of him. So he slips out the door and off he runs after Naiman to catch up with him. Makes up this. story about some prophets showing up at Elish’s door and he needs some silver and some changes of garment and of course, Damon is all too ready to comply. He gives him two talents of silver and two changes of garment. Gahazi sneaks back, puts it in his home. He wants to keep it secret. One thing he should have learned by now is you can’t keep things secret from the prophet of the Lord because the Lord’s going to tell him what’s going on. And so he knows and he always, he even knows what Neiman’s going to do with or what Ahazi is going to do with it. Because Elisha confronts Gahazi and he says this, is it time to receive money and to receive garments and all of yards and vineyards and sheep and oxen and maidservants and man servants? Really? Gauzi, is this the time for this? you got to go to retirement? First Gahazi. Do you remember what happened? The leprosy that was on Naaman, God put it on Gauzi and his family for forever. He was cursed by God. He put earthly gain above his soul. The greatest earthly gain and not worth the loss of your soul. Now notice there’s no Hope for your soul if you desert Christ. The last phrase here, verse 25, you see this cast away. This idea is found in scripture. In Romans 11, we have it. God has not cast away his people, which he first foreknew and so forth. The word for now, cast away there, means to be rejected and abandoned by God. Totally. Of course, God. God, as Paul explains, is still calling out Jews down through history. So he hasn’t totally cast away. But the word castaway carries that thought. God will have no more dealings with your soul. You’re hardened and your sin. You’re left in a hopeless state. There’s no possibility of recovery then. What do you look forward to? Nothing but Alvar. All of the other losses in this life are bearable. But the law of your soul is eternal. There’s no way to escape the eternal punishment that goes along with it. Matthew’s gospel declares this. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? In other words, there’s no redemption possible for the soul. What can you do? If you don’t have a redeemer, you’re doomed. As I thought about this being cast away, I thought about Pilgrimers’ progress. and Mr. Christian, when he goes to the interpreter’s house, one of the last visions he saw or one of the last things he saw there was a man in an iron cage. He’s in this dark room and is locked up in this iron cage and he has a very sad countenance. Mr. Christian asked the interpreter, who is he? What does this represent? He says, go and ask him. go and ask and man said Mr. Christian I was once a fair and flourishing professor both in mine own eyes and also in the eyes of others I once was as I thought fair for the celestial city and add even joy at the thoughts that I should get thither. I was a professing Christian. And then Mr. Christian said, well, what happened? He says, I left off to be sober. I laid rain. I laid the reins upon the neck of my lust. I sinned against the light of the world and the goodness of God. I grieve the spirit and he was gone. I tempted the devil and he has come to me. I have provoked God to anger and he has left me. I am so hardened my heart in my heart I cannot repent. How did you bring yourself to this condition? For the lust, the pleasures, the prophets of this world in the enjoyment of which I did promise myself great delight. But now every one of those things also bite me and gnaw me like a burning worm. But canst thou now repent and turn? God have denied me repentance. What a horrible thing. Refusing to bear your cross in order to Pursue earthly gain leads to the loss of your soul. Thirdly, he says this. Bearing your cross will ultimately be rewarded by Christ. Verse 26. For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words of him shall the son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory and in the fathers and of the holy angels. Now, sadly, there are some who will not openly acknowledge Christ in this life that he is their Lord and Savior. They don’t want their ashamed to be associated with Christ. You might desire the world’s approval and acceptance above Christ in order to avoid the suffering that comes along with it. The ridicule, the mockery, the persecution, the persecution by the world, you want to get away from that so you can prosper in this world. And Christ specifically mentions here being ashamed of my words, my doctrine, my teaching, his humble doctrines, for they demand humility in us. His demand for self-denial, his emphasis on holiness of life, this same Jesus shall be raised up the third day, after being put to death, as verse 22 tells us, and shall personally return one day. And the Lord’s second coming is going to be a glorious event. Because he’s going to come in his own glory, in his father’s glory, and in the glory of the holy angels. Now there’s been some confusion as to exactly what is being spoken of here in this passage of Scripture. I’ll make a suggestion to you. as you look at this, the son of man as mediator is going to come in the splendor that he has with his glorified body that he possesses the God man. In addition, it appears that the father will bestow on him further glory in the execution of his office as the judge. Remember in the book of John chapter 17 and verse 5, Christ prays now, O Father, glorify me with thine own glory, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. This is the Father’s glory that was given to Christ. And then when Christ returns, he shall be accompanied by a host of glorious angels. So the glorious angels will be with him when he comes. So I suggest that’s probably what is in mind here in this passage. Jesus shall reward every man according to his works. on that day. Matthew’s gospel adds that little phrase when he talks about the coming of Christ that will be rewarded on that occasion. On that day, he is going to be ashamed of those who were ashamed of him in this life. He will not acknowledge you. He will disown you. He will count you among the workers of iniquity. You’ll be cast into hell far because the Lord knows the life of the disciples. is difficult and the world will hate you. But he gives us an incentive. I will reward you. So the warning we have here is don’t allow the fear of man to prevail over you and keep you from publicly declaring that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. Because whenever you do that, you deny your master. You’re ashamed of him and that is a great sin in the eyes of Christ. In Christ’s day when He comes. He tells us if any man did confess that Jesus, in Christ’s day, when he came the first time, I should say, he said if any man, we read it in John 922, if any man did confess that Jesus was Christ, he’d be put out of the synagogue. And so we read about the Jews. They didn’t speak openly of Christ for fear of the religious leaders putting them out of the synagogue. You remember the man that he healed that was born blind that declared that he must be the Christ? Because who else could cure someone that was born blind? You’ve never heard of this before. So what did they do? They cast him out of the synagogue for saying such a thing. We should all pray that God would give us a holy boldness to be a better witness in this evil and perverse world in which we live, that we wouldn’t be ashamed to speak up for Christ. bearing your cross will ultimately be rewarded by Christ. And notice fourthly, bearing your cross, bear your cross for you’re able to perceive the kingdom of God has come. Verse 27. But I tell you of a truth, there will be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God. Then we need to get a, I think, a proper interpretation of this text. People are often confused about the meaning of this text. Jesus has encouraged his people to be faithful to his cause based upon future considerations relating to the final day, the last day, when he’s going to come and reward them. But here Christ directs their attention to something that is near at hand, for the kingdom of God is at hand at this point. So it’s not far off in the distance, future. Some of them, he says, would see the kingdom of God take place. In other words, Christ reign taking place before they died. The word see here, Idaho, means to be aware of, the behold, perceive. Doesn’t necessarily mean or have to be aware. to mean you see with your bodily eyes, but you are made aware of, you are perceptive of, that Christ, the fact that Christ is reigning. Now the prophecy of Daniel relates when the kingdom of God comes. I hate to keep going to this passage of scripture. We’ve done it several times already, but I’m going to do it one more time. It’s such an important passage that I think it demands our attention in chapter 9th chapter 6 of the book of Daniel once again. Notice very carefully how he words this. It says here, I saw in my night visions, and behold, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people, nations, and language it should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Now, whenever the scripture uses this phrase, one like the son of man, speaking of Christ, the Old Testament, it often uses like the son of man. When in the New Testament, he actually claims to be the son of man, he actually claims to be the son of man. some have suggested because they use the word light because he was still in the pre-incarnate state but in the new testament he’s in his carnet state. I don’t know how true that is, but whenever that phrase is used, it is speaking of Christ. And here in the book of Luke chapter 922, we just read it. And also in verse 26, it uses the phrase, son of man to refer to Christ. Christ has said here, to come with the clouds of heaven. Now, I remind you of how Jesus left this world. Remember, he was on the mount, and a cloud received him up out of the sight of the disciples. They watched him rise on this cloud. Where does that cloud go? Well, he comes on the cloud to heaven, and he comes to the ancient of days. The ancient of days here is just a phrase that’s used for the father, who is obviously eternal. The Christ in his incarnate state is not eternal. Christ in his person is eternal. But he took on a body. But he comes to the ancient of days. Who earlier in this chapter, in verses 9 and 10, is sitting on a throne. And he’s ruling. And so we find that Jesus is coming to God the Father. Did he receive a kingdom when he came to earth? He was establishing it, but he receives it in its full capacity here when he sits on the throne, which is now in heaven when he sits down on the right hand of the father. So we don’t wait for the second coming of Christ to see the kingdom set up, we see it set up upon his resurrection and his ascension to heaven, which Daniel makes very clear to us. Did not Christ say, in Luke 1912, in one of his parables, that he was going to go away into a far country to receive a kingdom. He goes away to receive the kingdom. So this basic thrust here of this passage, is very similar really to what we read in the New Testament. So Daniel is agreement, certainly, with what Peter says in chapter two of Acts. When Peter talks about God raising Christ up, to sit on David’s throne, to rule until all his enemies be put under his feet. He was raised up. He ascended to heaven to rule. And it’s from that home in heaven. He has dominion and power, and he crushes his foes, he blesses his church, and he judges the nations of this world. This, I think, is a right understanding to Luke 927. I think Daniel’s passage is decisive on this, but so is Acts chapter 2. So Christ’s glorious transfiguration eight days later is not the fulfillment. of what he says here. Note this. It doesn’t seem reasonable that Jesus would speak of some of his hearers being alive to see that the kingdom has come and then refer to a transfiguration, which is just a few days off. By the way, Judas did not seek Christ on his throne, because he went to hung himself before we read about the ascension and the resurrection to the throne. in heaven. So I think the true interpretation refers these words to Christ sitting, assuming, if you would, a place of rulership, such as we see and we’ve studied in the book of Revelation when he’s judging apostate Israel and they begin to recognize even his enemies that he sits upon the throne. So well does his disciples see that too. So his people will receive this that he rules and we see it in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdoms of our Lord of His Christ. The interpretation. What are the lessons from this text? Baring your cross is the way to victory. Look at what the Lord is saying here about your present suffering. Through suffering and death, I pass to a throne. in eternal glory. Suffering precedes glory. So what does he tell us? By my example, you can see that loss and suffering and even death are the way for you to gain. Or are the way to real life. So my kingdom is not far away in imaginary. Some of you are going to be as perceive it. You’ll be assured of it before you die. So don’t be discouraged and give up. Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and I will help and strengthen you and crush all your enemies under your feet. Now let me say this also. Dispensationalists and others are still awaiting Christ’s reign. They keep putting it into the future. If your theology doesn’t receive Christ, or perceive Christ as already reigning, then you’re going to fail to benefit from the fact that he is reigning right now. Christ is presently ruling and judging this world. He presently is the king of kings. He is the blessed and only potentate, as Paul calls him in 1 Timothy 615. We may appeal to him in his office as judge. As we sing many of the Psalms, you’re going to see appeal to the judge. Christ. the judge to help us. To advance his kingdom to crush and destroy the enemies of the church. Kiss the sun lest he be angry and you perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed or all they that put their trust in him is our message today. This is the powerful Christ we serve. Let no one detract from this truth by denying Christ’s present in From him. Let me close. gain is the undoing of many people. Avoiding the cross is the way to lose your life. No hope for your soul if you desert Christ. Bair your cross will ultimately be rewarded in suffering is the pathway to glory. That’s what I think Jesus is saying. There’s a reason why you should bear your cross. Let’s have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we pray that you would be merciful to us. forgive us of our sins be gracious to us and give us strength help us to trust in you as our Lord King and Savior and bless your word to us we pray this morning in Jesus name amen now this morning we want to observe the Lord’s supper and to that end I would invite you to turn with me once again to the book of Song of Solomon and I’ll try to be brief this morning as we look at Song of Solomon chapter 1. I want to read verses 16 and 17. Behold thou art fair, my beloved, yea pleasant. Also our bed is green. The beams of our house are cedar and our rafters of fir. We looked at verses 1215 previously and they covered the idea of the church as the bride of Christ. Christ expressing the glory, the excellency, the sweetness that she found in Christ. Christ provides a lovely commendation of the church at verse 15 of our text. It declares how much he esteems her. My beloved is unto me a cluster, or, excuse me, behold, thou art fair, my love. Behold, thou art fair. Thou hast dove’s eyes. Here, in first, verses 16 and 17, the bride expresses how wonderful it is to know Christ. I’ll begin by saying here that we see the church is reciprocal love. Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea pleasant. Now what should be your response be to Christ’s love? We love him because he first loved us. We should express our love to him. Christ would have us express our love to Him. him. You wouldn’t love Christ otherwise. You acknowledge you would not be found beautiful if he had not been made beautiful by Christ. We looked at that verse 15 that you were made beautiful. And so we acknowledge him as beautiful. Now what’s most important here is that Christ’s beauty is innate. Our beauty is derived. He gives us our beauty. He’s always beautiful. He’s never been anything but lovely and fair. He’s also pleasant or delightful or sweet. How wonderful it is to know Jesus Christ to enjoy his love, to be drawn close to him as his bride, to be granted his gifts and graces, to fellowship with him and so forth. The church is reciprocal love. The fruitfulness of the church’s marriage bed. The is taken up here in the second part of verse 16 when he says, our bed is green. Your close fellowship with Christ is spoken of. The marriage bed is about as close as you can get in a human marriage. And so we find here that the church is saying our bed is flourishing. It is prospering. You know, in springtime, everything gets watered in it. becomes green. You look outdoors and everything, the grass is green, the trees are green, everything’s green. I think that’s what the word means here. It carries that idea. So the thought here is this. The church should not be barren, but it should bring forth children unto the Lord. He will make it so, but it’s our duty to pursue that end. Isaiah 54 is interesting. There are three passages I’m going to read quickly to you. Sing, O Baron, thou that doth not bear. Break forth into singing and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child. First, you didn’t have any child. Then verse six, The Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth. I made you my wife. When thou wast refused, saith the Lord, by God. the Lord received us. He took us in. And then what? Verse 13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children. You’re going to have children. And they’ll all know the Lord. They’ll be taught of me. The church’s children then are the converts, the ones that are brought to know Christ. Touched as we read in First John, or Second John, chapter one, the verse one. The elder on the elect lady and her children. The elect lady is the church, the children are the converts, the young converts of the church. We sing it in Psalm 45, the warrior king’s marriage. Then in thy father’s stead, thy children thou shalt take. And everywhere in all the earth, them noble, princes make. That’s what we’re singing about. That we’re bringing forth children in a sense, by the teaching and training that comes from the word of God. They are made noble princes in the earth. The fruitfulness of the church’s marriage back. We also see thirdly, the protection of Christ’s church in verse 17. Now, when it speaks here about the, The beams of our house are cedar and our rafters of fur. Our house refers to the church as the house of God. As we read in 1 Timothy 315, the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar, and ground of the church. Cedar is a very hard wood without knots and it’s never wormyed. It lasts so long, some of it’s considered it imperishable. fur here that’s mentioned is usually understood as cypress in septuogen it’s translated as cypress a very hard fragrant very durable wood in fact there was a a statue of Jupiter that was made out of Cyprus for 700 years it sat out and the elements and everything else and they said there was no element of decay on it whatsoever now the beams and afters refer to the roof of this house. And I think the idea is we have the protection of a ceiling that is very durable and lasting. Look at the materials that are used. The church is shielded very well. It’s protected by Christ. In verse 6 of this chapter, we read about, I am blessed. but calmly here because she sits out in the sun the sun has beat down upon her. We talked about the suffering and the persecution she goes through. But there’s a sense in which the Lord shields his people, protects his church. We’re indestructible. The gates of hell cannot prevail against us. Christ’s protection overshadows us. Like the cloud that overshadowed Israel’s they traveled through the wilderness. it protected them from the heat of the desert sun. So let me make three comments on this briefly with regard to the supper this morning. I think Christ expects us to reciprocate his love that he is shown for us. And what greater love could a man have than he lays down his life for his friends? And what a better time then? For you to meditate on the love. love of Christ and thank him, then at the Lord’s Supper. Secondly, the Lord’s Supper remind you that Christ has purchased a people for himself. Out of love for Christ, we should seek to bring others to the Savior that the church’s bed may be flourishing. For Christ has a people that he has died for to save, and they will be saved. And lastly, Keep in mind when you come to the Lord’s supper that Christ’s death guarantees your salvation. It is a protection for us. Christ never loses any of those who have been given to him as the mediator for whom he dies. We’re protected by Christ. We ought to be very thankful for that too. Well, let us come to the table this morning with these brief thoughts in mind.