Would you turn back to Romans
chapter 12? I'd like to read this third verse again. And I'm
going to give you the title of this message. Self-evaluation. Self-evaluation. Now, I think you'll know why
I entitled this as we read this verse of scripture together.
Verse three, for I say, through the grace given unto me to every
man that's among you, not to think of himself more highly
than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God
hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Now the placing of
this verse gives us some idea of its immense importance. In
the first two verses, he said, I beseech you by the mercies
of God that you present your bodies. a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And
don't you be conformed to this world, but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that
good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And this is the
first thing that he mentions as being a part of this, is not
having too high an opinion of yourself. It's interesting, isn't
it? First thing he mentions when
he speaks of presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, he says,
here's what you need to do in doing this. Don't have too high
an opinion of yourself. Verse three, for I say, and this
is Paul speaking. I say, this is the man God used
more than anybody else. I say, I'm interested in what
Paul has to say, aren't you? I say. And he gives us his qualifications
or his credentials. I say through the grace of God
given to me. I've been given grace to say
this. This is a supernatural statement.
And I've been given grace to say this. Now, if we have grace,
we're given grace. And if you're given grace, there
wasn't anything you did to get it. It was freely given to you. There wasn't anything you did
to become one of God's elect. There isn't anything you did
to become justified or redeemed or sanctified or preserved. All of God's grace is his free
gift. You didn't do anything to get
it, but Paul is speaking specifically of the grace given to him to
expound the gospel. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter
three. Verse 1, For this cause I, Paul,
the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if you've heard
of the dispensation or the stewardship of the grace of God which is
given me to youward, how that by revelation he made known unto
me the mystery, as I wrote afore in a few words, whereby when
you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of
Christ. God gave him special revelation. Turn to 2 Corinthians
chapter 12. Verse 1, it's not expedient for
me, doubtless to glory, I will come to visions and revelations
of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ about
14 years ago, he's talking about himself, and yet he speaks with
such humility, whether in the body or out of the body, I can't
tell. God knows, such a one caught up to the third heaven, and I
knew such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot
tell, God knoweth, how he was caught up into paradise and heard
unspeakable words, which it's not lawful for a man to utter.
Of such a one will I glory, yet of myself I will not glory, but
in mine infirmity." So Paul was given special grace to expound
the gospel. And he's beginning to expound
it. Now, back to our text in Romans
chapter 12, this is Paul speaking. Well, who's he speaking to? I
think it's pretty evident when he says, I, through the grace
of God given in me to every man that is among you. So he's speaking
to me. He's speaking to you. This is
the audience. Every man that is among us, everybody in this
room, this is who Paul is speaking to. Now, if God has given someone
grace to say something, I certainly want to hear what they got to
say, don't you? He says, I say through the grace,
the special grace given to me to you. And here's the first
thing he mentions when he speaks of what we do when we present
our bodies, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God,
which is our reasonable service. Here's the first thing we're
called upon to do. He says, for I say through the
grace given unto me to every man that's among you, not to
think of himself more highly than he ought to think. Not to be inflated with pride,
but to have a humble and modest heart. and lowly view of yourself. Now that's the first thing he
calls upon us to do. Now we're going to spend some
time in Romans chapter 12, but this is so very important. We're living in a culture where
high self-esteem is worshiped. And low self-esteem is looked
upon as the greatest enemy someone can have. Now, that's the culture
we're living in, and you know that. I'm going to do something
I normally don't do. I'm going to quote a line from
Bob Dylan. I got to thinking about that.
Should I do something like that? Well, Paul quoted some people in Acts
chapter 17 where he says, your poet said this, and he quoted
them. And in Titus, the book of Titus,
he talked about some things that the Cretan philosopher said.
So I think I've got a scriptural warrant to do this, but this
is in the song, Desolation Row. I love Bob Dylan, obviously.
But he said, they killed him with self-confidence and poisoned
him with words. Wasn't that going on? Killing
people with self-confidence and poisoning people with words. Now, I would like to have a biblical
view of myself. Wouldn't you? I want to have
a biblical view. Self-evaluation. I want to evaluate
myself in light of what the scriptures have to say. Now, I repeat, remember
who is speaking. One of the most brilliant men
to ever live. Paul the Apostle. It's been said
that the book of Romans is all that's needed to place Paul as
one of the most brilliant minds to ever live. And I believe that's
true regarding this man. Paul's my hero. Now this is the
man who is speaking. Behold, I say unto you, he was
the man God used more than anybody else. He was used by the Spirit
of God to pen more scripture than anybody else except for
Moses. He penned more scripture than all the Old Testament prophets.
He could say without egotism that he labored more abundantly
than all the other apostles. And how many churches were founded
through him? And what does he say needs to
be done in order to prove that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God? He said, I say to every one of
you, don't think of yourself more highly than you ought to
think. Go back with me for a moment to second Corinthians chapter
12. I'm going to read these verses again, but
I want to go on reading. Paul says, it's not expedient
for me doubtless to glory. I'll come to visions and revelations
of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above
14 years ago, whether in the body I cannot tell, whether out
of the body I can't tell, God knows, such a one caught up to
the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether
in the body or out of the body, I can't tell. God knows. How
that he was caught up into paradise. And he heard unspeakable words
which is not lawful for a man to utter. Now, what if God did
that with you? What if He brought you up into
paradise? And He communicated the Gospel
to you? And He had you write the Scriptures?
And He had you to expound the Gospel? And He used you in that
amazing way? What would it do to you? I know what it would do to me.
I'd be thinking, how come he didn't do that with you guys?
I'm special. There must be something about
me that God saw that he could use, something for him to work
with, to expand the gospel. Kind of like James and John arguing
over who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and they
thought they should have the right hand and the left hand
positions. Now you imagine what this must
have done to Paul when he was brought up into the third heavens,
into paradise, and heard unlawful things which are not lawful for
a man to utter, how he was used by God and commissioned by God
to expound the gospel like nobody else. Paul's the chief apostle. Now, what happened? Paul said,
of such a one will I glory, yet of myself I will not glory, but
in mine infirmities. My, that means weaknesses. Weaknesses, you got any weaknesses?
Infirmities? He says in verse six, for though
I would desire to glory, Who wouldn't? I shall not be a fool,
for I will say the truth, but now I forbear, lest any man should
think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he
heareth of me, and lest I should be exalted above measure through
the abundance of the revelations, lest I should think too highly
of myself, because of the abundance of the revelations there was
given to me a thorn. in the flesh. The messenger of
Satan to buffet me, to bruise me black and blue, lest I should
be exalted above measure. Now, who gave it to him? God
did. God did. There was given to me
a gift by God. And it's called a thorn in the
flesh. Now, there has been so much speculation
as to what this was. Was it a physical ailment? Was
it some sin he kept falling into that grieved him? We don't know. We don't know. But a thorn in the flesh is very
painful and it can't kill you. When's the last time you were
pricked with a thorn? Oh, how painful it is. but it's not going
to kill you. And the very fact that it's a
thorn in the flesh makes me think it has something to do with sin. That's the way the flesh is always
used in the scripture. It had something to do with sin.
I don't think a physical ailment would have bothered Paul that
much. I've had my share of physical ailments. I can speak as one
having experience. I've had cancer twice. I've been
laid up in the hospital. I've been seven months in the
hospital. And I know this, that those physical ailments end up
being the best blessing you ever experience. I mean, the Lord
draws nigh to you and just having a physical ailment is not going
to cause you to be beat black and blue and cause you to ask
the Lord to cause it to depart from you like that. I just don't
believe that. It had something to do with sin.
What? I have no idea. It's called by Paul, the messenger
of Satan, to beat me up, lest I be exalted above the revelations
that are given to me, lest I think too highly of myself. So this
was a gift of God's grace. Now let's go on reading. Verse eight, for this thing,
This thorn in the flesh that beats me black and blue and it
keeps me from ever thinking highly of myself. I might be writing
the scriptures, I might be preaching the gospel, I might be used in
all these glorious ways, yet this thorn in the flesh keeps
me down. It's horrible. Now for this thing, three times
I asked the Lord to take it away. Three times. Now, I don't mean,
I don't think I just meant three times, I mean a lot of times,
a whole lot of times. I just kept asking. And you know,
the Lord's answer was not no. It was not no. If I would come
into the Lord's presence and say, Lord, I'm being grieved
with this sin that I keep falling into, and I need your grace to
help me get out of this. And if he'd said, no, I'm not
gonna help you. I'd think, well, there's nothing I can do about
it. I'd just kind of give up, fall into it. That's the way
we would be. The Lord did not say, no, I'm
not going to do it. But here's what he did say. Here's
what he did say. For this thing I besought the
Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee. You're going to have to be satisfied
to be saved by pure, free grace. My grace, the grace that comes
from me is sufficient for thee. Do you believe that? Do you believe
the grace of God is sufficient for you and that you don't really
need anything else but His grace? My grace is sufficient for you. Now Paul had learned in a powerful
way not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.
I think of the scripture in Romans chapter 7 verse 25, O wretched
man that I am. He didn't say, that's in the
present tense. O wretched man that I am. Now if you know the
Lord, if you love the Lord, If you have the grace of God in
your heart, if you know who He is, sin is a grief to you. And your thought is, O wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me? I can't deliver myself. Who
shall deliver me? You know, when someone thinks
highly of themselves, it's because they have no view of God. no
sensitivity to his glory, no view of his holiness. Somebody
says, why are you so wallowing in your, in your sinfulness?
Well, you, if you, if you saw what I saw, you'd be feeling
that way too. Paul said, oh, wretched man that I am. In first
Timothy 1.15, he said, this is a faithful saying worthy of all
acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners
of whom I am. Present tense, the chief. That is what Paul says when he
says, I say through the grace given to me to every man that's
among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to
think. Humility. I want to speak a few
minutes about humility. Humility is a just estimate of
oneself. Let me repeat that. Humility is a just estimate of
oneself. I am what I am by the grace of
God. That's a just estimate, isn't
it? I really believe I'm a sinner,
and I know it's only by the grace of God that I believe that. I believe I'm a Christian, and
it's by the grace of God. I am what I am. I believe I know
the Lord. I believe I walk within. And
saying all that, I still believe I'm a sinner. I know I am. What
I am, I am by the grace of God. Actually, the greatest problem
that you and I have is having too high a view of ourselves. And you know what the proof of
that is? We don't really believe it. That
proves to me, that really is the number one greatest problem
you and I have, is having too high a view, too high an opinion
of yourself. Now, somebody once asked John
Calvin, what are the three greatest Christian graces? What are the
three greatest Christian graces? And his answer was number one,
humility. Number two, humility. Number three, humility. Let me give you some scriptures.
Just listen. God resists the proud and gives
grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore,
under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time. Pride goes before destruction,
and a hearty spirit before the fall. The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom, and before honor is humility. Blessed are the poor in spirit. To this man will I look, God
said, even to him that's poor and of a contrite spirit and
trembles at my word. I love that passage in Micah
chapter six. What does the Lord require of
thee? He gives three requirements. do justly. Now the only way I can understand
that is as I'm justified in Christ. And I really did do justly. If
he did justly, I did justly too. Because I don't think of anything
that I do as, you know, without sin and to do justly. So I think
that that's talking about the reality of justification. Christ
did justly, didn't he? I did too. To do justly. To love mercy. You know what? I love mercy. I do, I flat love
mercy. I love the mercy of God. And
the third thing he says is, and to walk humbly with thy God. Now I was listening to a man
preaching on this subject. And he said, I might not be a
great preacher, but this is something I can do. I can be humble. And
I thought, oh, oh. Good for you. I wish I'd learned
the trick. Oh, I want to walk humbly with
my God. He that exalts himself, our Lord
said on numerous occasions, shall be abased. And he that humbles
himself shall be exalted. Now, when I thought of those
scriptures, I thought, you know, the entire Bible is an exposition
of the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. The whole Bible,
God uses that whole book to expound the man who said, God, I thank
thee that I'm not as other men are. He gave God the credit. I reckon he was a Calvinist.
He gave God the credit. But he was comparing himself
with somebody else. I thank thee that I'm not as
other men are. And I said this recently, and
I hold to it. When we say, there go I, but
for the grace of God, what's the difference between that and
what the publican said? I don't see any difference at
all. I mean, it's saying the same thing. We're saying at least
I'm not that bad. I know it's only by grace, but
at least I'm not that bad. That's not humility. That's not
humility. Now, Paul says, back to our text
in Romans chapter 12, For I say through the grace given
unto me to every man that's among you, not to think of himself
more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly. To not be drunken with pride
and self-righteousness and high views of yourself, but what it
means more than anything else is with a right mind. with the
right mind. As a matter of fact, this is
the same word that's used to describe that gathering demonic
after the Lord had done something for him and he was sitting at
the feet of Christ clothed and in his right mind. And the only way you and I are
going to be in our right mind is if we don't think of ourselves
more highly than we ought to think. Now, Give yourself, in
light of the scripture, a proper biblical self-evaluation. What are you, and I'm asking
myself this question, what are you in and of yourself? Nothing but sin. You believe that? I think of what Paul said in
Galatians chapter 6 verse 3, when a man thinketh himself to
be something, when he is, know the next word? Nothing. He deceiveth himself. A lot of deceived people aren't
there? Me being one of them. Anytime I think of myself as
something. You know, it's only when I am
nothing that Christ is all. Isn't it easy to trust Christ
is all when you don't have anything else to trust? You don't have
anywhere else to look. I love that I'm a poor sinner. and nothing at all. But Jesus
Christ is my all in all. It's sweet to be nothing. Takes
all the pressure off. I like being a nothing and Him
being all. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter
4. Paul says in verse six, and these
things, brethren, have I in a figure transferred to myself and to
Apollos? He said, who is Paul? Who is
Apollos? Ministers by whom you believe.
We're nothing. God gives the increase. He said, I've said
these things that you might learn in us not to think of men above
that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up one against
another. Now, What am I to think of myself? Well, I'm nothing. Now, I'm not
going to stop there. I'm not going to stop there. This is
just important. I am to realize and to recognize who and what
I am in Christ. that is just as important. We don't need to have a false
humility that we use to excuse ourself in a life of doelessness
and sin. I'm so sinful, I wouldn't dare
seek to do what the word tells me to do. Why, that'd be works.
No, don't do that. The person I thought of is Moses.
Remember the Lord coming to him and said, you go speak to Pharaoh,
let my people go. He said, I can't do that. I'm
of slow tongue. He said, who man's tongue? I
can't do that. I'm slow of speech. Go. I can't do that. Send somebody
else. And the Scripture says, the anger of the Lord was kindled
against Moses. You see, Moses was so self-absorbed at this
time, he wouldn't hear what God said. God can easily use Moses
or Balaam's ass or anybody else. It's not an issue with God. It's
easy. Understand who you are in Christ Jesus. Now, while it's true we're nothing
in and of ourselves, if God be for us, who can be against us? Now, I want you to chew on that
for just a moment. If God be for us, who can be against us? Now, I want to give you, real
briefly, Ten things, and I'm not going to be preaching on
a ten-point message at this point in the message. I mean, I'm just
going to read my notes and that's it, so don't get too nervous. I want
to give you ten great facts, ten things that every believer
possesses, even the youngest believer, even the newest believer,
even, and I don't know how else to say this, but even the most
backslidden believer. You can look at times in David's
life. We're going to look at that next week in chapter 29,
where if all you had to read about David was the 29th chapter
of 1 Samuel, you would conclude the man's not even saved. So
yes, a believer can go through lean times and dark times and,
for lack of a better word, backslidden times. But the Bible uses that
word, so it's a good word. I've heard preachers say, you
ought not preach that a believer can backslide, because they'll
all start doing it. That doesn't make any sense to me. The Bible
uses the word, so yeah, it makes us understand what's going on.
But at any rate, here's what every believer has. First, a new heart given to them
by God. A holy heart, a new nature. Second, the indwelling of God
the indwelling of Christ, the indwelling of God, the Holy Spirit,
Christ in you, the hope of glory. Third, every believer possesses
the forgiveness of all their sins, past, present, and future. Sins that you haven't even committed
yet. When Christ died for them, they were all future, and they've
all been forgiven, and you and I are not permitted to think
about our sins in any other way than forgiven sins. Fourth, every believer has the
very righteousness of Christ imputed to them. His righteousness
is my personal righteousness before God. That's one of the
reasons I think it's so ridiculous to think of higher rewards in
heaven. So you could add something to
Christ's righteousness and make it better? I don't think so.
I don't think so. That's not gonna work. Fifth,
every believer has been adopted by God. and made a son and an
heir of God. God is your inheritance. That's
true of every believer. Six, you're joined to Christ. You're eternally one with Him. There's never been a time when
you were not joined to Christ. You know, everlasting life doesn't
mean it starts at a point in time and goes on forever after
that. No, it's forever both ways. It's
forever both ways. That's eternal life. Life that
goes on forever, both ways. Always been united to Christ
where I was in Him. I've always been in Him. Listen
to this. This is true of every believer.
Sin does not have dominion over you. And that's God's promise. Sin shall not have dominion over
you. For you're not under the law,
but you're under grace. Now that is God's promise. Listen
to this scripture from Romans 6, verse 18. Being made free
from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Paul said in Romans
6, 11, to reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin. And here's the point. I might
not feel like it, but God says I am. I'm gonna believe what
God says. And this promise from God, sin
shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under the
law. Now, if you're under the law, it has complete dominion
over you, complete control of you. You know, if somebody says,
well, sin doesn't have dominion over me, that shows just what
kind of dominion it has. You're just blinded, is what
that is, if you think. But still, this is the promise
of the gospel. Believe it. Sin doesn't have
dominion over the believer, because he's not under law, but under
grace. And then we have, every one of
us, Romans 8, 28. And we know that all things work
together for good. That's everything. Everything's
included in that. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to his purpose. Ninth, every believer has all
of God's provision. He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not? What could
possibly prevent Him from freely giving us all things? You've
already got the greatest. You think He's going to withhold
anything else? He's already given up His Son. In 10th present tense, every believer
is already in heaven. seated in the heavenlies in Christ
Jesus. I'm already there. I'm not as
sure for heaven as if I'm already there. I've heard people say
that, and I think you're trying to convince yourself. Every time
I hear somebody say that, you're trying to convince yourself.
When somebody says, I know I'm saved, I'm thinking, well, why
are you telling me that if you're so sure of it? I mean, I've heard
all that kind of stuff, people making these boasts, but a believer
really can make this boast. I'm already in heaven. Seated,
Ephesians 2, 6, seated together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Now, think soberly. Think with a right mind, not
too high an opinion of yourself and not too low an opinion of
yourself either. Yes, in and of yourself, in and
of myself, I'm nothing but sin. The Lord said, without me, you
can do what? Nothing. Nothing. No good thing. I know that. But who am I in
Christ? Elect, justified, sanctified,
adopted into the great family of God, an heir of God. Now let
your thinking be according to the measure of faith that God
has given you. Remember, if the scripture says
whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Any thought of yourself
Any high thought of yourself is not a faith. It's a sin. That's all it is, any high thought.
Also, any self-absorbed thought that prevents you from trusting
and rejoicing in Christ is not a faith, it is sin. Now may the Lord give us this
right mind he's speaking of. And it's most clearly illustrated
by that gathering demonic who'd been out cutting himself with
stones. And then the Lord does something for him. And we find
him sitting at the feet of Christ. Beloved, would you want to be
anywhere else? Sitting at his feet. And he was clothed, clothed
in the very righteousness of Christ. and in his right mind. You know, lost man's crazy. Lost
man doesn't believe grace. He's crazy. He's crazy. It doesn't
make any sense. Oh, may the Lord put us all in
this right mind. And let me remind you, the first
thing he says when he speaks of presenting your body a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service, The very first thing he says is, don't have too high
an opinion of yourself. May God give us grace to do just
that. Our merciful Heavenly Father,
we ask that you would give us grace to not think more highly
of ourselves than we ought to think, but to think soberly according
to the measure of faith that you've given us. Lord, as we
partake of the Lord's table, we ask that you'd enable us to
do this in remembrance of you. Deliver us from looking to ourselves,
but to look wholly to what thy son accomplished in our behalf
on Calvary's tree. And Lord, we ask that you would
bless the baptism. We pray for Laura, for your great
grace to be upon her. And we give thanks for her and
bless us for the Lord's sake. In his name we pray. Amen. Oh, Lord, we pray that you will
reveal yourself to us. We pray that you'll deliver us
from self-righteous religious acts
that are just hollow. We pray that you make us believe in you as the scriptures
are reading. I do not believe it's an idol.
We pray that you deliver us from our sins. We just believe you,
worship you, have us kneel to read your word. That we might
live our lives for your glory. That we might love one another. Heal any rifts among us, amen.
Give us good health, we pray. Deliver us from the evil one.
Make us one loud family for your Lord. Oh, bless this communion
to take. Oh, be with us. Ask if you want
anything. Amen. Hmm. Okay. Lord, as we gather together,
we remember this precious blood of Christ that presents in this
wine. Lord, we remember it as our very
basis, our only hope for salvation. We remember the blood that redeems,
the blood that justifies, the blood that saves. Lord, we remember it as an end
price for us, for our souls. where we wouldn't dare to offer
this. But Lord, you provided a great
actress to offer it for us. We rejoice in that. Lord, we
have access to this through our faith, through that great actress. It is then we pray now. 212, let's stand and sing. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that
makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing
but the blood of Jesus. What heart in this I see, nothing
but the blood of Jesus. nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that
makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing
but the blood of Jesus. Nothing can for sin atone, nothing
but the blood of Jesus. Not a good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow That
makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, Nothing
but the blood of Jesus. This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my righteousness,
blood of Jesus. O precious is the flow that makes
me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing
but the blood of Jesus. Laura Peterson was raised up
here in the gospel. And I love seeing her parents
here, and I know that the highlight of my life was when Aubrey confessed
Christ and believers baptism, what a joy that is. And then
for some time you left. You started out as making a profession,
then you left, and that happens to just about everybody. But
while you left, the Lord never liked you. And you weren't aware
of it, but he said, hither to thou shalt thou go with no further.
And at his time, he called you to himself. And that's the way
the Lord works. And this is, I love baptism because
of what we confess in believers baptism. And this is what you're
confessing. You're confessing that this is all my hope, that
when Jesus Christ lived and kept the law, I did too. That's my
only obedience, is the obedience of Christ. When he died, I was
in him. I died with him. He put away
my sin. And when he was raised, I was
raised with him. And this is all my salvation.
That's it. And that's why baptism is so
beautiful. It so beautifully portrays the
simplicity of the gospel. And we rejoice with you. Laura, upon your profession of
faith in Christ as you're all in salvation, I baptize you,
my sister, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. Let's pray together. Lord, Ask in Christ's blessed name
through your great grace to be upon our dear sister. And Lord,
we thank you for the. Gospel. That we just heard. We thank you for the. Privilege
of. Eating the bread and drinking
the wine and remembrance of what my son did for us. How we thank
you for the gospel. Oh Lord, that we might be found
in your son. Lord, that's our only desire.
that we might be found in Christ. Now bless us for Christ's sake,
in His name we pray. Amen.