Receive God's Word in its entirety and take up the gospel mission in repentance and obedience.
By Rev. Paul Zhang (张崇助牧师)
Preacher: Rev. Paul Zhang (张崇助牧师) Date: Sunday, November 1, 2026 中文： 口中甘甜，腹中发苦
Revelation Sermon Series · Chapter 10, Sermon 3
Scripture: Revelation 10:8–11
Theme: Receive God's Word in its entirety and take up the gospel mission in repentance and obedience
Scripture quotations below are English renderings of the Chinese quotations in the approved sermon.
Dear brothers and sisters, peace to you in the Lord!
Today we continue our study of Revelation chapter 10, coming to verses 8–11. This is our third message on this chapter.
Before we turn to the passage, I would like to ask a question:
When we open the Bible, are we hoping to hear what we like, or are we willing to hear what God truly wants to say to us?
This question seems simple, but it touches on a very important aspect of our life of faith.
When we read the Bible, we often have particular verses we especially enjoy.
For example, 1 John 4:8 tells us, “God is love.”
Hearing this warms our hearts.
Psalm 23:1 says, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not lack.”
Hearing this fills us with comfort.
When the Bible tells us that God cares for His children, hears our prayers, and provides for our needs, we joyfully say, “Amen! Thank the Lord!”
These words are indeed wonderful, and they truly are God's precious promises.
But the Bible also contains other words.
The Lord Jesus says, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish!” (Luke 13:3)
He also says, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
He tells us as well, “You cannot serve both God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)
How do our hearts respond when we hear these words?
Are we still willing to say, “Amen, Lord, I am willing to obey You”?
Or do we feel that these words are too severe, too heavy, and even wish that preachers would say less about them?
Brothers and sisters, this is precisely the question we need to face today.
Are we willing to accept God's comfort but unwilling to accept His discipline? Do we love His promises but refuse to obey His commands?
Today's passage reveals this problem through a very unusual vision.
The apostle John sees a mighty angel holding a little scroll that lies open in his hand. He then hears a voice from heaven telling him to take the scroll.
Surprisingly, the angel does not simply tell John to read it. He commands him to eat it.
The angel tells him that the scroll will be as sweet as honey in his mouth, but after he eats it, his stomach will become bitter.
John eats the scroll as commanded, and that is exactly what happens.
Immediately afterward, he receives another command: he must prophesy again concerning many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.
This is not simply a picture of spiritual comfort. It is a solemn vision of a servant of God receiving his prophetic commission anew.
It shows us that God's Word brings both comfort and rebuke; it gives promises and requires obedience; it gives life and calls us to take up a mission.
Today we will reflect on this passage in three parts:
Revelation 10:8–9 records that John again hears the voice from heaven, telling him to take the open little scroll from the hand of the angel standing on the sea and the land.
John approaches the angel and asks him to give him the scroll.
But the angel says, “Take it and eat it all.”
Notice the command.
Not “Take it and look at it.”
Not “Take it and study it.”
Certainly not “Take it and select the parts you like.”
Rather: Take it and eat it all.
Why eat it rather than read it?
Because this vision emphasizes more than knowing God's Word. It means personally receiving God's Word and making it part of our lives.
A book can sit on a shelf or lie on a table. It can also become an object of study and discussion.
But food is different.
Food must be eaten, digested, and absorbed before it can truly nourish our bodies.
In the same way, God's Word cannot remain only in our minds as knowledge, theory, or religious culture.
It must enter our hearts, shape our thinking, change our values, and influence our actions.
John's vision of eating the scroll is not the first such scene in the Bible.
In Ezekiel 2:8–3:3, we find something very similar.
God was calling Ezekiel to be a prophet, to speak His Word to the rebellious people of Israel.
God showed him a scroll covered with words of lamentation, mourning, and woe.
It was not a book containing only blessing and comfort. It was a scroll carrying a message of judgment and warning.
Yet God did not tell Ezekiel to remove the unpleasant words, nor did He permit him to edit the message according to the people's preferences.
God commanded him to eat the scroll and then go and speak to the house of Israel.
This is the responsibility of a prophet.
Whatever message God entrusts to the prophet, he must faithfully receive; whatever God commands him to proclaim, he must faithfully proclaim.
Even if the people do not want to listen, even if the message makes them uncomfortable, the prophet must not take it upon himself to change God's Word.
Brothers and sisters, this is also a solemn reminder to the church today.
There is a way of reading the Bible today that should put us on our guard.
I often describe it with this illustration:
Some people read as though they hold a Bible in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other.
They read, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not lack,” think it sounds good, and keep it.
They read, “God is love,” find it comforting, and keep that too.
But when they read, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross,” they think it is too difficult.
So, in their hearts, they pick up the scissors and cut that passage out.
When they read that the Bible requires honesty, holiness, forgiveness, and love for enemies, they feel those demands are difficult too, and cut them out as well.
What remains may still be called the Bible, but it contains only what they like.
It has become a Bible trimmed to suit personal preferences.
Brothers and sisters, this way of reading the Bible is dangerous.
We cannot accept God's blessings while rejecting His commands; proclaim His love while overlooking His justice; or speak of His forgiveness without speaking of sin and repentance.
Of course, we must also be careful: respecting reason, studying historical background, and discussing the interpretation of Scripture do not amount to cutting the Bible apart. The real question is not whether we ask questions, but whether we are willing to humbly let God's Word correct our judgments.
When human desires become the highest standard for judging truth, we are no longer listening to Scripture. We are demanding that Scripture submit to us.
This is not the right attitude toward reading the Bible.
We are not to make the Bible accommodate our desires; our lives are to submit to God's Word.
Some Christians have believed for many years, heard many sermons, and attended many Bible studies, yet their lives show little obvious change.
Why?
The problem may not be that they do not know what the Bible says, but that they are unwilling to let it change them.
When the preacher speaks about faith, we readily say, “Amen!”
When he speaks of God's provision, we gladly say, “Thank the Lord!”
But when he speaks about honesty, are we willing to examine our words and actions?
When he speaks about forgiveness, are we willing to let go of resentment?
When he speaks about holiness, are we willing to turn away from hidden sins?
When he speaks about money, are we willing to let Christ govern our wealth and our spending?
When he speaks about loving others, are we willing to truly care for people in need?
Brothers and sisters, a person cannot declare, “Jesus Christ is my Lord,” while refusing to let Jesus govern his life.
If He truly is our Lord, then in our families, work, money, relationships, and direction in life, we should gradually learn to obey Him.
But we must be clear: this obedience does not purchase salvation through works.
We are saved by grace through faith, not by our own merit (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Yet the same passage goes on to tell us that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10).
Obedience, therefore, is not the price of salvation. It is the fruit that a life touched by grace should bear.
Those who truly trust Christ will, with the Holy Spirit's help, keep learning to obey God's Word.
This is the important reminder that “eating the whole scroll” brings to our lives.
Revelation 10:10 says that John takes the little scroll from the angel's hand and eats it. In his mouth it is indeed as sweet as honey, but after he eats it, his stomach becomes bitter.
This is a very unusual experience.
Why is the same scroll sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach?
Psalm 119:103 says:
“How sweet are your words to my palate, sweeter than honey in my mouth!”
God's Word truly is sweet.
When we are sorrowful, God's Word brings comfort.
When we lose our way in life, God's Word becomes a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
When we face temptation and weakness, God's Word calls us to turn back.
When we grieve over our sin, God's Word declares forgiveness and hope in Christ.
So to say that God's Word is sweeter than honey is not an empty religious slogan. It describes grace that countless believers have truly experienced.
But this scroll has another characteristic.
After it enters his stomach, it makes John experience bitterness.
We need to note that Revelation chapter 10 does not directly explain all the reasons for the bitterness in the stomach.
However, when we consider the background of the prophet eating the scroll in Ezekiel, together with the messages of judgment, conflict, and witness that follow in Revelation, we can understand an important part of its meaning.
Although God's Word is precious, it also includes judgment against sin, warnings to the rebellious, and a mission that God's servants must undertake.
This bitterness can therefore help us reflect on two responsibilities: truth brings us face to face with our own sin; and those who faithfully proclaim it also bear the burden of grieving for the world and may even suffer for their witness.
God's Word does not merely make us feel comfortable.
Sometimes it pierces our conscience.
Sometimes it exposes problems we are unwilling to face.
Sometimes it requires us to give up something we cherish deeply that does not accord with God's will.
The Old Testament gives us a vivid example.
In Deuteronomy chapters 27–28, Moses instructs the Israelites, after entering the promised land, to proclaim blessings and curses at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.
Six tribes are to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people; the other six are to stand on Mount Ebal and take part in the proclamation of the law's curses.
These two mountains express the solemn truths of the covenant of the same God.
God promises to bless the people who obey His Word, while warning them that abandoning the covenant, worshiping idols, and practicing injustice will bring serious consequences.
We cannot love only the blessings from Mount Gerizim while refusing to hear the warnings from Mount Ebal.
Of course, we cannot mechanically apply every material blessing and curse in Israel's Old Testament covenant directly to each Christian today.
The New Testament tells us that Christ has borne the curse of the law for us, redeeming those who trust in Him (Galatians 3:13).
Yet God's grace certainly does not mean that He no longer hates sin.
On the contrary, the cross shows us more deeply the seriousness of sin and the grace of God's redemption.
A truly whole proclamation of the gospel must therefore proclaim God's love and His holiness; it must proclaim the promise of salvation and call people to repent and turn to Christ.
Today, both in China and in the United States, there is a tendency in Christian belief that should put us on our guard.
Some people especially like messages about blessing.
When they pray, they hope God will bless their businesses, families, health, and wealth.
When they listen to sermons, they want to hear about success, breakthroughs, victory, and prosperity.
These desires are not all wrong in themselves. We may certainly ask our heavenly Father for our daily bread and pray for our families, work, and physical health.
But the problem arises when we make personal success and material abundance the center of our faith while refusing to speak about sin, repentance, the cross, and self-denial. Then our understanding of the gospel has lost its balance.
This is also a serious distortion in some teachings of success theology or the prosperity gospel.
Such teaching can easily lead people to believe that, with enough faith, Christians will certainly be wealthy, healthy, and successful.
But the Bible makes no such promise.
The Lord Jesus clearly told His disciples that they would have trouble in this world (John 16:33).
The apostle Paul also experienced affliction, persecution, poverty, and weakness.
True faith does not guarantee that we will never suffer. It enables us to trust Christ in every circumstance.
The center of the gospel is not how God satisfies my desires, but how Jesus Christ saves me and makes me His own.
I still remember an illustration a teacher shared when I first entered a Bible training program.
He said that we are like a piece of uncarved jade.
Although such a piece is valuable, it must be carved and polished to become a beautiful vessel.
The carving process is not easy.
Some parts must be cut away, some edges smoothed, and some impurities removed.
Likewise, after a person is saved by grace, growth in life does not happen all at once.
Through His Word, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the experiences of life, God often shapes our character gradually.
He seeks to remove our pride, selfishness, falsehood, greed, and unforgiveness.
This process can sometimes be painful.
But pain itself does not guarantee growth. What truly makes us grow is God's grace and our response to His Word with the Holy Spirit's help.
Just as stones in a stream gradually lose their sharp edges through years of flowing water, becoming smooth,
our lives also need continual renewal by God.
This does not mean that God delights in our suffering. It means that He can shape us through hardship, making us increasingly like Christ.
Let me give an example.
Suppose a Christian runs a business.
He knows that his products fail to meet the required standards, yet he keeps selling them.
He knows that his accounts contain false records, yet chooses to conceal them.
On Sunday, he still comes to church to sing, pray, give offerings, and even share testimonies.
But when God's Word tells him not to steal, not to bear false witness, and to be honest, what will he do?
Will he keep finding excuses?
Or will he acknowledge his sin, stop deceiving people, correct the wrongs, and make amends for the losses he has caused as far as possible?
Brothers and sisters, this is when truth truly enters a person's life.
We cannot leave our faith inside the sanctuary.
If we worship God in church but deceive others at work, if we proclaim love with our lips but hurt our loved ones at home, our witness to the faith is seriously damaged.
God's Word requires us to live out our faith.
Luke chapter 19 records the story of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector.
Zacchaeus was wealthy, but his occupation and circumstances caused many people to look down on him.
One day, as Jesus passed through Jericho, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree just to catch a glimpse of Him.
To his surprise, Jesus looked up, saw him, and said:
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly! Today I must stay at your house.”
What great grace this was!
A tax collector despised by so many was personally sought out and welcomed by the Lord Jesus.
What a sweet experience this must have been for Zacchaeus!
Yet what happened next is equally important.
Zacchaeus stood and told the Lord that he would give half his possessions to the poor, and that if he had extorted anything from anyone, he would repay it fourfold.
Notice that Zacchaeus was not buying salvation by giving away his property.
Rather, after encountering Christ and receiving grace, his life began to change.
He no longer let money be the master of his life.
He was willing to face his past sins and make practical restitution.
From a human perspective, this certainly came at a cost.
But Zacchaeus did it willingly, because he had met a Lord more precious than wealth.
Brothers and sisters, this is repentance brought about by grace.
True grace does not make us comfortable continuing in sin. It gives us strength to turn away from sin.
There is another aspect we must not overlook.
When a prophet proclaims judgment, this does not mean that he takes pleasure in judging others.
A truly faithful servant of God should not find satisfaction merely in being able to rebuke people.
He should grieve for those who refuse to repent.
Ezekiel faced a rebellious people.
Jeremiah wept for his people.
The apostle Paul also experienced deep sorrow for his own kinsmen.
The Lord Jesus Himself wept over Jerusalem.
So a preacher who can only rebuke sinners but cannot weep for them has not yet fully grasped the weight of the prophetic mission.
We do not proclaim judgment to show that we are holier than others.
We do not point out sin to humiliate people.
We call people to repent because we long for them to leave the road to destruction and turn to the Savior who gives life.
This is what it means to speak the truth in love.
Brothers and sisters, is God's Word in your life not only a comfort, but also a power leading you to repentance and concern for the souls of others?
If so, we are beginning to understand what it means to be sweet in the mouth and bitter in the stomach.
Revelation 10:11 records:
“The angel said to me, ‘You must prophesy again concerning many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.’”
This is the climax of the entire vision.
John did not eat the scroll in order to collect it. Nor did he experience sweetness and bitterness simply to remain within his personal feelings.
What did God ultimately want him to do?
Proclaim again!
God's Word must be received, and it must also be proclaimed.
At this point, I would like to share a personal experience.
Ever since I was young, I have loved reading and collecting books.
Back in China, our home had many books, with shelves filled to the brim.
Whenever we moved, my wife would say, “The hardest things to move are all these books of yours!”
Later, I came to the United States. Our former home was sold, but I could not bear to discard those books, so I asked my father-in-law to help move them, box by box, into the attic at the family home for safekeeping.
After I came to the United States, my collection grew even larger.
Some books came from retired pastors, some from brothers and sisters, and others I bought myself.
Even though we built large bookshelves at home, there still was not enough room.
Sometimes my wife reminds me, “You cannot keep buying so many books!”
Later, as technology developed, electronic books became increasingly common. I also purchased Logos Bible study software and an electronic theological library containing more than two thousand books.
But sometimes, in prayer, a thought comes to me.
If one day these books could speak, would they stand up and rebuke me?
Would they ask, “You have bought so many books. How many have you actually read carefully? And of those you have read, how many have truly influenced your life?”
When I think of this, I often feel that I have fallen short.
Owning many books does not mean possessing much wisdom.
Knowing many things does not mean that one's life is truly mature.
In the same way, possessing a Bible, and even being able to quote it fluently, does not mean that we have truly obeyed God's Word.
Brothers and sisters, the scroll John received was not meant to be kept on a bookshelf. He was to eat it.
But after he ate it, God did not let him remain absorbed in his own spiritual experience.
God wanted him to continue proclaiming.
This shows us an important spiritual order:
Receive God's Word
Let truth enter the heart
Obey God's Word
Let truth renew life
Proclaim God's Word
Let life become a witness to Christ
These three aspects cannot be separated.
With knowledge alone and no obedience, faith can easily become an empty theory.
With personal spiritual feelings alone and no mission, faith can easily remain centered on the self.
With outward proclamation alone and no authentic witness in life, the message we preach loses the credibility it should have.
God commands John to prophesy again concerning many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.
The emphasis here is the breadth of the prophetic mission.
God's message concerns more than one ethnic group or one nation.
It concerns people of different languages, cultures, and social classes, including even kings who hold political power.
This reminds us that Revelation was first addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor.
These churches lived under Roman imperial rule, facing idolatry, social pressure, and religious temptations. Some believers even faced persecution.
In such circumstances, Christians had to answer a serious question:
Who was the true Lord of their lives?
The Roman emperor, or Jesus Christ?
Revelation continually reminds the church that, however powerful earthly authorities may be, the true rulers of history are God seated on the throne and the victorious Lamb.
The church must therefore never abandon its loyalty to Christ because circumstances are difficult.
The same is true today.
Our evangelism should not be confined to our own ethnicity and culture.
Of course we care about the Chinese community, our own families, friends, and fellow countrymen.
But God's heart reaches far beyond our cultural boundaries.
He desires people of every tribe, language, and nation to hear the gospel.
This is why the church must have a vision for missions.
We must think not only about maintaining our own gatherings, but also about training disciples, developing leaders, and taking the gospel into the wider world.
Throughout church history, many believers have paid with their lives because they refused to deny Christ.
In 2015, twenty-one Christians were killed by an extremist organization in Libya. Most were Coptic Christians from Egypt.
Their fate shocked the world and became a heartbreaking chapter in the history of the modern church.
One of the victims, who came from Ghana, was later commemorated alongside the other martyrs.
Different testimonies and accounts circulate about what he said in his final moments, so we should not present insufficiently verified details as established historical fact.
But one thing is clear: these people were brutally killed because of their Christian identity. Their suffering reminds us that faith can sometimes carry an extremely heavy cost.
Worshiping God today in a relatively free environment, we may find it difficult to fully grasp such circumstances.
Yet we still need to ask ourselves:
If one day faithfulness to Christ costs us certain advantages, will we still be willing to follow Him?
If honesty costs us a business deal, will we still be willing to be honest?
If standing for truth costs us the approval of certain people, will we still be willing to remain faithful?
If bearing witness to Christ brings misunderstanding, rejection, or even persecution, will we still be willing to acknowledge Him as Lord?
Brothers and sisters, true faith cannot be built only on favorable circumstances.
We need to build on Jesus Christ.
For He alone is our unchanging hope.
The church today has many tools that were unavailable in the past.
We can record sermon videos, produce audio, turn sermons into articles, and spread the gospel through websites, social media, and various digital platforms.
All these tools are resources we can use well.
In the past, a sermon might have been heard by only a few dozen people present.
Today, a sermon can be preserved and shared with different cities and countries, and even with people many years from now.
This is an opportunity our age offers us.
But we must remember:
Technology can amplify our voice, but it cannot replace truth; tools can distribute our sermons, but they cannot replace the witness of our lives.
If we preach holiness from the pulpit while our lives are full of deceit, even the most advanced communication tools cannot make up for what is lacking in our lives.
If we constantly emphasize loving others in our preaching but lack compassion for suffering people around us, our message becomes hollow.
If we continually call others to repent while refusing to admit our own mistakes, our witness is damaged.
What the church truly needs, then, is more than better equipment, more advanced technology, and broader channels of communication.
Above all, the church needs faithful disciples.
People willing to read Scripture seriously.
People willing to repent.
People willing to love one another.
People willing to live out the life of Christ in their families, work, and society.
Such a church, even if small in number, can become salt and light in the world.
At this point, we need to face a deeper question.
Who can obey God's Word perfectly?
Who can stand firm through every temptation?
Who can remain faithful to the very end in the face of suffering?
If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that we have all failed.
Sometimes we know God's Word clearly but do not obey it.
Sometimes we compromise for our own benefit.
Sometimes we are afraid of others and dare not acknowledge the truth.
Sometimes we say that we love God, but in everyday life we love our comfort, money, and status more.
If today's message ends with “You must obey,” “You must repent,” and “You must pay the price,” we may ultimately be left feeling only burdened.
For by our own strength we cannot become perfect people.
We must therefore return to the center of the gospel.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the approaching cross, the Lord Jesus was deeply sorrowful.
He prayed to the Father:
“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not according to my will, but according to your will.” (Matthew 26:39)
The cup here concerns the suffering Christ was about to bear and God's judgment against sin.
The Lord Jesus knew how difficult the road ahead would be.
But He did not evade the Father's will.
He willingly obeyed and went to the cross.
John eating the scroll and Jesus drinking the bitter cup are not identical events, and we must not simply equate them.
Yet when we reflect on the obedience of God's servants, we must ultimately look to Christ, who perfectly obeyed the Father.
John received a prophetic mission.
Jesus Christ accomplished the work of redemption that no one else could perform.
He bore our sins, died for us on the cross, and rose from the dead.
He did not merely set us an example of obedience.
First and foremost, He is our Savior.
Brothers and sisters, this is very important.
We do not qualify to come to Jesus by being perfectly obedient.
On the contrary, it is precisely because we are weak, sinful, and unable to save ourselves that we need Jesus Christ.
He forgives our sins.
He gives us new life.
Through the Holy Spirit, He helps us gradually turn away from our former ways of living.
Christian growth, therefore, is not a process of trying harder and harder on our own until we finally win God's acceptance.
It is the process in which a person already accepted by God is continually renewed in grace and becomes more like Christ.
When we fail, we should not despair.
When we sin, neither may we use grace as an excuse to continue in sin.
We should return to Christ, confess our sins, ask for His forgiveness, and begin learning obedience anew.
First John 1:9 reminds us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This is the hope the gospel brings us.
Although we fail, in Christ we still have the opportunity to repent and begin again.
Although we are weak, the Holy Spirit can help us.
Although we are imperfect, Christ has already accomplished salvation for us.
Today's call, therefore, is not to rely on our own ability to become perfect people, but to trust Jesus Christ more deeply and let His Word continually renew our lives.
Dear brothers and sisters, today we have reached the final passage of Revelation chapter 10.
Looking back over this chapter, we have considered three important messages in three sermons.
In the first sermon, we reflected on the open little scroll, which reminds us of God's revelation and the message He entrusts to His servants.
In the second, we considered “No More Delay,” seeing that God's plan of redemption and judgment will certainly be fulfilled according to His will.
In the third, today's sermon, we have reflected on “Sweet in the Mouth, Bitter in the Stomach.” We have learned that those who receive God's Word must not only enjoy its comfort, but also accept its rebuke and faithfully take up the mission God entrusts to them.
These three messages belong together.
God's Word has been made known.
God's plan will certainly be fulfilled.
God's people must respond faithfully.
So today I would like to conclude this sermon with three questions for reflection.
First, are you willing to accept only the passages you like while rejecting the rebukes in God's Word?
When Scripture challenges your ideas, habits, and desires, are you willing to humbly let God's Word correct you?
Second, when God's truth touches your sin and personal interests, are you willing to truly repent?
Are you willing to stop wrongdoing, let go of dishonest gain, and allow the gospel to transform your everyday life?
Third, are you willing to let Christ renew your life and make you His faithful witness?
In your family, work, church, and society, are you willing to live out Christ's love, holiness, and truthfulness?
Brothers and sisters, the Bible is not a book designed simply to satisfy our personal wishes.
The Bible is God's precious Word given to us to lead us to know Him, recognize our sin, know the salvation of Jesus Christ, and learn to live in a way that pleases Him.
Let us not seek only the sweetness in our mouths while rejecting the challenges that accompany the renewal of life.
Nor should we focus only on our own spiritual satisfaction and forget that many others still need to hear the gospel.
May we all, like John, be willing to receive God's Word from His hand.
May we not only hear the Word, but also put it into practice.
May we not only experience grace, but also live it out.
May we not only trust Christ ourselves, but also become His faithful witnesses.
Finally, please remember the central message of today's sermon:
God's Word is not only sweetness in the mouth; it is truth to which we must respond earnestly in life. Those who truly receive God's Word are called to learn obedience in grace and faithfully proclaim Christ.
May the Lord help us.
Amen!
Merciful and glorious heavenly Father, and our beloved Lord Jesus Christ:
With all our hearts, we thank and praise You.
Thank You for giving us the precious Scriptures, through which we may know Your love, justice, holiness, and faithfulness.
Lord, we confess our weakness.
So often we love Your promises but avoid Your commands; we want to receive Your comfort but do not want to face our sins; we hope for Your blessings but are unwilling to bear the responsibility of following You.
Lord, please forgive us.
May the Holy Spirit shine into our hearts and show us the things in our lives that do not please You.
Help us truly repent, no longer covering inward falsehood with an outward appearance of religion, and no longer finding excuses to justify our sins.
Lord Jesus, we thank You.
You died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead, so that all who trust in You may receive forgiveness and new life.
Help us rely on Your grace at every moment rather than on our own ability.
May Your Word become a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
Bless our families, that we may love one another; bless our work, that we may be honest and trustworthy; bless our church, that we may grow together in truth and love.
Raise up more faithful disciples, so that we may be willing not only to receive Your Word, but also to spread the gospel.
In our families, workplaces, schools, and among different peoples and cultures, may we all become authentic witnesses to Jesus Christ.
Help us both to love the sweetness of Your Word and to be willing, in Your grace, to bear the burden of mission.
May all glory, honor, and praise be Yours.
We pray in the holy name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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