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The Short Psalm With the Wide Span · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Now we're going to begin worship singing in Psalm 108, that's on page 146, and the
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tune is Stuttgart, singing verses 1 to 7.
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We'll sing to the double verse 7, down to I will measure with my hand.
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O Lord God, my heart is steadfast, and with all my soul I'll sing. Harp and lyre I will awaken, and my song the dawn will bring.
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These verses to the end of verse 7, and if you can stand, please stand to sing.
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O Lord God, my heart is steadfast, and with all my soul I'll sing.
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Harp and lyre I will awaken, and my song the dawn will bring.
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Lord my heart among the nations, I will ever give you praise.
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In the midst of all the peoples, I will sing of you always.
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Lord, whose steadfast love is one less, greater than the heavens high.
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But your faithfulness towards us reaches even to the sky.
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God, my heart of the highest heavens, be exalted, O my God.
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And through all the earth, the earth, let your glory tread abroad.
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God, my heart of the highest heavens, be exalted, O my God.
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I will distribute in triumph, every part of Chicken's land.
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And the whole of Sacrothed Valley, I will measure with my hand.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Now let's pray together.
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We're praying especially for the young ones, for the tweenies, and for the Sunday school particularly.
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Lord, our God, we thank you for these reminders and your word that we are here to glorify your name, to sing praises to you, to call upon your name, to read your word, and to hear its meaning.
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Amen.
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We thank you today, O Lord, that we have this privilege, this opportunity given to us once again.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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We thank you for the freedom that we have to gather here to worship you together this morning.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Bless us, we pray, each one of us.
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Amen.
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Bless us together as a congregation.
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Amen.
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We pray today for our young ones.
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We ask, Lord, that you would bless them.
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Bless them as they receive the teaching of your word from week to week and day to day.
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Bless them here today and bless them in their own families and in the various ways in which they receive the teaching that is necessary for them to grow morally and spiritually in a way that is appropriate and pleasing to you.
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And we ask, O Lord, that you would protect them, that you would shield them with your own power, with your own guidance and strength from the many things that are in the world that would seek to draw them away from God and from his word.
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And we ask that you would graciously, Lord, hear us as we pray for them.
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And in all of these things, we pray that they will grow up to be a people who will glorify your name and publicly proclaim you as their Lord and their God.
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Hear us now, we pray, and pardon our sin for Jesus' sake.
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Amen.
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Now, yesterday was called April Fool's Day.
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I don't know where April Fool's Day came from, how the practice actually started.
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I try to look it up, as I do usually on Google for these sort of things.
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But, you know, the origin where it started is really unclear.
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So we don't know where April Fool's Day really came from, from the practice.
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But April Fool's Day is a time when people try to have some pranks or jokes against others, hopefully good ones, hopefully ones that are not harmful.
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But April Fool's Day has been about that down through the years.
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Now, the word fool in the Bible is actually used over 80 times throughout the Bible.
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Many of them are in the book of Psalms, and especially in the book of Proverbs, which is a book to do with wisdom and learning wisdom and the importance of wisdom.
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And the way the Bible uses the word fool is not so much stupidity as such.
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It's actually to do more with not having wisdom or not wanting the wisdom that God Himself wants to give us and gives us in His Word.
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And I've got three places in the Bible where the word fool is used.
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And I want you to try and remember these because they're very simple verses, but they're very important.
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And you can find many others as well.
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First of all, in Psalms 14 and 53, if you look at the first verse of each of these Psalms, you'll find them exactly the same,
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which says, the fool says in his heart, there is no God.
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So there is God telling us that people who actually say there is no God, God does not exist.
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The Bible says they lack wisdom.
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They have that foolishness that just wants to ignore God, ignore His Word, and therefore live without the advantage of that teaching.
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So remember, whenever you hear somebody saying, God does not exist.
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I don't believe in God.
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I don't believe He exists.
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Well, go to the Bible, see what God thinks of that, pray for them.
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But remember, God is saying that's foolishness.
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That's lack of wisdom.
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That's really closing your mind to the things that are really important.
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That's the first place in the Bible, Psalms 14 and 53.
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The fool says in his heart, there is no God.
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Secondly, Proverbs 18 and verse 2.
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A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
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You come across people like that, don't you, in life?
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All they want to do is tell you what they think themselves and insist that what they think themselves must be right.
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And they're closed their minds, their ears to every other opinion.
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Even if you keep talking to them and try and get them off that track, all they'll do is just come back with the same stuff.
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Well, the Bible calls that foolishness.
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It takes no pleasure in understanding.
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One of the things that is really important for us, whether we're young ones or older ones, is that we try and always add to our understanding.
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That we give our minds especially to the things the Bible teaches us so that our understanding grows.
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Our understanding about God, understanding about why things are as they are in the world,
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understanding about ourselves, understanding about Jesus, why Jesus came, what Jesus did, where Jesus is now.
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Understanding these things is so important.
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That's why the Bible is saying that a fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
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And one of the important things there is that we learn to listen.
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Not just to talk all the time, expressing our own opinion and our own view of things.
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That's what foolishness does.
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A fool takes no pleasure in understanding.
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So that's two.
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The third one is in the New Testament in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 12.
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Here's a story about somebody who was rich, somebody who actually had a lot of ground,
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and that ground produced a lot more and kept on producing.
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What did he say to himself?
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He said, I'll build bigger barns.
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I'll store all this stuff.
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And I'll say to my soul, relax.
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You've got all this laid up for many years.
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Just take your time.
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Enjoy life.
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God said to him, you fool.
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Tonight, your soul is required of you.
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And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?
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You see, when God calls anybody a fool, we should really listen to what that is saying.
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Because here is God saying to us, life is not about how many things we possess.
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Life is not about just relaxing and taking it easy.
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Life is about preparing for eternity, for the future.
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And especially for the time that we leave this world and need to go to eternity.
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God said to him, you fool.
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Tonight, your soul will be required of you.
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That man was going to die that very night.
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And he wasn't ready to die.
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He was just looking at the things he had all around him.
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And God said, you're a fool.
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Think of the things that you've laid up.
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Who is going to possess them?
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So, these are three places in the Bible.
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See if you can find other places.
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You can ask your teachers or leaders other places in the Bible where the word fool is used.
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And you'll find that it's mostly along the same lines as these three verses.
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So, let's now say the Lord's Prayer together.
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Amen.
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Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
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Thy kingdom come.
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Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
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Give us this day our daily bread.
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And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
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And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
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For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
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Amen.
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Now, our next Psalm of Praise, Psalm 67.
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Psalm 67 in the Scottish Psalter.
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That's on page 300.
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And that's the first version of the Psalm.
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Lord, bless and pity us.
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Shine on us with thy face.
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That the earth, thy way, and nations all may know thy saving grace.
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So, all the Psalms we're singing today have to do with the gospel going out throughout the world.
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Or God's call to the whole world to come and put their trust in him.
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So, Psalm 67 is the same.
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The earth, thy fruit shall yield.
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Our God shall blessing send.
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God shall us bless.
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Men shall him fear unto earth's utmost end.
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Psalm 67.
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The tune this time is Selma.
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Lord, bless and pity us.
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Lord, bless and pity us.
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Lord, bless and pity us.
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Shine on us with thy face.
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Lord, bless and pity us.
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Shine on us with thy face.
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Love the earth, thy way, and nations all may know thy saving grace.
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Lord, bless and pity us.
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Shine on us with thy face
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Love the earth, thy way, and nations all
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May know thy saving grace
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Let people praise thee, Lord
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Let people all be praised
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O let the nations be found
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In songs their voices raise
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Love justly people judge
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Honor and rule nations all
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Let people praise thee, Lord
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Let them praise thee, Lord
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Great and small
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The earth, her fruit shall heal
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Her God shall bless his name
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God shall not bless, men shall end here
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Unto earth that was paid
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Now, our reading from God's Word today
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is from Paul's letter to the Romans
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chapter 15
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and reading the verses 1 to 13
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So Romans chapter 15 and from the beginning
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We who are strong have an obligation
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to bear with the failings of the weak
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and not to please ourselves
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Let each of us please his neighbour for his good
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to build him up
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For Christ did not please himself
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But as it is written
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The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me
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For whatever was written in former days
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was written for our instruction
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That through endurance
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and through the encouragement of the Scriptures
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we might have hope
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May the God of endurance and encouragement
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grant you to live in such harmony with one another
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in accord with Christ Jesus
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That together you may with one voice
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glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
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Therefore welcome one another
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as Christ has welcomed you
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for the glory of God
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For I tell you that Christ became a servant
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to the circumcised
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to show God's truthfulness
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in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs
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and in order that the Gentiles
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might glorify God for his mercy
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As it is written
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Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles
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and sing to your name
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And again it is said
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Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people
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And again
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Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles
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And let all the peoples extol him
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And again Isaiah says
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The root of Jesse will come
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Even he who arises to rule the Gentiles
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In him will the Gentiles hope
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May the God of hope
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Fill you with all joy and peace in believing
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So that by the power of the Holy Spirit
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You may abound in hope
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Amen
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May God bless
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A reading of that portion of his word
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Let's call upon him again in prayer
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Let's pray
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Amen
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O Lord our God
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We give thanks for the hope
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That you have brought into being
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Through your resurrection from the dead
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We bless you today
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That that is the foundation
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Of your people's hope
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For you tell us in your word
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And our own experience tells us
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That the things of this world
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Cannot be foundational
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To a proper and lasting hope
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A hope that will be fulfilled
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Ultimately in heaven
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O Lord our God
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We thank you today
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For the reality
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Of those things
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For which we give you praise
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We thank you
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That they are
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As real to your people
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As anything that they can see
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Physically in this life
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And we bless you Lord
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That you have provided them for us
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In your own salvation
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So that we might live
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As your people
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So that we might
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Not only praise you ourselves
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But that we might
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Promote your great name
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And that we might seek
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That the gospel
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Would reach forth into the world
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With this great message of hope
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And we thank you today
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That the gospel is
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Being sounded forth
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We pray that it may increase
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More and more
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O Lord
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So that many will come
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Even today
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To hear
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For the first time
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And especially to hear
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Savingly
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Of the hope
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Of eternal life
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In the Lord Jesus Christ
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We thank you Lord
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Today that
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He came into this world
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Specifically
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To die
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And to rise again
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From the dead
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Three days later
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And we give thanks
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That he is now
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At the right hand of glory
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That he ministers
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To his people
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Through his spirit
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And Lord
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We ask that today
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We may know
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Of that benefit
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Of that ministry
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For ourselves
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Bless us here today
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As a congregation
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We pray
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Bless all those
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Who are with us
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Who are visiting
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At this time
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Be pleased to
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Bless them
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In their time
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With us
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And with their families
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Bless all those
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Who are away from us
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As well at this time
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Be pleased
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O Lord
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To be with them
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And to accompany them
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In their time of holiday
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Be with our children
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As they take a break
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From school
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And with our teachers
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Too
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As they look forward
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To time off
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We pray
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Lord
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That you would
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Refresh them
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That you would
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Further encourage them
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And give them
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Lord
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More and more
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To know of
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The faithfulness
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Of God himself
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Who is true
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To all his promises
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And who will never
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Let his people
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Other than
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Have his promises
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Fulfilled for them
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We ask Lord
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Today
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That you would
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Bless us
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As a congregation
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We pray
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Your blessing
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For all age groups
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That we represent
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As a congregation
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And we ask
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That in all our
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Variety of need
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Lord
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That you would
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Be pleased
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To provide us
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With your blessing
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Lord
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We need your blessing
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For every step of life
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We need your blessing
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Even from the youngest days
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Through to our old age
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We thank you
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That your blessing
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Is assured
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And brought to us
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In your word
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As that which is
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Guaranteed
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To all those
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Who place their trust
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In you
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We ask oh Lord
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That as we have
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Been reading
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And as we're thinking
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Today of the gospel
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Going forth into the world
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That the nations
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May come under
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The rule of Christ
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We pray that your kingdom
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Will indeed come
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That your will
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Be done on earth
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As it is in heaven
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And we ask
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That you would
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Enable us to
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Continue to pray
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In that regard
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And not to lose heart
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Or be discouraged
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As we find Lord
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So much around us
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That is opposed to you
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So much that is closed
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To the demands of God
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To the rights
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And the claims
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Of Christ himself
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As Lord
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We pray oh Lord
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That you would
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Continue to encourage
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Your people
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To reach forth
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And to continue
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To pray
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For the turning around
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Of the world
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In which we live
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And we ask today
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Oh Lord
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That you would
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Grant blessing
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To us as a nation
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We pray that in these
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Challenging times
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That you would bless
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Those who govern us
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For you have required
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Of us Lord
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That we constantly
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Bear in mind
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And pray for those
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Who rule over us
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And we do pray
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For them Lord
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Today
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Whatever our
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Political persuasions
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May be
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You have called upon us
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To pray
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For those in authority
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That we may live
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Peaceable lives
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That we may have
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The gospel
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Advantageously
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Given
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That place
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In our minds
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And in our lives
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And we ask
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Oh Lord
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That you would bless
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Therefore
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Those who are in
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Government over us
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In Scotland
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And in Westminster
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We pray for them
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We pray for
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Our first minister
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We pray for
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Our prime minister
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We ask that you
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Bless their cabinets
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We pray that
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Lord you would
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Give them that wisdom
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To look to you
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And to look to your word
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To regard the things
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Of God
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As of utmost importance
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To give place
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To your laws
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And your precepts
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Gracious Lord
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We long for the day
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When we will find
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Righteousness
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Marking us
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And exalting us
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Again as a people
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We pray that that
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May be our great
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Concern as your people
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That we will see
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Righteousness restored
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In our midst
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As a nation
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And that truth
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Will no longer
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Be fallen in the streets
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We ask Lord
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That you would
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Give those who
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Rule over us
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A regard for truth
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Not their own
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Version of the truth
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Not their own
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Political party's
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Version of the truth
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But the truth
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Of your word
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The truth of the gospel
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The truth of your laws
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The truth of those
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Things that are firm
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And sure
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And that are given
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To us as a people
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For our betterment
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And for our
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Our wholeness
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And the things of life
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We pray your blessing
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Today for those
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Who are
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Today grieving
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Who miss loved ones
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For whom
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The reality of death
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Is a present
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Experience in their families
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Bless them we pray
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We ask that your blessing
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Will be with all those
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Who look upon
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Times gone by
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As times of
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Sorrow and bereavement
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And loss
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Oh Lord today
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We pray that
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You would again
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Enable them to
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Know your encouragement
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To know the direction
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And the comfort
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Of your word
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And to realize
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Oh God again
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That you are
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At all times
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Faithful and worthy
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To be trusted in
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Remember those
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Of our number
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Who are in hospital
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At this time
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Who are ill
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In care homes
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Or at home
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We pray for them
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Oh Lord
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We ask that you
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Be pleased
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To bless them
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We think especially
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Oh Lord
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In these days
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Of the Graham family
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William and Morag
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And William's time
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In hospital
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We pray for him
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For his recovery
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Pray for Morag
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As she supports him
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And for the family
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We ask oh Lord
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That you'd bless them
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In the days to come
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Be pleased to hear
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All those who are
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Praying for them
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We ask too
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That you'd bless those
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Oh Lord
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Of the congregation
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Who have bad news
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In recent times
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Who have difficult
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Challenges now to face
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In regard to their health
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We pray
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That you'd bless them
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And encourage them too
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And we do ask oh Lord
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That you would
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Graciously help us all
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Whenever the turnings
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Of life
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Are difficult
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And challenging for us
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Help us to turn to you
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Help us to turn
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To your cross
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To your death
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To your resurrection
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To your person
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Help us to draw
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All our encouragement
24:27
From the Christ
24:28
Who knows us
24:28
Who knows our position
24:30
So well
24:31
Who is able to
24:33
Give us support
24:34
In all our circumstances
24:35
So help us Lord
24:37
We pray to take
24:38
All our concerns
24:39
To your throne
24:40
Of grace
24:40
That we may obtain mercy
24:42
And find grace
24:43
To help
24:44
In time of need
24:45
We ask oh Lord
24:47
Now that you would
24:48
Continue to bless us here
24:50
And we pray
24:51
That as we turn
24:52
To your word
24:53
Once again
24:53
So we may know
24:55
The guidance
24:55
The instruction
24:56
Of your spirit
24:57
Coming to lay your word
24:59
Upon our hearts
25:00
Giving us to be
25:01
To rejoice
25:02
And to be glad
25:03
That you are God
25:04
And to take us
25:06
As your people
25:06
Here as we pray
25:08
Pardoning our sin
25:09
For Jesus' sake
25:10
Amen
25:11
Let's sing once again
25:15
Before we turn
25:16
To God's word
25:16
We're singing this
25:18
In this time
25:18
Psalm 86
25:19
Psalm 86
25:22
In the Scottish Psalter
25:23
Page 341
25:24
Verses 6 to 11
25:26
And the tune is
25:27
Ayrshire
25:28
Hear Lord
25:30
My prayer
25:31
And to the voice
25:32
Of my request
25:33
Attend
25:33
In troublous times
25:35
I'll call on thee
25:36
For thou wilt
25:37
Answer send
25:38
Lord there is none
25:40
Among the gods
25:41
That may with thee
25:42
Compare
25:42
And like the works
25:44
Which thou hast done
25:45
Not any work
25:47
Is there
25:48
Psalm 86
25:50
Verses 6 to 11
25:51
To God's praise
25:52
Hear Lord
26:00
My prayer
26:02
Unto the voice
26:06
Of my request
26:10
Lord there is none
26:17
Among the gods
26:21
But there is none
26:32
Among the gods
26:37
That may with thee
26:38
That may with thee
26:42
Compare
26:44
And like the works
26:49
Which thou hast done
26:54
Not any work is there
27:02
All the ancient truth
27:07
All the ancient truth
27:08
Thou hast done
27:10
And worship reverently
27:14
And worship reverently
27:19
Before thy face
27:24
A day O Lord
27:28
Thy name shall glorify
27:35
Because the Lord
27:42
Because the Lord
27:43
Exceeding day
27:46
And works by thee
27:51
Are done
27:53
Which are to thee
27:58
And my love
27:59
And my love
28:03
And my love
28:04
But God
28:05
Thou hast
28:06
Thou shalt
28:08
Alone
28:09
In thee
28:11
I pray
28:12
And in thy truth
28:13
O Lord
28:15
Then what will I
28:17
And in thy truth
28:20
O Lord
28:22
Then what will I
28:27
Unite my heart
28:32
Thou die thy dear
28:34
Then what will I
28:44
And in thy life
28:45
And in my heart
28:46
And in thy life
28:47
And in thy life
28:48
And in thy life
28:49
Now please turn with me
28:50
To the book of Psalms
28:52
The book of Psalms
28:53
The book of Psalms
28:54
And Psalm 117
29:05
Psalm 117
29:06
In the book of Psalms
29:07
Psalm 117 in the book of Psalms
29:08
Praise the Lord all nations
29:10
Extol him all peoples
29:13
For great is his steadfast love towards us
29:16
And the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever
29:20
Praise the Lord
29:23
Well you'll be aware I'm sure that this is the shortest psalm in length
29:29
In the whole of the Psalter
29:31
But while it is the shortest psalm in length
29:35
It is one of the broadest in width
29:38
Because it encompasses all the nations in the call that goes out from it
29:43
To praise the Lord
29:45
Praise the Lord all nations
29:48
Extol him all peoples
29:51
And that has a significance for ourselves that goes on in its significance and importance
29:58
Because it's not just a call to all the nations
30:01
As we'll see it's a call that goes out from God
30:05
To incorporate ourselves in the praising of God
30:09
As well as to have that actually go out to the nations
30:14
And we can think of these things as we sing this short psalm
30:20
It's important always to think through the things that we're singing
30:25
Even if we're very familiar with them
30:27
And of course being very familiar with the Psalms as we are
30:30
The danger with that is that we'll sing just like a kind of rote or parrot fashion
30:35
We know the words, we sing them through
30:38
And they slip out of our minds without really thinking deeply of what they mean
30:42
And it's so important for us that whenever we sing praise to God
30:46
That we're thinking deeply of the words we're singing
30:49
Of the meaning they carry
30:51
And of how we apply that to ourselves
30:54
The psalm is used as we saw when we read through Romans 15 earlier
30:59
The psalm is used there
31:00
And it's used there in regard to all the nations coming to share
31:05
In the Old Testament promises to God's people
31:08
So there's no longer the Jewish people
31:11
It has now come to incorporate the Gentiles
31:14
Which we are, most of us were, and are, other than Jewish people
31:18
But now all peoples are being incorporated into the church of God
31:24
To sing His praises, to know His salvation in Jesus Christ
31:30
And it's fitting, I think, as we today think of Muriel
31:33
Our own Muriel who's here for only today's, her last Sunday with us
31:39
And we're going to finish our service today
31:41
A prayer specifically for Muriel as she returns to Cambodia
31:45
And this psalm is a psalm that Muriel knows very well, of course
31:50
Because she is one of those people who puts it into action
31:53
In terms of carrying the gospel and the teaching of the gospel
31:56
Through to other nations as well
31:58
Such as in Cambodia, where she shortly will be going back to
32:03
So let's look at this psalm very briefly
32:06
Here's a single directive and also two reasons
32:10
A single directive or call to all people to praise the Lord
32:15
Praise the Lord all nations
32:18
Extol Him all peoples
32:21
It's leaving nobody out
32:22
It's not leaving any nation out
32:24
Any people of any background
32:26
That's the first thing
32:28
There's a single call or directive to all peoples to praise God
32:32
Secondly, it gives us two reasons
32:35
Why the Lord's people especially should praise Him
32:38
Because here are the people of Israel
32:40
The Lord's covenant people
32:42
And in verse 2 you find the two reasons
32:45
He gives for praising Him
32:46
First of all, great is His steadfast love towards us
32:50
And secondly, the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever
32:55
In other words, these are two primary topics
32:59
In the reasons why we are called to praise the Lord
33:03
We are called to praise the Lord
33:05
Because of His steadfast love to His people
33:08
And because He is always continually faithful towards us
33:15
Well, look first of all at this call
33:18
Or this directive to all people to praise the Lord
33:22
Now that of course anticipates the New Testament itself
33:25
The call that goes out from the New Testament
33:28
For example, Acts chapter 17
33:30
You'll recall that that's the great chapter of Paul in Athens
33:36
And Paul addressing the heathen pagan people of Athens
33:39
Bringing them the message of the gospel
33:41
And wonderfully working that through into how he addresses them
33:45
But in verse 30 of Acts chapter 17
33:48
In verse 17 you find the apostles saying
33:51
That we must not think that the Lord is like gold or silver and stone
33:58
Formed by the art and imagination of man
34:01
The times of ignorance God overlooked
34:03
But now He commands all people everywhere to repent
34:08
Because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness
34:13
By a man whom He has appointed
34:15
And of this He has given assurance to all
34:18
By raising Him from the dead
34:19
In other words, the resurrection of Jesus is fitted in exactly and foundationally
34:24
To the call of the gospel
34:26
To go out to all the nations
34:28
In order to come and place their trust and their confidence in this Christ
34:32
To repent of sin and to turn to Him believingly
34:35
In the Old Testament in the likes of Psalm 117 has become
34:40
If you like embodied in the person of Christ
34:43
As the basis of this great call of the gospel
34:46
To come, repent of our sin and turn to the Lord and praise the Lord
34:53
In other words, Paul is incorporating Psalm 117
34:57
Not just to actually give us a reminder that the gospel must go forth to all the Gentiles
35:04
As well as having come to the Jews already
35:07
It incorporates a mandate for our evangelism
35:11
Psalm 117 is magnificently evangelistic
35:16
Because there you have an Old Testament passage
35:19
Into which you find Jesus
35:22
Placed by the apostle in the likes of the chapter we read in Romans 15
35:27
But that comes home to ourselves
35:29
Because as we'll see the reasons why we have to call upon all people
35:33
To praise the Lord
35:34
It's all to do with Christ
35:35
He has raised Him from the dead
35:38
This Jesus who died on the cross
35:41
And this is the mandate we have
35:44
To go forth with the gospel
35:47
To call upon all people to come and place their trust, their confidence in God
35:51
Now I know what you're saying
35:52
You're immediately saying
35:53
Well, when you go out with that gospel
35:56
You meet with this kind of opposition
35:58
This kind of response
35:59
Why should I trust in your God?
36:02
Why should your God be better than any other God?
36:05
Why should it not be the God Muslims believe in?
36:08
Why should it not be Buddhism?
36:10
Why should it not be atheism?
36:11
Well, we as a people, as a Christian people
36:18
Believe in freedom of religion
36:22
We believe that people, as they choose whichever God
36:26
Or no God at all to believe in or to trust in
36:30
That's a freedom given them
36:33
In the way that we, as a nation
36:36
Have freedom of religion as an important concept
36:40
We are not in the business of forcing people to believe what we believe
36:47
What we would want them to believe
36:50
Nevertheless, that means
36:52
That does not mean that freedom of religion
36:54
Does not mean in our multi-faith setting
36:57
That we ought not to evangelize
37:00
That it's actually wrong in some way or other
37:02
To try and get people of other religions
37:05
Or no religion at all
37:06
To come and place their trust in Jesus Christ
37:09
We believe that we are not in the way
37:10
We believe that we are not in the way
37:11
We believe that we are not in the way
37:12
We believe that we are not in the way
37:13
We believe that we are not in the way
37:14
No one comes to the Father except through Him
37:17
And because that is the case
37:19
We have that mandate to go forth and to evangelize
37:22
And to actually call upon the world to come
37:24
And place their trust and their confidence
37:26
In this God, in this Jesus, in this Savior
37:29
And that is where we come across the idea that is very current at the moment
37:36
Which is called conversion therapy
37:40
And you will find a clamor for the introduction of laws
37:44
Which would ban so-called conversion therapy
37:48
Now that gives the impression that when we are thinking of conversion as Christians
37:52
We are thinking of forcing people into believing what we believe
37:57
I was across at the Nicholson a couple of weeks ago there
38:00
And one of the questions, there were very many questions the class was asking
38:03
I was talking about what it is to be a Christian minister
38:07
What does a minister do?
38:09
And amongst the many, many good questions that the pupils had
38:13
One was this
38:14
Would you force an atheist to believe what you believe?
38:20
And of course my response to that was
38:23
No, we don't force anyone to believe
38:26
Whether they are atheists or otherwise
38:28
We don't force anybody to believe what we believe
38:32
We don't force anybody to believe in Christ
38:35
In fact, we couldn't anyway
38:37
And if we tried to do it, it would just be damaging
38:39
Remember your catechism, children maybe
38:42
Your catechism
38:44
Catechism 31
38:46
What is effectual calling?
38:48
It's one of the ones I dreaded being asked to repeat in Sunday school
38:52
Because it's the longest
38:54
I think in the whole of the catechism
38:56
And especially when you are learning it in Gaelic
38:58
It wasn't easy to remember it
38:59
Nevertheless, it was so useful to remember it
39:01
Because effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit
39:05
And then it goes on to tell us what's involved in effectual calling
39:07
That's God calling us and uniting us to Jesus for our salvation
39:13
And what the Spirit of God does in our hearts when He does that
39:18
When we are effectually called is
39:20
He convinces us of our sin and misery
39:23
He instructs or enlightens our mind in the knowledge of Christ
39:27
And He renews our will
39:30
Three things
39:32
Three things, the threefold elements of our effectual calling
39:35
But the third one is what's important for us just now
39:39
When we are saying we don't force people
39:41
Or try to force people into being Christians
39:43
And to believe in what we believe
39:45
God when He comes to actually bring us to know Himself
39:49
He doesn't force our minds
39:51
He renews our minds
39:53
And your mind is never as free
39:56
As it is when God sets it free
39:59
And don't listen to the things that you find out in the world
40:01
There are people that say
40:02
Actually you Christians are the ones with the closed minds
40:06
You're not prepared to listen to other alternatives
40:08
Yes, we've tried all the alternatives
40:11
We know what the alternatives are
40:13
They're not the way, the truth and the life
40:15
But Jesus is, the Lord is
40:17
His death is, His resurrection is
40:20
His return to judge the world
40:22
Is part of all that we come to believe in
40:25
How do we come to believe in it?
40:26
Not because somebody forces our minds
40:29
But because God renews our mind
40:32
He opens our mind
40:34
He gives us a mind that we didn't have before
40:37
And when you come to have your mind renewed by the Holy Spirit
40:45
What does the Catechon go on to say?
40:46
Thereby, He persuades and enables us
40:51
To embrace Jesus Christ
40:53
As He is offered in the Gospel
40:56
It's not my business today
40:58
To try and force anybody here to become a Christian
41:01
To actually be converted
41:02
To come to believe in Christ
41:05
My business is to preach the Gospel that says
41:07
Here is God's call to come to trust in Jesus
41:11
Here is God's provision in the cross
41:13
And in the resurrection of Christ
41:14
Trust in Him
41:15
Place your faith in Him
41:18
Whether you do that or not
41:21
Is your responsibility
41:25
I can't force you
41:26
Not what I want to force you
41:28
But I can try
41:31
To persuasively present Christ to you
41:36
And your need of Christ
41:38
And all that is in Christ that you have to do without
41:41
When you don't accept Him
41:42
When you don't present
41:43
When you don't have
41:45
As He presents Himself to you
41:47
When you don't receive Him
41:49
And trust in Him
41:51
So we are not in the business of forcing minds
41:55
And that is an important matter
41:57
In the current day and age in which we live
42:00
Now this psalm is really saying to us
42:02
Actually that God's kingship
42:05
Extends over the whole of creation
42:07
Now it doesn't matter whether you or I
42:11
Or hundreds or millions of people
42:13
Would come to actually not acknowledge that
42:17
When we would come and say
42:18
Well I don't believe in that
42:19
I don't want that
42:20
Well that's fine
42:21
It doesn't actually do anything
42:23
To displace this truth
42:25
This still remains true
42:28
However many people choose not to believe it
42:30
God is still the king
42:33
God still reigns
42:35
You and I are still answerable to God
42:38
Whether people choose to believe otherwise
42:41
Or you and I choose to believe it or not
42:44
Praise the Lord
42:49
All peoples
42:51
He has a universal right
42:55
To be praised
42:56
And that means
42:59
Praised by you and by me individually as well
43:04
How can it possibly
43:06
Be cruel
43:08
Or intolerable
43:11
To present a God who is essentially good
43:14
Who calls us to eternal life
43:18
Who calls upon us to leave our ways of sin
43:22
And enter the ways of righteousness
43:24
How can that be cruelty?
43:26
You know the cruelty would be
43:28
If I stood in a pulpit today and said
43:30
There are big chunks of the Bible
43:32
You don't need to believe anymore
43:34
That's cruelty
43:36
That's intolerable
43:38
That's just providing people with a cushion
43:43
On which they can sleep all the way through life
43:46
And then wake up to the reality and eternity in hell
43:49
Praise the Lord
43:53
All you nations
43:55
God's rights
43:57
Extend over all human life
44:01
Over all human beings
44:03
And what we have to constantly remember of course
44:08
Is that
44:10
There is no greater privilege given to us
44:13
Than to know God
44:15
And to praise God
44:16
It's such an immense privilege
44:19
We can't possibly take it in
44:20
In our own puny minds
44:22
But it is such an immense privilege
44:23
That God
44:25
Brings us to know himself
44:26
And to know why he is worthy of our praise
44:29
And that takes us to our second point
44:31
There are two reasons why the Lord's people
44:33
Should praise him
44:35
First of all
44:37
For his steadfast love
44:39
The greatest of steadfast love toward us
44:40
Now you know that
44:41
The steadfast love of the Lord
44:42
Often mentioned in the Old Testament
44:43
This is an important word
44:44
It's a covenant word
44:47
It's a word that means love
44:48
But love that's steadfast
44:50
Or in the Old Word
44:52
Which I think is also good
44:54
The Old AV word
44:56
Is loving kindness
44:58
It's not just love
45:00
In the sense of something that goes out
45:02
Without really affecting your life much
45:04
It's loving kindness
45:05
It's actually bringing you things
45:07
Which are beneficial
45:09
Which will actually be good for you
45:11
That's what the love of the Lord does
45:13
That's what the love of the Lord is
45:16
It is loving kindness
45:19
It is doing good
45:21
It is providing life
45:23
It is rescuing from death
45:25
The steadfast love
45:28
Of the Lord toward us
45:30
Is the first point
45:32
Why he calls upon us
45:34
To praise him
45:35
It's the foundation of
45:36
A covenant relationship
45:37
With himself
45:38
Where God
45:39
Comes to
45:40
Take us as his people
45:42
And we take him as our God
45:43
That's what
45:44
The essence
45:45
The core of
45:47
The covenant is
45:48
That God's people have with him
45:50
He is their God
45:51
And will be their God
45:52
They are his people
45:53
And will be his people
45:55
In other words
45:56
Great here
45:58
Is more than just
46:00
To do with size
46:01
The word in Hebrew
46:03
That's used here
46:05
Is the root of a word
46:06
That's used in the Old Testament
46:08
For warrior
46:09
For somebody as great
46:10
In might as a warrior
46:12
And what it means really
46:14
Is to prevail
46:16
It's used
46:17
Psalm 65
46:19
Verse 3 for example
46:21
Our iniquities prevail against us
46:24
But as for our transgressions
46:26
You will atone for them
46:27
In other words
46:28
That's just saying
46:29
The power of sin is great
46:31
It has us in its grip
46:32
But Lord
46:33
You are the one
46:34
Who prevails over that
46:35
While sin prevails against us
46:37
You outdo that
46:38
In providing atonement for us
46:44
So this really is saying to us
46:47
The steadfast love of the Lord
46:50
Is great
46:51
It prevails
46:53
It conquers
46:56
What a wonderful emphasis
46:57
That is for you today
46:58
When you know the Lord
47:00
As your Savior
47:01
And as your God
47:02
You are placing your trust
47:03
In someone
47:04
Who has such a love
47:07
Such a commitment in love
47:09
Such a covenant love
47:11
As is mighty love
47:13
A love that can't possibly go wrong
47:16
A love that will achieve
47:18
Its objective
47:20
Come what may
47:21
Where has that been shown to us
47:28
Most clearly
47:31
Well it's in the death
47:33
And resurrection of Jesus
47:35
Isn't it?
47:37
God so loved the world
47:40
That he gave his only begotten son
47:44
That whoever believes in him
47:45
Should not perish
47:46
But have everlasting
47:48
Or eternal life
47:51
God has demonstrated his love to us
47:54
Paul says to the Romans
47:55
In that while we were yet sinners
47:57
Christ died for us
47:59
Who died for us?
48:01
Christ died for us
48:03
Who is Christ?
48:04
The Son of God
48:07
Does anyone doubt the love of God?
48:10
Does anyone doubt the power of God's love?
48:12
Does anyone doubt the mightiness
48:15
The all-mightiness
48:16
Of the steadfast love of the Lord
48:18
When you look at the cross
48:19
And you say
48:20
Not just that's love
48:21
But that's powerful love
48:23
That's love that conquers death
48:26
That's love that deals with sin
48:28
That's love that brings us righteousness
48:30
That love that atones for sin
48:34
That's the love that rescues
48:37
From the grip of death
48:38
Praise the Lord
48:41
All you peoples
48:42
Why?
48:43
Because his steadfast love toward us
48:46
Is great
48:48
The steadfast love of the Lord
48:51
Where are you today?
48:53
With regard to your relationship
48:56
To this truth or to this God
48:59
Do you know the steadfast love for yourself?
49:04
Are you trusting in a love
49:05
That's somehow less than this love?
49:08
A love that can never achieve
49:11
What this love has achieved for God's people?
49:15
His steadfast love toward us is great
49:19
And you know when
49:21
When I think of my own love
49:23
When you think of your own love
49:25
And when you think of how easily it's deflected
49:29
How often it fails
49:31
How often it wanes
49:33
How often it may grow cold
49:36
How often it fluctuates
49:39
What a huge advantage you have as a Christian
49:45
To know that your life
49:48
Is founded on and fed by
49:51
God's steadfast love
49:53
A love that does not change
49:57
A love that will be the same
49:59
For all eternity
50:02
Praise the Lord
50:04
Why?
50:05
For his steadfast love
50:06
His powerful love
50:07
His great love
50:09
Is great, it's powerful, it's mighty
50:11
Toward us
50:13
And then his faithfulness
50:15
Endures forever
50:17
And that of course is tied up with his love being steadfast
50:20
The faithfulness of God
50:22
And the love of God
50:23
Are aspects as we experience God
50:25
As our Saviour
50:26
Aspects of the same
50:27
Grace of God
50:29
Grace that flows from
50:31
His love
50:32
The grace, the kindness
50:34
And also the faithfulness of God
50:36
Here as well
50:38
Remember in Hebrews
50:40
Chapter 10 verse 23
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You have an emphasis there on
50:45
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope
50:48
Without wavering
50:50
And sometimes you find these words are so challenging
50:55
Because you say, well, that must leave me out
50:57
Because I often waver in my hope
50:59
I don't have that same steady hope
51:02
In God and in his promises that I ought to have
51:06
How can I actually meet the terms of that verse that says
51:10
Let us not waver in hope
51:13
Well, the verse finishes
51:15
For he is faithful
51:18
Who has promised
51:20
Your continuance in hope
51:26
Living a hopeful life by faith in Christ
51:32
It's not based on the strength of your hope
51:35
Your hope is not based on itself
51:38
It's not based on your faithfulness
51:40
It's not based on the quality of your prayer life
51:44
It's not based on the quality of the congregation you belong to
51:48
Your hope is based on this
51:52
The faithfulness of God
51:54
Let us hold fast, he says
51:57
To the profession of our hope
51:59
The confession of our hope
52:01
Because he is faithful
52:03
And you can depend on that faithfulness
52:06
You can depend on that
52:07
But absolutely
52:09
And entirely throughout life
52:10
He is faithful
52:13
He is faithful
52:15
Who has promised
52:16
He says here
52:17
The faithfulness of the Lord
52:19
Endures forever
52:21
There's one great passage in the Bible
52:23
That I think is
52:25
A really tremendous passage in the context
52:28
And it's in the
52:30
Lamentations of Jeremiah
52:32
It's not a book perhaps that we
52:33
Very often refer to
52:36
Or preach from
52:37
But in chapter 3
52:39
Of Jeremiah
52:40
Remember Jeremiah had faced
52:41
The greatest disaster of his life
52:44
The arrival of the Babylonians
52:47
Who wrecked Jerusalem
52:48
Wrecked the temple
52:49
Took people captive
52:50
Plundered it
52:52
Absolutely devastated
52:53
Vandalized it
52:55
And here he is
52:56
In lamentations
52:57
Sitting down
52:58
And crying his heart out to God
53:00
Asking serious questions of God
53:03
And telling us about the depth of his sorrow
53:09
Then he comes in chapter 22
53:11
Of this verse
53:13
Of this chapter
53:15
Verse 22 of this chapter rather
53:18
My soul continually remembers it
53:22
My affliction and my wanderings
53:24
My soul is bowed down within me
53:26
But this I call to mind
53:28
And therefore I have hope
53:29
What does he call to mind?
53:31
What is it that gives him hope?
53:33
What is it that pierces the darkness
53:35
Of his agony at this time?
53:37
This is it
53:39
The steadfast love of the Lord
53:42
Never ceases
53:44
His mercies never come to an end
53:47
They are new every morning
53:49
Great is your faithfulness
53:51
The Lord is my portion
53:53
Says my soul
53:54
Therefore I will hope in him
53:57
I know it's easy to say
54:00
In pulpits
54:01
You know it doesn't matter what happens
54:02
In your life
54:03
God is steadfast
54:04
God is faithful
54:06
But that is true
54:08
And I have to apply it to my own life
54:09
And you have to apply it to yours
54:11
When the difficult times come
54:14
When the challenges come
54:15
When the pains come
54:16
When the afflictions come
54:18
When all of these things actually
54:20
Sometimes unexpectedly come upon us
54:22
What do we turn to?
54:24
What do we do then
54:25
In our grief of soul?
54:27
The steadfast love of the Lord
54:31
Is from everlasting to everlasting
54:34
We remind ourselves that God
54:35
Does not make mistakes
54:37
That God is always
54:40
As he says here
54:42
Faithful and steadfast
54:44
All through
54:47
And that we need to come
54:49
Anew to place our trust in him
54:52
And in his word that tells us
54:54
Now we need to take this back
54:55
To the beginning of the psalm
54:57
Here are the two points
54:59
The steadfast love of the Lord toward us
55:01
And the faithfulness of the Lord
55:03
Endures forever
55:04
The reasons why the Lord's people are to praise him
55:06
There are other reasons
55:07
But these are the two in the psalm
55:09
Now we take that back to the first verse
55:12
Praise the Lord all nations
55:14
Extol him all peoples
55:16
And you need to feed that
55:17
Feed that into the call of the gospel
55:20
Into the evangelistic exercises and endeavors of God's people
55:24
Why do you go out with the gospel?
55:26
Why are we concerned to actually bring the gospel to people around us in this town
55:31
Or wherever it is we belong?
55:33
What is it that we seek to convey to them?
55:35
What is it we seek to bring to them in seeking to instruct their minds meaningfully?
55:40
Well this
55:42
The steadfast love of God is great
55:45
And the faithfulness of God endures forever
55:47
Therefore come and place your trust in him
55:50
You see these are arguments that the Bible gives us
55:53
That we feed into our evangelism
55:55
And say this is the God we actually serve
55:58
And this is the God we commend to you
56:00
Not the God of the caricatures you find all too often in public life
56:07
But the God
56:11
Who loves and who is faithful
56:14
To the extent of giving his only begotten son
56:19
And raising him from the dead
56:22
That we might have hope
56:27
And so that's our task
56:30
Go he says
56:31
And make disciples of all nations
56:36
On the basis of what?
56:38
All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me
56:43
This is Jesus shortly before his ascension
56:46
Therefore, therefore because this is who I am
56:51
Because these are the great truths of God
56:54
Go and make disciples of all nations
56:57
Baptizing them
57:00
In the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit
57:04
Teaching them to observe
57:06
All things that I have commanded you
57:09
And lo, I am with you
57:12
To the end of the age
57:14
And that's a promise
57:17
And a fact
57:19
That's based on God's steadfast love and faithfulness
57:22
What is our great concern today?
57:23
What is your great concern?
57:25
Surely it is to know God for yourself
57:27
To be like those people
57:29
In John chapter 4
57:30
To whom the woman of Samaria
57:32
Of Samaria
57:34
Spoke of the Lord Jesus Christ
57:36
That she had come to know
57:37
As she sat at that well
57:39
Near Sychar
57:40
Come and see a man
57:41
Who told me all things that ever I did
57:42
Can this not be the Christ?
57:44
So they went out of the town
57:46
And they believed in him
57:47
Many of them believed in him
57:49
And they said to the woman
57:51
Now we believe
57:53
Not just because of what you said
57:55
But we have heard him for ourselves
58:10
And know that this is indeed the Christ
58:14
The Saviour of the world
58:16
Now isn't that what you're saying?
58:19
You're not going to base your life
58:24
Merely on what someone else tells you
58:26
Not even from the pulpit
58:28
You're going to come to him for yourself
58:31
Aren't you?
58:33
You're going to listen to him for yourself
58:35
You're going to embrace him yourself
58:38
With your own mind
58:40
And with your own will
58:41
As God will enable you
58:43
And you're going to say
58:45
Well now I know
58:47
Now I believe
58:49
Now I accept him
58:52
Because I've come to know him
58:54
For myself
58:56
And may God bless these thoughts
58:59
On his word today to us
59:02
We're going to sing now to God's praise
59:05
Our final psalm today is Psalm 47
59:10
And that's on page 62
59:12
We're singing to a tune Warrington
59:14
Singing verses 1 to 9
59:15
That's the whole of Psalm 47
59:18
As you find it there on page 62
59:21
All nations
59:23
Clap your hands and shout
59:25
Let joyful cries to God ring out
59:27
How awesome is the Lord most high
59:30
Great King who rules the earth throughout
59:33
Psalm 47
59:35
And we'll sing the whole psalm
59:36
End
59:37
Time
59:39
On John还是 2 through 1, Psalm 49
59:53
And we'll sing the whole psalm
59:56
plopнее song
59:58
How awesome is the Lord most high,
1:00:06
With he through rules we e'er through love.
1:00:16
He hath subdued beneath our feet
1:00:24
The nations who hath been our foes
1:00:33
In blessing Jacob whom we love
1:00:41
The heaven is which for us he chose
1:00:51
God hath gone up with showers of joy
1:01:00
The Lord hath made the trumpet sound
1:01:09
Sing, praise, sing, praise to God most high
1:01:18
To God the King that plays the world
1:01:28
For God is King of all the earth
1:01:36
Sing sounds of praise to him alone
1:01:45
For whose the nations from on high
1:01:54
He sits upon his holy throne
1:02:04
The leaders of the nations come
1:02:13
To yield and stand to Abram's war
1:02:21
To him below the shields of man
1:02:30
Exalted in the midst of Lord
1:02:39
Will you please take your seats for a moment?
1:02:48
Muriel, I can speak to you directly from here
1:02:50
Even though I'm not facing you at the front here
1:02:53
I know you didn't want to make this a big thing
1:02:56
But we are pleased to be able to commend you to God
1:03:00
As you return shortly to Cambodia
1:03:03
Let me just assure you if you need any assurance
1:03:06
Of our love for you
1:03:08
Of our prayers for you
1:03:10
That they will follow you
1:03:11
And of our prayers for you
1:03:13
As you go back to Cambodia
1:03:15
And as you serve the Lord there
1:03:17
We pray that you may know
1:03:19
More and more of his presence each day
1:03:22
Of his blessing upon your life
1:03:24
His blessing upon your work as well for him
1:03:27
In Cambodia
1:03:29
And you leave, as I say, with our love
1:03:31
And our prayers
1:03:33
And we thank you for your time with us here
1:03:35
For the times you've taken
1:03:37
To tell us about your work
1:03:39
Both for the congregation as a whole
1:03:41
And also for the young folks
1:03:43
When you spoke to them a few weeks ago
1:03:45
At the Sunday school
1:03:46
We appreciate all of that very much
1:03:49
And please keep sending us your newsletter
1:03:52
Even though I have to apologize
1:03:54
For the few times that I respond to that
1:03:57
By email
1:03:58
But we do take delight in receiving
1:04:01
News of your work
1:04:03
From time to time
1:04:04
As you send us your newsletter
1:04:06
So please do be assured
1:04:08
We will continue to remember you in prayer
1:04:11
And we're going to pray for Muriel
1:04:13
And finish the service with prayer
1:04:15
And then that'll include the benediction
1:04:17
And afterwards please allow me
1:04:19
To get to the main door
1:04:20
To shake hands with you then
1:04:21
Let's stand now for prayer
1:04:22
Almighty God we give thanks
1:04:30
For the gospel
1:04:30
We give thanks for those you call
1:04:33
To proclaim the gospel
1:04:34
To be workers in the gospel
1:04:37
In the name of Christ
1:04:38
We pray now Lord for Muriel
1:04:41
We thank you for her months with us here
1:04:44
With her family elsewhere
1:04:46
We pray that you'd bless her now
1:04:48
As she anticipates leaving
1:04:50
To go back to Cambodia
1:04:52
We thank you for the strength
1:04:54
Of her call
1:04:54
For her love for you
1:04:56
And for her desire to serve you there
1:04:58
We pray that she will see much blessing
1:05:01
Oh Lord in days to come
1:05:03
We pray that your protective care
1:05:05
Will be with her in her travels
1:05:06
And in all that she does for you
1:05:08
When she returns to Cambodia
1:05:10
Be with her Lord
1:05:12
As we commend her to you once again
1:05:14
We commend her to you
1:05:16
And to the word of your grace
1:05:17
And we pray that
1:05:19
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
1:05:21
The love of God the Father
1:05:23
And the communion of the Holy Spirit
1:05:25
Will be with us now
1:05:26
Forevermore
1:05:28
Amen
1:05:44
That little table
1:05:47
Good
1:05:48
Thank you
1:05:50
What have you come to?
1:05:52
Whether to man
1:05:53
Notchuss
1:05:53
Will be with us
1:05:54
So
1:05:55
Thank you
1:05:55
That little table
1:05:57
If we want to come to you
1:05:58
And we make everyone
1:05:58
It's time to bathroom
1:05:59
And it's time tomadı
1:06:00
And we let our job
1:06:01
There's life
1:06:02
The world
1:06:03
Hang her
1:06:03
Throughout
1:06:04
And it's time to
1:06:05
Campaign
1:06:07
ioni
1:06:08
It's time to
1:06:09
And the MC
1:06:10
Trim
1:06:11
And
1:06:12
It entered