This past winter, I led a Sunday school class to teach on critical theory and some of the worldview issues associated with the present social justice movement in groups like Black Lives Matter. And one of the handouts I presented to our Sunday school class was from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is part of the Smithsonian. It was an actual brochure they produced, and it was entitled, Aspects of Whiteness and White Culture in the United States. And I want to share just a few of the aspects of whiteness with you. And again, these are directly from the brochure. An understanding that the husband is a breadwinner and the head of the household. The wife is a homemaker and subordinate to her husband. Hard work pays off and is a key to success. The nuclear family made up of a father and mother and X number of children. A respect for authority. And those are just a few things that characterize whiteness. The problem, dear ones, is that isn't really whiteness, that's the first two chapters of Genesis. And I don't share that to be inflammatory, but just to present you with the kind of challenge we are facing in our day against the family. It comes in every generation, different sizes and shapes and styles, but there's always an attack upon the family. Because it's something God's ordained. And he's ordained it for the good of man and for the good of his people. God created man as husband and father. He gave the man work to do. He created a woman to be a wife and a mother to be his helpmate. God himself established the first marriage and in some sense was the one who presided and gave away the bride. He gave the command, be fruitful and multiply. In other words, have a big old family. Those things aren't cultural conventions. They're not social constructs. They're creation ordinances we find in the Garden of Eden. This morning I want us to look at Psalm 128 and think about the blessings of a godly family. And as we read this psalm, see if you can identify with these elements. Labor? Wife? Children? You'll also want to see if you can detect any language that might remind you of a card. But before we read Psalm 128, let's ask for the Lord's blessing. Our great God in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you that it's true. We thank you it's eternally settled in the heavens. We thank you, O God, that the Holy Spirit carried along men of old to record these great truths, works now in us and among us, not only to illumine our eyes, but to write these truths upon our hearts. So we look to you and we depend upon you to help us during this time. As the words read, as it's preached, and as it's heard, give us ears to hear. We ask in Jesus' name, amen. Then let me ask you to open up your copy of scripture to Psalm 128. Psalm 128. Psalm 128, this is the true word of God. Song of ascents. Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Yes, may you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever. May he bless it to our hearts this morning. Dearest congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we've been using the Trinity Psalter now for a couple years. The hymn book. And I love it. Our URC and OPC brothers did a fantastic job putting it together, but every so often I am reminded that there are a few selections that I wish had made the cut that didn't make the cut. And one of those is a great classic by Isaac Watts. We're marching to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God. I love that hymn and I love singing it when we come to worship God. It has a way of filling your heart with exuberant joy as you prepare to come into God's presence. And I suspect that's how a great many Israelites felt when they sang the Songs of Ascent. These are the songs Israel would sing when they made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship God for the three mandatory festivals. Psalms 120 through 134 are the 15 Songs of Ascent or Psalms of Ascent. Psalm 127 and 128 are sometimes spoken of as domestic psalms because they speak very distinctly of Israel's home life or their family life. And our psalm this morning, Psalm 128 is sometimes referred to as a wedding song. In fact, it's common even today for Orthodox Jews to sing it at weddings and if you ever go to a Greek Orthodox wedding, they chant this psalm as the husband and bride are making their way to the front of the sanctuary. That's because the psalm exalts God's design for the covenant family and it speaks marvelously of God's desire to bless that You see, this really is a psalm of blessing, a family blessing. Look there in verse one, blessed is everyone who fears the Lord. Verse two, you shall be happy. Same word for blessed. You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. Verse four, you shall, this man, excuse me, this shall the man be blessed. Verse five, the Lord bless you out of Zion. Blessing, blessing, blessing. Well, what is a blessing? That's actually not the easiest thing to define, although it's a term that gets used a lot in our community. Just yesterday when I was driving back from Detroit, don't tell my wife this, but I stopped at Tim Horton not only to get coffee but to get a donut, and a young woman said to me, have a blessed day. I almost stopped and asked her what she meant by it. But I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. I was in a hurry. And I think I understood what she was getting at. With just a little bit of religious veneer, she was telling me to have a nice day. And that's cool. I appreciate it as a kindness. But that's not what biblical blessings are. So let me give you my definition. This is a short definition. In the Bible, a blessing from God is a proclamation that God intends you to know of and experience His abundant goodness and all the good things He has for you when walking in His ways. Let me say that again. In the Bible, a blessing from God is a proclamation that God intends you to know of and experience His abundant goodness and all the good things He has for you when walking in His ways. And really, the whole Bible is one long exposition. of God's blessedness. And that begins literally in the beginning, right? In Genesis 1, 27 and 28, we're told God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him. Male and female He created them. Then God blessed them. And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Did you hear that, by the way? Man, woman, blessing, Lots of babies, meaningful work, right there in the opening of the Bible. And even after the fall and after the flood, when Noah and his family were off the ark in Genesis 9-1, it says, so God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Do you know what the Lord said to Noah? This is my paraphrase. Noah, tell those boys you want a lot of grandbabies. Right? That's the gist of it. Then in Genesis 12, when God called Abraham, he promised to the patriarch, I'll make you a great nation, I will bless you. And I'll make your name great and you shall be a blessing. And I'll bless those who bless you and I'll curse those who curse you. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. The first word of the first Psalm is blessed. Fast forward to the New Testament when Jesus preached his most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. He explained what people who follow the ethics of his kingdom will know. They will know blessing. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. And so on again, blessing and blessing and blessing and blessing. And this can be hard, especially if you're a Reformed Presbyterian type, to acknowledge that God wants us to be blessed. He wants us to know and experience His goodness and abundance in such profound ways that our lives are characterized by joy and satisfaction and fulfillment and contentment and a deep-seated spiritual happiness. I almost entitled this first point, being a consistent Presbyterian. Let me tell you why. Even if you have very little knowledge of Presbyterianism, most of you probably heard the first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. For some reason, we skip out on that part of Presbyterians. And you might be thinking, well, that sounds great. Blessing, goodness, satisfaction, joy. But that doesn't describe my experience. That may be because you're expecting God's blessing where he hasn't promised it, right? When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, he explained those wonderful choice blessings will inhabit a life of godliness. And that's what our psalmist is telling us this morning. The place to experience true spiritual happiness and deep soulful joy is in fearing the Lord. The home address of blessing is fearing God. Do you see that in verse one, that first sentence, blessed is everyone who fears the Lord. And then verse four, behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. Now remember, fearing the Lord doesn't mean living in terror. Being afraid, God is watching your every move, just waiting to clobber you. Fear of the Lord is not like watching a horror movie in which you're the victim, hiding in the closet, waiting for the murderous axe wielder to get to you. No, no, no. Fearing God is an affectionate, in its sense of reverent awe and wonder. It's contemplating the holiness, the majesty, the supremacy, the power of God. It's knowing that He created and numbered the stars. He's that great and yet He's mindful of you. He knows you by your name. Fearing God's familial astonishment, that God is who he is and he's decided to know you and love you. It's an affectionate reverence. So if you wanna know God's blessing, that's the starting place. A disposition that fears the Lord. But the fear of the Lord is more than a disposition. It's a way of life. Did you see that there in the end of verse 1? Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. Who walks in His ways. Now we have to know up front, it's not our nature to walk in His ways. As sinners, It's our nature to walk in our own way, to chart our own course, to live life in our own terms. In short, our nature is to sin, to run away from God. And the Old Testament tells us that's why Jesus, the promised Messiah, would have to come. Because that's the trajectory of sinners. Listen how that's described for us in Isaiah 53, 6. All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord's laid on him the iniquity of us all. See, the only way we're going to be able to experience God's blessing is to walk in his ways. The only way we can pursue walking in his ways is by coming to Christ. who bore our iniquities on the cross, who died in our place as our substitute, who gave His life for the payment of our own sins. You see, Jesus is the only way and the truth, and the life is the only way to the Father. He's the only way to know God's blessing. And then a life of blessing comes by walking in His ways. not walking as men and women and young people who are obedient to his word. You know, that's how the Psalter begins. If you go all the way back to Psalm 1 verses 1 and 2, it says, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and is in his law. He meditates on it day and night. And Psalm 119.1 gloriously begins, Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord. You see, dear friends, this is a basic truth. A very basic truth. Part of me wishes I could come up with a super analogy or some kind of captivating illustration to make the point, but it's really this simple to know and experience the fullness of God's blessing. We just simply have to give ourselves to Jesus and walk in obedience. There's not a formula to be followed. There's not a series of steps to take. It's simply this, trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. Now this is a truth that applies to all people. The promise of blessing is for everyone who fears the Lord. But you probably noticed in verse four, the text specifically addresses a godly man. And explains if you fear the Lord, these are some of the places. where you're gonna be able to identify God's blessing. If you are a man of God who fears the Lord, walking in the Lord's ways, here's some of the places you'll be able to know the Lord's blessing. And you know what he describes? Listen to this. In your job, with your wife, your children, and your church. Wow. It's pretty basic stuff, isn't it? Your job, your wife, your children, and your church. Now, before I look at these, and I'm gonna look at them briefly, Sort of a caveat needs to be offered. Psalm 128, like Psalm 127, and many other psalms are sometimes identified as wisdom psalms. And what that means is like any other wisdom literature, there are general promises to the covenant community. There are general promises. And that means you don't interpret them literally as hard, fast rules. What does that mean? It means if you're a young godly man and you're not married or you haven't found a wife as quickly as you want to, does that mean you're not blessed? No. If you're single, does that mean you're not blessed? No. If you're a godly man and you find a godly woman and you get married and you haven't had children or you haven't had as many children as you want to have, does that mean you're not blessed? No. But our passage is describing the ordinary And we need to make sure we don't miss what's ordinary and normal because we get over-concerned for the exception. And you see, I believe a well-ordered, God-fearing family with a man, labor, a wife, children, and fruitfulness is actually a bit of a reflection of Eden, of the garden, right? And our text tells us something marvelous. A God-fearing man, one who by faith walks in the ways of the Lord, ought to expect blessings and seek to cultivate blessings in regard to his job, his wife, his children, and his church. So his job, listen to verse two, when you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy and it shall be well with you. When you go out and you engage in your vocation and you provide for your family, that's a source A blessing. The New King James translates that as happy. That's a perfectly fine translation, happy, could just as easily be the word blessed. Now some of you, I know many of you know your Bible, you might be thinking, but after the fall, isn't our labor hard and won't we have to sweat? And if that's the case, how is that a blessing? I think it's here on one level to say, It's a little bit of a reversal of the fall. Just a little picture of that. And because in Christ none of our labor is ever in vain. Because we're men and women and young people who labor in the context of being redeemed. Yes, it will be hard. But it's meaningful because it's the Lord's provision for a godly man to provide for his family. What an important truth. And one that was pretty much commonsensical until about 40 years ago. And you know this, right? When you sit at the dinner table with your family, you have the satisfaction of knowing you've provided for them. And you praise God because he gave you everything you needed to do the providing. The gifts, the abilities, the ambition, the opportunities, it comes from Him. Providing for your family is a joy. And the promise isn't that you'll be rich, but that there will be real blessing in supplying the needs of your godly family. Listen how the preacher puts it in Ecclesiastes 3, 12 and 13. I know that nothing is better than for every man to eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor. It's a gift of God. And listen how he goes on to say it again in Ecclesiastes 5, 18. Here's what I've seen. It's good and fitting for one to eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him. Again, this doesn't necessarily mean living the high life. Proverbs 15-16 tells us, better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with trouble with it. But there's immense joy when you can look into the precious face of your wife and your little ones and know God provided it for you so you can provide for them. And this is a calling of godly men to actually provide for your wives. And it's a high and holy calling. And one of the questions that you might have as people who seek to walk with the Lord, I've heard people can make their vocation an idol. Go back to the first point. Not if you're fearing the Lord. Not if you know who he is. Not if you know why you have your gifts and abilities. Not if you know why you can do the things you can do. That's where you find your contentment. And then whatever gifts God gives you to provide for your family, it becomes a source of joy. And then there's the blessing of a godly wife. Glance here at the first half of verse three. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house. Again, keep in mind, this is the ideal. It's the ordinary way of blessing. And it's a picture of a dear godly wife and mother that's a delight to her household. This imagery of a fruitful vine, it certainly has to do with bearing children. And that's one of the purposes of marriage. We've kind of lost that, right? I mean, marriage is for companionship and procreation. I kind of lost the procreation part, but that's God's design too. Be fruitful and multiply. It was not good for Adam to be alone. That's companionship. Be fruitful and multiply. That's make babies. But the imagery here is more than just procreation. Like wine, which is the fruit of the vine, this kind of woman in a godly home, in a godly setting, she's going to make the heart merry. It's really a remarkable way to describe a godly wife and mom. She's able to make the home and environment a place of joy and a place of fruitfulness. Listen how Dr. James Boyce describes this. Actually in the Bible, the vine with its grapes is a symbol of refreshment and lavish enjoyment and it's linked to times of national and family celebration. Wine stands for harvest abundance. At the end of a long dry summer, it's gladness in the heart of man. The psalm is promising that however, excuse me, the psalm is providing that however hard the day-to-day work in the field may be for a laboring man. To come home to a good wife is somewhat like coming home to harvest. It's a time to forget the hard summer and to enjoy God's bounty. What a wonderful picture, what a blessing a woman can be that creates that kind of home. And again, what a high and holy, holy calling that is from God. That a woman can establish that atmosphere in the home. And I know for some, you're thinking, what are you talking about, Willis? That doesn't work with me. Because culturally, it's hammered into us that godly homemaking, being an awesome wife and mother isn't enough. There's got to be more to it, and if there's not more to it, you won't be fulfilled, you won't be satisfied. Let me explain to you, there's a really technical theological word that explains this. You can write that down. Poppycock. And listen, this doesn't mean that a woman shouldn't work outside of the home or be engaged in all sorts of things. It certainly does. They're gifted to do so many things and the church should esteem those things. I mean, a Proverbs 31 woman is able to function on many more levels than I can. She's an entrepreneur, she's one who cared deeply for the poor and needy, but her focus, her focus was on being a wife and a mom, and her children rise up and call her blessed, and her husband also, he praises her. Right? It's not either or, but that is the calling. And we want to esteem that, and it's noteworthy that what drove the Proverbs 31 woman is the same thing that drives a godly man. Right? Listen to Proverbs 31.1. Charms deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. What great and lasting joys there are in a home where you have a husband and a wife, a dad and a mom who fear the Lord. This is a place where you expect to see and experience the blessing of the Lord. Our psalm centers on a godly man who fears the Lord, he's blessed to eat the fruit of his labor, he's blessed with a God-fearing wife, and thirdly, enjoys the blessing of children. We see that in the last half of verse three. Your children, like olive plants, all around your table. Again, what a beautiful picture. Now the image of olive shoots is not as familiar for us as the image of the vine, but for Israel, both vines and olive trees were part of God's promised blessing in the promised land. But it's not 128 that the children here are depicted as olive shoots, sprouts. And olive sprouts or olive shoots, they would go into the ground, they would come up so quick. I mean, we would use this expression, they're growing like weeds, right? But olive trees are very strong trees. When they're growing up, even with all that speed, they need a lot of protection, they need a lot of cultivation, and they need a good bit of time to mature. And it's not hard to see how that would apply, right? That's just what the little olive shoots gathered around your table. this afternoon at lunch need. A God-fearing mom and dad who will protect and cultivate their little ones with the goal of maturity in Christ. And you know what? That's what Vinny and Emily committed, if you were listening, in the vow, right? In humble reliance upon divine grace that they'll endeavor to set before those little ones Byron and Presley, a godly example. that you'll pray with and for them, that you'll teach them the doctrines of our holy religion, that you'll strive by all the means that God's appointed to bring them up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. That's what they said they wanted to do. That's what a godly man and woman want to do with and for their children. I know I say this a lot, but there's nothing more important to this. Nothing is more important than this. There's nothing a parent can do that's more important than cultivating these tender little olive shoots, protecting and praying and teaching them the things of Christ. Reading the Bible with them at home, praying with them, praying for them. Teaching them and parenting them in the context of the law and the gospel, because they need both. They need to know there's a standard. They need to know when the standards are not met, there's grace and forgiveness. They need to know that a loving father chastises those he loves. They need to know that even when they've been chastised, nothing can separate them from their father's love. They need to see that in the home so they can begin to apprehend that in the gospel, you see? Nothing's more important than that. Nothing. Nothing. As a small church, you get to know everyone so, so well. I love the so deeply. I want them to thrive. I want them to have careers that are awesome. I want them to have families. I want them to have friendships and relationships that are delight. But mostly I want them to know Jesus because that's what matters. Parents want all those things for their kids. They should want all those things for their kids. How could you love them and not want all those things for your kids? But mostly you gotta want them to know Christ. Well, a godly man who fears the Lord and walks by faith ought to expect blessings and seek to cultivate blessings in regard to his job, his wife, his children, and finally, and very briefly, his church. Look at verse five. The Lord bless you out of Zion. And may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Now this is a psalm of ascent. So imagine this, you're a pilgrim family making your way to Jerusalem. You get there, you've offered the sacrifice for the particular festival. The priest has given you a homily, verses two through four. A little mini sermon, right? And then you're about to go home and the priest says, the Lord bless you. out of Zion. This is a little benediction. And may the good of Jerusalem be seen by you all the days of your life. You see, the blessed man's come into the Lord's presence, he's received the Lord's blessing, and now he goes from Jerusalem and from Zion with that blessing. And of course, the New Testament tells us that Zion and Jerusalem, they're pictures of the church. Right? We see this wonderful picture here of the godly family so intimately related, particularly the godly dad, with the church. Why is the church so important? Because it's where God has given the ordinances. It's where the word of God is preached corporately in worship. It's where we have the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. God's entrusted those to the church. The church is a place of blessing. I know for some, we don't think of it that way. We think of it as either a utilitarian need or maybe a place we don't really want to be all that involved with. But that's not how the Bible sees it. It's a place to be blessed. And that blessing in Zion carries forward and carries back into our homes in the most wonderful way. And this blessed man has not only offered this blessing in his day, but all the days of his life. And then I just wanna quickly wrap up with the way this blessing even points to the future. Yes, may you see your children as children. Peace be upon Israel, right? See, this is a godly man who provides for his family, delights in the life of his youth, raises his children to fear and love, The Lord Jesus, He's blessed in the church, He's concerned with the church, He prays for the church, wants to see the church advance. And He longs for that day when He'll see those covenant promises extend to His children, and His children's children, and their children's children, from one generation to the next. By the way, that's covenant theology. That's why we baptize. Because we believe those promises are communicated chiefly one generation to the next. Until the day will come, and the Lord will gather us all home, and we will be the family of God. And there in glory, there will be peace for Israel for all eternity. Amen. Now let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for your word. We thank you that it instructs our hearts, it shapes our mind, it even empowers us by your spirit to act and do. And we pray this word would be effective in the lives of the men and women and young people here. We might not be merely hearers of your good word, but also doers. And we would be godly families that expect and anticipate the Lord to bless. Grant us this, we ask in Jesus' name, amen. Well, brothers and sisters, we now have the opportunity to celebrate the holy sacrament of communion. And this is the Lord's table that's set before us. It's a feast that's offered to God's people. But as a church, we fence the table. And what that means is we try to make it as clear as we can who's invited to participate in this sacrament. Because you see, this isn't my table. It's not Redeemer Presbyterian Church's table. It's the table that the Lord Jesus has given his church, so he gets to set the parameters of who can come and participate. And this is a table for all those who are trusting in the Lord Jesus, holy for their salvation, that they are not looking at your good works, at how nice you are, at your church attendance, all the wonderful things you've done in the past month, therefore I can come, no. This is for people who say, I'm a sinner. My only hope is the finished work of Jesus. Now if that's you, if you're trusting in Christ for your salvation, and you're a member in good standing of a Bible-believing evangelical church, then participate in this sacrament as the elements come by. If that doesn't describe you, then simply let the elements pass, that's perfectly alright, but it is a table of the Lord. Now, as we prepare to come to this table, what we do is confess with the historic church what we believe, using the Apostles' Creed, and you can find that in the back of your hymnal, on page 851. Now this is also part of offensing the table, because I'm gonna ask you what you believe, and when you read this aloud, and that's what we do, you're confessing before God that you actually believe these truths. So page 851, Christian, what do you believe? I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Now what we do is, I'm gonna read Psalm 113. verses 1 to 9, and then I have a meditation printed in your bulletin. You can either follow along or just listen to it, depending on how you best learn. But hear the Word of God. This is Psalm 113, verses 1 through 9. Praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. From the rising of the sun till it's going down, then Lord's name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens. Who's like the Lord our God who dwells on high, who humbles himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that he may seat him with princes, with the princes of his people. He grants the barren woman a home like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord. This meditation comes from a dear Puritan, George Swinnick. I've paraphrased and updated some of the language, but it's essentially his. He writes, at such a banquet as this, you ought to be filled with thanksgiving. The Jews did it their Passover in singing Psalm 113 and the five following Hallelujah Psalms. A Christian should, in everything and at all times, give thanks, but at a sacrament. The great Hallelujah must be sung. Then God must have great thanks. Then we must, with our souls, bless the Lord, and with all that's within us, praise His holy name. Dear Christian, this is a feast. And a feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry. Friend, is not this a rare feast? Where's that cheerful face? Is not there good wine, a cup of nectar indeed, the blood of the Son of God here? The cup in the sacrament is called the Eucharist cup or the cup of blessing. Let it be so to you. Let your heart and mouth say, blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who's visited and redeemed his people. Can you fathom the infinite love which God manifested to your soul? His heart was so set upon your salvation, His love was so great to your soul, that He delighted in the very death of His Son because it tended to your good. It pleased the Lord to bruise Him. Surely the mind of God was infinitely set upon the recovery of lost sinners. If a natural parent loses a child to a violent death, he'll follow them to the grave with tears. The father subjected his son to a barbarous death because his death tended toward our eternal health and welfare. Dear friend, what manner of love the father's bestowed on you. He gave his own son up to the cross that you might escape wrath. His own son to be condemned that you might be acquitted. His own Son to be whipped and wounded that you might be cured and healed. Yea, His own Son to die a shameful, cursed death that you might live a glorious, blessed life forever. Alas, how unworthy you are of this inestimable mercy. The Lord's Supper, being one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian religion, is a lively representation of my dearest Savior's death and blessed affection and a real taste of that eternal banquet which you and I shall hereafter eat in my Father's house at His own table. May our souls be so thoroughly affected with Christ's special presence at this sacred ordinance that we may both prepare for it and proceed at it with all possible seriousness and diligence. And when our souls have feasted with marrow and fatness, Lord, let my mouth praise you with joyful lips. Pray with me, brothers and sisters. Our great God in Heaven, we thank You that You've given us this table. We're thankful when Your people take this wonderful sacrament. They proclaim the Lord's death. We thank You that it is a meal to nourish our souls and to bless us. We pray that those who participate reach out with the empty hand of faith to take these very common elements to know that they signify Christ and Him crucified. for our souls. Bless us. Bless us and help us to delight in your salvation as we come and take of this great supper. We ask in Jesus' name, Amen.