Thank you so much for having me. It's significant for me to be here because I really do believe in what this event stands for,

and I believe in its existence, and I believe that it should exist, and I believe that the reason it exists is infinitely important.

And it's no accident, I suppose, in God's Providence that both Don Carson's text this morning and mine tonight hits upon texts that are so relevant for the very existence of this conference.

So I appreciate very much being asked, and i'm happy to serve for these

couple of evenings it's a high privilege to be a part of anything that comes into being for such

high and noble purposes i would like to ask the lord one more time uh in particular help. So would you let me pray with you for just a moment?

Father, I want to dedicate this message to one man in particular who's here. And I am deeply thankful that he came such a far way and and will hear it

with a unique ear. You know him and and you know me and I pray that I would be of service to his faith.

And then there are others, Lord, hundreds that I don't know who have brought their sufferings with them in their heart and mind and others who,

in the next weeks to follow, will be simply stunned at the jaws of the lion into which they

are about to walk. And if I could be of any assistance in

strengthening their faith and preparing them for that trial, it would make me very glad. And so,

Father, you know in your great wisdom what is about to come to pass and what has been in this room already. And so, please,

like you took the loaves and fishes and fed 5,000 beyond that little boy's expectation,

would you take these words and multiply them for faith's food beyond anything I have dreamed?

And my dreams have been large for this event, and I pray that you will surprise us all

with the effect across Great Britain of this conference and what comes of it.

Glorify your son.

In his name, I pray. Amen.

The theme is treasuring Christ together, or treasuring Christ and the call to suffer.

So I want to linger over the meaning of the theme for just a few minutes and focus on the term treasuring Christ. I think there's a danger everywhere

that the faith is held, but probably particularly in America, that Christ become a means and not the end of

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