Title: Assessing the Battlefield

Text: II Timothy 4:9-22

FCF: We often struggle ministering to each other.

Prop: Because the members of the body of Christ need each other, we must minister to one another.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Timothy 4. Today will be our last sermon in II Timothy, and the Pastoral Epistles as a whole. I have found them to be incredibly challenging, uplifting, rebuking, and exhorting. I trust that you have too.

For those of you who have sat under my preaching for a little while, you may be thinking – so 14 verses – we are going to be here a while. Well it won’t be as short as last week, but we should be able to get through these last verses in a normal amount of time.

Paul will finish the last letter we have of his with some final commands to Timothy. Within those commands we will find an incredibly relevant truth that we desperately need today, along with a particularly poignant application.

Join me one more time in II Timothy, chapter 4. I’m reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1344.

Transition:

Difficult as it may be to draw much from a text like this – we must look closely or we may miss a powerful message.

I.) Because the members of the body of Christ need each another, we must be among each other. (9-13)

a. [Slide 2] 9 – Make every effort to come to me soon.

i. Even though Paul is convinced he will die soon, he doesn’t know when. So, what does he do? He goes right into planning as if things will continue.

ii. There is a lesson for us here. No matter how bleak it gets – we are never at liberty to give up and resign ourselves to death or a fate we are certain of. Instead, we continue on doing what the Lord has called us to do. Until He calls us home.

iii. Timothy’s next movement, as Paul repositions his troops, is to come to Paul.

iv. And Timothy must make every effort to do that… soon.

v. Don’t delay. Why?

b. [Slide 3] 10 – For Demas deserted me,

i. Of course, we need to ask ourselves a question… a question we will be asking a lot in this text.

ii. Who is this person? Who is Demas?

iii. Demas is mentioned in Colossians and Philemon as a co-laborer of Paul’s in the gospel. These prison epistles were written under his first Roman imprisonment which occurred around 60 or 61 AD.

iv. So about 5 or 6 years later, Demas went from a co-laborer to a deserter.

v. Why?

c. [Slide 4] Since he loved the present age and he went to Thessalonica.

i. Paul doesn’t elaborate on this – but loving the present age is the reason he cites.

ii. That could mean anything from wanting to preserve his life, to earthly concerns like money, pleasure, power etc.

iii. In any case, he did not finish his race. He did not keep the faith. He did not persevere.

iv. Is it any wonder why Paul wrote this book the way he did, with such strong commands for Timothy to endure!

v. Although we don’t know for sure, tradition holds that Demas was from Thessalonica.

vi. So in all these troop movements of God’s forces aligned against the forces of darkness, Demas – went home. He quit to pursue more earthly passions – whatever those might have been.

d. [Slide 5] Crescens went to Galatia

i. So who is Crescens?

ii. We have no idea. He is only mentioned here in the whole of the New Testament.

iii. We know he went to Galatia.

iv. We don’t even really know if that is a good thing that he went there. Paul doesn’t claim to have sent him.

v. But if he too had abandoned Paul, we might think that Paul would have mentioned it.

e. [Slide 6] And Titus to Dalmatia.

i. Titus we should know well since we just finished studying an entire letter addressed to him.

ii. As a reminder, Titus was with Paul at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15 and Gal 2:1-3); He was an emissary to the church in Corinth (II Cor 7:6-7; 8:6; 16); Here we see that he went to Dalmatia after his mission was accomplished in Crete.

iii. [Slide 7] Since Dalmatia is very close to Nicopolis which is where Titus was to meet Paul after he was done in Crete – I think we can reasonably assume that both Crescens and Titus were not deserting Paul. They simply were not with him because they had gone on their own assignments.

iv. And that is why he wants Timothy to come. Much of Paul’s inner circle of companions are not with him.

v. But Paul is not completely alone.

f. [Slide 8] 11 – Only Luke is with me.

i. Luke is probably the closest companion of Paul throughout the course of his ministry.

ii. He was a doctor and regularly tended and cared for Paul’s medical needs while he was in prison.

iii. He was also a co-laborer in the gospel ministry and is mentioned in several letters from Paul.

iv. If we went by word count or verse count, Luke is the author of about 40% of the New Testament having written both the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

v. So Luke is the only one there, but adding Timothy would still not be enough.

g. [Slide 9] Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is a great help to me in ministry.

i. Mark or John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas, and an early companion of Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.

ii. When they reached Perga John Mark, for unknown reasons, departed the two men and went back to Jerusalem. This was a point that Paul interpreted negatively.

iii. Barnabas suggested John Mark again on a subsequent journey to which Paul refused. This led the two to part ways amicably. Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus and Paul took Silas.

iv. In Colossians 4 (so by his first Roman imprisonment) Paul has Mark with him in Rome, indicating that his status for Paul has been restored to a co-laborer.

v. And here we see Paul asking Timothy to stop and pick up Mark (probably in Asia minor somewhere) because he is a great help to Paul in the ministry. Clearly Paul has changed his perception of John Mark.

vi. Interestingly enough, it was probably around this time – perhaps even in Rome with Paul – that Mark wrote his gospel.

vii. But other troops, other generals in the Kingdom of light have also been sent away.

h. [Slide 10] 12 – Now I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

i. Tychicus was a companion of Paul in the province of Asia Minor

ii. He was sent with Onesimus to deliver the prison epistles.

iii. He was one of two men considered to replace Titus in Crete. He was ultimately not selected for that job. Instead, he was sent to Ephesus – one would think – to replace Timothy.

iv. What a strong vote of confidence Paul puts in this man to replace Timothy. Of course, we knew that since he was also being considered to replace Titus “The hammer” in Crete.

v. But it is not only people Paul needs, but also items.

i. [Slide 11] 13 – When you come, bring with you the cloak I left in Troas with Carpas and the scrolls, especially the parchments.

i. Paul needs a cloak. This coupled with the thought of Timothy coming before winter seems to suggest that Paul was not very comfortable in the prison he occupied at this time.

ii. His first imprisonment was more like house arrest while he awaited release. This seems to be worse conditions as he awaits execution.

iii. [Slide 12] So, the cloak must be obtained from Troas.

iv. From Ephesus Timothy’s most likely path of travel would take him north along the coast of Asia Minor and the Balkan Peninsula, since sailing across the Aegean to get to the pass in Corinth would have been especially dangerous. Along the way Timothy can get Mark, stop in Troas and pick up the items Paul needs, and then be on his way.

v. Carpas is only mentioned here so we don’t know anything about him other than he has Paul’s coat!

vi. [Slide 13] Paul also needs the scrolls and parchments.

vii. The reason he needs the parchment is fairly obvious. He intended to write more letters, although we have no more recorded from him.

viii. Scrolls, however, is an enigma. Some have suggested something as grand as a theological creed or confession for the Roman church all the way to documents proving his Roman citizenship. In any case, Paul needed what was written on them.

j. [Slide 14] Passage Truth: Through all this, even though it seems Paul’s life is coming to a close, he still needs God’s people around him for ministry to others and to be ministered to. That is why he calls Timothy to his side along with John Mark. Until the Lord takes him, the ministry continues, and he cannot do it alone.

k. Passage Application: So, Timothy must make haste to leave to be with Paul.

l. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out we know and understand that we each are not an island unto ourselves. We as the body of Christ, in order to function as we must, cannot expect to have all gifts, or be able to say to another believer – we don’t need what God has given you. Indeed, in order to minister effectively, we need one another.

m. Broader Biblical Application: So here at CBC we need to be among one another. We realize this, still remembering the early days of the pandemic when we considered it unwise to meet in person. Although a temporary necessity, it became quickly apparent that it could not continue indefinitely. We needed each other. And not just over the phone or in a zoom chat. We needed to be with each other. So that we could minister to one another. Even now there are several out sick, or who have been unable to attend for some time because of one ailment or another. We need them among us and they need to be among us when they are able. There is no replacement for personal, face to face meeting of God’s people.

Transition:

[Slide 16(blank)] But merely being together is not enough for the body of Christ to thrive. We need more.

II.) Because the members of the body of Christ need each another, we must watch out for those who oppose us and support those in need. (14-18)

a. [Slide 17] 14 – Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm.

i. Answering the question of who is Alexander the coppersmith is a difficult one.

ii. There are several Alexanders in scripture.

iii. Mark 15:21 - Son of Simon of Cyrene who carried the cross of Jesus.

iv. Acts 4:6 – a member of the High Priest’s family.

v. Acts 19: 33 – A Jew wanting to defend Jews against accusation that they started the riot in Ephesus.

vi. I Tim 1:20 a man part of the problem in Ephesus with Hymenaeus whom Paul handed over to Satan.

vii. And finally, here a coppersmith who did great evil to Paul.

viii. Ultimately, we don’t have a lot of evidence to suggest that any of these men are the same as one another because we know that Alexander is a very common name in the Roman empire at this time.

ix. Added to this, the only time the descriptor of “coppersmith” is used is right here in this text.

x. Therefore, it is very likely that this is the only reference to this man in scripture – but there is some reason to believe that he could still be the same Alexander from I Timothy – still causing trouble like Hymenaeus.

xi. What exactly he did to Paul is unknown, although we know that he opposed the teaching of Paul.

xii. Some have suggested, believing that Alexander the coppersmith is the same as the Alexander from I Timothy, that having been excommunicated from the church he turned Paul in to the officials and even went to Rome to bear witness against him.

xiii. Although it is an attractive option to help explain how Paul got from I Timothy and Titus to II Timothy, it is mostly guessing.

b. [Slide 18] The Lord will repay him in keeping with his deeds.

i. This is an allusion to Psalm 28:4 – an imprecatory prayer of David calling on the Lord to repay those who do evil for their deeds.

ii. Imprecatory prayers get a lot of questions from New Covenant believers as we bristle at the thought of asking God to punish evil doers. How is this loving our enemies to pray that God would smite them?

iii. Well, first of all, we don’t view our prayers like the heathens whose prayers are meant to compel or invoke their god to action. We are not forming an incantation or spell to bring about calamity. God has sovereign freedom to ignore or even rebuke us for asking amiss.

iv. But also, God has promised all men that He will repay them for their deeds. Evil for evil and good for good. And so, praying that God would do as He has already said – is not praying outside of His will.

v. Paul doesn’t tell God to do it now, or next Tuesday. It may be an eschatological context in which he is referencing. Meaning the final judgment is in view.

vi. In any case, it is not wrong for us to pray that God would punish wicked men and women. Especially when we are not praying against personal enemies for personal reasons, but against enemies of God. But we should also be praying that He saves His people… who are all also at some point in their lives….enemies of God.

vii. Can we pray for the punishment and salvation of someone in the same breath? I think we can. How? In the Lord’s prayer asking for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven… that is praying exactly that. That God would either kill off the flesh of a man and raise up His spirit, or that He would punish the wicked.

viii. So, Paul prays that Alexander the coppersmith be given what he deserves. Indeed, he is sure it will be.

ix. But until that time…

c. [Slide 19] 15 – You be on guard against him too, because he vehemently opposed our words.

i. Timothy has his second major command in the text.

ii. To be on guard against Alexander. Don’t trust him.

iii. Why?

iv. He is not a gospel believer. He opposed our words.

v. In short, he is probably an example of someone who has committed the unforgivable sin.

vi. Meaning someone who believes the gospel is true but opposes it.

vii. Paul telling Timothy this means that either this man is in Ephesus now, in Troas, or perhaps even in Rome. Paul is sure that Timothy will cross paths with him. So Timothy must remain vigilant.

d. [Slide 20] 16 – At my first defense no one appeared in my support; Instead, they all deserted me – may they not be held accountable for it.

i. In the trial of a Roman citizen there would be two hearings.

ii. The first is to establish the facts of the case and determine if there is even a need for a trial.

iii. This would sort of be a formal place to debate ideas and information without the muckiness of whether the person is innocent or guilty.

iv. After that there would be a full trial to determine guilt or innocence.

v. This first defense is this preliminary hearing which was held before a magistrate.

vi. Paul is calling out some of his companions for not appearing to bear witness in his favor and thus he received a vote from the magistrate that his case would go to trial.

vii. Nero was presiding over all Christian trials at this point – and he certainly would find a Christian leader as prominent as Paul guilty and execute him.

viii. But why did all these companions desert him? Most likely because of fear. If they go, give him a glowing character witness, and the trial goes forward anyway with Paul being executed – guess who is next to stand trial?

ix. But Paul asks the Lord for mercy. Much like Jesus and Stephen ask for mercy from those who lead to their death, Paul asks for mercy upon his friends.

x. Here we note the contrast between Alexander the coppersmith and all these dear friends who were too scared to help him.

xi. Why?

xii. Alexander knew exactly what he was doing and stood in opposition. Paul’s companions fled for fear and weakness.

xiii. We may wonder if Paul is just complaining here or using this as a way to bring shame on those who abandoned him. I think though, it is the opposite. I think, having not named these people, he is writing this to assure them that he bears no grudge and that he has released them from their failure.

xiv. It is actually a sweet and kind gesture to all who would feel certain shame for abandoning the apostle.

xv. Besides, Paul ultimately did not need them. He drew strength from the one who is never weak.

e. [Slide 21] 17 – But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed for all the Gentiles to hear.

i. As is our hope when we are alone and none are left to help – The Lord is our strength and shield.

ii. If God has called us to be and do something – He is faithful to supply all we need to be and do what He has planned.

iii. Paul was sent to the Gentiles – and where better to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ but to the courts of Rome in the heart of the Gentile world.

iv. Before the very emperor of the known world Paul would stand and boldly preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

v. And because he did this…

f. [Slide 22] And so, I was delivered form the Lion’s mouth!

i. But wait. Isn’t he going to be executed?

ii. How can he say he was delivered from the lion’s mouth?

iii. My friends, Paul is already speaking beyond this world.

iv. He has been pursued by the forces of darkness and demonic lies since Christ threw him off that horse on the road to Damascus.

v. And with His final delivery of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the very courts of Rome… the forces of darkness have utterly failed to stop what God sent Paul to do.

vi. And ultimately, the greatest weapons of the evil one, sin and death, have no hold on Paul.

vii. Why?

g. [Slide 23] 18 – The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.

i. The Lord will deliver him from every evil plan done against him, and death will not ultimately win, for His sin has been paid and His eternal life secured.

ii. This is the great hope of all who serve the Lord. That we will be broken and spilled out but delivered through the pale to the bright and glorious city of light.

iii. To live is Christ but to die is gain.

h. [Slide 24] To him be glory for ever and ever! Amen.

i. And for such a thought

ii. The strengthening and empowering of God to finish strong, to look death in the eye, to stare at the teeth of the evil one and there boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ,

iii. To know that Christ will present us faultless before the throne of God…

iv. Indeed, for this He deserves all glory forever and ever.

v. Amen?

i. [Slide 25] Passage Truth: So once again Paul emphasizes the role Christians have toward one another. Certainly, all His strength is from the Lord and that is all he needs, but genuine brotherly support from likeminded believers is a welcome gift from the Lord.

j. Passage Application: So Timothy must be vigilant against those who are not likeminded, and seek to support Paul by being with him.

k. [Slide 26] Broader Biblical Truth: The whole of scripture shows that God is indeed our strength, our shield, and even when we are utterly alone – He is all we need. But He has also given His church to protect one another from threats and support one another through trial.

l. Broader Biblical Application: And so we at CBC must protect each other from threats and support each other in trial. It should be ok for a pastor, church leader, or even mentor to say something like… “be careful of that teacher – I’ve read some of what he says and he may not have the truth.” It should be ok for all of us to warn each other to be careful of who we listen to and getting trapped in our own echo chambers too. And it should be normal to reach out and support one another when we desperately need it. If you are thinking… yeah, when the next person here has a trial that they need support in… I’ll be there… You are in luck. There are some going through some pretty tough stuff right now. It’s your chance!

Transition:

[Slide 27 (blank)] God has all we truly need. He is our strength. He is our shield. But in that He has also designed His church to function like a body caring for itself. And so we need one another’s presence, protection, and support. But even this is not the end of what we need from one another.

III.) Because the members of the body of Christ need each another, we must unconditionally love those of like faith and practice. (19-22)

a. [Slide 28] 19 – Greetings to Prisca and Aquila

i. So now Paul’s final command to Timothy of this letter is to greet people in his area from Paul and his companions in Rome.

ii. First on the list is Prisca or Priscilla and Aquila.

iii. Paul first encounters this couple in Ephesus because they too were tentmakers. (Acts 18:2) Paul would leave them in Ephesus (18) which God providentially used them to disciple Apollos (26)

iv. On Paul’s 3rd missionary journey, he returned to Ephesus and wrote I Corinthians. Here he greets the Corinthians from Aquila and Pricilla (16:9)

v. Evidentially they didn’t stay in Ephesus much longer because by the following year they had a church meeting in their home in Rome. (Romans 16:3-5) They also risked their lives to help Paul, although we aren’t sure of the details.

vi. So now, about a decade later, they are back in Ephesus and Paul wishes to greet them.

b. [Slide 29] And the family of Onesiphorus.

i. Mentioned only in this book, Onesiphorus was a dear help and friend to Paul in Rome with his current imprisonment. Paul is asking to greet his family.

ii. Now since Paul says Luke is the only one with him, we may wonder where Onesiphorus is.

iii. It is very hard to know.

iv. It is clear that although Luke is the only one with Paul – he is not the only Christian with him. Probably just the only one of his inner circle. Later Paul sends greetings from others. So we know Paul is not completely alone.

v. So Onesiphorus could still be with Paul, he could be en route to Ephesus or perhaps he is delivering the letter itself.

vi. It is hard to know. In any case, Paul wishes for a second time, goodness and kindness toward his family.

c. [Slide 30] 20 – Erastus stayed in Corinth.

i. Erastus is an assistant of Paul and someone Timothy had worked with before in Macedonia (Acts 19:22)

ii. In Romans we find out that he was originally the city treasurer in Corinth (Romans 16:23)

iii. And according to this passage, he stayed in Corinth.

d. [Slide 31] Trophimus I left ill in Miletus.

i. Trophimus is a possible brother of Tychichus from Ephesus (Acts 20,21)

ii. Here we see that he went with Paul to Miletus which is a city on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. Unfortunately, Paul had to leave him there because he was ill.

iii. So what do we make of all these descriptions of people and where they are, are going, or have been sent?

iv. It seems that Paul is encouraging Timothy and even the church in Ephesus with the news that many are still out and active in the gospel ministry. They are stationed throughout the Roman empire and are still working for the gospel. And so, Paul is showing his battle map and where the generals of Jesus Christ and His church are positioned. God is still moving… even though Paul is in prison. When Paul dies – the gospel of Christ will not die with him.

e. [Slide 32] 21 – Make every effort to come before winter.

i. But Paul’s primary general needs to be in Rome. And he needs to be there very soon. Like before winter.

ii. On the Aegean if you wait until winter to travel somewhere – then you are waiting until spring to travel somewhere.

iii. Paul doesn’t want winter to turn into spring because he may not have another spring left.

f. [Slide 33] Greetings to you from Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters.

i. Paul sends greetings from those with him in Rome.

ii. Every single name here does not have any other reference besides here.

iii. These may be leaders or simply members of a local church who have cared for him and helped him get these letters out.

iv. Along with many others there.

g. [Slide 34] 22 – The Lord be with your spirit.

i. This is a personal wish to Timothy alone that God would be with Timothy’s spirit.

ii. That God would give him strength to do all that Paul has commanded and to safely transport him to Paul’s presence soon.

iii. That the Spirit of God would strengthen his spirit to endure as The Spirit has for Paul.

h. [Slide 35] Grace be with you.

i. What could be viewed as a redundant phrase opens up when we realize that the “you” here is plural.

ii. Paul wishes a final hope for the grace of God to be with all who are there in Ephesus. Not just Timothy – but all the church there as they face the battle for truth.

i. [Slide 36] Passage Truth: So Paul finishes as he does most of his letters, with greetings. But these people will probably never meet. Still, Paul mentions some by name. How interesting to find how close knit this body of Christ is, and how much we need each other, that we are instantly comfortable with a person of like-faith.

j. Passage Application: So Timothy must warmly greet those in Ephesus from those in Rome. One body, united in Christ, but miles apart.

k. [Slide 37] Broader Biblical Truth: This is the glorious truth of the bride of Christ. The great sad story of it all is that as wonderful as our local bodies are – they do not compare to the whole of Christ’s bride gathered from the corners of the earth. One day we will all be together and will all rejoice in His presence.

l. Broader Biblical Application: It is that hope and that future that motivates us to greet others of like-faith and practice with energetic greetings. It is the tie that binds us together in Christian love, even when we barely know one another.

Conclusion:

So how do we apply this CBC?

Even the Apostle Paul needed the company and support of the people of God. As influential as he was, he needed the church to minister to him and to help him minister to others.

Do you realize that in about 2000 years of church history, the concept of Christ being your personal savior is probably only about 200 years old. As with all twists of truth, the concept is rooted in truth. Certainly, we all have an individual calling and election. Certainly, each of our individual souls are saved. We don’t become 1 amalgum of souls to be the one bride of Christ. But we should also not be mistaken. All of Christ’s true church share the relationship together to Christ. You cannot have an exclusively personal relationship with Christ. A personal relationship with Christ without the body of Christ is actually no relationship with Christ at all.

So just as there is no such thing as personal, private interpretation of the scriptures, where each Christian gets to assign whatever meaning he thinks to the text… so also there is no such thing as a personal private practice of our faith. We are one in the Spirit. We are one in the Lord. And therefore, our lives are laid bare before one another. We must be present with one another. We must protect one another from wrong teaching. We must support one another in trial. And we must love one another – even if all we know about each other is that we are of the same faith.

And this is incredibly relevant to us today for two reasons. I’ll start with the grand reason and end with the intimate one.

The grand reason this message is intensely relevant for today is because although we live in a world where communication with anyone is mere seconds away – we are among the most isolated and independent living people that have ever existed. No one likes leaving their homes. No one likes interacting with others. The pandemic only made this excusable. And I feel bad for those who are genuinely introverted people – because those who are too lazy or prideful to form relationships with others have labeled themselves introverts to provide to themselves an excuse.

And that is all well and good in the world. But we as believers have an opportunity here, once again, to not be like the world. We have a chance at not being like the other nations. We can be so peculiar. We can be so different. How? By loving the assembling of ourselves together. By protecting each other from teaching that is in error. By supporting each other in meaningful ways, even if it could potentially mean great harm to ourselves. We could really leave the world scratching their head today by meeting a fellow Christian and instantly treating them like family.

Stop using introvertedness as an excuse. Don’t be lazy. Don’t be prideful. Love one another as Christ loved us.

The second reason which is a very intimate reason that this message is so relevant for us today, is because in a few moments we will head upstairs and partake in one of the most intimate practices of the church. Communion. A meal we share together to feed upon and be sustained by the very atonement of Christ… which He gave to us! Collectively! We the body, eat His body which was torn for us to provide a new and living way to access our God. We who are members of the New Covenant, do drink His blood which is the New Covenant which sprinkles us clean from our sin and will present us faultless before the throne of God.

In just a few moments, we all – the true followers of Christ – will go a share a meal where all of us are sustained by Christ – which is a physical sign of the spiritual truth that we are all as one body sustained by Christ.

My friends. All we need is our God. He is our strength. But He has given us a body for which we are but a member.

Before we dismiss let me give a warning.

If you plan to join us today and have never confessed Christ – please do not partake with us. This meal is a sacred spiritual meal and could have dire consequences upon your mortal life if you eat of it unworthily.

If you plan to join us today and have confessed Christ but are currently holding on to a sin that you do not desire freedom from – please do not partake with us. Christians know they are Christians because of their hate of their own sin and their love of God’s law. To love a sin with no desire to free yourself of it means that you cannot truly be sure you are a Christian.

If you see communion as a way to earn grace, get saved, please God, or otherwise merit something for your eternal reward – please do not partake. You do not understand what this meal is and isn’t.

But friends, if you desire freedom from sin, fellowship with God’s people, spiritual filling, righteousness, fullness of Christ, victory over sin, power to carry on in all God has called you to… then I beg you to come and dine. Be filled on the very truth of the atonement of Christ. Come and feast with us. And grow with us.