Outline

I. Shatter Chance’s Lie: Bow to God’s Unrivaled Sovereignty Over Every Step
The finite human mind rebels against the truth that nothing happens by accident; God sovereignly reigns, directs every path, and orchestrates the salvation of sinners according to His eternal decree.

II. Heed the Hunter’s Call: Jesus Sovereignly Finds and Commands Philip to Follow
Amid fishermen pulled south by John the Baptist’s preaching, Jesus personally hunts down Philip on the road to Galilee and issues the authoritative, effectual command “Follow Me,” demonstrating inward grace that produces instant obedience.

III. Fuel the Gospel Chain: Philip Immediately Shares the Messiah with Nathanael
Awed by his own encounter, Philip zealously declares to Nathanael that they have found the One Moses and the prophets wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth, the promised Son of Joseph—launching another link in God’s sovereign chain of witness.

IV. Conquer Skepticism Without a Fight: Simply Invite Them to “Come and See”
When Nathanael scoffs, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip refuses argument or condemnation and instead offers the humble, powerful invitation to encounter Jesus for himself—an enduring model for gracious, non-pushy evangelism.

V. Tremble Before the Omniscient Judge: Jesus Exposes Hearts and Claims True Israelites
Jesus instantly reads Nathanael’s sincere heart—“Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit”—revealing divine knowledge of the fig-tree moment and contrasting Jacob the deceiver with the true Israel He has come to save.

VI. Unleash Heaven’s Torrent: Behold Greater Things on the Son of Man’s Ladder
Jesus promises Nathanael and the others they will see heaven opened and angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man, pouring out every spiritual blessing in Christ—chosen, adopted, redeemed, sealed—through the One who is Jacob’s ladder.

Bottom line: In a world of apparent chance, God sovereignly appoints encounters that turn skeptics into disciples when we simply invite them to “come and see” the King who floods their lives with heaven’s blessings.

Scripture Reading

SCRIPTURE READING

Let’s again listen now to the reading of God’s holy word.

Again the next day, John stood with two of his disciples, and looking at Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, What do you seek? And they said to him, Rabbi, which is to say, when translated, Teacher, where are you staying? He said to them, Come and see. They came and saw where he was staying and remained with him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour.

One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, we have found the Messiah, which is translated the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. Now, when Jesus looked at him, he said, you are Simon, the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas, which is translated a stone.

The following day, Jesus wanted to go to Galilee and he found Philip and said to him, follow me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, we have found him of whom Moses and the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

And Nathanael said to him, can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit. And Nathanael said to him, How do you know me?

Jesus answered and said to him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. Nathanael answered and said to him, Rabbi, you are the son of God, you are the king of Israel. And Jesus answered and said to him, because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these. And he said to him, Moses, surely I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man.

PRAYER FOR BLESSING ON THE WORD

Let’s seek the Lord’s blessing on this holy word. Gracious God in heaven, we we do praise you and thank you for the good gift that you’ve given to us in your word. We thank you, Lord, that you have preserved the truth of your word over centuries, thousands of years. And that we even now have it in our own language, in our own tongue, that we can read, that we can hear, we can understand. what your word speaks, what you say to us, and especially that with the spirit, your spirit going forth with your word, that we can see the truth revealed to us. And we pray, Father, that you would reveal us your truth, even in this passage this morning that we come to, and that you would truly open our ears and our minds and our hearts. and that as we hear your word proclaimed, that your spirit would truly accompany that word, and would find within each of our hearts that rich, fertile soil that would truly bring about a great and abundant fruit, all to the praise of your glorious name. Father, we pray now for your blessing upon your word. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, amen.

SHATTER CHANCE’S LIE: BOW TO GOD’S UNRIVALED SOVEREIGNTY OVER EVERY STEP

Well, God, because he’s God, is truly sovereign over all that he’s created. That is, like a great king, the Lord reigns and rules over all things. He’s the one who sets the boundaries, he’s the one who gives the laws, and he makes the decrees which govern everything in its place throughout all creation. And since he created everything, We know, then, what he plans, purposes, and desires is carried out according to the good pleasure of his own will. Nothing that happens happens by accident or chance. All things are guided by the Lord to accomplish what he has purposed and planned. And even what to us seems like a random chance event, we know that God has appointed. And as Solomon reminds us of this in Proverbs 16, saying that the Lord, excuse me, the lot is cast into the lap, but it’s every decision is from the Lord.

Now, truly, this can be difficult for the finite human mind to grasp. Friends, it is the truth that the Scriptures reveal. God is sovereign over all his creation. And since human beings are a part of that creation, we know then that God is sovereign over all mankind. Man makes his plans, but it is the Lord who directs his steps. And this is true. even when it comes to God’s purpose and plan in saving lost sinners.

SOVEREIGN GRACE DISPLAYED IN THE FIRST DISCIPLES

And we see this very thing displayed in our passage this morning as we continue looking at how the first disciples met Jesus. Last time we noted how John the Baptist faithfully proclaimed the gospel when he told Andrew and John that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And remember how Andrew was so moved by this and after spending time with Jesus that he went and brought his brother Simon to meet Jesus. And so even here, we can see the Lord’s handiwork as the witness passes from John the Baptist to Andrew and then to Simon Peter. And this morning we’ll see another example of this with Philip and Nathaniel.

And so whether it’s using the means of others sharing and inviting, or whether it’s Jesus himself, effectually calling people to follow him, we see the sovereign grace of God at work bringing lost sinners into union and communion with him. Now this should then greatly motivate us to truly be faithful witnesses that the Lord might be pleased to work in and through us. to bring people to himself, and to glorify his holy name.

HEED THE HUNTER’S CALL: JESUS SOVEREIGNLY FINDS AND COMMANDS PHILIP

So we begin with Philip’s encounter with Jesus. And this encounter is somewhat unique from the rest in this passage, because instead of people proclaiming the gospel, pointing others to Jesus, and witnessing to them, in verse 33, we have Jesus himself finding Philip, and calling Philip to follow him.

Following day, Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and he found Philip and said to him, follow me. Now remember, John the Apostle has been very detailed about the timing as an eyewitness of these events, even noting that this was the following day. So it’s the following day after Peter met Jesus for the first time, and likely then a day or two after John the Baptist had pointed Jesus out to Andrew and John. And since we’re told here that on this day Jesus had planned to go back to Galilee, well then it’s obvious that all these interactions that we’re reading about in this part of John’s gospel, all these interactions are taking place much further south in the wilderness of the Jordan Valley where John was busy baptizing. And in verse 44, we learn that Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city Andrew, Peter, and possibly even James and John were all from that same city.

And so it’s likely that all these men already knew each other. And many of them, we know, worked the same trade as fishermen, a trade that apparently at the current time, it seems as though none of them were working. There’s no lake out in the middle of the desert. And so they’re not working.

And so the question is, why were all these fishermen from the region of Galilee and Bethsaida, which is way in the north, Bethsaida being on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, so it’s even further north than some of the other towns in Galilee, why were all these fishermen in the wilderness of Judea so far to the south?

Well, this tells us something about really the impact of the ministry of John the Baptist. And we know that it was a bit of a hike even for the religious leaders to come all the way from Jerusalem to see John out in the wilderness. But Galilee and Bethsaida were much farther north. And yet, all these had apparently left their work and their homes behind. And they traveled south into the Judean wilderness, kind of just to see what all the buzz was about with this voice crying out in the wilderness.

And so it’s very likely that all these men had heard John preach, that they very likely all had heeded his call to repentance, that they all would have been baptized by him in anticipation of the arrival of the Messiah. That’s what was drawing them, even from these faraway places.

And of course, the amazing thing here is that they didn’t have to anticipate for very long. And so in a classic case of being in the right place at the right time, they likely hadn’t even begun to pack up and head back to Galilee when they came face to face with the Lord’s anointed, with Jesus. Beloved God, this is our first indication of the sovereign hand of God at work. to bring these men, all these men who would become the close followers of Jesus, to bring them all together at the same time, in the same place, with hearts ready and eager for the coming of the Messiah. And now, having actually met him, their lives will be changed and transformed forever.

And Philip now becomes one of them. Now, this encounter with Philip along the way, again, may seem rather random, right? Jesus is walking, and presumably he’s heading back to, well, we know he’s heading back to Galilee, but we presume that he’s walking with Andrew, John, and Peter, and they see Philip. And they, Philip is from the same city as these men, and so they may even strike up a conversation with him as they walk. But this is no random kind of meetup with a hometown friend.

It is a divine appointment set by the Lord to dramatically change Philip’s life. For when Jesus sees Philip, he calls him, follow me. And given what happens next, well, Philip does just that. Now, note here that Jesus is issuing a command, right? Follow me is in the imperative mood, it’s a command. Well, this not only demonstrates Jesus’ authority as the eternal son of God, but it also displays the inward gracious effectual call that brings about regeneration and new life. Jesus graciously calls Philip to follow him. And the spirit goes forth with that call and brings Philip to respond with obedience.

THE INWARD EFFECTUAL CALL DISTINGUISHED

Now, to receive the inward call, though, one must first be called outwardly. And we consider this last time that the gospel must be proclaimed as faith comes by hearing. But the inward call is to be distinguished from the outward call. Jesus will declare in Matthew 20, many are called, but few are chosen. So the outward call goes to many, but the inward call goes to a few.

Many hear the gospel proclaimed, but it’s only made effectual to salvation to those who receive the inward call by the Spirit at the same time. And again, the parable of the sower gives us another example of this, as the gospel, which are represented by the seeds in that parable, that gospel is spread freely and generously. It’s scattered on all types of soils. Remember how it only takes fruit, it grows and bears fruit, that is, it is made effectual only in the good soil which has been prepared. And so this is God’s sovereignty and salvation at work.

God set this divine appointment that at the same time Philip was returning to the region of Galilee, Jesus had also determined to return to Galilee. Jesus wanting to go because he had this appointment to keep with Philip on the way. An appointment in which Jesus affectionately called Philip to be one of his disciples.

Now we’ll see something similar in John 4 where Jesus is on his way back to Galilee again, but this time from Jerusalem. And remember that at the time, because of the Jews’ hatred for the Samaritans, whenever the Jews in the north would go to Jerusalem, they would go around, all the way around. They’d take the long way around, because they didn’t want to go through Samaria, because they felt like they would be defiled if they walked through Samaria.

But John the Apostle tells us plainly in John 4.4 that Jesus needed to go through Samaria.

He needed to go through Samaria because he had an appointment. He had this appointment to keep. He was going to meet this Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob and dramatically change her life and even bring the gospel, the good news, to those in the nearby Samaritan village. Now, it wasn’t usual or ordinary, but it was purposeful and needed. that Jesus would go to Samaria. And so the Lord was working out his sovereign plan to bring lost sinners to himself. And this is a divine appointment. And again, it’s what we see taking place here with Jesus and Philip.

AWARENESS OF DIVINE APPOINTMENTS

Now you may be wondering, okay, well, if I’m gonna share the gospel with someone, especially we wanna share the gospel with people who need to hear it, But look, we have no control over making these kinds of things happen. Now, it certainly would be different if we were like Jesus and we knew who was ready to hear and receive the gospel, because then we could plan, right? But we don’t have such divine knowledge. And we certainly don’t know whom God has chosen and purposed for salvation. which is why we’re called to be like the sower in that parable and spread the seed of the gospel freely and generously.

But the challenge given to us here is that we must be aware that the Lord does make divine appointments to effectually call someone to faith and salvation in him. We must be aware of the opportunities the Lord may present to us, the situations that he places us in and the people that he brings into our path. That these might very well be divine appointments that the Lord has set. It’s critical that we have such opportunity awareness as we know with all conviction that nothing happens by chance. And so we should be challenged then to trust the Lord that he will be working to lead us to those who are in need of the gospel or that he will lead them to us at the right time and that he would be most gracious to give us the words of truth to speak so that hearts and lives might be changed.

Now, sometimes these divine appointments can be the seemingly chance meeting of two individuals, one a believer and one not. That they’re being in a place or situation that they didn’t plan to be in, and yet the Lord has sovereignly ordered the events to bring you together and present you with an opportunity to be a witness.

But these appointments can also be when someone is exactly where they plan to be. But maybe their goals and their purposes were very different, even sinful pursuits of partying and the immorality that goes along with it. But then the trajectory of their lives is dramatically changed when they come in contact with a faithful follower of Jesus who points them to Christ, totally disrupting their original plans. Confirming again Proverbs 16, a man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Well, these are divine appointments. And I know that some of you here have had such appointments, either as the sharer or either as the receiver of the gospel truth. And when you look back on those appointments, You can stand in awe and wonder at how the Lord worked to order events to bring you to the right place at the right time, to the point where you met Jesus and your lives were changed forever. God uses such divine appointments to save sinners and to glorify his name.

FUEL THE GOSPEL CHAIN: PHILIP SHARES WITH NATHANAEL

And Philip was one such beneficiary. Awed by this calling placed upon him, Philip, now like Andrew earlier, was very zealous and eager to share the good news of what he had discovered. In verse 45, we see Philip found Nathanael and said to him, we have found him of whom Moses and the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. So Philip goes and finds Nathanael and he tells him about Jesus. Now, Nathanael doesn’t come right out and say that Jesus is the Messiah, as Andrew did, but it’s certainly the implication of what he says about what Moses and the prophets foretold.

Indeed, Jesus would later confirm to his disciples that the whole of the Old Testament scriptures speak of him and his work of redemption that he’d accomplished. At Luke 24, Jesus says, these are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning me. Now such a great truth as here is unfortunately lost on many Christians today who disregard the Old Testament scriptures. But Jesus is truly found on every page, as it were.

As the messianic hope goes all the way back even to the garden in Genesis 3 and the first gospel promise that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, pointing to Jesus’ victory over Satan at the cross. We’ve noted before how the sacrifices of the lambs and the goats all pointed to Christ. The oppressed righteous one of whom David sings about repeatedly in the Psalms is ultimately Jesus Christ. And the suffering servant, the anointed son of David that the prophets speak of is most certainly fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

And so this is what Philip is summarizing as he declares these things to Nathanael. But Nathanael responds with doubt and skepticism, especially at the mention of where this one who was prophesied about hails from. In verse 46, can anything good come out of Nazareth? Now, there’s no evidence that Nazareth had a bad reputation, but the way that Nathanael speaks disparagingly about it might indicate as much. Or it could be that Nathanael, who was from nearby Cana, was just expressing the sentiment of a rival town. Or it could also be because Nathanael knew that the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem in Judea and not Nazareth in Galilee.

Whatever the reason, Nathanael wasn’t impressed with Philip’s testimony. But look at Philip’s response. He doesn’t get angry or upset. He doesn’t persist, he doesn’t string together a bunch of well-reasoned arguments to try to convince Nathaniel of these things, nor does he lay out all kinds of proof or evidence. Philip wasn’t contentious at all, but neither does he give up, because he knows the truth about Jesus. And his desire is that his friend Nathaniel would know that truth also. And so Philip simply invites in verse 46, come and see.

CONQUER SKEPTICISM: THE INVITATION TO “COME AND SEE”

And friends, this becomes for us a great example of how to engage in conversations with others about Jesus and the gospel, especially when the responses we’re receiving are filled with skepticism and doubt. You see, too often in their witness to others, Christians can come off as pushy and even belligerent, which can completely undermine the truth that you’re speaking. It’s tempting to get into all kinds of arguments using angry words of condemnation or insults because this person you’re sharing the gospel with is asking questions and doesn’t immediately accept what you’re saying. Friends, the truth of what you’re saying about God’s love for sinners and salvation made possible by the grace of God through Jesus Christ, that truth needs to be supported by a manner and approach that demonstrates much love and grace as evidence of the very truth that you are proclaiming.

Now, this doesn’t mean that we share without passion in what we know to be true. Indeed, we should be passionate about the truth. But we need to be cautioned about being cage-stagey, as the phrase goes, with those to whom we’re witnessing, because otherwise we undermine our witness. But Philip gives us the example.

Simply invite them to come and see for themselves. Invite them to Bible study, invite them to church, and especially invite them to read about the gospel themselves in the pages of the scriptures. Paul would boldly declare in Romans 1, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. It’s not your arguments and your well-reasoned arguments and proof that you’re going to lay forth that are going to convince people. It’s going to be the very word of God, the gospel. That’s effective for salvation. It’s the power of God for salvation.

Again, we talked about this last time, and Philip gives us another example here. Respond to skeptics by inviting them to meet Jesus, by searching the scriptures to see if these things are true. And as they open their Bibles and begin to read, well, you can diligently pray that the words that they read will be made effectual by the power of the Holy Spirit to bring them to faith in Jesus Christ. And once they meet Jesus, they’ll behold the glorious spiritual and heavenly blessings that await.

TREMBLE BEFORE THE OMNISCIENT REDEEMER: JESUS KNOWS NATHANAEL

And this is what happens with Nathaniel. He accepts the invitation and he goes to see for himself what Philip was talking about. And yet as Nathanael approaches in verse 47, Jesus says of Nathanael, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit. Now this is a rather curious thing to say to someone you’ve never met before. But Jesus, as he was with Peter, is very purposeful.

On the surface, Jesus is identifying Nathanael’s character that he may have been a skeptic when Philip approached him, but he was sincere in his skepticism and that he was desirous to actually seek out the truth. Some skeptics, they don’t want to seek the truth. They just want to complain. But Nathanael was sincere. He wants to know the truth.

And so Jesus acknowledges that in his character. But we also see here in Jesus’ words some very key revelations about who he truly is and why he’s come. For it’s become obvious to Nathanael and those standing near that Jesus knows the hearts of men. He’s never met Nathanael before, and yet he makes this claim about the condition of Nathanael’s heart. Now it’s not that Jesus can simply, he’s just good at reading people and he’d make a good guess about character. Some people are able to do that, but no, Jesus truly knows their hearts. He sees what others can’t see.

And he sees that Nathanael is a true and sincere believer. That is, he’s a part of the faithful remnant of Israel, true in their devotion to the Lord and anticipating with great faith the coming of the Messiah. And this reveals Jesus’ divine nature. And again, the Apostle John made this clear in his prologue, that Jesus is the word of God, who was with God, who was God, and who came in the flesh to dwell among us.

But knowing Jesus can see into our hearts can certainly stir up great fear. And even Nathanael was a bit put off. How do you know me? Certainly that’s an honest question. But before we get to Jesus’ response to Nathanael, there’s something else Jesus is revealing here about himself.

When he says of Nathanael that he is an Israelite indeed in whom is no deceit. Now one who would be familiar with God’s word would hear those words and be taken back to the patriarch Jacob in Genesis 27. The Hebrew meaning of Jacob is supplanter or deceiver. And here, basically, Jesus is saying to Nathanael, here’s a true Israelite without any Jacob.

Jacob, we know, unfortunately, lived up to his name, as seen in the deception of his father Isaac, in order to receive the blessing from him. In Genesis 27, Isaac said to Esau, your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing. And then Esau says, is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. Jacob was a deceiver.

But later, this deceiver, Jacob, would meet the Lord and wrestle with him in the middle of the night, and the Lord would then go on to give Jacob a new name. Genesis 32 verse 28, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed. As we saw with Peter last time, this giving of a new name to Jacob points to a promise of transformation and great blessing to come.

And so when Jesus speaks to Nathanael, calling him a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit, he sees Nathanael’s heart and he declares him to be a part of the true Israel of God, the very ones whom Jesus came to save. And Jesus then responds to Nathanael, before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.

And again, this confirms the reality of the divine knowledge that Jesus possessed. Not only seeing, but declaring the end from the beginning. And this too tells us of God’s sovereignty in salvation. Jesus knows those who are truly his. He knows them even before they meet him. He knows Nathanael. Even before Philip called him, he knows him because Nathanael has been graciously set apart for salvation from before the foundation of the world by God’s eternal decree according to the good pleasure of his will. The revelation of this to Nathanael then leads him to make a most profound profession of faith.

It says in verse 49, Rabbi, You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel. Nathanael not only professes his faith in Jesus, but he also commits himself to be a disciple, calling him rabbi, but also he commits himself to humbly serve Jesus as his God and King. Nathanael is a true Israelite, but Jesus is the King of Israel and he submits to him. And so Jesus then not only confirms his faith but promises Nathanael and all the others who are there of greater blessings still yet to come.

UNLEASH HEAVEN’S TORRENT: GREATER THINGS AND BLESSINGS IN CHRIST

Verse 50, you will see greater things than these. And he said to him, most assuredly I say to you hereafter you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man. And this again is a curious thing for Jesus to say. But again, he’s once again looking back to the patriarch Jacob, and this time to Genesis 28, when Jacob is in Bethel, and the Lord confirms with Jacob that he will bring about the blessing of the covenant promises made to Abraham, that Jacob is now is part of the covenant line, and that the promises made to Abraham will be made now to Jacob and to his children after him. And as part of that confirmation, Jacob has a dream. 28 verse 12, And Jesus now confirms with these words to Nathanael and to the others that he is Jacob’s ladder, that the ministering angels of the Lord will bring from heaven to earth the rich and abundant spiritual blessings in and through Jesus Christ. The heavenly treasury has now been opened and it will be made secure at the cross and with the resurrection from the dead on the third day. And the blessings will flow in and through Jesus. Well, what are these spiritual blessings?

Well, we’ve considered many of them in our study of Ephesians 1, verses 3 to 14 over the past couple weeks in our Wednesday evening Bible study. These are the blessings that belong to us in Christ, in Him, that repeated phrase throughout those verses in Ephesians chapter 1, that in Him, that in Him is in Christ, we’ve been chosen before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame.

In love we’ve been predestined to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ. We’ve been made accepted in the beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. In him also we have obtained an inheritance, even eternal life in his glorious presence. And after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, we have believed in him. And having believed, we’ve now been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. And enjoy now in this life, a down payment and a guarantee of even greater blessings yet to come.

Friends, these are the great blessings that are in store for those who meet Jesus. This is what Jesus tells Nathanael and the others here, the one whom, again, confirming Philip’s testimony to Nathanael, that he, Jesus, is truly the one whom Moses and the prophets spoke. And he’s the promised Messiah. Even Jacob’s ladder that closes the gap between heaven and earth and provides the pathway for the heavenly blessings to pour forth upon the earth.

APPLICATION: BE FAITHFUL WITNESSES AWARE OF DIVINE APPOINTMENTS

Truly, then, this should motivate you to be obedient to Christ’s call to his church and the Great Commission, to be aware of the opportunities, to be aware of the divine appointments that the Lord sets before you, to invite people to come and see the good news God graciously offers to needy sinners in his word, to show your excitement of the new life and the rich spiritual blessings you enjoy and that they can enjoy when they believe the gospel. To truly love those around you enough by sharing the gospel with them so they too can meet Jesus to the glory of God alone.

CLOSING PRAYER

Let’s pray. O gracious God in heaven, we do rejoice and give thanks for your word. We thank you for these reminders, these challenges, and all those rich and wonderful blessings that you do pour out upon us because we have met you. And many through these kinds of divine appointments and a whole variety of things where we can now look back And we can see your handiwork, how you have put things in place.

And even maybe we went through various trials and challenges, how we maybe even struggled with, uh, with great sin. And yet you use those things. You use your own, our own wickedness may have used tragedy and grief and pain. But you used all those things to bring about our salvation. That at the right place at the right time, we heard the word of truth and it changed our lives.

Father, we rejoice and give thanks that you are such a good and gracious God. And that it doesn’t stop there, but the blessings continue to pour forth. That Jacob’s ladder, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, is the pathway through which all these heavenly spiritual blessings are poured out upon us. And we thank you for each and every one.

And we pray that as we enjoy these things, that it would give us a renewed boldness to go forth and to proclaim the gospel truth that others might hear and experience these blessings as well. And so we pray, Father, that you would open our eyes to see those divine appointments, to be aware, to lead us to those who are truly in need of the gospel, that you would give us boldness to speak, and that we would even see how you will work in and through us to the praise of your glorious name. But Father, we especially pray that those here would know this truth for ourselves, that we would cling to the gospel hope offered to us in Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins that we have in him, washed, renewed, cleansed, forgiven, and given the eternal life that we so much look forward to. We pray, Lord, for your blessing in these things. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.