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The Gathered Church (3) - Gathered to Listen to God · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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to now conduct the worship, and we'll begin by singing in Psalm 138.
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Psalm 138, that's in the Scottish Psalter, that's on page 431, verses 1 to 5,
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the tune of St. Paul.
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Thee will I praise with all my heart.
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I will sing praise to thee before the gods, and worship will toward thy sanctuary.
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I'll praise thy name even for thy truth, and kindness of thy love.
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For thou thy word has magnified all thy great name above.
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Psalm 138, verses 1 to 5.
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If you're able to stand, please stand while we sing these verses.
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Amen.
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For thou art, I'll praise thy name even for thy truth, and kindness of thy love.
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I'll praise thy name even for thy truth, and kindness of thy love.
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For thou art, I'll praise thy name even for thy name.
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And find all thy great name above.
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Thou didst me answer in the day, when I to thee detry.
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For thou art, I am us for thy thy name.
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For thou art, We are our�� of thy ways of authority, and grace of thy 입니다.
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For thou art, I am us for thy sins that I am número one for thy faiths, and grace of thy O Cookie Snow.
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Than月 in Film on iTunes, Comeakenve Of our automatism, God to modem.
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Thee is for our ticking system Which is
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For thou art, for our bodily work,'sgest have been saved.
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Changers of byまずly, and the impotor, our honour people, Perded or other man.
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How gifted place, O Lord,
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when a sin from thy mouth shall hear
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thy true and faithful word.
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Yea, in the righteous ways of God
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with gladness they shall sing,
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for grace the glory of the Lord
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who doth forever reign.
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Let's now join together in prayer briefly.
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We're praying for the young folks
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on the Sunday school and creche
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and also the tweenies at this time.
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Let's call upon the Lord.
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O Lord, our God, we thank you
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that our children and young folks
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can gather with us,
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that we have a heart's desire for them
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that they will know you
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and that they will come to follow you
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all the days of their lives.
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And we thank you today, Lord,
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that they are here with us
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and we pray for those who are away
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on holiday at this time
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and not able to be with us.
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And we pray for other children too
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who may have joined us as visitors.
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We ask that your blessing
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will be with them today as well
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as we meet together here to worship you.
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Help us, we pray,
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to give attention to your word.
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Help us to learn from it
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and help us especially
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to know yourself
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and to know the blessing
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that you have for your people
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to be our portion today.
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Receive us, we pray now,
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and cleanse us from sin
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in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Well, a word to the children now
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before we move on with the service.
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I'm going to say a number of things to you
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and I want you to stick up your hand
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if you think that they are actually true.
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There are more Lego figures in the world
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than there are people.
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Now, there are 8 billion people in the world.
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That's 8,000 million people in the world.
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That's a lot of people.
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And if you think there are more Lego figures
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than that in the world,
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stick your hand up.
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Adults can do it as well if you want.
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Are there more Lego figures
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than 8 billion people?
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What do you think?
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If you think no,
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don't put your hand up.
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If you think yes,
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put your hand up.
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Lots of people think
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that's not true.
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Some people do think it's true,
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so they've got their hands up.
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Okay.
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What about this then?
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Astronauts who go into space.
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When an astronaut goes to space,
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their body actually grows
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a bit taller
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while they're in space
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and then go back to normal
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when they come back to Earth.
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Hands up those who think that's true.
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Yeah, there's more people
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think that that's true
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than the first one.
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One more for you.
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A sea lion
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is the only animal
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that can clap in time
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either to music
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or to a beat.
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How many people think that's true?
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A sea lion is the only animal
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that can clap in time
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to a beat.
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Nobody thinks that's true.
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No hands going up.
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Okay.
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Well, let me tell you,
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all of these are actually true.
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All of them are true.
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Yeah.
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But it's not going to make
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much difference to your life
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whether you actually know that
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or not.
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I mean,
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if you hadn't heard
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any of that today
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and you went back home
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and you hadn't learned
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that there are more
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Lego figures in the world
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than human beings
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and that the astronauts
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actually grow taller
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for the time they're in space
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and that a sea lion
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can clap in time
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to music or to a beat,
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it wouldn't really make
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much difference to your life
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if you didn't know that.
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But let me say something else.
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God so loved the world
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that He gave
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His only begotten Son
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that whoever believes in Him
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should not perish
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but have everlasting life.
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How many believe
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that that's true?
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Every hand should go up.
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Is there anyone who thinks
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that that's not true?
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No.
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God so loved the world
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that He gave His only begotten Son
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that whoever believes in Jesus
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would not perish
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but have everlasting life.
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See, it makes a big difference
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what you think is true and not
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when it's really important.
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Some people say,
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well, truth is something
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that I can just believe for myself.
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If it's true for me,
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then it doesn't matter
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about anything else.
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And some people will say,
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that's what you should have,
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that's the kind of attitude
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you should have to the Bible
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or to the Gospel.
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If it's true for you,
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then that's okay,
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but it's not true for me.
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Now, we must never come
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to the Bible or to church
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to worship God
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with thoughts like that.
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It is important
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that this is God's truth.
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It's not just truth
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for some people,
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it's truth for everybody.
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And it's important
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because it tells us
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the things
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that are really,
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really important for us
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to believe
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and to follow
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and to accept.
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So today,
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it doesn't really matter
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that some things
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may not be true
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or some things
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may be true.
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It doesn't matter
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whether you know about them
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or believe them or not,
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but it really does matter
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that you know Jesus
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for yourself
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and that you know
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that Jesus
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is God's Son
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who came into the world
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to save us
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from our sins.
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And there's nothing
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more important
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for us to know
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and to know
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as the truth
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than that.
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So today,
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this truth,
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God's truth,
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the truth that's
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in the Bible
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is so important
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compared to many
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other things
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that may
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or may not
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be true.
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Now we're going to say
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the Lord's Prayer.
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It's on the sheet
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if you need to follow it.
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We're doing this
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because we want to learn
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the Lord's Prayer
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off by heart.
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It's important
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not just to know
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the words
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but to know
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the meaning of them too.
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And in fact,
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certain other passages
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of the Bible,
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as much of the Bible
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as you can,
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it's important
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for us to learn
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and to be able
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to recite.
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So let's say
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the Lord's Prayer then.
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Our Father,
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which art in heaven,
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hallowed be thy name.
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Thy kingdom come.
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Thy will be done
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on earth
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as it is in heaven.
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Give us this day
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our daily bread
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and forgive us
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our debts
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as we forgive
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our debtors.
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and lead us
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not into temptation
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but deliver us
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from evil.
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For thine is the kingdom,
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the power,
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and the glory
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forever.
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Amen.
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We're going to sing
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once again.
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This time we're singing
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Psalm 119.
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In St. Psalms,
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that's on page 157,
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verses 1 to 8.
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Tune this before the throne.
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Blessed are those
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of blameless ways
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who live according
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to God's Word.
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Blessed are those
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who keep His laws,
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who with their whole heart
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seek the Lord.
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Our theme topic
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for the sermon today
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is listening to God,
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following the series
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we're having
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on the gathered church,
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but the gathered church
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in the sense
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in which today
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we're going to look at it
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as the church gathered
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to listen
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to God's voice.
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These words
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in our Psalms today
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have to do
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mainly with
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how we're hearing God
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and how God is speaking
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to us through His Word.
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So these words,
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Blessed are those
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of blameless ways
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who live according
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to God's Word.
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Let's stand to sing.
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Blessed are those
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of blameless ways
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who live according
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to God's Word.
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Blessed are those
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who keep His laws,
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who with their whole heart
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seek the Lord.
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They keep themselves
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from doing wrong
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by walking in His
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strength with praise.
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You have established
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laws on us
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that are to be
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open always,
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that are to be
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open always.
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O that my grace
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were steadfast, Lord,
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in making your
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your deeds
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leads my aim.
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So when I think
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God you commands,
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I would not feel
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disgrace or shame.
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I will praise you
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with an upright heart,
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as you just lost
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are there by me.
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All your deeds
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I will obey,
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do not forsake me
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utterly,
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do not forsake me
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utterly.
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Let's now turn
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to read God's Word,
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and our reading this morning
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is from Acts chapter 10.
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The book of Acts chapter 10,
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reading from the beginning
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down as far as verse 33.
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Acts chapter 10,
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from the beginning
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of the chapter.
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You'll find it around
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page 1106
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in the church Bibles
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if you're using those.
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At Caesarea,
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there was a man
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named Cornelius,
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a centurion
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of what was known
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as the Italian cohort,
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a devout man
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who feared God
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with all his household,
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gave alms generously
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to the people,
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and prayed continually
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to God.
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About the ninth hour
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of the day,
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he saw clearly
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in a vision
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an angel of God
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come in and say to him,
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Cornelius.
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And he stared at him
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in terror and said,
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What is it, Lord?
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And he said to him,
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Your prayers
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and your alms
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have ascended
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as a memorial
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before God.
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And now send men
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to Joppa
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and bring one Simon
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who is called Peter.
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He is lodging
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with one Simon
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at Tanner
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whose house
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is by the seaside.
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When the angel
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who spoke to him
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had departed,
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he called two
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of his servants
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and a devout soldier
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from among those
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who attended him,
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and having related
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everything to them,
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he sent them
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to Joppa.
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The next day
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as they were
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on their journey
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and approaching the city,
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Peter went up
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on the housetop
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about the sixth hour
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to pray.
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And he became hungry
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and wanted something
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to eat.
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But while they were
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preparing it,
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he fell into a trance
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and saw the heavens
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opened and something
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like a great sheet
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descending,
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being let down
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by its four corners
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upon the earth.
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In it were all kinds
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of animals
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and reptiles
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and birds of the air.
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And there came
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a voice to him,
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Rise, Peter,
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kill and eat.
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But Peter said,
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By no means, Lord,
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for I have never
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eaten anything
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that is common
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or unclean.
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And the voice
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came to him again
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the second time,
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What God has made clean,
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do not call common.
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This happened three times,
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and the thing
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was taken up
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at once to heaven.
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Now while Peter
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was inwardly perplexed
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as to what the vision
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that he had seen
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might mean,
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behold,
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the men who were sent
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by Cornelius,
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having made
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inquiry for Simon's house,
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stood at the gate
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and called out
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to ask whether Simon,
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who was called Peter,
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was lodging there.
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And while Peter
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was pondering the vision,
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the Spirit said to him,
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Behold,
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three men are looking
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for you.
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Rise and go down
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and accompany them
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without hesitation,
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for I have sent them.
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And Peter went down
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to the men
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and said,
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I am the one
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you are looking for.
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What is the reason
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for your coming?
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And they said,
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Cornelius,
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a centurion,
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an upright
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and God-fearing man
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who is well spoken of
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by the whole Jewish nation,
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was directed
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by a holy angel
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to send for you
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to come to his house
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and to hear
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what you have to say.
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So he invited them
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in to be his guests.
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The next day
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he arose
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and went away with them,
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and some of the brothers
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from Joppa
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accompanied him.
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And on the following day
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they entered Caesarea.
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Cornelius was expecting them
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and had called together
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his relatives
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and close friends.
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When Peter entered,
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Cornelius met him
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and fell down
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at his feet
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and worshipped him.
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But Peter lifted him up
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saying,
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Stand up,
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I too am a man.
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And as he talked with them,
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he went in
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and found many persons gathered.
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And he said to them,
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You yourselves know
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how unlawful it is
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for a Jew
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to associate with
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or to visit anyone
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of another nation.
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But God has shown me
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that I should not call
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any person
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common or unclean.
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So when I was sent for,
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I came without objection.
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I asked then,
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Why you sent for me?
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And Cornelius said,
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Four days ago,
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about this hour,
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I was praying in my house
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at the ninth hour.
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Behold,
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a man stood before me
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in bright clothing
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and said,
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Cornelius,
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your prayer has been heard
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and your alms
16:46
have been remembered
16:47
before God.
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Send,
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therefore,
16:50
to Joppa
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and ask for Simon
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who is called Peter.
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He is lodging
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in the house of Simon
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at Tanner by the sea.
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So I sent for you
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at once
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and you have been
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kind enough to come.
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Now,
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therefore,
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we are all here
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in the presence of God
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to hear all
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that you have been commanded
17:10
by the Lord.
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Amen.
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And may God
17:14
follow with this blessing,
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this reading again
17:16
of His Word.
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Let us once again
17:19
join together in prayer.
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Lord,
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we give thanks today
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that we are gathered here
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in Your name.
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We thank You
17:29
for the purpose
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of our gathering,
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which is to worship You,
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to come into Your presence,
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to draw near to You,
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and to come, Lord,
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that we might give You
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the praise,
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the worship,
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the honor that is due to You,
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that we might also
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be receivers
17:43
of Your blessing,
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and through Your Word
17:46
we might come to know
17:47
more of that wonderful
17:50
eternal life
17:51
that You give
17:51
to Your people,
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that we might also
17:54
be able to encourage
17:55
one another
17:56
in the things
17:57
of the Lord.
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Oh, bless us,
17:59
we pray,
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as we come before You.
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And that Holy Spirit,
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Lord,
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of whom we were reading
18:05
in this passage
18:06
of Your Word,
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may it please You,
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Lord,
18:08
to bestow Your Spirit
18:09
today to guide us,
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to open our hearts
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and minds
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to receive Your Word,
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and to enable us,
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oh, Lord,
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to understand more fully
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and more completely
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and more accurately
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those things
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that are revealed in it
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for our edification,
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for our growth
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in holiness
18:25
and in the grace
18:26
and knowledge
18:27
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Bless us,
18:30
then, we pray,
18:31
as we come together
18:32
in this way once more.
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We ask that Your blessing
18:35
may rest upon us
18:36
as a congregation
18:38
of Your people
18:39
and all the congregations
18:40
we represent today
18:42
wherever we live.
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Lord, we pray
18:44
that You would be pleased
18:45
to bless Your own Word
18:46
in our midst.
18:48
We ask that You would assure us
18:49
that where Your people
18:51
gather together
18:51
in Your name,
18:52
You are there in the midst.
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And You are there in the midst
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because You take delight in them
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and are pleased to bless them.
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And we come before You,
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Lord,
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also conscious
19:02
of our unworthiness,
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of our sinfulness,
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conscious that we need
19:07
to confess our sin
19:08
as we do to You,
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conscious that we need
19:11
Your cleansing
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from our sin,
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Your washing of us
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by Your Holy Spirit,
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that our hearts may be clean,
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that our hearts may be sprinkled
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with this power of Your Spirit
19:23
in forgiving our sins
19:25
and cleansing us
19:26
from our defilement.
19:29
And therefore,
19:29
that we may come before You,
19:30
O Lord,
19:31
with our conscience purged
19:34
and our sin put behind us.
19:37
We come before You,
19:39
Lord,
19:39
seeking that You would,
19:40
as we confess our sin,
19:42
that You would assure us
19:43
of Your great promise
19:44
that if we confess our sins,
19:46
then You are faithful
19:48
and just to forgive us
19:49
our sins
19:50
and to cleanse us
19:51
from all unrighteousness.
19:54
We ask Your blessing
19:55
to be with us
19:56
in all activities
19:57
related to our congregational life.
20:01
We pray for all
20:01
that will take place,
20:02
Lord,
20:03
by Your will
20:03
in this week to come.
20:05
And we ask
20:06
that You would continue
20:07
to bless
20:08
and to own
20:09
and acknowledge
20:09
all that we seek to do
20:11
in Your name
20:12
and accompaniment
20:14
with the worship services
20:15
of the congregation.
20:17
We ask, too,
20:18
Your blessing,
20:19
O Lord,
20:19
for Nigel Kenny
20:21
as he comes to speak
20:22
on Wednesday.
20:23
We give thanks for him
20:24
and from the Christian Institute.
20:26
And we ask, Lord,
20:27
that You would continue
20:28
to bless them
20:29
as they bring to our notice
20:31
and attention
20:32
and help us
20:33
with various materials
20:34
and matters
20:35
that help us
20:36
to face the issues
20:37
of the day
20:38
and those things
20:39
that are especially
20:40
of concern to us
20:41
in our generation.
20:43
And so, remember Him,
20:44
we pray,
20:45
as He goes
20:45
from place to place
20:47
and as He brings to us,
20:49
O Lord,
20:49
the work of the Institute.
20:52
Remember, too, Lord,
20:53
our friends
20:54
in the international mission
20:55
to the Jewish people.
20:57
We thank You for them
20:58
and we pray for them
20:59
at this time,
21:00
especially when we know
21:02
of such heightened tension
21:04
in Israel
21:05
and in the surrounding area.
21:07
We, Lord, ask that You
21:08
bless all their missionaries
21:10
in the various parts
21:11
of the world
21:12
where they serve You.
21:13
We pray that You would
21:14
continue to bless
21:16
their message,
21:17
bless their witness
21:18
to the Jewish people,
21:20
O Lord,
21:20
throughout all these areas
21:22
of the world.
21:24
Remember, too,
21:25
that troubled area
21:26
of the world,
21:27
O Lord,
21:27
especially at this time.
21:29
We pray for the people
21:30
of Israel.
21:32
We pray for the people
21:32
of Gaza.
21:34
We pray that You
21:35
will bless them
21:35
at this time
21:36
of difficulty,
21:38
of the outbreak
21:39
of war,
21:40
and the tension
21:41
that accompanies it,
21:42
and the destruction
21:43
that inevitably
21:44
is part of
21:45
such a situation.
21:48
Lord,
21:48
our God,
21:49
may it please You
21:50
to bring about
21:51
a true and lasting peace.
21:54
And may the hearts
21:55
of those who are
21:56
at enmity with You
21:57
and with each other
21:58
and with the Gospel,
22:00
may they come to be won
22:01
by the Holy Spirit,
22:03
that they come, Lord,
22:03
to lay down their enmity,
22:05
and especially their enmity
22:06
against Yourself,
22:08
and may they come
22:09
to know You
22:09
as the Prince of Peace,
22:11
the God of peace,
22:12
the God who brought
22:13
from the dead
22:14
our Lord Jesus Christ.
22:17
We ask Your blessing
22:18
for all other parts
22:19
of the world today,
22:20
all other nations
22:21
where there is war
22:22
and where there is terrorism,
22:25
where there is tension,
22:27
where there is so much
22:28
difficulty for people
22:29
to live their daily lives
22:31
in peace.
22:33
We ask especially again
22:34
that You'd remember
22:35
Ukraine and the situation there.
22:38
We pray that You'd bless them,
22:40
and we ask that You would
22:41
continue to help them
22:42
against the aggression
22:43
of those who have invaded
22:45
their country.
22:46
We ask, Lord,
22:47
that You would be pleased
22:49
to bring about peace
22:50
there as well,
22:52
but help us as we pray
22:53
for peace in our world,
22:55
Lord, to realize that peace
22:56
so often comes at a cost.
23:00
We need to stand
23:00
for principles
23:01
that we know from Your Word
23:03
are right and true.
23:05
We ask, O Lord,
23:07
that You would continue
23:07
to bless Your people there
23:10
especially,
23:11
and we ask that You would
23:12
be pleased to grant them,
23:15
especially those of them
23:16
who remain in Ukraine
23:17
as well as those
23:18
who have gone to other countries.
23:20
Lord, remember them,
23:21
we pray,
23:22
as a people,
23:23
and the hostility
23:24
against them at this time.
23:26
We ask for our own
23:28
Ukrainian friends
23:28
here in the congregation,
23:30
and the family who have come
23:31
to be with us
23:32
for some time.
23:33
Bless them.
23:34
Bless them as they think
23:35
of situations back home.
23:38
Bless them here with us,
23:39
we pray,
23:40
and guard them about
23:41
and keep them
23:41
and help them
23:42
in their daily lives,
23:44
Lord,
23:44
as they adjust at this moment
23:46
to being here
23:48
in a difficult place for them,
23:50
difficult in terms
23:51
of their language
23:52
and of the situation
23:54
and the culture.
23:55
Be pleased, Lord,
23:56
to bless them
23:57
and continue to watch over them.
23:59
We ask that You would
24:00
now continue to bless us here
24:03
as we worship You.
24:04
We pray that You would help us
24:06
to hear Your voice,
24:08
to listen to Your voice,
24:09
to hear us as You speak to us
24:11
through Your Word.
24:13
We ask that You would help us,
24:14
Lord,
24:14
to focus our mind
24:16
on the importance
24:17
of hearing the living God
24:19
and coming to respond
24:21
to His voice
24:22
with our obedient response.
24:26
Lord, grant us these mercies,
24:27
we pray,
24:28
for we ask them in Jesus' name.
24:31
Amen.
24:33
Before we turn to God's Word,
24:35
we'll sing once again,
24:36
again in Psalm 119.
24:38
And this time we're singing
24:40
in the Scottish Psalter.
24:43
I'm sorry,
24:44
we're singing in the Sing Psalms
24:45
on page 165,
24:48
singing verses 137 to 144.
24:52
The tune this time is Warrington.
24:54
O Lord, You are the righteous one.
24:56
The statutes that You give are just.
24:59
You lay down laws of righteousness
25:01
entirely worthy of our trust.
25:04
So, Psalm 119,
25:06
verses 137 to 144,
25:08
on page 165,
25:11
to God's praise.
25:11
O Lord, You are the righteous one.
25:24
The statutes that You give are just.
25:32
You lay down laws of righteousness
25:39
entirely worthy of our trust.
25:49
My zeal consumes and wears me out,
25:57
because my foes forget Your word.
26:06
Your promises are tried and true,
26:14
and I, Your servant, love them, Lord.
26:23
O I am lowly undespised,
26:31
Your peace and time do not forget.
26:40
Eternal is Your righteousness,
26:47
true is the law that You have said.
26:57
The stress and trouble
27:02
best be done,
27:06
but Your commands are my delight.
27:14
Grant wisdom so that I may live.
27:23
Your statutes are forever mine.
27:34
Now please turn with me to Acts chapter 10,
27:37
the passage we read,
27:39
especially the words we find in verse 33,
27:42
but we'll need to take these few verses
27:45
before that as well.
27:47
And indeed, we read through the whole passage
27:49
just to give us the buildup
27:51
to what we find in the verse
27:52
that we're looking at today.
27:55
So verse 33,
27:56
So I sent for you at once,
27:58
and you have been kind enough to come.
28:01
Now therefore we are all here
28:03
in the presence of God
28:04
to hear all that you have been commanded
28:07
by the Lord,
28:08
especially that second part of the verse.
28:10
We are here in the presence of God
28:13
to hear all that you have been commanded
28:15
by the Lord.
28:18
So a third in the series,
28:20
a very short series on the gathered church,
28:22
where we're looking at matters
28:24
that are particularly of importance
28:28
with regard to the church
28:29
as gathered together,
28:31
such as we are today in worship.
28:34
We've looked previously at Matthew 18,
28:37
as many as are gathered in the name of Christ,
28:39
even if there are just two or three,
28:41
God or Christ is present in the midst.
28:44
We looked at that passage first of all.
28:46
Then we looked at Hebrews chapter 10,
28:48
from the foundation of Jesus
28:50
being the high priest of His people,
28:52
that we are to draw near to God.
28:55
And then it says a number of things
28:56
that are related to that,
28:58
finishing with that we are to
28:59
draw near to God and be together,
29:02
assembling, not forgetting,
29:03
the assembling of ourselves together,
29:06
as the custom of some is,
29:08
but rather that we stimulate one another
29:11
to love and to good works,
29:13
another important aspect
29:15
of our gathering together,
29:16
along with the worship of God,
29:19
which is given primary consideration.
29:21
And today we're looking
29:22
at this particular focus
29:24
on being in the presence of God
29:26
to hear all that you have been commanded
29:28
by the Lord.
29:29
Now, there's a lot to do with
29:31
attending to the worship of God,
29:35
and that is more than just listening to God.
29:38
We're singing His praises.
29:40
We call upon Him in prayer, as you know.
29:42
But we're focusing today on this verse
29:45
as it gives particular interest to us
29:50
with regard to listening to God.
29:52
We're gathered together
29:54
as the church of God
29:56
to hear what God has to say to us.
30:01
And it's interesting,
30:02
the way that it's put here.
30:03
We've read through the build-up to it,
30:05
this man Cornelius,
30:07
and how the Lord brought this to his house,
30:11
how He brought him into this situation.
30:14
And so our focus,
30:15
and really this in many ways
30:17
is a miniature, isn't it,
30:18
of what the church ought to be
30:20
or what the gathering of the church,
30:21
the gathering of the church
30:23
in a congregational sense
30:24
or even the wider sense
30:25
or even a smaller sense,
30:27
how it ought to be.
30:28
And the words here, I think,
30:29
are so appropriate for ourselves,
30:31
whether it's here
30:32
in a congregational setting
30:33
or a smaller or larger setting,
30:35
that we can say
30:36
we are all here
30:37
in the presence of God
30:39
to hear what God has to say to us
30:43
through the preaching of His Word,
30:46
the things that are commanded
30:47
by the Lord.
30:49
Now, what then can we take
30:51
from this passage?
30:54
Well, first of all,
30:56
we learn from this
30:57
the importance of a due preparation
30:59
to hear God's voice.
31:03
The importance of a due preparation.
31:07
The key to any successful project
31:10
or event is in the preparation.
31:13
It doesn't matter what you're going to do,
31:15
whether it's a small or great event
31:17
or project,
31:18
the key is in the preparation.
31:21
Tradesmen will tell you that
31:22
if you come and say to them,
31:24
well, that's a really brilliant job
31:25
you've made,
31:26
whether it's painting
31:27
or joinery,
31:28
whatever it is,
31:29
and they'll tell you,
31:30
yes, but the secret
31:31
is in the preparation.
31:32
If you do the preparation,
31:34
if that's the way it should be,
31:36
then that's really the basis
31:37
of a good job,
31:38
the basis of a successful project.
31:42
And it's the same
31:43
with our hearing of God's Word.
31:46
In many ways,
31:48
the preparation is as important
31:50
as the moment you're actually hearing
31:52
the Word itself being preached to you.
31:56
And the key, therefore,
31:59
in the preparation
31:59
is also in this passage as well.
32:02
Because you notice,
32:03
he called his friends in verse 24.
32:06
You notice what Cornelius did
32:08
when he,
32:10
on the following day,
32:11
as they entered Caesarea,
32:14
Cornelius was expecting them
32:16
and had called together
32:17
his relatives and close friends.
32:20
You see, for Cornelius,
32:21
this was going to be
32:22
a really important event.
32:25
He was expecting the apostle Peter.
32:27
He was expecting him to come
32:29
with some people accompanying him.
32:31
And this word expecting
32:33
that you find in that verse
32:34
is really an important word.
32:39
It's important because it means
32:40
something more than just
32:42
a general sort of expectation.
32:46
Cornelius was expecting them
32:47
means Cornelius was eagerly
32:50
looking forward to them coming.
32:53
Cornelius had his mind set
32:55
upon them coming
32:56
and upon Peter especially
32:58
coming at his invitation
33:00
to his house
33:01
to tell them more about the Lord.
33:03
Cornelius was not a Jew.
33:06
He was a Gentile.
33:07
He was a convert to Judaism.
33:09
He still had a lot to learn,
33:10
as you obviously see
33:11
from his reaction
33:12
when Peter entered.
33:13
He wanted to worship Peter
33:15
until Peter corrected him.
33:16
But he was a devout man.
33:18
He worshipped God.
33:18
He prayed.
33:19
This was an answer
33:20
to his prayers to God.
33:22
And here is Cornelius
33:24
expecting them.
33:26
He had prayed.
33:27
He knew he was coming.
33:29
And the coming of Peter
33:30
was of such importance to him
33:32
that he called together
33:33
his friends and his relatives
33:35
to be part of that occasion.
33:38
It wasn't enough for him
33:39
that he was expecting Peter eagerly.
33:42
It wasn't enough for him
33:43
that he was excited
33:44
at the prospect
33:45
of this apostle coming
33:46
to speak to him,
33:47
to tell him more about the Lord.
33:49
He wanted others to share
33:51
in that experience.
33:53
He wanted others to come
33:54
and benefit from that event.
33:58
And you know,
33:58
that's what is true for us
34:00
as well, isn't it?
34:01
Surely.
34:01
That we come together here
34:03
not just for our own sake.
34:05
We don't just come
34:06
as individuals.
34:07
We come collective.
34:09
We're the gathered church of God.
34:11
But you want others
34:12
to share that experience.
34:14
Why do you want others
34:14
to share that experience?
34:16
Well, you don't say to people,
34:17
come and hear our minister.
34:18
That's not where you begin.
34:21
You begin with saying,
34:23
there's an important event
34:24
happening every single Sunday
34:26
and other times
34:27
in Stornway Free Church
34:29
or whatever church
34:30
we belong to.
34:31
And it's important
34:32
because it's made important
34:34
by the fact that God is there
34:36
and that God is speaking
34:38
to us through His Word.
34:39
Come and hear Him.
34:42
That's the conviction,
34:43
really, isn't it,
34:44
of what's happening here today.
34:46
We haven't just gathered together here
34:48
because we have a nice time together,
34:50
because we enjoy fellowship
34:52
with each other.
34:52
That's all part of it,
34:54
I'm sure.
34:55
But we have come together today
34:56
because we're convinced
34:57
that this is a place
34:59
and this is an occasion,
35:01
this is an event
35:02
where God comes to speak to us.
35:07
Where God addresses us
35:08
through the Bible,
35:10
through the Word of God
35:11
being preached.
35:13
Where God has laid upon
35:15
a preacher's heart
35:16
things that He wants to share out
35:18
and preach to the congregation.
35:21
That's what God,
35:22
that's why God has placed us
35:24
where we are.
35:27
You see,
35:28
our invitation to others
35:30
to come to church,
35:33
however we put it,
35:34
doesn't really make much difference
35:36
how we put it,
35:37
though we have to think carefully
35:38
about our words,
35:39
but we want people
35:40
to come to church.
35:41
We want others
35:42
who've stopped coming to church
35:44
or dropped out of the habit
35:45
of coming to church
35:46
for whatever reason,
35:47
especially since the COVID period.
35:50
We know that there are some people
35:51
maybe still reluctant
35:52
to come out physically to church
35:54
to join others.
35:55
All of that is part of
35:56
where we are as a people
35:58
and as a congregation
36:00
and as a community,
36:02
but however we put it
36:03
and however much
36:04
the invitation is meant,
36:05
this is the basis of it
36:07
because we are convinced
36:10
that the importance
36:12
of this event
36:13
is based on the fact
36:15
that God is here
36:17
and that God speaks to us
36:19
and that we should be ready
36:22
to listen to Him.
36:25
So the preparation
36:26
in the preaching of the gospel,
36:29
the preparation for it
36:30
is based on the fact
36:32
that it's an occasion
36:33
where God speaks to His people
36:35
and therefore not only
36:37
do we want to come
36:38
to be part of that ourselves,
36:40
but we want others
36:41
to share it with us as well.
36:43
That's where the invitation,
36:44
that's where the evangelistic emphasis
36:47
of the church
36:47
really reaches out to people
36:49
on the basis of what happens
36:51
in the preaching of the Word.
36:54
But there's also,
36:56
along with calling His friends,
36:57
this due preparation,
36:59
there's a readiness to hear.
37:01
Now he says,
37:02
we are all here
37:03
in the presence of God
37:04
to hear all that you have been commanded
37:07
by the Lord.
37:09
They are there in the presence of God,
37:11
Cornelius is saying,
37:11
we are all here,
37:13
and we are here specifically
37:14
to hear what you have to say,
37:17
what God has commanded you
37:19
to say to us.
37:23
Well, many of us are old enough
37:25
like I am to go back
37:27
to pre-television days
37:29
and even to pre-digital radio days.
37:32
And when you wanted to listen
37:34
to something on the radio,
37:35
I remember as a boy
37:36
with my father listening
37:38
to things like
37:39
international football matches
37:42
Scotland were playing.
37:43
You would listen to it on the radio,
37:45
but you had to tune the radio
37:46
to the right channel,
37:47
and sometimes the signal
37:48
wasn't all that great,
37:50
and you would hear a lot of whistling
37:52
and cracking and noises,
37:53
and then the channel would come up
37:55
and you'd be listening to it,
37:56
and then just maybe
37:57
at a very important part
37:58
in the commentary
37:59
and the radio commentary
38:00
of it would go again,
38:02
crackling away,
38:03
and you'd lose so much of it.
38:05
But you were trying
38:07
to tune that radio
38:08
to the correct position
38:10
to hear what was being said,
38:12
and you were really
38:12
listening keenly,
38:14
and because you were keen
38:15
to hear and keen to listen
38:16
and keen to actually
38:17
follow what was being said
38:19
and hear all the details of it,
38:22
you wanted to make sure
38:23
that the tuning
38:24
was as accurate as possible.
38:27
And that's really,
38:29
in a sense,
38:30
what we're doing
38:30
with our minds
38:31
and with our souls
38:32
as we come to church,
38:33
as we come to
38:34
hear the gospel.
38:38
And as we come to follow
38:39
the words of Cornelius there,
38:41
this is how it should be
38:42
for ourselves,
38:43
our minds to be tuned
38:44
accurately and carefully
38:47
and prayerfully
38:48
to the voice of God.
38:51
There's no ordinary voice.
38:53
There's no ordinary occasion.
38:55
We may think at times
38:56
that it's something
38:57
that we just do habitually,
38:59
and we do.
39:00
It is a habit.
39:01
It's a good habit,
39:01
but it's more than that.
39:02
It's something where we,
39:04
every time we come,
39:05
should be thinking,
39:06
I'm there to listen to God.
39:08
I'm there to listen
39:08
to what God has given
39:09
the preacher to say.
39:12
And however much
39:13
we've heard it already,
39:15
it's the same
39:16
on this occasion
39:17
as on previous occasions.
39:19
We're here
39:20
to listen to God.
39:21
the larger catechism,
39:25
question 160,
39:28
what is required of those
39:29
that hear the word preached?
39:32
Important question.
39:34
It is required of those
39:35
that hear the word preached
39:36
that they attend upon it
39:38
with diligence,
39:41
preparation,
39:42
and prayer,
39:43
that they examine
39:44
what they hear
39:45
by the Scriptures,
39:47
that they receive
39:48
the truth with faith,
39:50
love,
39:51
meekness,
39:51
and readiness of mind
39:53
as the word of God,
39:55
that they meditate
39:56
and confer of it,
39:59
that they hide it
40:00
in their hearts
40:01
and bring forth
40:02
the fruit of it
40:03
in their lives.
40:06
Now,
40:06
there's a lot packed
40:07
into that answer
40:08
to the question,
40:09
what is required
40:10
of those
40:11
that hear
40:12
the word preached?
40:13
but it's such
40:15
an important issue
40:16
and so many things
40:18
that are related to it
40:19
because it's such
40:19
an important issue.
40:22
We are here
40:23
in the presence of God
40:24
to hear
40:25
all that you have been
40:26
commanded
40:27
by God
40:28
to say.
40:33
I'm always annoyed
40:34
if I'm on a plane
40:38
or any place else
40:39
that has a safety announcement.
40:41
Just recently
40:43
on a plane,
40:44
the safety announcement
40:45
was about to be made
40:46
and over the time
40:48
I came,
40:49
the announcement,
40:50
I want you to listen
40:51
very carefully
40:52
to this following
40:53
safety announcement.
40:55
Even if you heard
40:56
similar before,
40:57
this is particularly
40:58
appropriate
40:59
to this type
41:00
of aircraft.
41:01
So,
41:02
please put off
41:02
your headphones,
41:04
stop your reading,
41:05
whatever you're doing,
41:07
please listen
41:08
and watch the demonstration.
41:09
And you know,
41:10
it's really annoying
41:10
because there was
41:11
somebody in front of us
41:12
who just had the earphones
41:13
on all the time.
41:13
I don't know,
41:14
maybe they were listening
41:14
to it through the earphones.
41:15
I doubted.
41:17
And there were other people
41:18
that were just in
41:18
conversation so loudly
41:20
with their fellow passenger
41:22
that you could hardly hear
41:23
what was being said
41:24
because of their voice
41:25
being raised
41:26
to get it above
41:27
the announcement.
41:29
What's really happening there?
41:31
There's people being
41:31
given directions
41:33
as to their safety
41:34
and their well-being
41:35
and they're just hearing
41:37
it as a noise
41:38
but they're not really
41:38
listening to it.
41:39
They're maybe saying,
41:40
oh, I heard all this
41:41
before, I know it all.
41:43
Or maybe they're saying,
41:44
well, I don't want to think
41:45
about this plane crashing.
41:46
I don't want to think
41:47
about that sort of disaster
41:50
so I'm not really
41:50
going to listen to this.
41:52
It really scares me.
41:54
Maybe that's the reason
41:55
they don't listen.
41:57
But they should listen.
42:00
Their safety depends on it.
42:02
If that were to meet
42:04
with an emergency,
42:06
just imagine the panic
42:07
for people who hadn't
42:09
been listening to
42:09
what was being said.
42:10
What do I do?
42:11
Where's my life vest?
42:15
Here, God is doing
42:17
exactly the same thing
42:19
but in a much more
42:20
important way.
42:23
He's giving you
42:24
a safety announcement today.
42:27
He's announcing to you
42:29
the things that are
42:30
so crucial to the
42:31
well-being of your soul,
42:32
the well-being of your life,
42:34
to your eternity.
42:36
And even if it's difficult
42:37
for us, as it is at times
42:39
for us naturally,
42:39
to think about the end of life,
42:41
what might be true
42:42
at the end stage of life,
42:44
what is true about death itself,
42:46
what is true about eternity,
42:48
what the Bible has to say.
42:49
I know it's difficult
42:50
for us to actually think
42:51
of those things
42:52
because they're such
42:52
serious issues,
42:53
but it's because they are
42:55
such serious issues
42:56
that we have to listen
42:57
to God.
42:58
And we have to clear
43:01
our minds
43:02
so that we're attuned
43:04
to the voice of God.
43:07
The gospel
43:08
is in many ways
43:10
God's safety announcement
43:12
to us.
43:14
Here is where
43:15
our security is.
43:17
Here is where
43:17
our relationship with God
43:19
is set out for us.
43:21
Here is what is most
43:22
important and crucial
43:24
for us.
43:25
And even you young folks
43:27
today, you're not too young
43:28
to listen to the voice
43:29
of God.
43:30
And I know sometimes
43:30
you actually show us
43:32
that you do listen,
43:33
and that's great
43:33
to the voice of God
43:35
because you tell your parents
43:36
or others when you get home
43:37
of what the minister was saying
43:39
or what the children's address
43:40
was or whatever,
43:40
and we hope that that's true.
43:42
But it's important always
43:43
that you listen
43:44
to the voice of God
43:45
in the gospel,
43:47
in the Word of God,
43:48
in the preaching
43:48
of the gospel.
43:50
So you're never too young
43:51
to prepare
43:53
to meet with God.
43:57
Never too young
43:58
to serve God.
44:01
Never too young
44:02
to be a disciple
44:03
of Jesus.
44:05
And so to do so,
44:06
we listen to God.
44:08
We are here
44:08
in the presence of God
44:10
to hear
44:11
all that you have been
44:12
commanded
44:12
by the Lord.
44:15
You know,
44:16
the Bible
44:16
joins together
44:18
three things
44:18
very, very closely.
44:19
So closely, in fact,
44:21
that you can't separate them
44:22
unless you've been
44:24
deliberately
44:24
difficult about it.
44:28
And the three things
44:29
are hearing,
44:31
listening,
44:32
and obeying.
44:35
Because hearing
44:36
in the teaching
44:36
of the Bible
44:37
generally means
44:38
that you are listening.
44:40
It's not just
44:40
the hearing of a sound.
44:42
It's the hearing
44:43
that is listening
44:44
to what actually
44:45
is being said,
44:45
to what God
44:46
is actually saying to us.
44:47
And it's with a view
44:48
to obeying that
44:49
with a view
44:50
to actually working
44:51
that through
44:51
in your own life.
44:53
These are the three things
44:53
the Bible
44:54
so closely joins together.
44:56
Sometimes,
44:57
as we've seen
44:57
with the safety announcement,
44:59
people are hearing,
45:00
hearing the noise of it,
45:01
but not really listening
45:02
to the words,
45:03
not listening precisely.
45:05
It must never be like that.
45:07
You and I
45:07
must never get so used
45:09
to the preaching
45:10
of the gospel
45:11
or to reading
45:12
the Bible
45:13
for ourselves
45:14
that we will just do it
45:15
as a matter of fact
45:16
and a matter of form
45:18
and think that we've
45:19
just ticked that box.
45:23
We are here
45:24
in the presence of God
45:25
to hear,
45:27
to listen,
45:29
to have our minds
45:31
attuned
45:32
to what God
45:34
is actually saying to us
45:35
through the message
45:37
of the gospel.
45:38
So that's the due
45:40
preparation,
45:42
due preparation
45:43
that flows into
45:44
what we actually do
45:46
while we're here
45:47
in church,
45:49
while we're gathered together
45:50
under the gospel.
45:51
But there's something else
45:52
that I want to mention
45:54
as our second main point
45:55
is that we are all here,
45:57
not just to hear
45:58
all that you've been
45:58
commanded by God,
46:00
but he's saying
46:00
we are all here
46:01
in the presence
46:03
of God.
46:05
We are here
46:06
in the presence of God.
46:08
He didn't say
46:08
we are all here
46:09
in the presence
46:10
of each other.
46:11
We are all here together.
46:12
That was true.
46:12
We are here,
46:13
he says,
46:14
in the presence of God.
46:16
And you know,
46:17
in many ways,
46:18
we might say
46:21
that that's one
46:22
of the most important
46:23
issues for us
46:24
to have in our minds
46:26
as we come together
46:27
collectively
46:28
to worship the Lord.
46:29
That we are,
46:31
in fact,
46:32
in the presence
46:33
of God.
46:35
And the more
46:35
we fill our mind
46:36
with the facts of that,
46:38
with the fact of that,
46:39
with the factuality of that,
46:40
with the truth of that,
46:41
the more you and I
46:42
will be prepared
46:43
to listen.
46:44
Because if we come
46:45
consciously to church
46:46
or to wherever else we are,
46:48
even if we're just reading
46:48
the Bible on our own,
46:50
if we come conscious
46:52
of the fact that
46:53
it's God's presence
46:55
we are in,
46:55
we're always in God's presence
46:56
in a sense,
46:57
we're never out of God's sight,
46:59
but it's a special sense
47:00
in which we come
47:02
into God's presence
47:03
as we come together
47:04
collectively
47:05
as a gathered church
47:06
to worship Him.
47:07
We're in the presence
47:08
of God
47:09
in that special sense
47:10
of which the Bible
47:11
often speaks,
47:12
that we draw near to God.
47:15
And we saw that
47:16
in Hebrews 10.
47:17
You'll find in Hebrews 4,
47:19
verse 16,
47:20
let us draw near
47:21
to the throne of grace,
47:24
that we may receive
47:25
mercy and obtain grace
47:27
to help in time of need.
47:32
James 4, verse 8,
47:34
draw near to God
47:36
and He will draw near
47:38
to you.
47:39
So when we come
47:40
to gather together
47:41
as the gatherer church
47:42
of God,
47:43
we are drawing near
47:44
to God.
47:45
And as we're drawing
47:46
near to God
47:47
as we gather,
47:48
we do so mindfully.
47:50
We do so mindful
47:51
of the fact
47:51
that it is God
47:53
that we approach,
47:54
that we're in the presence
47:55
of God.
47:57
And that's what makes
47:58
the occasion
47:58
truly special
48:00
and significant to us,
48:02
that we're not just
48:03
meeting together,
48:04
we're meeting together
48:05
in the presence
48:06
of God.
48:09
How important
48:10
is that to yourself
48:13
today?
48:16
Is that how you prepare
48:17
to come to church
48:18
today?
48:20
Did you prepare
48:21
by saying,
48:22
I know that I'm going
48:24
to be with others
48:24
coming into the presence
48:26
of God,
48:26
so I've really got
48:27
to think about that?
48:29
I've got to think
48:29
about the privilege
48:30
of that,
48:31
the importance of that?
48:32
I know that I'm going
48:34
to a place
48:35
which is associated
48:36
with God speaking
48:37
through the preaching
48:38
of the Word.
48:39
I need to prepare
48:40
for that,
48:40
I need to pray
48:41
about that,
48:42
I need to think
48:43
about what that means
48:43
to myself,
48:44
is that how you came,
48:46
is that how you prepared?
48:49
And when you think
48:49
about the fact
48:50
that God is speaking,
48:51
that that's what makes
48:52
the occasion very special
48:54
through the preaching
48:54
of the Word,
48:56
did you invite
48:56
somebody else to come?
49:00
Did you say
49:01
to somebody,
49:01
look, I really would like
49:03
you to come to church
49:04
with me today,
49:05
it's important?
49:09
Did you invite someone
49:10
to church?
49:13
When did you last
49:14
invite somebody
49:16
to come to church
49:18
with you?
49:18
See, if we're thinking
49:19
as we should be
49:20
of how important
49:22
an occasion it is
49:23
that God speaks
49:24
to His people,
49:25
how important
49:26
an occasion it is
49:27
where we're in
49:28
the presence of God,
49:30
that our hearts
49:30
should surely be burdened
49:32
that others would come
49:33
and share that
49:34
and share that experience
49:36
and know that
49:36
for themselves.
49:38
And that's why
49:39
we invite them,
49:39
because it's important
49:40
to us
49:41
that God is here,
49:43
that God is speaking,
49:45
and we want others
49:46
to benefit
49:46
from that with us.
49:49
And he says here,
49:51
we are all
49:51
in the presence
49:53
of God here.
49:54
And that word
49:55
all actually
49:55
is very emphatic
49:56
in the Greek text
49:58
of that verse.
49:59
Now, therefore,
50:00
we are all here.
50:02
Cornelius said,
50:03
all of us are here.
50:04
Everybody that I invited
50:05
is here,
50:06
and we're here
50:07
to hear what God
50:08
has to say to us
50:09
through you.
50:11
And that makes it
50:12
important too,
50:12
because we can say
50:14
that of ourselves today,
50:15
we are all here.
50:17
In other words,
50:18
you say of yourself,
50:20
well, I'm here
50:20
and I'm here
50:21
with a lot of other people,
50:22
and we're here
50:23
to hear what God
50:24
is saying,
50:25
and that's where
50:25
I want to be,
50:26
and that's what
50:27
I really love to be.
50:29
It doesn't matter
50:29
what others say.
50:30
It doesn't matter
50:31
what others
50:31
outside the all
50:32
have to say.
50:33
This is for us.
50:34
This is where
50:34
I want to be.
50:36
This is what's meaningful.
50:37
This is what's important
50:38
to me.
50:39
And we are all here.
50:41
Nobody's left out.
50:43
Those who are here
50:44
are here
50:44
because they want
50:45
to be here,
50:47
because they know
50:50
that it's an important
50:51
occasion.
50:52
for themselves.
50:56
And it's to hear
50:57
all that you have been
51:00
commanded by the Lord.
51:02
That's interesting
51:02
because the beginning
51:04
of the chapter,
51:05
we read that
51:06
this man,
51:07
Cornelius,
51:08
was a centurion
51:09
of a certain group
51:11
of soldiers
51:12
called the Italian Corps.
51:15
You might say
51:15
that was his group.
51:17
That was the group
51:18
he was in charge of.
51:20
And as a centurion
51:21
in charge of
51:22
a hundred soldiers,
51:23
this man would be
51:24
well used to giving
51:25
orders.
51:26
And not only would be
51:27
well used to giving
51:28
orders,
51:29
but well used to expect
51:31
that the orders
51:32
he gave would be
51:32
obeyed.
51:34
That people would
51:35
actually do the things
51:36
that he was ordering
51:37
and that he often
51:38
would be for their own
51:39
safety as well.
51:41
And as he gave the orders,
51:43
he expected those
51:44
who were hearing him
51:45
to carry out these orders
51:46
to the best of their ability.
51:48
And that's what God,
51:49
our commander,
51:50
is saying to us today.
51:55
The things that you have
51:58
been commanded
51:59
by the Lord,
52:02
there's no ordinary task
52:04
to preach the gospel.
52:06
I'm not highlighting myself
52:07
when I say that.
52:10
Others who are preachers
52:10
of the gospel
52:11
will say exactly
52:12
the same thing.
52:13
It's no ordinary task
52:14
to preach the gospel.
52:15
It's the greatest privilege
52:17
given to human beings
52:18
to actually be
52:20
the mouthpiece for God,
52:22
to actually be someone
52:24
that God is using
52:25
to convey His truth
52:26
or to seek to explain
52:27
or expound His truth.
52:30
That's why it's commanded
52:32
by God.
52:33
That's why it lies upon us
52:35
as something that God Himself
52:37
places upon us
52:39
as a burden.
52:41
He commands us
52:42
to preach the gospel.
52:43
It's not a burdensome command
52:45
in the sense
52:46
in which we don't want
52:47
to do it.
52:49
It's burdensome
52:49
because it carries
52:50
responsibility.
52:54
But you see,
52:55
the thing for you today
52:56
as hearers of the gospel,
52:58
hearers of the gospel
53:00
preached is this.
53:01
All the things,
53:03
I trust in speaking the truth,
53:05
all the things
53:05
that you will be hearing
53:06
today in this sermon
53:08
are things commanded
53:09
by the Lord.
53:11
You're not here
53:12
to listen to me.
53:13
You're not here
53:14
because I have something
53:16
that I am commanding you to do.
53:18
You're not here
53:18
because I am instructing
53:20
or pointing
53:21
or doing something
53:22
that draws your mind
53:24
to certain activity
53:25
that you're hearing
53:27
you should be doing
53:28
or ought to be doing.
53:29
You are here
53:30
because God has commanded
53:33
His message to go forth.
53:35
And as He has commanded it,
53:39
so it's incumbent upon you
53:41
and it's incumbent upon me too
53:42
as a preacher of the gospel
53:45
to first of all
53:46
listen to God for myself.
53:49
And if I'm not listening to God
53:51
for myself,
53:54
then I'm not going to be serving you
53:55
as you minister in the gospel.
53:58
Now therefore,
54:00
He said,
54:01
we are all here
54:03
in the presence of God.
54:05
What is the purpose
54:06
of the church
54:07
gathered together?
54:09
Well, as I said
54:09
at the beginning,
54:10
there are many aspects
54:11
to that.
54:13
But we're narrowing
54:14
our focus
54:14
to this very important aspect.
54:16
We are gathered together
54:18
as a church
54:18
to hear
54:19
what God
54:20
is saying to us.
54:22
You can go to
54:23
many places today
54:24
where the sermon
54:26
will be just five minutes,
54:28
ten minutes,
54:28
where the sermon
54:29
will not be an exposition
54:30
of Scripture,
54:32
where people are not used
54:33
to listening
54:34
to a sermon,
54:36
what is it,
54:36
about half an hour or so
54:38
since I began preaching.
54:39
Many places in the world today
54:41
will be absolutely appalled
54:43
at the fact
54:43
that people would come
54:44
to listen for half an hour
54:45
to somebody
54:46
in a pulpit spouting.
54:49
This is God's truth.
54:53
The things that have been
54:54
commanded by God
54:55
for us to believe
54:55
and you are here
54:58
in the presence of God
55:00
to listen,
55:01
to hear,
55:02
not to hear
55:02
the voice of a minister,
55:04
though that's the medium,
55:05
that's the agent
55:06
by which the message
55:08
goes forth.
55:08
You are here
55:08
to listen to God.
55:11
You are here
55:11
to say to the Lord,
55:12
Lord,
55:13
speak to me
55:14
through this man.
55:15
Speak to me
55:16
through the preaching
55:16
of the gospel.
55:19
Stir up my soul
55:20
from your word.
55:23
Teach me,
55:23
edify me,
55:24
sanctify me,
55:26
guide me,
55:27
lead me,
55:28
comfort me,
55:30
convict me.
55:32
It all comes to the same
55:33
that you are here
55:34
to listen
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to God,
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to what you have been commanded,
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he said,
55:41
by the Lord.
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Now I've got a wee exercise
55:44
for you to finish with.
55:45
You can do it
55:46
when you get home,
55:47
please.
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James chapter 1,
55:50
verses 21 to 25.
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I'd like you to
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just spend some time
55:57
looking at these verses
55:58
because you could call them
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the before and during
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and after
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the word being preached.
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The before,
56:08
the during,
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the after,
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the word being preached.
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Verses 21 to 25.
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I'll just read them
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and leave you to do
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the exercise yourselves
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whenever you have a moment.
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Epistle of James
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chapter 1,
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verse 21.
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Therefore,
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put away all filthiness
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and rampant wickedness
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and receive with meekness
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the implanted
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or engrafted word
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which is able
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to save your souls.
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But be doers of the word
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and not hearers only,
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deceiving yourselves.
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For if anyone is a hearer
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of the word
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and not a doer,
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he's like a man
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who looks intently
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at his natural face
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in a mirror.
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For he looks at himself
56:50
and goes away
56:51
and at once forgets
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what he was like.
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But the one who looks
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into the perfect law,
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the law of liberty,
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and perseveres,
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being no hearer
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who forgets
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but a doer who acts,
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he will be blessed
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in his doing.
57:08
See, there's things
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you do before,
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there's due preparation,
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the things we do
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during the preaching
57:14
of the word.
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We're looking at ourselves
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through what the word
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of God shows ourselves
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to be
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and we're hearing
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about God
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and what God
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is saying to us.
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And we don't leave it
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at that.
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We then become
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doers of the word.
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We carry out
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what God is saying
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to us
57:32
to do
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as his people
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in the world
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as Christians,
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as followers,
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as disciples.
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of the Lord.
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Well, may God bless
57:41
his word to us.
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Let's pray.
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Our gracious
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and eternal God,
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we give thanks
57:51
to your name today
57:52
that you continue
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to speak to us,
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that you have not
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turned your back on us,
57:57
that you have not
57:58
turned us away from you.
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And we give thanks,
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Lord,
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that you continue
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to address us
58:04
through your word
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and through the preaching
58:06
of the gospel.
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your people
58:08
are edified
58:09
and others called
58:10
to join the number
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of your believing people.
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Oh, Lord,
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today we pray
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that you would enable us
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as each day goes by
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to be more keen
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to hear what you say
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to us,
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that we will be glad
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to gather together
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as we do today
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so as to hear
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what God,
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the Lord,
58:28
will speak to us.
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Help us to receive
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your word.
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Help us, Lord,
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as James said,
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to receive
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that engrafted word,
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that our hearts
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may be spliced open
58:39
so as to receive
58:41
your word
58:42
and thereby
58:43
that we will grow
58:44
into the kind of people
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that we ought to be
58:47
in your presence.
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Help us, Lord,
58:50
to honor your presence.
58:52
Help us to realize
58:54
as we come together
58:55
into the presence of God
58:57
that we are to be
58:58
like Moses long ago
58:59
who came to draw near
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to the burning bush,
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having heard God
59:05
say to him
59:05
that he was to take
59:07
his shoes from off
59:08
his feet
59:09
for the place
59:10
on which he was standing
59:11
was holy ground.
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And we pray today,
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Lord,
59:15
for a sense of
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your holiness,
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a sense of our own
59:19
need and relation
59:20
to that.
59:21
We pray that you'd
59:22
continue to own
59:24
and bless your word
59:25
amongst us
59:25
as we continue
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as your people.
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Hear us,
59:29
we pray,
59:29
for Jesus' sake.
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Amen.
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Well, our final psalm
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this morning
59:36
is in Psalm 85.
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It's 85 in the Scottish Psalter,
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verses 8 to 13.
59:44
The tune is Newington.
59:46
I'll hear what God
59:47
the Lord will speak.
59:48
To his folk
59:49
he'll speak peace
59:50
unto his saints,
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but let them not return
59:53
to foolishness.
59:55
To them that fear him
59:56
surely near is his salvation,
59:59
that glory in our land
1:00:00
may have her habitation.
1:00:02
Page 340 in Psalm 85,
1:00:07
that I'll hear what God
1:00:09
the Lord will speak.
1:00:11
I'll hear what God
1:00:20
the Lord will speak.
1:00:23
To his folk
1:00:26
he'll speak peace.
1:00:29
unto his saints,
1:00:30
unto his saints,
1:00:32
unto his saints,
1:00:33
but let them not return
1:00:37
to foolishness.
1:00:42
To them that fear him
1:00:47
surely near is his salvation.
1:00:54
and glory in her land may have
1:01:02
her habitation.
1:01:07
truth met with mercy,
1:01:13
righteousness,
1:01:15
and peace is mutually.
1:01:22
Truth springs from air
1:01:26
and righteousness,
1:01:29
truth's down from heaven high.
1:01:34
If what is good
1:01:40
the Lord shall give,
1:01:43
our wrath shall yield in peace.
1:01:49
Justice who sent us
1:01:54
in his steps
1:01:56
shall go before his face.
1:02:02
I'll go to the main door
1:02:04
after the benediction.
1:02:07
Now may the grace
1:02:08
of the Lord Jesus Christ,
1:02:09
the love of God,
1:02:10
the Father,
1:02:11
and the communion
1:02:12
of the Holy Spirit
1:02:13
be with you now
1:02:14
and evermore.
1:02:14
Amen.
1:02:32
and both Him
1:02:35
africa
1:02:37
of God
1:02:39
will pergunta