I hope you enjoyed that hymn.
We'll have to have it another time.
Well now, let us prayerfully turn to the
passage from which we read a little earlier
on in Hebrews chapter 6.
And we'll read now, just to remind ourselves
of the basic theme, the key word, hope.
As it is found in verses 19 and
20, the last two verses in the passage.
We have this hope as an anchor for
the soul, firm and secure.
It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
where Jesus, who went before us, has entered
on our behalf.
He has become a high priest forever, in
the order of Melchizedek.
Melchizedek is said in the scriptures to be
without beginning and without end.
And so is the hope of the believer,
that is firmly set upon one who was
the first and will be the last.
Even Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Really, some passages of scripture are well nigh
breathtaking.
Glossing over them, reading them very quickly, one
may miss much of the hidden glory, if
not all of it.
And such is the passage before us this
morning.
But when you ponder, when you choose to
pause prayerfully and ask God to unravel a
passage such as this, it will almost take
you to a point where you don't know
what to say.
This is the passage such as that.
If we do not find ourselves spellbound as
we meditate upon a word of God such
as this, then there is something wrong with
our spirits, or with our understanding, or with
both.
I confess to you that, for my part,
I find it very difficult to control my
imagination, my thoughts, or my emotions as I
ponder a passage such as this.
It is all too big, too comprehensive, too
vast, too deep, really to tackle.
And we are coming to it this morning
just to scratch a little bit of the
surface in the hope and in the prayer
that the God of all grace will allow
us to see something that will make worshipers
of us and servants of us men and
women who are proud of their God and
of their Savior.
Now let me remind you very briefly that
the writer here is addressing his dissertation to
a somewhat confused, vacillating group of professing Christians,
all of them Jews, and he is eager
to let them see the unparalleled glories of
the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.
Now that's the focus of the book.
It's to bring out the hidden splendor and
glory and majesty, the holy unrivaled magnificence of
Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah who
has come.
It is true that in embracing Christianity these
Jews have abandoned a ritual kind of religion
with its peculiar appeal to the eye.
But they have inherited, says he, something of
such profound glory and value as to eclipse
the grandest magnificence of the older face so
that whatever was good in the old is
better in the new.
And you will see that as you read
the epistle to the Hebrews, seven times over
he says this is better, better covenant, better
redemption, better this, better that, better promises, things
are better, better, better, better, and the best
is yet to be.
Everything's better here.
Now in this passage it is a better
hope.
In this passage the writer is expressing the
nature and the glory of the Christian's hope
and doing so in language that is most
familiar to a Jewish people because so much
of the imagery as we shall see comes
from the Old Testament and if you don't
see that, don't pick that up, you'll miss
the glory.
So much of the imagery comes from the
Old Testament but it would seem also this
gives us a key as to the first
recipients of the letter, I believe.
He is taking it for granted that they
have some sort of maritime background.
Maybe he was writing to a people who
lived in a seaport, a fishing port because
he's using these metaphors, particularly this metaphor today
of an anchor and an anchorage.
And he thinks that the people are anchored
to a rock which cannot move.
And well, that may be fairly familiar to
everybody but it would be certainly more appealing
and more significant to a maritime people.
That's not important, perhaps, to say this morning
but I think it was probably significant.
Now the theme then of the Christian's hope
is here expounded in terms of these maritime
concepts and we are going to speak briefly
this morning about the three of them.
First of all the anchor, then the anchorage
where the anchor is cast and then the
anchored, the people who are thus anchored because
their anchor is cast.
And these are the three images that we
have all portraying this one great doctrine of
the Christian's hope.
You see, we are taking a different tack
to what we have done occasionally when we've
taken up these key terms.
Sometimes we've tried to expound these terms against
a vast New Testament background taking the whole
of the Old Testament as our back cloth.
At other times we have taken just one
text or one passage in order to try
and understand the word.
And I believe that the understanding of the
word hope is possible by taking these few
verses that we have in the passage before
us today.
The first point then, the anchor.
Verse 19 We have this hope as an
anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
It enters into the inner sanctuary behind the
curtain or as the old King James Version
puts it it enters into that within the
veil.
Now let's look at this a little analytically.
The first thought is that the Christian has
hope.
All this is implicit in what we've said
already and implicit I know in your experiences
believing men and women.
If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
then you know something about hope.
And you have sung it this morning as
you have said we have an anchor that
keeps the soul.
I trust none of us have been singing
a lie.
We have an anchor, we have hope in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
Faith is basic.
But hope goes beyond faith.
Hope flies beyond faith.
Faith rests upon a promise given by a
promisor.
Hope begins to build upon the basis of
that confidence in the promise.
We were at a wedding yesterday some of
us.
It's a very helpful analogy I guess.
When the proposal is made of marriage well
now the one expresses confidence in the other.
That's faith.
This one receives the other's word on trust.
That's faith.
But then the bride-to-be begins to
get things ready.
She doesn't just leave it at that and
says well I'm going to get married.
We are going to get married on such
and such a date.
She begins to prepare.
She's to the bottom drawer.
She gets involved in this, that and the
other.
And she begins to dream you see.
And this is hope.
It's not just saying so and so is
going to take me to be his bride
or the other way around.
It's not simply the acceptance of a promise.
But hope begins to build.
And hope begins to imagine.
And hope flies where faith has made it
possible for it to fly.
It plans, it thinks and it dreams in
light of the promises it believes.
Now in this particular passage hope seems to
be conceived of as being both subjective and
objective.
Now let me clarify that.
Faith is here that which you have inside.
And hope is that which you have in
your breast.
It is subjective.
You feel it.
But hope is also something objective.
I hope you've noticed this.
I trust you've noticed this.
Jesus Christ is our hope.
Sometimes you hear it said in the realm
of sport.
So and so is the hopeless side.
And I think it is true.
I've seen it written in columns of some
of our papers that were it not for
one individual in certain teams in certain sports
it would have been pretty grim.
He was the hope of the side and
is the hope of the side.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is our hope.
When we have put the arms of our
confidence and of our hope around him He
is our hope.
We have a hope.
Now that's basic.
Jesus Christ our hope is then described in
terms of an anchor.
We have this hope as an anchor for
the soul.
There is no more tragic picture than that
of an unanchored soul.
A life that is nothing but driftwood.
Goes neither here nor there.
It's moving about like floats among the ocean.
It just goes with the tide.
It is driven hither and thither.
Carried hither and thither by the tide of
circumstances.
And there are many such.
Not so the Christian person.
He has an anchor.
He has an anchor and it is securely
cast.
It is a massively strong phenomenon.
And according to this picture here.
It has two flukes.
Two arms.
And by means of these two flukes or
two arms.
It grips and holds the vessel.
So that the vessel need not drive in
any storm.
If the anchor is cast.
The flukes will grip the solid rock and
the ocean bed.
And thus the ship will not drive.
Now you say I don't follow you.
Sorry I can't see that in my Bible.
Well now have a good look.
And you will see that they're here all
right.
The one fluke of this Christian hope is
the promise of God.
Christians are described in verse 17.
Just you look back.
As heirs of what God has promised.
And in verse 12 we are told that
we inherit the promises.
Now the one fluke then to this anchor
is this.
The promise of God.
The promises of God.
Whether you think of the content of the
promise.
Or of the divinity of the promisor.
Its excellence cannot be missed.
You see in Jesus Christ.
We have all the promises of God wrapped
up in a bundle.
Paul says all the promises of God.
Find their yes and their amen in Christ
Jesus.
All in Christ.
One fluke of the anchor then.
The anchor of the Christian hope is this.
God has given us certain promises in Christ.
And all these promises are in Christ.
And we by grace are holding on to
Christ.
One fluke.
One arm by which the anchor grips the
bed of the ocean.
The second fluke.
Or arm call it whatever you will.
The second is the divine oath.
Let me read verses 17 and 18.
Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature
of his purpose very clear.
To the errors of what was promised.
He confirmed it with an oath.
God did this so that by two unchangeable
things.
In which it is impossible for God to
lie.
We have fled to take hold of the
hope offered to us.
I'm sorry I've missed something out.
We who have fled to take hold of
the hope offered to us.
May be greatly encouraged.
Now look at this.
Our encouragement is here said to be dependent
upon the fact.
That our anchor has two flukes.
Two arms to grip somewhere.
To hold somewhere in the storms of life.
So that we do not drag and do
not drift and do not get lost.
And are not driven hither and thither.
And the two flukes of the anchor are
the promise of God.
And the oath of God.
Eager to pacify our fears.
And to grant us peace in trusting.
Did you know that God was concerned about
your peace.
Concerned about my peace.
Concerned that we should be encouraged.
So concerned that he has written his word
to us in these very terms.
And told us really what he wants.
Eager to pacify our fears and to grant
us peace in trusting.
God has done more than give us a
mere promise.
Now I often say this to myself.
I don't know whether I say it in
preaching or not.
But I often say this to myself.
That if God has promised then his promise
is as good as his word.
You don't need any more than a simple
promise of God.
Because he is God.
There's no need for God to repeat anything.
Have you ever thought of the wonder of
an omnipotent immutable God.
God repeating himself and saying something twice.
The fact that he is God makes it
totally unnecessary.
If he said it once it's true, it's
right.
It's dependable.
As dependable as the eternal God himself.
He'd lose his character if it did not
come true.
But oh the amazing grace of God.
He wants us to be sure you see.
He wants us to have hope.
And he wants us never to lose heart.
And because of that he's not simply given
us a bare promise.
Not even that promise multiplied.
Not even that promise given in different language
here, there and everywhere.
No, no.
He's gone on oath.
He has virtually made it insane for a
believer to doubt him.
It is an incredible thing.
It is unbelievable when you come to analyze
it.
That we who say we believe in God.
Can doubt him when he's not only given
us his promise.
And given it in a myriad of different
ways.
But along with the promise he's gone on
oath.
And he's sworn by himself.
And he can swear by no greater.
Though the storms of life be ever so
boisterous and threatening.
And though our boat be ever so flimsy
and small.
If this is our anchor.
Christ.
In whom God's promise.
And God's covenant is made over to men.
If Christ is our anchor.
And our anchor is securely cast.
My friend young or old.
You and I have no reason to fear.
We have every reason to hope.
This is what hope is.
It's believing that because God has promised it.
And God has covenant.
And God has gone on oath.
It simply must come to pass.
And therefore we hope for it.
As a matter of fact you know.
I don't always like to dwell too much
on grammar.
I'm not a good grammarian.
And I can be found out quite easily.
You can discover my vulnerable points.
But you know I am able to say
that.
There are two adjectives used here.
And they're very significant.
If adjectives were significant anywhere.
They are significant here.
They show us how utterly reliable this anchor
is.
Look at what we have.
Our anchor in the King James is said
to be both sure.
And steadfast.
Now in the NIV it is.
Our anchor is firm and secure.
Now never mind the translation for the moment.
I'm thinking of the terms that lie behind
the translations.
And what they mean.
What do they mean?
Well I've conferred with the authorities.
And the authorities tell us this.
Well the first one means this.
Translated in the NIV.
Our anchor is firm.
It means undisturbed by outward influences.
And you say what does that mean?
Well think of it in terms of an
anchor.
Here is the anchor cast in the ocean.
And it's a very stormy ocean.
But the elements have not.
And cannot cause it to rust.
Or otherwise weaken.
Or corrode.
Or any such thing.
There is nothing from outside the anchor.
That can cause it any damage.
So that for some reason or other it
gives.
And we flounder.
It is incapable of being damaged from outside
of itself.
No amount of strain can harm it.
No pressure can damage it.
No chemical can hurt it.
It can neither corrode nor collapse.
Under any conceivable set of circumstances.
Because you see this is an image of
the divine human Christ.
The Lord of glory.
The man of calvary.
And of the morning of the resurrection.
The ascended Lord.
Now seated at the father's right hand.
He is beyond corrosion.
He is beyond being weakened.
You can't take one iota of his strength.
Or his dignity.
Or his glory away.
Say anything you like about him.
You cannot be cloud or shroud his majesty.
He is what he is.
Whether you like it or not.
And all the hosts of hell may be
harnessed against him.
But he remains the same.
Unchanging Lord.
In all the storms of life.
Nothing can touch this anchor.
There is no chemical that can cause it
to corrode.
And the other word used of the anchor
is.
Translated secure in the NIV.
Steadfast in the King James.
It's the word Bebaya.
And it means.
Firm in its inherent character.
Now see how these balance one another.
The first says that it is absolutely firm
from the outside.
Nothing from outside can cause it to be
weakened.
The second says there is nothing in its
texture.
In its nature.
There is nothing in the material that has
gone to the making of it.
That can cause it to weaken at any
given time.
It is inwardly flawless.
There is no impurity or inferiority that belongs
to it.
There is no danger of decay arising from
within.
You can test it under laboratory conditions.
And you can find no flaw in it.
Therefore.
If nothing from within and nothing from without.
Can cause it to corrode or to fail
or to weaken.
What?
We have an anchor that keeps the soul.
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll.
That's the message.
That's the anchor of the Christian.
And if you meditate upon this.
I guarantee you.
By the spirit of God.
The obedient worshipful soul.
Will find his hope.
Growing wings.
And getting strong.
Oh precious anchor this.
Never was there another like it.
The divine human Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the anchorage.
We read about the anchor.
That it enters into the inner sanctuary.
Behind the curtain.
It enters into that within the veil.
You see it would be of little value.
To have the most perfect anchor.
Unless you could find a place of anchorage.
Where it wouldn't drift.
What's the point of having the most magnificent
anchor.
That you can conceive of.
Made of the toughest material.
That cannot corrode and cannot decay.
And cannot weaken.
And all that.
But you have to cast it into sand.
That is going to drag.
God has provided an anchorage.
For our God given anchor.
An anchorage that is worthy of so unique
an anchor.
Well where is that you say.
Well our anchor.
Our anchor is to be cast.
Indeed it has been cast.
For us.
We couldn't cast it.
Our anchor has been cast.
Not into the depths of the sand the
ocean.
Into the depths below.
But into the heights.
Of loftiest heaven above.
Above the heavens of the birds.
And the heavens of the stars.
And of the sun and of the angels.
Into the very immediate presence.
Of the God of the universe.
Our anchor is cast.
Inside the veil.
Oh my friends there is something in this.
That is precious isn't there.
Within the veil.
The reference of course.
In case some of you young Christians.
Are not familiar with this language.
The reference is to the holy of holies.
In the tabernacle and in the temple of
old.
You remember there was an outer court.
And some other courts and then.
There was the innermost sanctuary.
Called the holy of holies.
Where God dwelt among his people.
No one entered there.
Only the high priest.
And only once every year.
With blood of atonement in his hand.
And then when he went in.
And sprinkled the mercy seat.
First for himself then for his people.
When he sprinkled the mercy seat.
In the presence of God in the holy
of holies.
He went out.
And he never came back for another year.
God said the way is not opened yet.
You stay out you and the people.
I will receive the blood.
And I will not come down in judgment
upon you.
For the sins of this year.
But our Lord Jesus.
Our high priest.
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Has according to the letter to the Hebrews.
Made the atoning sacrifice.
Taken the blood.
And sprinkled the very mercy seat.
The throne upon which God himself is seated.
And the great white throne of the universe.
Has become a mercy seat for sinners.
Because the blood of Jesus is upon it.
And the blood of atonement.
Has been sprinkled on it.
More than that.
Can there be anything more significant than that?
My friends there is something more significant still
than that.
Our Lord Jesus has not simply sprinkled the
mercy seat.
The throne of heaven.
With his atoning blood.
He has taken his seat at the fathers
right hand.
He is seated on it.
He is reigning on it.
He our anchor.
You see the metaphor changes.
He who is our anchor.
Is seated on the throne of the universe.
Not the throne of Rome.
Not the throne of England.
Not the throne of a nation.
Not the Jewish throne.
Or anybody else's throne.
But the throne of God.
Thy throne O God is forever and ever.
And Jesus of Nazareth.
The son of God.
Is seated on the right hand of the
majesty upon high.
Where is my anchor cast?
Oh right within the veil.
Into heaven itself.
On to the throne of God.
And before my anchor can fail in the
storm.
That throne must move.
And you must dislodge the Christ from his
enthronement.
And that you cannot do.
Why do the heathen rage and the people
imagine a vain thing?
For it is in vain that men and
nations.
Can ever attempt.
To bring him down from the place of
his glory and enthronement.
One day he will return as the judge
of all men and of all nations.
And all the kingdoms of this world shall
become his kingdom.
He rules over all.
He is Lord.
And he is our anchor.
And our anchor is cast within the veil.
It's on the throne.
And that throne is a throne that towers
over every other.
It cannot move.
But all is not said yet.
We could well afford to stop there.
But all is not said yet.
I don't know whether you think these writers
of Scripture have a sense of humor.
I have a feeling the writer had a
bit of a puzzle here.
You see he said so much about our
Lord Jesus as our hope in terms of
an anchor.
And he's got much more to say.
But he can't say it in terms of
an anchor.
He's got to change his metaphor.
And it's almost like starting another sermon on
another subject.
And then he's got to take another one
in.
He's got to use other metaphors, other subjects.
Other language in order to describe the glory
of our anchor in its anchorage.
And he brings in two notions alongside that
of the anchor to describe the same thing.
What are these two images?
One, Jesus Christ our anchor is also our
forerunner.
Who has gone ahead of us into heaven.
Second part of verse 19 into the first
part of 20.
It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.
Where Jesus who went before us has entered
on our behalf.
That's the NIV.
Now I think that's too weak.
Because it misses out or at least it
translates to me in a nebulous way.
What the older King James and the RSVE
translated in a more literal way.
And makes it far more vivid for me
and perhaps for some of you.
You remember with of a forerunner is for
us entered.
It's one Greek word pro dramas the forerunner.
And it refers to a specific imagery.
Now who is the forerunner?
What was a forerunner?
Well you encounter this forerunner in at least
two contexts in history.
One it is a military term.
It was used of scouts who in the
wake of a successful campaign.
Would move ahead of the whole army.
Shall we say there's been a there's been
a big a major battle fought.
And there are cities to the left and
to the right.
Now the major battle has been fought on
the plain.
This is purely my imagery.
But it is true I believe to the
fact we have here.
Now when the battle has been fought.
Victory has been won.
Scouts go ahead on behalf of the victorious
army.
And they raise the flag in that city
over there.
And that city over there and that city
over there.
And some more over there.
They raise the flag you see.
To say that they're going in to claim
the tokens of their victory.
But more is meant than that.
In raising the new flag there.
They mean that the whole of the army.
And the people they represent are coming behind.
And though the army may take a few
days to take possession.
The whole army the whole people are coming.
It belongs to the new country.
The conquering country.
Now my friends this is the picture.
Jesus Christ has waged the battle.
And on Calvary's cross he stood in your
place and mine.
And he did battle with the powers of
darkness.
And he bore our sins in his body
to the tree.
And he tore the bars away from the
mouth of the tomb and of the grave.
And he is victor.
And he is king and he is crowned.
And he has ascended to his throne on
the morning of the ascension.
And he sits at the father's right hand.
And there he has taken possession of heaven.
He has raised the standard of his victory.
He has hoisted the blood dipped flag of
Calvary on the throne of God.
And he says my people, my soldiers, my
redeemed.
Those for whom I stood in the breach
and in the battle.
Are all coming behind me to take the
city in due course.
And one by one they have been coming
throughout the centuries.
One by one they move home and into
the city.
He is there already.
He has taken possession.
The blood stained lamb of God is in
the midst of the throne.
It's the picture of the book of Revelation.
And his saints come after him.
He is the forerunner.
For us entered.
He didn't enter just in a purely personal
capacity.
He entered for us on our behalf.
To show that because he the representative saviour.
The substitute saviour has arrived.
In due course his people too will reach
their destination.
Sometimes I gather the word was also used
of a sailor.
Chosen to carry an anchor from a ship
into a harbour.
Where there was no reasonably good harbour to
come into.
And perhaps it was difficult to find an
anchorage.
And one of the sailors would be given
the anchor.
And would carry it on his shoulder.
He may have needed a second to join
him.
And they carried the anchor to a place
where they could find.
That they could cast it so that the
ship could be safe from drifting.
But it's the same picture whichever you choose.
Jesus has taken the anchor into heaven itself.
On to the throne itself.
And it is both sure and steadfast within
the vein.
And there is yet one other metaphor.
Not only is Jesus our anchor, anchor thus
cast.
Not only is he the prodromos, the forerunner.
But he is also our high priest.
You see the writer wants to get across
the fact.
That everything he did, he did not simply
for himself.
Indeed he did not do these things for
himself.
He needed not to make atonement for himself.
He had nothing to put right between himself
and God.
All was well between himself and the Father.
It was on behalf of others.
And so he has become our high priest.
Who represents us before the Father.
Who pleads for us.
If any man sin we have an advocate
with the Father.
Jesus Christ the righteous.
He pleads for his people.
He intercedes for his own.
He is the mediator in the presence of
God.
We need never fear come to God.
Because he stands between us.
He brings us near.
We are accepted in the beloved one.
He is there.
He is our high priest.
You got the picture?
Oh downcast soul.
Especially you who profess to be believing in
the Lord Jesus.
Lift up your hearts.
Lift up your eyes.
Look to the hills from whence come your
aid.
Look at your glorified redeemer.
And I end with this, the anchored.
Who is it?
Who is it who can enjoy this kind
of thing?
Who is thus anchored to the throne of
God?
Who are they?
How do I know whether I can be
anchored there?
Well, briefly look at verse 18.
God did this so that by two unchangeable
things in which it is impossible for God
to lie.
We who have fled for refuge to take
hold of the hope offered us may be
greatly encouraged.
I told you this was steeped in Old
Testament language and concepts.
There is one concept that lies at the
background of this.
Namely the concept of the cities of refuge.
In ancient Palestine there were six cities of
refuge.
They were built in different places throughout the
country so that if you had become a
manslaughter accidentally you could run to the city
of refuge.
And you would be sure of this if
you got inside the walls of a city
of refuge you would have a fair trial.
Now of course you might still die if
you are guilty of manslaughter.
By intent you would die.
But if it was found that it was
an accident you could live there until the
reigning high priest died.
And when he died you were free to
go anywhere and no one dared put his
hand upon you.
Cities of refuge.
Now says the writer of the epistle to
the Hebrews Jesus is our city of refuge.
Hallelujah.
Do you know anything of the hounds of
hell after you?
Do you know anything of the devil lighting
up candles and going into the chambers of
your imagination and your memory and reminding you
of this and of that and of this
and of that and a whole host of
things come up and here you are, you
don't know where to turn you blush when
people look at you and you are uncomfortable
everywhere you can't draw near to God you
can't be at ease with man do you
know when the dark, when the doors are
locked they all come back?
Hallelujah.
Jesus who died on the cross and rose
again and ascended to the right hand of
the majesty upon high our anchor, our prodromos,
our high priest is our city of refuge
and all who have fled to him to
hide in him all who have fled to
him have this hope set before them have
you fled to him?
have you run away?
do you know what it is to be
chased by your sin until there is no
other place of refuge but the wounds of
a crucified and reigning savior those who
flee must lay hold upon the hope set
before them notice there is something active for
the man or the woman who does this
to do to lay hold upon the hope
set before them you don't just flee into
the city period but you flee and you
go into the place where sacrifice is made
and you as it were lay hold upon
the horns of the altar as Joab did
when he was fleeing you read the record
in the Old Testament in 1 Kings 2
and Joab came and he laid hold upon
the horns of the altar the altar of
sacrifice had four corners to it all sprinkled
with the blood of sacrifice and Joab thought
this is the most sacred place no one
will touch me here there is nothing more
sacred in the whole arrangement of things than
the horns of the altar and I'll cling
to the horns of the altar as I
would cling to this not because of its
strength but because of its symbolical significance and
I will cling to this I dare anybody
to touch me here men and women who
have fled into Jesus as the city of
refuge and are clinging to him cleaving to
him trusting in him resting in him yours
is the hope the promise and the covenant
the oath and the promise it is all
made over to you my dear people this
morning all made over and it is all
for your encouragement saying this God will never
let you down lift up your eyes lift
up your heads lift up your hearts lift
up your spirits live hopefully and joyfully we
have been born again onto a lively hope
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that
fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you
who are kept down here by the power
of God through faith for those things that
are already ready and will be revealed in
the last days and can my tongue be
silent and can my spirit be unmoored and
can our souls remain unmoved and unawed oh
holy wonder here we are and I the
chiefest of sinners with you an air of
grace so great and a salvation so vast
and a hope so dynamic and eternal and
undiminishing in its nature thanks be to God
is there someone without it some of you
good people here this morning I don't know
you heaven knows you you know yourselves don't
want to embarrass you but if you are
out of it come into it if you
are without it God invites you and has
ordained that you should be here this morning
when this note is sounded if you are
without an anchor at the mercy of the
hideous elements of 1984 come into the city
of refuge lay hold upon the Christ with
both arms of faith and you will be
able to say and to sing I have
an anchor too that keeps the soul both
sure and steadfast while the billows roll anchored
to the rock which cannot move grounded firm
and deep not only in the Savior's love
but in the eternal love of God Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit let us pray blessed
Lord who knowest all our needs better than
we can express them and our dangers better
than we can recognize them draw us with
the cords of your love now woo us
by your infinite compassion that we may put
our arms around him or to change the
metaphor may move our place of abode from
outside wherever we are on the manslayer at
our heels and come into the city of
refuge in Christ your Son our Lord oh
Lord draw us all there today and being
there put a new song in our hearts
even that of praise to you from whom
it all comes and who alone deserves the
glory hear us in your highest heaven through
the adorable name of our Savior King Jesus
the Christ Amen