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The Gathered Church (6) - Gathered for Growth · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Let's worship God now. We sing to His praise in Psalm 95. Psalm 95 in the Scottish Psalter,
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and that's on page 357. The tune is Glasgow. As we were this morning, we're following the theme
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of the gathered church. We saw this morning the church gather together for praise, and especially
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with singing praise. Tonight we're looking at the church gather together for growth as we seek to
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grow, not just individually or numerically, but also spiritually, the growth that the Lord brings us
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as we wait on His blessing. So we'll sing these verses. O come, let us sing to the Lord. Come,
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let us, everyone, a joyful noise make to the rock of our salvation. Psalm 95 and these verses 1 to 6.
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We'll stand if you can, please, just stand.
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Let us sing.
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Let us before his presence come with praise and thankful voice.
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Let us sing sound to him with praise and make a joyful noise.
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For God, the great, God, the great King, above all gods he is.
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Exalt the earth, how in his hand the strength of his is.
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To him the stanchiest seed he haunts, for he the same did me.
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The pride and love so from his hands its form adversity.
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O come and let us worship him.
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Let us overcome with all.
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And on our knees before the Lord, our maker let us fall.
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Let's unite together now in prayer and calling upon the Lord.
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Our gracious and ever-blessed God, we have been gathered in your presence so many times before.
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And yet we confess tonight our need of you as much as ever to lead us into your truth,
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to enable us, O Lord, once again to benefit not only from being gathered together,
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but also from our communion with you.
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And we thank you, Lord, that that lies at the heart of our worship.
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At all times when we come together to worship you,
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our concern is to glorify your great name,
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to know you and to confess you as our Lord and as our God.
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And we thank you for every opportunity we have to do so.
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As we come together, O Lord, to sing your praises.
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As we come together to join collectively in prayer.
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As we come to hear your word and your voice speaking to us through your word.
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And as we come, Lord, at this time anew,
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and to share fellowship with each other and to be a means of encouraging one another,
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we thank you for the services of worship that we are always privileged to attend.
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Lord, help us, we pray, in all aspects of our worship,
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in dependence upon your Holy Spirit.
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Help us to listen to your voice.
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Help us to speak in such a way as declares your will in the preaching of the gospel.
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Help us, Lord, in the interaction we have with each other,
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as speaker and hearers alike.
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Help us, for we need you, O Lord, to work in our hearts.
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For every aspect of our worship emanates from the hearts of your people.
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And we give thanks tonight that we have this privilege,
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even of looking in and calling upon our very soul,
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to praise the Lord.
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We ask, O gracious God, that our meeting tonight will further equip us
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and benefit us for living in the world and for our growth as a people.
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Help us, we pray, through these moments we are together,
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in conjunction with the times we spend individually with you.
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Help us, Lord, we pray, to grow together in grace
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and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Help us, as we seek that spiritual development in our lives,
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that we may extend what we seek for individually
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to what we ought to seek for ourselves as a people, as a congregation.
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Give us, O Lord, the grace that will enable us to grow,
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to grow in our relationships,
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to grow in our interaction one with another,
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to grow in our concern, to be to the world a living light
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that shows forth the glory and the claims of Christ.
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Lord, we give thanks tonight that it is our privilege
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to be able to look forward to doing this,
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even in the days that you spared us during the course of life.
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We ask for all the gatherings of your people tonight,
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wherever they are in the world, that you would bless them.
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And that you would bless them, Lord, for that same benefit to be theirs
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that we pray for for ourselves.
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We ask, O God, tonight that your cause will advance.
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We pray and we bring to our children's notice as well
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the Lord's Prayer each and every passing Lord's Day.
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When our prayer is in using these words,
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that your kingdom come,
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that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
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And we ask that you would continue, Lord,
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to provide for your church throughout the world
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the grace that would enable us to know the advance of your kingdom.
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Lord, our God, we are so conscious in our day and generation
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of how much is ranged against your kingdom,
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how your kingdom is the target of so much assault
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from the forces of unbelief and even of evil.
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Lord, we pray that in our day our concern might be
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that wherever your people are,
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wherever your cause is set forth,
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that we may see, O Lord, the grace working in the lives of your people,
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that enable them not only to resist the powers of evil,
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but also to actually accomplish a victory over them.
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And to be sure that the Lord on their side
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enables them to look forward to final victory after all is done.
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We ask your blessing to be with all who serve you in different capacities.
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Lord, we as a congregation know that so many people of our number
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serve you in different ways in their lives through the course of each week.
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We pray that you would bless every witness to your grace
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that we seek to have set forth in our lives.
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And we pray that for all the variety of gifts and of service that we represent,
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Lord, that you would be pleased to accompany all that with your blessing.
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We give thanks that we are able to show forth your glory
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in the world in which we are set.
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And we pray that our concern might be to do that more fully and more clearly.
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And we pray tonight for all those, O Lord,
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who need you in a way that is specific,
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and especially those that face the difficulties and challenges
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of old age, of incapacity, of illness,
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of the failure of various faculties mentally and spiritually.
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And we pray for those, Lord, who have challenges in life
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over their concern with loved ones who may be ill,
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or even over their own illness as well.
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We pray for those who are seriously ill,
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for those who are terminally ill,
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for those who have been given the news
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that they are hastening toward the end of their life in this world.
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Bless their families.
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Bless themselves, O Lord,
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whether they remain conscious to those outwardly or not.
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Yet we give thanks that you are able to reach to our inmost souls,
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that you are able to speak to us inwardly,
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even when, to all other accounts,
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we may not be conscious or able to converse with those around us.
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Be merciful to them, we pray,
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as well as to all who have lost loved ones
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in recent times and in times gone by.
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Lord, we continue to bear them before you.
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We pray for all those who work with people
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who have different kinds of addiction.
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Gracious One, we ask the blessing of the Lord to be with them.
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We pray for a road to recovery for David,
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as he works and heads up the work, Lord,
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for a road to recovery locally.
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We pray for him and we pray for his work.
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We pray for all those who come under the benefit
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of being confronted with the Bible's teaching
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and seeking to help them along the road to recovery.
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Lord, we ask that your blessing will be with them.
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We pray too for safe families.
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We thank you for your provision for them thus far
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in our community here.
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We pray that you would bless them,
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each and all of them,
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who organize and head up the work.
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And we ask that you would continue
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to bless the families that are being helped,
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O Lord, through the work of safe families,
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not only here,
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but in other parts of our nation as well.
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And we give thanks for the opportunities given
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to come alongside people,
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to help them in their distress,
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in their need,
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and in lives that are so deprived
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for various reasons
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of things that we have in abundance.
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We do ask your blessing,
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Lord, for all who help with pregnancy crisis,
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for all those who help,
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those who have that situation in life
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also to face and contend with.
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O Lord, may your blessing be with Elizabeth
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and all others who help her with that work.
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As it goes on quietly,
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we give thanks, O Lord, for them.
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We pray that it will continue to be effective.
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And we ask for all those
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who are helped by it,
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that they will come
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to realize, O Lord,
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your goodness,
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realize your willingness
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to come to receive them to yourself
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and to come to be their Lord
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and God and protector also.
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We ask for our nation,
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Lord, at this time.
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We pray that you bless us
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in times of great trouble
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and crisis and questionings.
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And we do pray that you bless those
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in authority over us in government.
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Lord, be pleased, we pray,
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to bless them nationally and locally.
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Be pleased to bless our schools,
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our teachers,
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the education authority.
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We ask your blessing
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for our medical practices,
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for our hospitals,
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for our hospitals.
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Lord, we ask that you would continue
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to provide them with all
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that is necessary for their well-being.
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And we pray that in difficulties
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financially and in other ways,
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that you would continue, Lord,
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to provide for them
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and give those who are in charge
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of all of these areas
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of our public life,
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give them, Lord,
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the grace and the mercy
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that would daily feed them
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with wisdom from above.
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We ask, O Lord, too,
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that you would continue
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to bless our children,
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our young people.
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Be near to them, we pray.
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Remember the fellowship tonight.
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And Marianne, as she speaks,
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we pray for your blessing
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upon our young folk,
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our children and young people,
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and we commit them to you.
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We ask, O Lord,
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for the troubled parts
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of the world in this day.
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We pray for the situation
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in the Middle East.
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Lord, our God,
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there is so much
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that lies beyond
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even our capacity
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to pray about it,
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except that we can bring it
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before you and ask, Lord,
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that you would intervene,
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that you would come, Lord,
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to bring peace
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to these troubled parts
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of the world
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and help the people
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of Ukraine as well
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when they presently
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may have fallen out
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of the news
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through other things
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coming to take prominence.
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We pray for them.
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We ask that you would continue
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to bless them
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in their struggles
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against oppression.
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We ask that they may see,
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O Lord,
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your own hand at work.
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And when we find, Lord,
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so much in our world
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to do with refugees
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and people moving
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from one nation to another
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and coming into our own land,
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Lord, sometimes we feel perplexed
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that the pressures brought
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to bear upon various nations
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and our own.
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And yet we also recognize,
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O Lord,
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it is your providence
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and we recognize
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that much may be going on
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even behind the scenes
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that we know not of
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where you are bringing home
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to people in distress
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their need of God.
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And we do pray
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that that will be so
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even amongst the vast number
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of people throughout the world
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who are displaced.
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Help us to learn
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from your word
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from such times
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as happened in the past
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that we may know from that
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that God is very often
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at work where we least expect.
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And we pray that it may be so
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in our own age as well.
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Continue with us now,
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we pray.
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Hear our prayers
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and pardon our sin
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for Jesus' sake.
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Amen.
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Let's sing again to God's praise.
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This time we're singing
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from Psalm 31.
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Psalm number 31.
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Psalm 31.
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And verses 19 to 24.
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That's on page 37.
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June this time is Wareham.
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Your goodness, Lord,
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is very great,
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prepared for those
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who fear your name.
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You show your goodness openly
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to all who your protection claim.
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Your presence hides
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and shelters them
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from those who plot
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to take their life.
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And in your tent
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you keep them safe
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from evil tongues
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that stir up strife.
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Verses 19 to 24.
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Your goodness, Lord,
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is very great.
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your goodness, Lord,
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is very great.
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Prepare for those
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to hear your name.
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You show your goodness openly
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to all who your protection claim.
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your presence.
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Your presence, Lord,
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and shelters them
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from those who plot
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to take their life.
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and in your tent
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and in your tent
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you keep them safe.
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Your people say
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all people
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touch
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and stare
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at strife.
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the Lord
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the Lord
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be praised
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because
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he showed
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the wonder
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of
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his love
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to me.
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when in the city
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I was struck
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surrounded by
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the enemy.
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in my alarm
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I rush
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to say
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that I was hidden
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from your eyes
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from your eyes
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but
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when
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I
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call
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to
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you
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for help
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in
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grace
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to
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listen
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to
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my
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cries
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O
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love
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the
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Lord
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the
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Lord
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all
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human
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saints
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a
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faithful
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will
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be kept
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by God
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but
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he
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will
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give
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the
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power
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their
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true
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each
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strong
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day
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heart
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O
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thank
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the
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Lord
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let's turn now to read God's word we're reading tonight from Ephesians
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Paul's letter to the Ephesians and chapter 4 verses 1 to 16
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Ephesians chapter 4 from the beginning
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chapter 5 verse 1 to 16
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I therefore a prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience forbading with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace there is one body and one spirit just as you are called to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord one faith one baptism of the
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one God and Father of all who is over all who is over all and through all and through all and in all but grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift therefore it says when he ascended on high he led a host of captives and the
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and he gave gifts to men and he gave gifts to men and he gave gifts to men and he gave gifts to men and saying he ascended what does it mean but that he had also did not be the one hope that he had been given to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord one faith one baptism one God and father of all who is over all and through all and through all and in all but grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift
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therefore it says when he ascended on high he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men and saying he ascended what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth he who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things and he gave the apostles the prophets the evangelists the pastors and
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teachers to equip the saints to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ till we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine by human cunning by craftiness and deceitful schemes
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rather speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in every way unto him who is the head into Christ from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love
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and we pray God will bless
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reading of his word with his own blessing
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before we turn to that passage let's sing again this time psalm 115
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115 that's on page 153
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singing to a tune Denfield from verse 9
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O house of Israel place your trust upon the Lord alone
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he is the mighty help and shield of all who are his own
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O house of Aaron trust the Lord he is their help and shield
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all you who fear him trust the Lord
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he is your help and shield
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the Lord remembers Israel
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and he will bless us all
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the house of Aaron and all those who fear him
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great and small
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may God the Lord make you increase
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both you and all your line
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may you be blessed by God
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who makes all things
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by his design
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and we'll sing to the end of verse 18
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from verse 9
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O house of Israel place your trust upon the Lord alone
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O house of Israel place your trust upon the Lord alone
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He is the mighty help and shield of all who are his own
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so that you and all are his own
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He is the mighty help and shield of all who are his own
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and all who are his own
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He is the mighty help and shield of all who are his own
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He is the mighty help and shield of all who are his own.
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O hearts of Aaron, trust the Lord.
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He is their help and shield.
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All you who fear him, trust the Lord.
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He is your help and shield.
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The Lord remembers Israel, and he will bless us all.
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The hearts of Aaron, and all those who fear him great and small.
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May God the Lord make you in peace.
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All due and all you are divine.
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May you be blessed by God who makes all things by his design.
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The highest tempts we long to know.
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The earth to us be gave.
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It's not the dead who hates the Lord.
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There's silent in the grave.
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May we extol the Lord on high, his majesty proclaim.
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O now and ever, O next song, and which is holy name.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Let's turn now for a short time to Ephesians chapter 4.
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We're going to look especially at verses 15 and 16.
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the Lord, which, of course form part of this great passage all the way through these verses
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from the beginning of the chapter, really.
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But especially from verse 11, where he speaks about Jesus having equipped and equipping the
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church with various types of leaders, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so on.
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But you notice it's to equip the saints.
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All that ministry is to equip the saints, that's all the people of God, for the work of ministry.
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And that's not just the ministry of the gospel in terms of a minister's work.
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Ministry there really refers to the whole ministry of the church for which the Lord equips us,
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so that as we go forth in His name, we are equipped by Him for the tasks that He has called us to.
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So, it comes in verse 14 then to say that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine and so on.
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Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him or unto Him who is the head into Christ,
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from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped,
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when each part is working properly, efficiently, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
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Well, as you know, the human body is used by Paul as a very useful illustration of certain features of the church.
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He uses it elsewhere, and he's using it here, as you can see, as an image for the church,
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because the human body, for Paul, is illustrative of various features of the church
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and various ways in which the church not only acts together,
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but actually is a body spiritually acting towards the world and towards God Himself as well, that spiritual body.
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So, when Paul is thinking about such things, for example, as unity and diversity together,
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in other words, all the various gifts that God has gifted the church with,
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he's mentioned that here, that the Lord, when He ascended up on high, led a host of captives.
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He gave gifts to men.
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The ascension of the Lord, the exaltation of the Lord,
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was so that from that, gifts would come to the church by the Holy Spirit,
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so that that diversity of gifts, that whole range of gifts,
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is nevertheless itself sits alongside and indeed in many ways contributes to the unity that Paul speaks about,
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that unity of which we are one body in Christ with all the variety of gifts within that one body.
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So, when he's thinking of unity and diversity together,
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he finds the human body to be very illustrative and useful for that.
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Or you could say that when he talks here as well about development and growth,
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he can say that the human body as you see it is also very illustrative of the spiritual growth and the moral growth
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that God enables His church to grow in and grow by,
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just as a human body develops from early stage through to maturity,
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so as a body, the church in every generation grows,
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until finally the whole church will be complete in the presence of God in glory.
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And it's also important that we see his illustration of the body,
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the human body, as illustrative of the spiritual body,
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with a reference to the head of the body.
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And as we'll see tonight, it's from our head, from our brain,
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through the various parts of the body, that in many ways the body is controlled.
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And what he's saying is that that's true spiritually of the church,
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because the head of the church is Jesus Himself.
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It is Christ.
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That's what he's saying here.
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From whom, verse 16,
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the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it's equipped,
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makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
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In other words, that growth, that capacity for growth,
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that enabling of growth comes from the head, comes from Christ.
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The controlling of the body is Christ Himself, as He's the head of the church.
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And from that, we can see quite a number of things develop.
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The body will grow, verse 11 here, he says,
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where he's saying the growth of the body.
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He gave all these different functions to people in the church
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to equip the saints for the work of ministry,
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until he says in verse 13,
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we all attain to the unity of the faith
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and of the knowledge of the Son of God
30:39
to mature manhood,
30:41
to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
30:45
Now, some people take it that that's a reference to the church
30:49
even in this world,
30:50
that it goes on maturing or growing.
30:52
But I think it's better to see that Paul is looking towards
30:56
the final growth,
30:58
the final maturity of the church in glory,
31:01
where it will perfectly be in the image
31:04
or in conformity to Christ Himself.
31:07
And it's an interesting thing that you think of
31:10
of the church corporately,
31:13
the whole of the church,
31:14
all of God's people united together,
31:17
that it's as a whole body,
31:19
he's speaking here,
31:20
of them conforming to Christ.
31:22
We tend to think about individual conformity to Christ,
31:26
and indeed that's perfectly proper.
31:28
The Bible teaches that.
31:29
But it's another dimension, really, isn't it?
31:32
When you think of the whole church
31:33
in its final state of maturity and glory,
31:37
that that itself, in a mysterious way,
31:40
but a wonderful way,
31:42
is conformity to Christ Himself
31:45
in His exalted glory.
31:49
The final likeness to Himself.
31:52
But you see, while we may take it that way,
31:54
He still takes us back to the meantime,
31:57
where He says in verse 14,
32:00
so that we may no longer be children
32:02
tossed to and fro by the waves
32:04
and carried about by every wind of doctrine,
32:07
by human cunning and craftiness
32:09
in deceitful schemes.
32:11
In other words, the powers that we face,
32:14
as they are themselves fueled by the satanic,
32:18
by the dark forces that exist in the universe,
32:22
how do we face these?
32:24
How are we equipped in order to not only face them,
32:28
but to overcome them or to resist them?
32:30
Well, He says,
32:31
by together growing unto the Lord.
32:37
It's possible, of course,
32:39
that you need to resist
32:42
and to overcome the powers,
32:44
these evil powers for yourself as a Christian,
32:46
for us individually.
32:48
But this is talking corporately.
32:50
This is talking of the church as a body.
32:51
And one of the beauties
32:53
and one of the privileges
32:54
of belonging to the church
32:55
is that you're not on your own
32:57
as you face these powers.
32:59
It's the church as a body,
33:00
the church together.
33:02
And we're following this theme
33:03
for a few studies
33:04
of the gathered church,
33:06
the church in its gatheredness,
33:08
its togetherness, if you like.
33:11
And it's also applicable then
33:13
to this particular point
33:15
of facing the powers
33:17
that are ranged against the church.
33:19
And it's clear from verses 11 to 16,
33:22
we're going to come to verse 15 in a minute,
33:25
but this just feeds into it.
33:26
It's clear from these verses,
33:28
from verse 11 onwards,
33:29
that the apostle is really speaking
33:32
of what we might call our togetherness.
33:35
Our togetherness under the headship of Christ,
33:40
in the togetherness with which
33:41
we are required to grow
33:43
and for which God enables that growth
33:45
through the ministry of the gospel,
33:48
the ministry of his word,
33:49
and the ministry of believers together,
33:51
one to another.
33:53
And so let's come to see
33:56
what he's saying now
33:56
in verse 15 and 16.
33:59
A couple of things I'm going to focus on
34:01
from these two verses.
34:04
First of all,
34:04
what he means by growing up
34:07
unto the head who is Christ.
34:10
Rather, speaking the truth in love,
34:12
we are to grow up in every way
34:14
unto him who is the head,
34:17
even Christ or into Christ.
34:19
That's the first thing.
34:20
A number of things he mentions under that.
34:23
Secondly, each part contributes
34:26
to the whole body's growth.
34:29
It says there,
34:30
from whom the whole body is joined together.
34:33
But he says,
34:34
when each part is working properly,
34:36
it makes the body grow
34:38
so that it builds itself up in love.
34:42
Now, it is a complex passage,
34:45
and I'm not going to try
34:45
and open up some of the phrases,
34:47
the particular phraseology in it.
34:49
I want to keep our minds focused
34:51
on the central emphasis
34:53
of growing spiritually
34:55
under the direction
34:56
and in relation to Christ
34:58
and to each other,
34:59
and how the gathered church,
35:01
even in its gatherings such as this,
35:04
is a church that gathers
35:05
to enable that growth
35:07
to take place
35:08
through the blessing of Christ,
35:10
through the ministry
35:10
of God's Holy Spirit.
35:14
So, growing up unto Christ,
35:16
you see what he's saying here?
35:17
Rather, speaking the truth in love.
35:20
Instead of actually caving in,
35:22
if you like,
35:22
or being tossed to and fro
35:24
by these different doctrines
35:26
and human cunning and craftiness
35:28
and the deceitful schemes
35:30
that we face instead,
35:31
he says,
35:31
rather than that,
35:33
speaking the truth in love,
35:35
we are to grow up unto him.
35:36
What does he mean by the truth?
35:40
Well, he means far more
35:41
than just not telling lies
35:43
to each other,
35:44
important though that is.
35:46
By the truth,
35:47
he means what God
35:49
has actually revealed of himself,
35:51
of his salvation.
35:52
The whole revelation of God,
35:54
as you find it,
35:55
actually set out in the Bible.
35:58
The truth of God,
36:00
truth about God himself,
36:01
the truth about salvation,
36:03
truth about ourselves,
36:04
who we are,
36:06
what we're like,
36:07
where we came from,
36:08
all of the things the Bible reveals,
36:10
in fact,
36:10
you could say,
36:11
that is God's truth revealed to us,
36:13
God's revealed truth.
36:16
And it's objective.
36:18
It's absolute truth.
36:20
It's independent,
36:21
if you like,
36:22
of our input.
36:23
We didn't produce it.
36:25
And we have to remember that
36:26
in our day as well.
36:28
The truth is not
36:28
what people think it should be.
36:30
The truth is not
36:31
what people would want
36:33
the Bible to say
36:34
rather than what it says.
36:37
The truth is not
36:38
God's truth
36:39
adapted,
36:40
as it were,
36:41
from generation to generation
36:43
to fit in with
36:44
what human beings
36:45
think it ought to say.
36:47
The truth is here.
36:49
The truth is objective.
36:50
The truth is absolute.
36:51
It's unchanging truth
36:53
because it's God's truth.
36:54
Because it reflects
36:55
God's character
36:56
and God's will
36:58
and God
37:00
who is Himself truth.
37:03
And so,
37:04
that objective,
37:05
absolute truth,
37:06
is really what we are to
37:08
take as what he means here.
37:10
Rather,
37:11
speaking the truth
37:12
in love.
37:14
And that takes us to
37:15
think of,
37:17
as we're thinking of,
37:18
the truth as not being,
37:20
and you can say,
37:21
the truth is not actually
37:22
religion.
37:22
The truth is not
37:25
any particular
37:27
holy book.
37:29
The truth is not
37:30
humanism.
37:31
The truth is not
37:32
secularism.
37:34
The truth is not
37:34
any of these things.
37:35
The truth is
37:36
God's revealed will
37:38
as you have it
37:39
in the Scriptures.
37:41
But then,
37:42
what does he mean
37:43
by speaking the truth
37:44
in love
37:45
to each other?
37:48
Well,
37:49
that takes us
37:49
to the word speaking.
37:50
Because actually,
37:52
the word speaking
37:53
is more than just
37:54
speech or conversation.
37:57
The word speaking
37:58
actually means
37:59
something like
38:00
holding to
38:02
or showing
38:03
the truth of God.
38:04
In other words,
38:05
what he's talking about
38:06
is our lives.
38:07
Our lives as they are
38:08
together,
38:09
as we form the church,
38:11
as we form the body
38:12
of Christ
38:12
in this world
38:13
under the headship
38:14
of Christ,
38:15
we are to be
38:16
showing the truth.
38:17
We are to be
38:17
holding the truth.
38:18
We are to actually
38:19
show that the truth
38:20
is meaningful to us.
38:22
Our lives have to be
38:24
truthful in the sense,
38:26
not just free of lies,
38:27
but truthful
38:28
in presenting the truth.
38:31
There's a word
38:33
which isn't very,
38:35
it isn't very elegant,
38:39
but nevertheless,
38:41
it kind of captures
38:42
what we're at here,
38:43
that your life
38:44
has to be
38:44
a truthing life.
38:47
Truthing in the sense
38:48
of showing the truth,
38:49
living for the truth,
38:50
standing for the truth,
38:52
presenting the truth,
38:53
commending the truth,
38:54
all of the things
38:55
that are to do with
38:56
holding the truth
38:57
and showing forth
38:58
the truth in your life.
39:00
But it's not just
39:01
in your life individually,
39:02
what he's saying here is
39:03
this is actually
39:04
something not just
39:05
for the believer,
39:06
but for believers
39:07
together,
39:08
for the people of God
39:09
as the body of Christ.
39:12
They are to
39:13
hold and show out
39:14
the truths of God
39:16
in love in their lives.
39:19
In other words,
39:20
this is actually speaking
39:21
about our whole way
39:22
of life together,
39:24
our relationships together,
39:26
how we live together,
39:28
how we relate to each other,
39:30
how we speak to each other,
39:32
how we listen to each other,
39:33
how we care for each other,
39:35
how we show our care
39:36
for each other.
39:37
You see,
39:37
the gathered church,
39:40
the togetherness
39:41
of God's people,
39:42
as we said at the beginning,
39:43
is a togetherness
39:44
through which the truth
39:46
must be shown,
39:47
through which the truth
39:48
comes to be seen,
39:49
not only among themselves,
39:50
but to the world out there.
39:54
It's together
39:55
as His body
39:57
that we are to live
39:59
out God's truth.
40:01
And you can only do that
40:03
as we gather together,
40:05
as we meet together,
40:06
as we relate meaningfully
40:07
to each other,
40:08
as we have fellowship
40:09
with one another
40:09
and with God,
40:10
and together as we meet
40:12
and have fellowship
40:13
with God in that.
40:15
What are you saying?
40:16
Rather,
40:17
speaking,
40:17
holding forth.
40:19
It involves speaking,
40:20
of course,
40:20
but it's not confined to that.
40:22
Speaking the truth,
40:23
but He's saying,
40:24
in love.
40:26
That's such a vital,
40:28
vital part
40:29
of His emphasis there.
40:30
We're not just to be
40:32
caring for each other,
40:34
speaking to each other,
40:35
showing out the truth of God
40:37
and how we live.
40:38
We are to do that
40:39
in love.
40:42
That's such an important
40:43
consideration,
40:45
isn't it?
40:45
In fact,
40:46
it really is to be,
40:47
as it were,
40:48
put on over all the other parts
40:50
of the garments
40:50
we wear spiritually.
40:52
Put on truth,
40:54
is what He says in Colossians.
40:56
Putting on this
40:57
over all the other parts
40:58
of the spiritual garments
41:00
that you wear.
41:03
Put on love.
41:06
See verse 18 there,
41:07
the very end of the verse there,
41:08
makes the body grow
41:10
so that it builds itself up
41:11
in love.
41:14
Remember that
41:15
as a spiritual body,
41:19
we are always visible.
41:22
And just like parts of
41:23
your natural body,
41:25
your human body,
41:27
when one part is affected
41:29
in some way,
41:30
either positively
41:31
or mostly negatively,
41:32
if it's hurt,
41:34
the rest of the body
41:35
actually feels that.
41:36
The rest of the body
41:37
is affected by that.
41:39
And it's the same way
41:40
spiritually,
41:41
because as Paul thinks
41:42
of the human body
41:44
as being illustrative
41:45
of the spiritual body
41:46
that we are together,
41:48
what he is saying,
41:49
we are to grow
41:50
in love,
41:51
we are to exercise
41:52
our relationships
41:53
one with another
41:54
in love,
41:55
because there's a watching
41:56
world out there
41:57
for one thing.
41:58
Not only does it affect
41:59
other parts
42:00
of the body,
42:02
but the one thing
42:03
that a real turn off
42:05
of the world
42:05
is when Christians
42:06
are seen not to love
42:07
each other.
42:12
That was one of the
42:13
great confessions
42:15
made by the world
42:16
in the apostles' own day.
42:19
Behold how they love
42:20
each other.
42:22
Look at how they love
42:23
each other.
42:23
These were pagan people
42:25
watching the church,
42:26
watching these people
42:26
of God,
42:27
watching these Christians
42:28
as they met,
42:29
as they went about
42:30
their business
42:30
from day to day,
42:32
as they met together,
42:33
as they related
42:33
to each other,
42:34
as they spoke out
42:35
to the world
42:36
around them.
42:37
They loved each other.
42:38
They were able
42:39
to put up with so much
42:40
because they valued
42:41
the headship of Christ,
42:44
the spirit of Christ,
42:45
because they loved
42:46
each other.
42:48
Our spiritual body,
42:52
or we as a spiritual body,
42:54
are intensely visible
42:56
to the world.
42:59
And while you want
42:59
that world out there
43:00
to be changed,
43:02
people to be converted,
43:03
people to come
43:04
to join the spiritual
43:05
body of Christ
43:07
that we are,
43:08
nevertheless,
43:09
you know of their opposition.
43:11
You know how difficult
43:11
they make it at times.
43:13
You pray for them,
43:14
and yet so much
43:16
comes your way
43:16
by hostility,
43:18
by opposition,
43:19
by refusals.
43:21
And when you widen
43:22
that into the situation
43:23
that we face
43:24
in our society today,
43:26
you can see
43:27
how difficult it is
43:28
in the present climate
43:30
to live consistently,
43:31
not just as a Christian,
43:33
but as a Christian church
43:34
together in the way
43:35
we relate to each other
43:37
so that our love
43:39
for each other
43:40
is made plain
43:41
and made effective
43:43
to the world.
43:44
But that's what Paul
43:45
is saying.
43:47
There should be no place
43:48
at all for cold
43:50
orthodoxy.
43:52
You know,
43:52
it's perfectly easy
43:53
to be very orthodox
43:55
in your doctrine
43:56
and yet be as cold
43:58
as ice
43:58
in your relationship
43:59
to your fellow Christians.
44:01
Well,
44:02
that orthodoxy
44:03
is very ineffective,
44:04
and in fact,
44:05
that orthodoxy
44:05
is very off-putting
44:07
to the world
44:08
and even to other Christians too.
44:10
Yes,
44:10
of course,
44:11
we need orthodoxy,
44:12
but there should be
44:13
no place for a cold type.
44:15
No,
44:15
there should be
44:16
any place for
44:16
what you might call
44:19
as denominational pride.
44:22
When we compare ourselves
44:23
with other denominations,
44:25
and when we say
44:25
that the church
44:27
at large
44:28
in some ways
44:28
is defective
44:29
or has left
44:30
the truth of God
44:31
as you find that
44:33
in various places
44:34
throughout our nation,
44:35
throughout the world,
44:36
that doesn't mean
44:37
that we hold ourselves
44:37
up in pride
44:38
and preen ourselves
44:40
as if we were
44:41
the best of the best.
44:46
Nor does it mean
44:47
that we give place
44:49
for a moment
44:49
to any party spirit
44:51
even within
44:52
a congregational setting.
44:53
That's what was wrong
44:56
to a great extent
44:57
in Corinth.
44:59
People were saying,
45:01
oh,
45:01
I am of Apollos.
45:03
Others were saying,
45:03
no,
45:03
no,
45:04
I'm of Cephas.
45:05
He's my man.
45:06
I'm his follower.
45:08
What others were saying,
45:09
no,
45:09
I'm not of Cephas.
45:10
I'm not of Apollos.
45:11
That's far too low for me.
45:13
I am of Christ.
45:14
I'm superior to that.
45:16
I belong to that group
45:17
who put Christ first.
45:18
Be done with your Cephas
45:19
and with your Apollos.
45:21
They're just human beings.
45:23
What does Paul say to them?
45:25
Is Christ divided?
45:30
Are we a body of Christ?
45:32
He is saying,
45:33
are you a body of Christ?
45:34
To the Corinthians,
45:35
are you a body of Christ?
45:37
And yet,
45:37
going about
45:38
with all these divisions
45:39
among you,
45:40
what's wrong with you?
45:42
Because
45:43
you're not speaking
45:44
the truth in love.
45:45
You're not holding
45:46
the truth in love.
45:47
You have intense rivalries.
45:49
You're competing
45:50
with each other.
45:53
And even the disciples,
45:54
of course,
45:56
well,
45:56
we can follow them
45:57
because it's just
45:58
our own heart after all
46:00
that is revealed
46:01
through them,
46:01
isn't it?
46:03
On their way there
46:03
to the Passover,
46:05
on their way
46:05
as Jesus made His way
46:07
ultimately to the cross,
46:08
what were they talking about?
46:10
Well,
46:10
they weren't talking.
46:11
They were actually disputing.
46:12
And they were disputing
46:14
which of them
46:15
would be the greatest.
46:19
Apostles,
46:21
disciples,
46:22
called by Jesus
46:23
to be His followers,
46:25
to be His witness
46:26
to the world,
46:27
to be His witness
46:28
in the truth.
46:29
And they're disputing,
46:30
they're squabbling
46:30
over which was going
46:32
to be the greatest.
46:33
Who's going to have
46:33
the highest place?
46:36
And Jesus is saying,
46:37
be done with that.
46:40
That's not my church.
46:42
That's not my body.
46:44
That's what we're not.
46:45
That's what we're,
46:45
that's not what we're called
46:47
to be and to do
46:48
in our relations
46:50
to each other.
46:51
But,
46:52
holding the truth,
46:54
showing the truth,
46:54
living the truth
46:55
in love.
46:58
In love.
47:02
And,
47:02
elsewhere,
47:04
he shows,
47:06
as he does
47:06
in this chapter itself
47:07
later on,
47:10
how they are to be
47:12
quite different
47:12
to the pagan world
47:13
around them.
47:14
He says,
47:15
verse 20,
47:15
this is not the way
47:16
you have learned Christ.
47:19
So,
47:19
put off your old self,
47:21
your former manner of life,
47:24
and as corrupt
47:24
through the deceitful desires,
47:26
be renewed
47:26
in the spirit of your mind.
47:28
Put on the new self.
47:31
Put away falsehood.
47:33
Speak the truth
47:34
with your neighbor.
47:35
Verse 25,
47:36
be angry.
47:37
Do not sin.
47:38
Let not the sun
47:38
go down on your anger.
47:39
Give no opportunity
47:41
to the devil.
47:41
Let the thief
47:42
no longer steal.
47:43
Rather,
47:44
let him labor.
47:45
Let no corrupting talk
47:46
come out of your mouth.
47:47
Only such as is good
47:48
for building up
47:49
as fits the occasion.
47:51
Don't grieve
47:51
the spirit of God.
47:53
Let all bitterness
47:53
and wrath
47:54
and anger
47:55
and clamor
47:56
and slander
47:56
be put away from you
47:58
along with all malice.
47:59
Be kind to one another,
48:01
tenderhearted,
48:02
forgiving one another,
48:03
as God in Christ
48:05
forgave you.
48:06
But don't let the chapter
48:07
break,
48:07
put you off.
48:09
You have to go
48:09
into the next verse.
48:10
Therefore,
48:11
be imitators of God
48:13
as beloved children
48:16
and walk in love
48:18
as Christ loved us
48:19
and gave himself up for us.
48:21
When he's saying there,
48:22
be imitators of God.
48:26
Seek to be as like God
48:27
as it's possible to be
48:28
in this life.
48:32
Walk in love
48:34
as beloved children.
48:36
What does he mean by that?
48:37
Children already loved by God.
48:40
Beloved in that sense.
48:42
Reflect, he's saying,
48:43
that love
48:44
as you speak the truth in love.
48:46
As you live out the truth in love.
48:49
Let love be preeminent.
48:51
Let love be on the top
48:52
of your agenda.
48:53
Let love to one another
48:54
and love for God
48:55
dominate your life.
48:56
That's really what he's saying.
48:59
Rather,
49:00
speaking the truth in love.
49:01
And you see how that fits into
49:03
our gathering together
49:04
from time to time.
49:06
But even as we leave
49:08
such gatherings
49:08
as we're involved with today
49:10
and you go out,
49:10
you still remain
49:11
the body of Christ,
49:13
united together in Christ.
49:16
And so as parts of that body,
49:18
as members of that body,
49:20
as you live in the world,
49:22
this is the world's,
49:24
this is to be the world's view of us.
49:26
So growing up unto Christ
49:28
means in the truth
49:30
and speaking or living out the truth
49:32
and doing that in love.
49:36
And we are to grow up,
49:37
he says,
49:38
up in every way unto him
49:40
who is the head unto Christ.
49:42
From each part,
49:43
secondly,
49:43
each part contributes
49:45
to the body's growth overall.
49:48
Now we've said already,
49:49
from whom,
49:50
in verse 16,
49:51
the whole body,
49:52
from Christ,
49:54
from whom the whole body
49:56
receives its nourishment,
49:58
you might say.
50:00
That means that
50:01
our growth
50:02
has a source.
50:05
Our growth is
50:06
fueled by the grace of Christ.
50:09
He is himself
50:10
the source
50:11
of what enables us
50:13
to grow together
50:14
and to be in our relationships
50:16
together what we ought to be.
50:19
Verses,
50:21
verse 7,
50:22
verse 11,
50:23
and all the way through
50:24
verse 7 to 10 here,
50:26
what we're seeing is that
50:27
we don't grow
50:29
from our own competency,
50:32
from our own ability.
50:35
There's not a self-produced growth.
50:38
It's a growth that comes
50:39
through the grace of Christ
50:41
being channeled
50:42
into our souls,
50:43
into our life together,
50:45
into our life individually.
50:48
And that's why the head
50:49
is so important
50:50
as the source
50:51
from which we receive
50:52
all our nourishment
50:53
and all our ability.
50:55
That, of course,
50:56
carries with it.
50:58
I'm just saying this in passing.
50:59
It's a point that's come to me.
51:01
It means that in passing
51:02
you maintain
51:03
and I maintain
51:04
our individual
51:05
relationship with Christ.
51:08
Otherwise,
51:09
that's going to be reflected
51:10
in the quality
51:11
or lack of it
51:12
of the whole body
51:13
in its growth.
51:15
But what he says here
51:16
then goes on
51:18
to say,
51:18
from whom
51:20
the whole body
51:21
joined and held together
51:22
by every joint
51:24
with which it's equipped.
51:25
Literally,
51:25
it's saying
51:26
by every joint
51:27
of the supply.
51:29
Very complex phrases
51:30
he uses
51:30
and I'm not going
51:32
to try and open them up.
51:33
It would take a lot of time.
51:34
When each part
51:35
is working properly
51:36
makes the body grow
51:38
so that it builds itself
51:39
up in love.
51:40
And I think
51:40
it's best really
51:41
if we think of
51:42
again our human body
51:44
which he's actually
51:45
using anyway
51:46
as an illustration.
51:48
Think of the different
51:49
parts and functions
51:50
of these parts
51:52
in our human body.
51:55
There are limbs.
51:56
There are bones.
51:58
There are joints.
52:00
There are muscles.
52:02
There's the skin.
52:03
There are ligaments.
52:04
Every part of your body
52:06
physically
52:07
as it's joined together
52:09
marvelously
52:09
in God's creation.
52:11
There are bones
52:12
fit into various sockets
52:14
here and there.
52:15
The arms,
52:16
the legs,
52:17
they're tied to the trunk
52:18
of your body,
52:19
your neck,
52:20
all of these things.
52:21
All of these parts
52:22
of the body
52:22
are fitted together
52:24
so that they function.
52:26
Each of them
52:27
has its own function
52:28
but each contributes
52:29
to the whole
52:30
working of the body.
52:33
But not only that,
52:35
over all of these parts
52:36
such as the bones
52:38
and the flesh
52:38
and the sinews
52:39
and so on,
52:40
you have two
52:42
two
52:44
communicating
52:47
you might say
52:49
two communicating
52:50
systems.
52:52
The communication
52:53
that comes
52:54
from the head
52:55
is communicated
52:57
to the rest
52:58
of the body
52:58
even to the tiniest
53:00
bits of the tip
53:00
of your finger
53:01
through the nervous system.
53:03
And the nervous system
53:05
is what carries
53:06
the messages
53:07
of the brain
53:08
through to these
53:09
parts of the body
53:10
by which they are
53:11
then enabled
53:12
to function.
53:14
That's why
53:14
when something
53:14
goes wrong
53:15
with any part
53:17
of your body
53:17
or when something
53:19
goes wrong
53:19
with the brain
53:20
itself,
53:21
sadly at times
53:22
and the messages
53:22
don't reach
53:23
parts of the body
53:24
with various diseases,
53:26
sadly,
53:26
that you see,
53:27
some parts of the body
53:29
cease to function
53:29
properly.
53:30
They're not getting
53:30
the right signals.
53:32
That particular overlay,
53:35
if you like,
53:35
of the nervous system
53:37
has ceased to function
53:38
as it should.
53:40
But there's another
53:40
system as well
53:41
that's necessary
53:42
for the overall
53:43
good of the body
53:44
and again it reaches
53:45
every single part
53:46
of the body
53:47
and what is it?
53:48
It is, of course,
53:49
the vascular system,
53:50
the system that conveys
53:52
blood throughout the body
53:53
to all parts
53:55
of the body.
53:57
And when you think
53:58
of all of these
53:59
and how they illustrate
54:00
the spiritual body
54:02
that we are together
54:03
as we seek to serve
54:06
the Lord Jesus Christ,
54:07
as we are the church
54:08
in this world together,
54:10
the gatherer church,
54:11
the church as it functions
54:12
in the world,
54:13
so the different parts
54:15
of the body,
54:16
the different types
54:17
of gifts that Christ
54:18
has endowed
54:19
his church with,
54:22
they all function
54:23
by virtue of receiving
54:25
from the head
54:27
all the abilities,
54:29
all the grace,
54:30
all the nourishment
54:31
that these parts
54:32
of the body require.
54:35
And whether we're
54:36
involved in preaching
54:38
the gospel
54:38
or whether you're involved
54:40
in working with young people,
54:42
teaching in the Sunday school,
54:44
being involved
54:44
with the youth club,
54:45
being involved
54:46
with working
54:47
with older people,
54:48
whether you're actually
54:49
working with people
54:50
who have addictions,
54:52
people who are ill,
54:54
people who have severe disease,
54:55
whatever it is,
54:56
it's through the grace
54:58
of Christ
54:58
that you're enabled
55:00
to actually carry out
55:02
these duties effectively.
55:04
But that means that
55:05
each and every part
55:06
of the body
55:06
must be working properly.
55:08
That's why your relationship
55:09
individually with Christ
55:11
is so important.
55:14
The various parts
55:15
of the body,
55:16
each is different
55:17
in many ways,
55:19
as you can see
55:20
in your physical body.
55:21
There's a huge difference
55:22
between your little toe
55:24
and your nose
55:25
or your neck
55:27
and parts of your legs.
55:31
But they all have
55:32
the same supply.
55:34
The nervous system
55:35
and the blood supply
55:36
supplies each
55:38
and all of them.
55:40
And what does that
55:40
actually mean?
55:41
Well, it means
55:42
the end result is
55:43
that from Jesus
55:45
the body is held together
55:47
by every joint
55:49
of the supply,
55:50
the supply that comes
55:51
from Him.
55:52
When each part
55:53
is working properly,
55:55
it makes the body grow
55:56
so that it builds
55:58
itself up
55:59
in love.
56:02
So three points
56:03
just to make
56:04
by way of
56:04
a final application.
56:06
There's so much else
56:07
that we could say,
56:08
but the time is gone
56:10
and a lot of these things
56:11
would take time
56:12
to open up further.
56:13
I hope you've got
56:14
the main gist
56:15
of the passage
56:16
and what it's saying
56:18
to us by way
56:19
of our need to grow
56:20
and the privilege
56:21
of growing together
56:22
spiritually under Christ's
56:24
direction
56:25
and under Christ's
56:26
enabling.
56:28
But the three points
56:29
I want to finish with
56:29
are these.
56:30
Firstly,
56:32
each part
56:33
must have
56:34
a living connection
56:36
with the head.
56:38
Each part
56:39
must have
56:40
a living connection
56:41
with the head
56:42
because Paul is
56:43
reminding us
56:44
that the body's
56:46
functions,
56:47
the spiritual body's
56:48
functions are
56:49
as each part
56:51
is working properly.
56:54
Tonight,
56:55
you and I
56:56
have to ask ourselves,
56:57
do I have
56:59
a living connection
57:00
with Jesus?
57:02
I have a connection
57:04
with him formally,
57:05
you might say,
57:05
because I belong
57:06
to his church
57:07
outwardly,
57:08
because I form
57:09
part of those people
57:10
who worship him
57:11
regularly
57:12
in Stornoway Free Church.
57:14
But then I have
57:14
to ask myself,
57:16
do I have more
57:17
than the ability
57:18
to speak such
57:19
as it is?
57:20
Do I have more
57:21
than being able
57:23
to stand in front
57:24
of people and say
57:25
certain things
57:26
for a certain
57:26
amount of time?
57:27
What is my own
57:28
connection to Christ?
57:31
And you have to say
57:32
that of yourself.
57:33
Do I have a living
57:34
connection with Jesus?
57:37
Is there grace?
57:38
Is there power?
57:39
Is there ability?
57:40
Is there life
57:41
flowing from Jesus
57:43
into my soul
57:44
and into my life?
57:45
Am I a living part
57:48
of this body
57:49
that meets
57:50
from time to time
57:51
and seeks to worship
57:53
the Lord
57:53
as we do tonight?
57:55
See, how vital
57:56
that is for yourself
57:57
and for myself.
57:58
To really ask ourselves,
58:00
whatever age we're at,
58:01
it's true of young folks
58:02
as well as old,
58:04
that we have to have
58:05
a living connection
58:07
with the head.
58:10
A living connection
58:11
with Jesus himself.
58:14
Because the passage
58:15
as we've seen
58:15
speaks about Jesus
58:16
and his being ascended
58:19
up into the heavens.
58:21
In other words,
58:21
Jesus has died,
58:23
he's risen from the dead,
58:24
he's shown his power,
58:25
he's exercised his power,
58:27
that power is in him
58:28
as he is now seated
58:29
at God's right hand.
58:32
And it's to that
58:32
that we look
58:33
as the head of the church
58:34
that supplies us.
58:36
But you and I
58:37
have to look individually
58:38
at it as well
58:39
and ask ourselves,
58:40
am I one of these people?
58:41
Am I just turning up
58:44
every Sunday?
58:46
Do I have something
58:47
more than just habit
58:48
or good habit
58:50
though it might be?
58:52
So if you're here
58:53
tonight and
58:54
you know that
58:56
you're not yet saved
58:57
and you want to be saved,
58:58
surely,
58:59
you want to be a living
59:00
part of this body
59:02
of Christ,
59:04
you want to be able
59:05
to function spiritually,
59:07
effectively,
59:08
to contribute
59:09
your own contribution
59:10
and to receive
59:11
from Jesus
59:13
the life you know
59:13
you need.
59:15
Well, here is God
59:16
saying to you,
59:17
firmly but gently,
59:20
make sure that
59:21
you're connected
59:21
vitally,
59:23
savingly,
59:25
spiritually,
59:26
in a life-receiving way
59:27
with me.
59:30
And you do that
59:31
by not trying to
59:32
make yourself
59:33
better than you are
59:35
so that you then
59:35
come to be joined to him,
59:36
you just cast yourself
59:38
upon him.
59:40
And you say,
59:41
Lord,
59:41
I cannot do you,
59:43
I cannot do it
59:44
except as I am
59:45
joined to you.
59:48
I can't save myself.
59:50
I need you to save me.
59:53
I need you to be my head,
59:55
my Lord,
59:56
my Savior.
59:58
Please receive me.
1:00:01
Please forgive my sins.
1:00:02
Please give me
1:00:05
a meaningful place
1:00:07
in your living body.
1:00:10
The second thing is,
1:00:12
each part
1:00:13
is important
1:00:14
to that body
1:00:15
and needed
1:00:16
by the body
1:00:17
and affects
1:00:18
all the other parts.
1:00:20
You see,
1:00:20
you mustn't say
1:00:21
tonight that,
1:00:22
well,
1:00:22
I'm not really important,
1:00:23
I shouldn't see myself
1:00:24
as a significant part
1:00:26
of the whole body
1:00:27
because I don't have
1:00:28
the capacity of others,
1:00:30
I don't have
1:00:30
the ability of others,
1:00:32
I don't have such things
1:00:33
as I see in other people
1:00:35
who serve the Lord.
1:00:36
I'm just a tiny wee fragment,
1:00:38
just forget about me.
1:00:39
I don't need to commit myself fully.
1:00:41
I don't have what it takes anyway.
1:00:43
Never say that about yourself.
1:00:47
Never think you're insignificant
1:00:48
to God.
1:00:52
If we were insignificant to God,
1:00:54
would He have sent His Son
1:00:55
to die the death of the cross?
1:00:57
When you see
1:01:00
old stonework
1:01:02
with a large lintel,
1:01:04
maybe on top of a doorway
1:01:05
or a gate,
1:01:07
and you look at that lintel
1:01:09
and you ask yourself,
1:01:11
is that the most important stone
1:01:14
in this opening,
1:01:16
in this entrance?
1:01:17
And of course,
1:01:18
your immediate reaction is,
1:01:19
well, yes,
1:01:20
it's strong,
1:01:21
it's holding up
1:01:21
a lot of other stones.
1:01:23
It's really there
1:01:23
to take the weight,
1:01:25
if you like,
1:01:25
of everything that's above it.
1:01:26
Yes, but you look under the stone,
1:01:28
there are little wedges,
1:01:30
little stone slices or wedges
1:01:32
that have been carefully
1:01:33
set in a particular place
1:01:37
and carefully by a stonemason
1:01:39
or whoever built it.
1:01:41
And it is these
1:01:42
that keep the large stone
1:01:43
balanced from moving
1:01:46
as they're placed in
1:01:48
under the large lintel stone.
1:01:50
And these little stones
1:01:53
are just as vital
1:01:55
to the whole gateway
1:01:56
as the lintel
1:01:58
that you see prominently.
1:01:59
So it is in the church.
1:02:01
It's not the people
1:02:02
that you see prominently
1:02:03
in the work of Jesus alone
1:02:05
that are important
1:02:06
to the work.
1:02:06
You are too.
1:02:08
Even if you're not seen
1:02:09
and visible
1:02:10
and prominent in the church,
1:02:12
even if you're just
1:02:13
worshiping Him,
1:02:15
loving Him,
1:02:16
showing your love for Him,
1:02:17
praying to Him
1:02:18
for yourself,
1:02:20
praying that God
1:02:21
will bless His church
1:02:23
and His cause,
1:02:25
well, you're needed
1:02:25
in the church.
1:02:28
You're valuable
1:02:28
to the church.
1:02:31
Christ Himself
1:02:32
says of you,
1:02:34
you're not insignificant.
1:02:36
I have a work for you
1:02:38
as well as for the minister
1:02:40
and all those
1:02:40
who might be more prominent.
1:02:43
So each part
1:02:44
must have a living connection
1:02:45
with the head.
1:02:47
each part is important
1:02:49
and needed
1:02:49
and affects
1:02:51
every other part,
1:02:52
either positively
1:02:53
or negatively.
1:02:55
And finally,
1:02:56
the whole body,
1:02:58
we're persuaded today,
1:02:59
surely the whole body
1:03:01
needs the reviling power
1:03:03
of Christ.
1:03:06
We can never say,
1:03:07
and we certainly cannot say,
1:03:10
of the days in which
1:03:11
we live that the church
1:03:12
is greatly empowered
1:03:14
in the things of the gospel.
1:03:15
as you look at your own life,
1:03:18
as I look at mine,
1:03:19
certainly as I look at mine,
1:03:20
I have to say,
1:03:21
Lord,
1:03:22
I need to be revived.
1:03:23
I need to be quickened.
1:03:25
I need Your Holy Spirit
1:03:27
just to lift me,
1:03:28
to give me
1:03:29
a refreshment
1:03:30
in my soul.
1:03:32
And the church, too,
1:03:33
needs that.
1:03:36
And only God can do that.
1:03:38
I don't do it
1:03:39
by organizing things.
1:03:41
I don't do it
1:03:42
by conferences,
1:03:42
by committees,
1:03:44
all of which are very good
1:03:46
in their own place,
1:03:47
all of which are necessary.
1:03:49
The life of the church
1:03:51
is from the head.
1:03:55
The life and enabling
1:03:56
of the church
1:03:57
is from Christ
1:03:58
through His Spirit.
1:04:00
And it runs, then,
1:04:02
through every part
1:04:03
of the body
1:04:04
when it's functioning properly,
1:04:06
so that it edifies,
1:04:08
it builds itself up
1:04:10
in love.
1:04:12
Well, we pray that God
1:04:14
will bless these thoughts
1:04:15
on His Word.
1:04:15
Let's conclude
1:04:16
by singing to His praise.
1:04:19
And our final singing
1:04:20
is in Psalm 92.
1:04:23
Psalm 92,
1:04:24
and it's in the Scottish Psalter,
1:04:26
page 353.
1:04:31
And singing verses 12
1:04:33
to the end of the psalm.
1:04:34
But like the palm tree,
1:04:36
flourishing shall be
1:04:37
the righteous one.
1:04:39
He shall like to the cedar grove
1:04:40
that is in Lebanon.
1:04:42
Those that within
1:04:43
the house of God
1:04:44
are planted by His grace.
1:04:47
They shall grow up
1:04:48
and flourish all
1:04:49
in our God's holy place.
1:04:52
And you see again
1:04:53
through these verses
1:04:53
the togetherness
1:04:55
of God's people
1:04:56
as His church.
1:04:58
Those, plural,
1:04:59
planted within
1:05:00
the house of God.
1:05:02
So let's sing these verses
1:05:03
in conclusion,
1:05:04
but like the palm tree,
1:05:05
flourishing.
1:05:06
Amen.
1:05:11
But like the palm tree,
1:05:17
flourishing
1:05:20
shall be
1:05:23
the righteous one.
1:05:28
He shall like to the cedar grove
1:05:38
that is in Lebanon.
1:05:44
those that within
1:05:50
the hearts of God
1:05:55
are planted by His grace.
1:06:03
they shall grow up
1:06:07
and flourish all
1:06:13
in our God's holy place.
1:06:21
...
1:06:24
habe...
1:06:33
have land and είναι and forjamal
1:06:34
andreso
1:06:36
Cesar
1:06:37
is
1:06:39
a
1:06:39
agreement
1:06:40
that pela
1:06:42
sheola
1:06:42
is
1:06:43
a
1:06:51
be furnishing.
1:06:57
To show that
1:07:01
upright is the Lord,
1:07:06
he is our God
1:07:11
to be.
1:07:14
And he from all
1:07:18
the righteousness
1:07:23
is all
1:07:26
to ever be.
1:07:33
After the benediction, I'll go to the door here to my right.
1:07:37
Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father,
1:07:41
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and evermore.
1:07:45
Amen.
1:07:48
Amen.
1:08:06
Amen.
1:08:11
Amen.
1:08:12
Amen.
1:08:13
Amen.
1:08:16
Amen.
1:08:16
Thank you.
1:08:46
Thank you.
1:09:16
Thank you.
1:09:46
Thank you.
1:10:16
Thank you.
1:10:46
Thank you.
1:11:16
Thank you.
1:11:46
Thank you.
1:12:16
Thank you.
1:12:46
Thank you.