Standing in Awe of Christ’s Forgiveness | Mark 15:16-20 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark)

That was singing with joy. But I wanna let you know that our worship did not just end. It's continuing. When we sit to hear God's word, that is worship. And worship is not limited to singing songs either.

That's praise. Worship is much broader than singing a few songs. And so our hearts now are ready to continue to worship as we hear God's voice through God's word. I want us to just pray one more time. My brother prayed beautifully, but it is a habit of mine to do so.

So please join me again. Help us to worship you, Lord. Help us to keep your eyes on you. Energize every faculty of our being. Give us the grace that we need to absorb every truth that you desire to convey.

Lord, show us your son, Jesus Christ. Oh, Lord, please. He is our delight, and we want him to be our greater delight. And we know that you'll help us through your word as you sanctify us in the truth. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. In Psalm one thirty verse four, the psalmist says to the Lord, but with you there is forgiveness that you may be feared. The correlation between forgiveness and fear may be startling to some, perhaps confusing to others, because those two ideas don't seem to belong in the same thought. How does forgiveness provoke fear? Should it not instead elicit joy, relief?

Should it not cause us to expect an inner freedom as we experience God's forgiveness? Those rewards are indeed included, but the Holy Spirit highlights in this passage that God's forgiveness produces a level of fear. How do we make sense of this? Well, I think it helps to understand what the Bible means with the word fear, especially as it pertains to our fear of God. According to the scriptures, to fear God is synonymous with standing in awe of him stated in Psalm 33 verse eight.

So if fearing God means that I respond and I remain in a position and posture of awe, then we can understand Psalm one thirty verse four as follows, but with you there is forgiveness that we may stand in awe of you. And there are many aspects of God's forgiveness that should inspire awestruck wonder. Consider the availability of it. The very fact that this holy God even makes forgiveness possible is awesome. Perhaps the inclusiveness of it, that he does not discriminate with his forgiveness.

His arms are very wide. His heart is very open to call any sinner to experience his pardon. How about the frequency of it? Peter thought he impressed Jesus when he asked about forgiveness and said, yeah, seven times, and Jesus multiplied that in a day, numbering around the four hundreds. There are so many aspects, so many components about God's forgiveness that is capable of melting the sinner's calloused heart when properly understood.

But today, I wanna present to you one of the most staggering features about God's forgiveness, and it is this, the price of it. If there is any hope for our hearts to fear the Lord in light of his forgiveness, then we must keep in mind the high cost of his great provision, his greatest provision of mercy, namely in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. What we're going to read in a moment is one of the most unsettling and alarming scenes in all of the Bible because it gives us a sample of the voluntary sufferings of Jesus Christ. We are about to behold together just a glimpse of the pain, the horror, the humiliation that the Lord Jesus endured to purchase and secure your salvation and mine. And this snapshot of Christ's agony is incredibly valuable because it invites us to perceive both the severity of sin and the magnitude of God's love.

Severity of sin because we are going to see the brutality that was inflicted against the son of God because he became the sin bearer of the world. And that is what was necessary to satisfy humanity's immense debt before a holy God. The magnitude of God's love because Christ here, though excruciatingly in in humiliation was tortured, he could have instantly put it to an end. With one word, he told us that he could call upon the father and the father in a split second would release legions of angels to sweep him out of that place, bring him into glory, and leave all of the world condemned for eternity because of an incomplete salvation. But he didn't do that.

He endured every lash. He embraced every striking blow. He accepted every second of sickening mockery. Why? Because the Bible says, for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross.

What was the object of his joy? Obeying the father's will? Surely. But you and I also are included in that joy, that he would bring you and I into his fold and to his presence forever. I want us to also consider that and remember this, that every part of the bible contains practical instruction.

Every aspect of the scriptures provides personal instruction. Every part. Even within the framework of Christ's death. And if that's hard for you to grasp, then let me give you one example of how even the New Testament authors believe this. Remember, the past two weeks, we've been beholding Jesus Christ standing on trial before Pilate, and and that was a unique interaction, was it not?

But I want you to see how Paul uses this and exhorts Timothy with it. So turn with me in your Bibles to first Timothy chapter six and look at verse 13 with me. And the reason why I'm showing you this is so that your faith and mine can be built up in believing that every aspect of the scriptures wants to speak to you. Speak to you not just about Christ, but about you in Christ. First Timothy six thirteen.

I charge you in the presence of God who gives life to all things and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession. To keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you see it? We've been studying about Pilate the past two weeks and here is now Paul, a spiritual father, trying to inspire his timid spiritual son and he points to the greatest example of courage and boldness. It's as though Paul is saying to Timothy, remember how Jesus stood alone, Timothy.

Remember how he was left abandoned, Timothy. And remember how he was faced by the interrogation of the Roman government. And yet he was not ashamed nor did he shrink back from affirming who he was even though he knew it would cost him his life. Imitate that, Timothy. Another way to put it is in the same way that Jesus Christ confirmed his identity, though it would cost him everything, so you, pastor Tim, do not be ashamed to confess his identity before anybody.

So even looking at the passion of the Christ has practical instruction for us, and it is no different from what we are about to study together this Sunday. So let us read our main text in Mark 15 beginning in verse 16. I'm inviting you today to stand in awe of Christ's forgiveness. Mark 15 beginning in verse 16. It is amazing how we are approaching the end of this gospel.

And the soldiers led him away inside the palace that is the governor's headquarters, and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, hail, king of the Jews. And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him and they let him out to crucify him.

Pilate surrendered to the bloodthirsty desires of the Pharisees and the Jews. And after doing so, we read of this band of soldiers that led him away inside a particular location to continue their cruelty. You have to remember something from verse 15. Look at it very quickly. So Pilate wishing to satisfy the crowd released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Before Christ was mocked in the way that we just read, he was flogged by the Romans. The Roman flogging experience was horrific. History has much to tell us about how this happened. And one of the most brutal expressions of this kind of punishment was experienced through what is known as the Roman flagrum. Specifically with a device, it was not too long, it was short enough, and because it was necessary for accuracy, it was a handle that had leather straps attached to it, and knotted on those leather straps were weights and shards of sharp bones and metal fragments.

And that instrument of torture had one specific purpose in its design, to rip off human flesh when it came into contact with it. And this kind of weapon was held in the hands of professional torturers. This is what they did for a living. And so the victim would be tied to a pole, specifically with his hands, and he would be stripped naked. And these soldiers would alternate in beating this victim, this criminal, until his skin hung like ribbons, until arteries and veins ripped open.

And to to some extent, in many cases, until organs were exposed. This was savage. It was brutal. And there were different levels of offering this kind of punishment, but it would often prove to be fatal. The trauma and the blood loss explains that.

For less severe offenses, it would produce such a scarring, but also free advertisement. So that as these victims would walk the streets of Jerusalem or any other part of the world, people would understand, don't mess with Rome. But the worst of the worst of flagging was reserved for the most despised criminals. Crucifixion wasn't enough. What Jesus experienced under this kind of experience was in preparation for the crucifixion.

It's almost as though they would beat you and beat you until you're one step away from death and then they would pull away. You have to understand that there was a type of flogging under Jewish law for specific crimes, but there was a limit to the lashes. No more than 40. No such thing existed under Roman law. It was left up to the cruel discretion of those tortures.

So Jesus here experiences this scourging. We're told about it in one word but, oh, if you just look into it a little bit, you would be a very cold person to not be moved by the imagination of this. After that, the soldiers led him away. And I want you to notice here that they didn't just lead him away with a handful of soldiers, we're told here that the whole battalion was called. This was a large body of soldiers usually numbering around 600 people.

So you had 600 people who were invited to participate in this, not because it required 600 people, but because Christ's butchery became a show. You have to understand that the Romans didn't feel too nicely about the Jews. The Jews didn't feel too great about the Romans, and so you can imagine the pent up frustration and the anger and the hatred that energized these soldiers. So you can just imagine the atmosphere as Christ is there, silent, embracing this kind of fate. But there's somebody or some group of people that are missing from this audience, and it may surprise us.

Remember, this took place where? Look again at verse 16. The governor's headquarters, we've seen that before if you've read the gospel accounts. And let me remind you of what the Jews decided to do upon their arrival to Pilate with Jesus in their hands. Turn to John eighteen twenty eight.

It says here, then they, they being the religious leaders who were seeking to condemn Jesus, then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. So Pilate went outside to them and said, what accusation do you bring against this man? So we read in Mark that they brought Jesus into the headquarters, but we realize here in John that the Jewish leaders stood outside.

Why? Because they did not want to risk coming into contact with something or someone that would contaminate them and then thus disqualifying them from experiencing the Passover feast. Now you have to understand that there is no law, no injection from Moses prohibiting Jews from entering the house of Gentiles. This was a tradition later developed as a precaution. But do you see the irony here?

Here you have a band of religious men refusing to get into a place fearing ritual contamination, all the while they are plotting the murder of an innocent man out of cancerous envy. The hideousness of hypocrisy. Religious hypocrisy. And this is not unique to the Pharisees, is it? It didn't end with them.

How many people today emphasize strict adherence to traditions while overlooking what really matters? So they're willing to murder but God forbid that we come into contact with something that would render us disqualified to eat the Passover feast. How many inflate petty laws? You know some people, I'm sure, while ignoring true righteousness. Again, this deliberate inconsistency of the Pharisees did not begin with him nor did it end with him.

I I think of a little detail connected to Bathsheba. You remember Bathsheba? When we are introduced to her, when David commits that notorious sin, I want you to turn to that passage just for me to confirm this point from second Samuel chapter 11. Turn with me to the left side of your bible. Look at second Samuel 11 verse four.

This is after David was eyeing Bathsheba from his rooftop. He was supposed to be at war, but he was not at war. It is a very dangerous thing when you willingly walk outside of God's call for your life. You become very vulnerable when you know that you are supposed to be obeying God in a certain way, but you prolong that disobedience. David did so.

There was a trap laid out for him and he gave into it. Notice what it says. So David sent messengers and took her and she came to him and he lay with her. Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness, then she returned to her house. You see what's there in parentheses?

Don't skip over things like this. Meditate on it. The mention of Bathsheba's purification here alludes to the Levitical law that called for women to refrain from sexual intercourse for a certain amount of time after their monthly period. And it suggests to us that Bathsheba was not pregnant before she met with David and had intercourse with him. So that prepares us to know that when she does become pregnant, it's David's baby.

But more than that, it's a clue that she honored the law regarding her ceremonial cleanliness preparing her for sexual relations. But she had a husband. Some would even say that Bathsheba, after being proposed by David to have these relations, informed him that she was ceremonially clean. Others would believe that this means that she went on to perform ceremonial washings after her affair with David. Either way, you have the same mindset of the Pharisees just with a different sin.

Think about it. In that one verse you read of a woman who complied with ritual ceremonies and at the same time commits adultery with her husband's boss. Unfortunately, many live comfortably this way. It's one thing to slip into sin as you're pursuing the Lord. It's another thing to convince yourself, I can live this way.

And when you when you do so, without your conscience being pricked, you are failing to realize that among all the sinners that Jesus interacted with, he expressed the greatest disapproval towards hypocrites. Is there a hope for hypocrites? The Bible speaks a lot about hypocrites. You know what's fascinating about hypocrites? Even hypocrites don't like hypocrites.

Is there hope for hypocrites? There is hope for hypocrites. Who were the men who were in charge of Jesus' brutal torture? They were known as the Pharisees. Generally recognized as the expert of not theology, hypocrites.

And whenever I think about the Pharisees, in light of the gospel, in light of Christ, my mind always goes to this obscure verse found in the book of Acts, and it it never fails to warm my heart. Can I show it to you? You don't have a choice. It's in Acts 15 verse five at the Jerusalem Council. There was a theological debate about how the law of Moses should be honored in light of the new covenant, and we're told of this particular sect in that meeting.

And I want you to see it with your eyes in acts 15 verse five. This will make you smile. But some believers who belong to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, it is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses. Don't look at the the latter portion of this verse. Look at the first part.

But some believers who belong to the party of the Pharisees. See, I see some smiles. After Christ died, was buried, resurrected, after the Spirit was poured out on the church and overflowed in Jerusalem, you had some Pharisees who became believers. It's possible for hypocrites to be saved. Oh, they still struggle with understanding how things relate to the new covenant.

That's why they said what they said. But the Bible is emphatically clear. They were believers. Who's the most notorious Pharisee that we read of all the time? His name is Paul.

He says, I'm the Pharisee of the Pharisees. So this gospel is not only able to save hypocrites, it's able to save the president of hypocrites. When I came to Christ, one of my greatest struggles of understanding his willingness to forgive me was just that, being a church kid that grew up in a Christian home but was a hypocrite. But his love overcame my doubts, and I can testify that there is hope for hypocrites. Are you living a hypocritical life as I speak?

Have you soothed your conscience because you're obeying God in this area, but in this area, you know it's wrong, but you've convinced yourself somehow, someway. Let me tell you something. That's not God's will for your life. And if you're willing to believe it, there's hope for you to actually know true holiness, true righteousness, true completeness in your walk with Christ. Unfortunately, some of these Pharisees could care less.

They weren't in attendance when Jesus was being brutally handled by the hands of Rome. But let's come back to Mark 15 and look let's look at some of the aspects, the elements of this experience to further instruct us. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, hail king of the Jews. And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him.

This crown of thorns was an obvious addition to the mockery, but it was also a gruesome addition to his affliction. Notice if you read 19 very carefully, verse 19, it says that they were striking his head. So they placed this crown of thorns on his head and then they went beyond that, they took the reed and they began to drive it further into his scalp, into his forehead, into that precious face, until it was covered with flesh fresh warm blood. And as difficult as it may seem to shake off that image, the mention of thorns in connection to the price of our redemption is meant to transport you back to the very first mention of thorns in the scriptures. Let me read these verses to you after Adam and Eve committed humanity's first transgression.

In Genesis three seventeen, the Lord says to Adam, and to Adam he said, because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, you shall not eat of it. Cursed is the ground because of you, and pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you and you shall eat the plants of the field. So in the eyes of Rome, this was just scorn. But in the eyes of those who are familiar with redemptive history, they see not a symbol of disgrace, they see in fact a symbol of a curse.

You know, God called for thorns and thistles to be a permanent visual and physical reminder of the pain that sin would bring into the world. The heartache that sin did bring into the world. When you see it in your garden, you're supposed to be reminded of it, and I've done enough work in my yard to feel that pain. So every time that thing pierces you or you step on it, your mind is supposed to go, the world wasn't supposed to be like this. This is sin.

This is our rebellion. This is Adam, our federal head that plunged the world into this kind of reality. So knowing this adds commentary to what we are seeing here in Mark 15 that Jesus receiving this crowning of the thorns is not just receiving scorn, he is willing to wear a curse. For what reason? With the full knowledge that his blood would undo it and would begin the glorious process of reversing the curse.

And know this, his redemption with his blood does more than just redeem mankind, you and me, it will restore creation itself. Creation, the order of the universe will be realigned because of what Christ has done. If you don't believe me, you have to read Romans eight. Let me quote to you a few words from Romans eight twenty where creation was subjected to futility not because Paul says that there were it was willing to. The world did not want plagues and diseases and tsunamis and tornadoes and eruptions.

It was subject to futility not willingly, but because of him who subjected it. He was called to have dominion over the world, betrayed the world, and surrendered it into a whirlwind of disaster. A fractured world because of a fractured man. But Paul goes on to say that this creation, creation itself is longing for the sons of God to be revealed so that the freedom that would come from that would liberate itself from bondage. In other words, in the same way that we are yearning to be completely set free from the effects of sin, the natural world is longing for that same reality.

You know, Jesus spoke about this himself. Yes. He prioritizes you and I being saved, but Jesus himself alluded to the reality of the whole world being transformed one day. You'll see it in Matthew nineteen twenty eight. Jesus said to them, truly I say to you, he's talking to his disciples, in the new world, in the new world, the ESV renders it, in the new world, when the son of man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

Yeah. You have two options here. Either Jesus is speaking literally or he's speaking here allegorically. I'm gonna go to literal approach. He's talking about a real new world.

He's talking about an actual glorious throne. He's talking about the 12 who will sit on actual 12 thrones, and they will judge actual tribes of Israel. Now here's a question for you. Do you see how it says new world there? There's only one other place in all of the New Testament where the Greek word for new world appears.

If you know it and you say it, I'll give you a prize. Good guess, but no. The answer is found in the book of Titus. Titus chapter three verse five gives us the one other place in all of the New Testament where the Greek word for new world is made known. Notice what Paul says.

He saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Underline the word regeneration. It's the same word used. What does regeneration mean? New birth.

And in this verse, it speaks about our spiritual new birth. We have been regenerated. That's what Jesus meant in John three. You are born again. Transformed.

Renewed from the inside out. And the Holy Spirit uses the same word back in Matthew, not to describe a human experience, but what the universe will one day undergo when Christ comes back to rule and reign for a thousand years. In other words, the world will know a transformation and deliverance from sin. Why? Because Jesus Christ conquered death, and he's coming to rule and reign and make everything, absolutely everything right.

And that's why many of you mentioned Revelation. You read in Revelation 22 verse three, no longer will there be anything accursed. Not one thing will be under any curse in that new world. Specifically, when the eternal age comes in, but the throne of God and of the lamb will be in it and his servants will worship him. Can you imagine a world without a hint of Adam's curse?

It's almost hard to fathom, but that's our reward. That's where we're headed towards. And so when Jesus wears this crown of thorns and as it punctures his skin and his skull, What we have to keep in mind is that he was willing to take it because that's what was required to clean everything up. And we come back to Mark and we get the impression that as they were striking his head, spitting on him, and the word there for spitting on him was not just a couple, they were continually spitting on him. I wonder how many of those 600 people participated in that.

Spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him, and they let him out to crucify him. Again, you get the impression that from Mark's account, after this took place, they immediately rushed him off so that he can be nailed on a cross and that he would hang there suspended between heaven and earth. But that's not exactly what happened. Mark is a little bit faster here in in writing of this, but John tells us of an episode that took place between his flogging and his torture and his crucifixion.

And this is where we're gonna be ending here in John 19. This is why it's so important to collect the Bible together and to compare to see the full picture. In John 19 verse one, this is again what happened after they let him away from this and before they brought him to Golgotha. In John nineteen one we read, then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged them. We covered that already.

And the soldiers planted a crown of thorns and put it on his head and they put him on him a purple robe robe. We covered that. And said, hail king of the Jews. We've seen that. And they smote him with their hands.

Yes. But look what happens in verse four. Pilate therefore went forth again and said to them, behold, I bring him forth to you that you may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and Pilate said to them, behold the man. So again, before Jesus went to the cross, Pilate sought to do something with Christ.

He brings him out to the public eye, and he wants to showcase what they did to Jesus. For for what reason? Pilate again is desperate and hoping that now after he was battered, slapped around, punctured, bleeding, that they would have some kind of pity. And they would see this and say, wow. And that in their rage, they would have some kind of compassion.

And they would realize he's no longer a threat. And they would say, just release him. That that's enough. That would be horrific enough for them to put it to an end. But what do you read instead?

The venomous hatred that these people had for Jesus. It's as though the sight only excited them more. Because in the very next verse, we read that they said, crucify him. Finish the job. Yes.

This is what we want, but we want more. Kill him. Saying, this is crazy. This is hard to believe. No.

This is the potential of man's hatred for God. And so Pilate said, this this is beyond hope. If after all this, you still wanna kill him, he finally gives in as we studied. But I wonder if this man knew the words that he said, at least the significance of them. You know, when people say things, sometimes they don't know what they're saying.

There are some who say things and they don't realize how foolish their statement or their reaction was, while others speak with a profoundness that they don't even recognize. And I believe when Pilate said those three words, behold the man, he did not comprehend what we should be familiar with in light of God's word. Remember, Caiaphas accidentally prophesied. When the Pharisees didn't know what to do with him, he said, you know, it's better for one man to die than for the whole nation. And he was speaking about Christ's death and the significance of it.

And I I'm persuaded that even when Pilate here in his own way by saying behold the man, was making an illusion. He echoed a prophecy about Messiah. That phrase behold the man doesn't appear too much in the Old Testament, but there is one very crucial place where it is found and it speaks about Jesus. I wonder if you've ever considered it. In Zechariah six verse 12, And say to him, thus says the Lord of hosts, behold the man whose name is the branch.

For he shall branch out from his place and he shall build the temple of the Lord. It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne and the council of peace shall be between them both. The title branch is messianic. It speaks of fruitfulness.

It speaks of life, and it is indeed attributed to the person of Jesus of Nazareth. And here Zechariah says, behold the man. And we know this is messianic because whoever this king would be would also be a priest. That's the last part of the prophecy. Right?

And there shall be a priest on his throne. Never was there a time where the priest could become a king or a king become a priest. Whenever anybody attempted to do that, it was deadly. There's an exception with David, but that's because he pointed to Christ. But here we see that there is coming a king who's also gonna be a priest sitting on the throne.

That is Jesus Christ. And when Pilate says, behold a man, all of them missed it. Because what they were supposed to see is the branch. What they were supposed to see is the kingly priest. Instead, what they saw was an enemy.

You know, Pilate's words here are for us as well. Behold the man. After this very brief time looking at what Christ endured for the mission of salvation, what do you see? What do you see? What comes to mind when you see this Jesus?

Do you see a misunderstood teacher? Do you see a revolutionary that was caught? Do you see a a philosopher who provided good moral framework for mankind? What do you see when you behold him? Or do you see what you're supposed to see?

The fulfillment of prophecy. The anticipated savior. The anointed one that has been predicted and proclaimed centuries and thousands of years ago. What do you see today? Come on.

With a little bit of strength and energy now, I ask you to see. What do you see? What do you behold? How do you perceive it? Does it move you?

What you're supposed to see is the one who is willing to go to such lengths to win your salvation and to call you his own. I I wonder if that moves you today. I wonder if that stirs you today. I wonder if that makes you want to know him more. And if you don't know him, to know him and to experience him.

I wonder if looking at the severity of sin causes you to wanna shun it with a strength that you've never experienced. I wonder if beholding the magnitude of God's love wins your loyalty as you realize that it has won your salvation. What do you see today as you behold the man? I hope today that you see your savior. And if you have not acknowledged that today, that today would be the day where you say, I will not crown him with my betrayal, with my rejection.

I will crown him with my allegiance, and I will give my life to him in surrender. And how you do that is by accepting his forgiveness and his grace. And from that place of gratitude, you now live with the energy of his love to serve him with your love. Have you made that conscious decision today to make Jesus Christ your lord? What more can he do?

What more can he offer? God gave all that he can himself so that he can have you. I pray that you would accept them if you haven't yet. Let's pray. Well, we know that the prophet Isaiah said about the Messiah that he gave his back to be smitten.

We acknowledge that a man can only say and do so much to try to paint the picture of your salvation and the sufferings linked to it. But we acknowledge that only the Holy Spirit can make this real to us. So we do pray in humility that you would open the eyes of our hearts to behold the man. For those who know him, that we would love him more. For those who don't know him, that they would be won over by his love.

Lord, today we worship you, yes, with this very somber scene before us, but also realizing that there is a joy in this picture, a joy that you had in mind and a joy that we get to enjoy forever at your expense. Lord, help us honor you today as a church. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. If the praise team can come and help us sing.