Father, I pray that you would sound forth now from your inspired word a summons to us that will be irresistible and will contain in it the power to accomplish what it commands.

I pray that you would protect us from the devil

and from our own flesh and our indwelling sin and from all pride and all fear and greed and unrighteous anger.

And I pray that the Holy Spirit would have full sway in these next moments, and that the

word of God would run and triumph over all sin in our lives and over everything that keeps us

from following Christ no matter the cost. I pray that the ripple effect of tonight

would be for every neighborhood represented and every family and every people group and would run to the nations and that you would do exceedingly,

abundantly beyond all that we ask or think tonight for the glory

of your son.

In his name I pray, amen.

If you want four pegs on which to hang this message, let me give them to you from the outset here and then you

may be able to follow me better as I go along.

I have not forgotten the promise that I made last night about trying to

answer the question at the end and so it will come, but not at the beginning.

First, darkness under God, or you could say the darkness of suffering under God. Second, joy in God. Third, love from God and forth the beauty of God.

Those are the four pegs.

The darkness that we often walk through under God, sustained by the joy of God,

mediated to us through the love that comes from God,

upheld and given joy by the beauty of God.

So my aim tonight is to summon you and to help you take your share of suffering. Take your share of suffering. Under the mighty hand of God, sustained

by joy in God, flowing through love from God, manifest in the beauty of God,

and all that he is for us in Christ.

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