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The Invitation To Come · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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our worship by singing to God's praise. This is on page 40 of the psalm book, Psalm 34.
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We're going to sing from verse 8 down to verse 14, the tune of St. Columba. And this psalm,
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in the verses that we're singing, it gives us this invitation that we're looking at today to come.
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Verse 8 begins, come, taste and see, the Lord is good, who trusts in him is blessed. And verse 11
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uses the same word. It says, come here, my children, gather round and listen to my word,
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and I will help you understand how you may fear the Lord. We're going to sing from verse 8 to 14,
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and we stand to sing to God's praise.
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The Lord is blessed.
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O fear the Lord, who sings with me,
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You will not be oppressed.
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The Lord, who sings with me,
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The Lord, who sings with me,
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And I will forget fruit,
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But those who wait upon the Lord
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Will all my many new
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Come here, my children, gather round
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And listen to my word
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And I will let you understand
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How you may fear the Lord
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Does anyone delight in life
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And long to see good days
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And keep your tongue from evil's feet
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Your lips from lying grace
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If I can turn from evil past
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And that is what is right
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Decide to know the way of peace
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I assume it with your mind
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We're going to come to God in prayer
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Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer
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Lord our gracious God
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We thank you for the beauty of this day
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That it is a day that you have made for us
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And help us to delight in it
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And to delight in not just the beauty of the sun shining upon us
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And the beauty of all that we see around us
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But the beauty of your word
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And the beauty of the message that it gives
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We thank you that it is a word that speaks to us all
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We thank you that it is a word that invites us to come
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And taste and see of the goodness of God
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It invites us as children
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To come and hear, to gather round and hear your word
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And we thank you for that delight that we have today
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And being able to do so
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And may you bless all that we do
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Here in the church
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And as the young ones go out to
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Cresce and Twin East Sunday School and Bible class
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We pray that you will be with us in all of these things
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That you will guide us and help us
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In all that we do and all that we say
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And Lord bless us
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Bless us with your presence
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Bless us with your peace
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That peace that passes all understanding
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We pray to know it in our hearts
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And help us to know Lord
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That you speak to us through the Bible
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Through your word
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And may it be what directs us today
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In all our days
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As we ask all of these things
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Knowing how often we fall short
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How often we fail you in different ways
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But thankful for your good mercy towards us
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So bless us and be with us we pray
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And pardon our sins in Jesus name
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Amen
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A word to the young ones before you go out
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It was great to see so many of you
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Yesterday as we had our church day out
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First time in a long time
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That the sun has shone for so long
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I think I saw on the weather charts last night
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That Stornway had the most sunshine
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In the whole country
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So we really couldn't have picked a better day
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To have our church day out
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And it was good to enjoy being together
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Enjoying time on the beach
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Enjoying time having games
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And I'm sure you've all got your different highlights
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Of the day
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Maybe it was enjoying the food
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Just enjoying being with friends
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Or enjoying taking part in the sports
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And I was so delighted to be on the winning team
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Of the tug of war
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It was just so good
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I mean I expected the men to win
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And they did
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Isn't that right?
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Is that true?
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Yes, no
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No
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It was actually when I woke up
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In the middle of the night
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I had a dream that we won
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But we hadn't
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We were well beaten
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But I'm sure the ladies had a quad
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Tied to one end of the rope
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That was just pulling in that direction
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But it was a great day out
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And the tug of war reminds me
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Of what we're looking at in the Bible today
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And what we look in the Bible so often
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It's this idea of being pulled
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In different directions
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God is trying to bring us to himself
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He's inviting us to himself
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There's that pull towards him
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But so often there's other things
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That are pulling us away
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In a different direction
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There's so many things
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That will distract us from God
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And keep us not looking to God
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And yet he's still
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Every time we come and hear his word
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Every time we look to him
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He's pulling us
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He's calling us back to himself
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And so maybe we're in a bit of
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A tug of war today
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Young and old alike
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We're being pulled
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In different directions
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But the Bible reminds us
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That when we know God
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When we trust him
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He has a hold on us
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A strong hold
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And he'll never let us go
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We'll never be on the losing side with him
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Because he keeps us safe
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And he keeps us secure
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So no matter what else
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Pulls us away
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In a different direction
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As we trust in him
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He has a hold on us
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That is truth
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The truth at the start of my talk
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Was the men didn't win
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But the truth with God
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Is that he has won the victory for us
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And that we are secure with him
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So as we go into that struggle
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That pulling in different direction
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Trust God
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And he will keep
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A hold
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Of you all
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And we're going to say
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The Lord's Prayer
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Together now
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So we'll say
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The Lord's Prayer
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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 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 our debts
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As we forgive our debtors
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And lead us not into temptation
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But deliver us from evil
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For thine is the kingdom
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The power and the glory forever
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Amen
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We're going to sing again
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To God's praise
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This time in Psalm 95
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Page 357 of the Psalm books
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Psalm 95
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We're going to sing from verse 1 to verse 6
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And during this singing
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Those going out to the Sunday school
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You can come out through this door
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To my left
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So we're going to sing from verse 1 to verse 6
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Again there's this great invitation
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In the Psalm
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Come
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O come
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Let us sing to the Lord
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Come
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Let us everyone
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A joyful noise
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Make to the rock
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Of our salvation
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The tune is done firmly
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And we're going to stand to sing
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To God's praise
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O come
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Come let us sing
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To the Lord
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Come let us
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Everyone
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A joyful noise
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Sing to the Lord
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All our salvation
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All our salvation
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Let us speak for His presence
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Come with praise and thankful voice
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Let us sing songs to Him with grace
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And make a joyful noise
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For God
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On God
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And make God
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And make Him
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Above all God
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See His
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Death softly
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Have thou in His hand
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The strength of ills is His
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Give Him the spacious sea beyond
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For He the sin did may
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That wide and also from His hands
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His form of thirst
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O come and let us worship Him
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Let us worship Him
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Let us fow them with hope
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And on our beach
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Before the Lord
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Our maker
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Let us fall
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We will turn together to read
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In God's Word
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We are going to read in the New Testament
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And in the Gospel of Luke
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Luke chapter 15
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We are going to read from verse 11
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Down to the end of this chapter
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Luke chapter 15
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And at verse 11
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You will find it around page 1054
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It's a well-known parable
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That Jesus told
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The parable of the prodigal son
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So we are going to read from verse 11
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And he said
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There was a man who had two sons
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And the younger of them said to his father
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Father, give me the share of property
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That is coming to me
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And he divided his property between them
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Not many days later
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The younger son gathered all he had
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And took a journey into a far country
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And there he squandered his property
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And reckless living
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And when he had spent everything
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A severe famine arose in that country
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And he began to be in need
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So he went and hired himself out
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To one of the citizens of that country
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Who sent him into his field to feed pigs
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And he was longing to be fed
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With the pods that the pigs ate
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And no one gave him anything
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But when he came to himself
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He said
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How many of my father's hired servants
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Have more than enough bread
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But I perish here with hunger
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I will arise and go to my father
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And will say to him
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Father, I have sinned against heaven
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And before you
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I am no longer worthy to be called your son
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Treat me as one of your hired servants
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And he arose and came to his father
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But while he was still a long way off
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His father saw him and felt compassion
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And ran and embraced him and kissed him
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And the son said to him
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Father, I have sinned against heaven
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And before you
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I am no longer worthy to be called your son
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But the father said to his servants
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Bring quickly the best robe
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And put it on him
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And put a ring on his hand
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And shoes on his feet
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And bring the fattened calf
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And kill it
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And let us eat and celebrate
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For this my son was dead
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And is alive again
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He was lost and is found
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And they began to celebrate
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Now his older son was in the field
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And as he came and threw near in the house
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He heard music and dancing
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And he called one of the servants
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And asked what these things meant
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And he said to him
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Your brother has come home
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And your father has killed the fattened calf
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Because he has received him back safe and sound
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But he was angry and refused to go in
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His father came out and entreated him
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But he answered his father
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Look, these many years I have served you
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And never disobeyed your command
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Yet you never gave me a young goat
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That I might celebrate with my friends
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But when this son of yours came
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He who has devoured your property
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With prostitutes
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You killed the fattened calf for him
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And he said to him
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Son, you are always with me
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And all that is mine is yours
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It was fitting to celebrate and be glad
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For this your brother was dead and is alive
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He was lost and is found
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Amen
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And may God bless that reading from his word
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Let's again just bow our heads in a word of prayer
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Let us pray
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Lord our gracious God
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As we continue to look to you in worship
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And look to you for your help
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And for your spirit to be with us
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As we read your word
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And as we come to open it up together
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We thank you that it is what is called the gospel
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The good news
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And that we live in a world that still has good news
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To be offered to all
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In the midst of all the bad and sad news
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That we so often hear
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We thank you that the word of God
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Is that good news
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That it speaks to us of such a gracious God
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Even as we have read of in this passage
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We thank you that it reminds us of ourselves
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In so many ways
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How we can go wandering away from you
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How we can think that we have freedom away from you
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And yet oh Lord
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Help us to come to our senses
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Even as the prodigal son
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And to realise
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That you have all that we need
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And that you are all that we need
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And so may you help us to come to you today
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To come hearing your word
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To come tasting of your goodness
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To come and worship you
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With all our hearts
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And all that we are
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And we do thank you for all who are here today
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We thank you for seeing so many young ones
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Going out to the Sunday school
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And to the Bible class
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And we pray for them Lord
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That as they begin their classes today
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And as they have begun school
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In these last few weeks
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Lord we pray for your blessing
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Your protection over each one of them
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And all our homes and our families
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Lord we ask for you
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To be with us Lord
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In all our different needs
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You know them
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You know our very hearts
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You know all the
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The pools that are on it Lord
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Pulled towards you
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And pulled in other different directions
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But we thank you for the strength that you have
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That you are mighty and powerful to save
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That you hold on to your people
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With an everlasting arm
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An arm that is full of power and might
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And so help us to put our trust in you
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And to know that you are with us
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That you are for us
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And we do pray Lord
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That you will guide us
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Even in these days ahead
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As we go into this week
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And you bless us
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In all that it entails
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Returning to our homes
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And our families
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Returning to our workplaces
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In this coming week
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Our places of study
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Whatever we do Lord
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We thank you that there is that promise
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That you go with us
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And so we pray that even your word
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As we hear it today
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And as we study it
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Would go with us too
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That it would be a word
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That resonates in our hearts
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A word that speaks to us
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A word that we are able to share with others
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To tell others what we have heard
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What we have seen of your goodness
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And we thank you that
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There is that assurance
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That even as we come to church today
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As we come back to church
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As we may be calling it
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That your church is a people
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That your church is a people
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That you are saving
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A kingdom that you are building up
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A church that nothing will conquer or defeat
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And so we pray Lord
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That your church
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Not just here and throughout our islands
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Or even our nation
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But to all ends of the earth
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To all corners of the world
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In which we live
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Might know your power even today
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That as your truth is proclaimed
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That it would be mighty to save
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So Lord hear our prayers
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Continue with us Lord
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Today and in all the days
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May you be our help
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And our strength
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As we ask all
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Pleading with you
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For forgiveness for all our sin
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That you might cleanse us
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And pardon us anew
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As we ask all in Jesus name
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And for his sake
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Amen
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We're going to sing again
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Before we turn back
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To look at this passage together
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We're singing in Psalm 43
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In the Sing Psalms
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Page 54 of the Psalm books
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Psalm 43
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A psalm that reminds us
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Of how God's truth goes out
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And encourages our hearts
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Encourages our souls
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To know that we have a God
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Who is with us
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A God who is on our side
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Come vindicate me
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Oh my God
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Against this nation
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Plead my cause
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Deliver me from wicked foes
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And hypocrites
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Who break your laws
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And in verse 3 it says
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Oh send your light forth
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And your truth
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Let them direct me
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In your grace
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And bring me to your holy hill
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And to your sacred dwelling place
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We're going to sing
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The whole of this psalm
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The tune is Rockingham
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And we stand to sing
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Amen
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Amen
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Amen
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Defeat me
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Oh my God
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Against this nation
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Plead my cause
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Deliver me
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From wicked foes
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And hypocrites
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Who break your laws
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To harm my stronghold
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And my God
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Why them have you
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Rejected me
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I must act all
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While thou thou art in greed
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Untaunted by the enemy
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O send your light
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For thou art in greed
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Let them direct me
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In your grace
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And bring me to your holy hill
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Into your sacred dwelling place
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And to your sacred dwelling place
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And to God's altar
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I will call
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To God my joy
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And my delight
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And I will praise you
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With the heart
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O God you are
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O God you are
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My God of might
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Why are you
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Why are you down
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Why are you down
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So my soul
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Why are you so
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Disturbed in me
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Trust God
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For I will praise him yet
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My Savior
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My Savior
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And my God
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Is he
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For our time
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We're going to turn back
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And look at the passage
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We read in Luke chapter 15
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And this parable
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Of the prodigal son
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Luke chapter 15
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Now folks
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It's going to be on
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Verse 11 to 24
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I just want to read
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A couple of verses
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So as we go into it
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Verse 17
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Speaks of the son
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Who had gone away
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From the father
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And says
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But when he came to himself
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He said
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How many of my father's
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Hired servants
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Have more than enough bread
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But I perish here
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With hunger
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I will arise
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And go to my father
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And will say to him
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Father
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I have sinned
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Against heaven
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And before you
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I am no longer
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Worthy to be called
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Your son
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Treat me as one
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Of your hired servants
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And then it says
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And he arose
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And came to his father
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But while he was still
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A long way off
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His father saw him
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And felt compassion
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And ran
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And embraced him
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And kissed him
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Back to church Sunday
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Is what we have called today
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Maybe you're here
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Because you got
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An invitation card
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That had these words on it
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Maybe you saw the banner
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Outside the church
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What is
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Back to church Sunday
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What does it mean
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And what's it
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All about
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Well
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It's more than just
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Coming
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To a building
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It's more than just
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Trying to get
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Someone off your case
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Maybe someone's been
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Asking you for a while
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To come back to church
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And you think
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Well I'll just
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Do it now
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And that'll be it
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Done with
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It's maybe something
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You think you already
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Know what it's going
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To be like
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Maybe you think
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You know what
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It's like in the past
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And it's just
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Just the same
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I wasn't listening then
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I'm not going to listen
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Now
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There's so many ways
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We can think about
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Coming back
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To church
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But whether you've
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Never been to church
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Whether you haven't
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Been to church
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For years
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Or even if you're
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Coming back today
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After being here
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Last week
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There's something
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We all
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Have in common
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And it's that
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None of these
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Are the way
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That we are to come
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Back to church
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It's not just
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Coming back
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To see a building
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It's not just
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Coming back
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To please someone
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It's not just
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Coming back
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Out of habit
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It's more than that
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Coming back
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To church
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Even coming back
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To church
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Week by week
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If we're in that
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Routine
26:00
In that habit
26:01
It's to meet
26:02
With someone
26:03
It's to meet
26:05
With someone
26:06
Special
26:07
And to hear
26:09
A story
26:10
That changes
26:11
Lives
26:11
And continues
26:12
To change
26:13
Lives
26:13
Continues to change
26:15
Even the Christian's
26:16
Life
26:16
Week by week
26:17
Day by day
26:18
It's a glorious
26:20
It's a glorious
26:20
Story
26:21
About a glorious
26:22
Saviour
26:23
A Saviour
26:25
Who is
26:25
Jesus
26:26
That's who we
26:28
Come
26:29
To meet
26:30
With here
26:30
That's the purpose
26:32
Of coming
26:33
Back
26:34
To church
26:34
To realise
26:36
That we have
26:37
A loving God
26:38
Who is the
26:39
Father we see
26:40
Described in this
26:41
Parable of the
26:41
Prodigal son
26:42
A loving God
26:44
Who has given
26:44
Us his own
26:46
Son Jesus
26:47
Who has given
26:48
A son Jesus
26:49
That we might
26:50
Know the joy
26:51
Of salvation
26:53
In him
26:54
Now what was
26:56
Your expectation
26:57
Maybe coming
26:58
To church
26:59
Today
26:59
What was your
27:00
Thinking
27:00
Coming to
27:01
Church
27:02
Today
27:02
Maybe you're
27:03
Thinking even
27:04
With the sun
27:04
Shining outside
27:05
I could be
27:06
Doing so many
27:06
Other different
27:07
Things today
27:08
Maybe your
27:10
Expectation was
27:10
Just to come
27:11
And to go
27:12
Maybe your
27:13
Expectation was
27:14
To sit
27:15
And just not
27:15
Listen
27:16
But even the
27:18
Psalms that we
27:18
Have been singing
27:19
They remind us
27:20
That we are to
27:20
Come and sit
27:21
And listen
27:22
And hear
27:22
And worship
27:23
Worship the God
27:25
Who is speaking
27:26
To us
27:27
And to come
27:27
And to know
27:29
Him as he
27:29
Speaks to us
27:30
Through his
27:32
Word
27:33
And Jesus
27:35
We find in
27:35
The gospels
27:36
Whether it's
27:37
Matthew, Mark, Luke
27:38
Or John
27:39
As you look
27:39
Through them
27:40
You find
27:41
Jesus
27:41
Who was
27:42
A great
27:43
Storyteller
27:44
He often
27:45
Used stories
27:46
Or parables
27:47
As they're
27:48
Called
27:48
To speak
27:49
To the crowds
27:50
Who had
27:51
Gathered round
27:51
To speak
27:52
To them
27:52
About their
27:53
Lives
27:54
And their
27:54
Circumstances
27:55
And what
27:55
Was going
27:56
On
27:56
But also
27:57
To speak
27:58
To them
27:58
In a
27:59
Special way
28:00
That reminded
28:00
Them of
28:01
Their need
28:02
Of God
28:03
And that's
28:04
What we see
28:05
In this
28:06
Parable
28:07
We think
28:07
Of storytelling
28:08
Maybe you've
28:10
Known people
28:11
Who would
28:11
Tell stories
28:12
Maybe you know
28:13
People even
28:13
Today who
28:14
Tell stories
28:15
But storytelling
28:16
In many ways
28:17
Is a dying
28:18
Art
28:19
Now that we
28:20
Have so many
28:20
Other forms
28:21
Of communication
28:22
Is often
28:23
Through a
28:23
Screen
28:24
A one
28:24
Way
28:24
Communication
28:25
And we're
28:25
Just listening
28:26
But it's
28:27
So much
28:27
Better to
28:28
Be in the
28:28
Company
28:28
Of someone
28:29
Who is
28:30
Telling
28:30
A story
28:31
And here
28:32
As the
28:33
People were
28:33
Gathered
28:34
Around
28:35
Jesus
28:35
They were
28:36
Here listening
28:37
To this
28:38
Man who
28:39
Was just
28:39
An incredible
28:40
Man
28:40
They were
28:41
Astonished
28:42
At him
28:42
So often
28:43
And what
28:43
He was
28:43
Saying
28:43
And what
28:44
He was
28:44
Doing
28:44
And they
28:45
Were hearing
28:46
Jesus
28:46
The son
28:47
Of God
28:47
Speaking
28:48
To them
28:49
And today
28:51
It is the
28:51
Same
28:52
For us
28:53
We meet
28:53
With this
28:54
Great
28:54
Storyteller
28:55
We meet
28:55
With Jesus
28:56
Jesus
28:57
Who speaks
28:57
To us
28:58
And speaks
28:59
To us
29:00
Here today
29:00
Through this
29:01
Parable
29:01
Of the
29:02
Prodigal
29:03
Son
29:03
But what's
29:05
This story
29:06
About
29:07
Maybe you've
29:08
Heard the
29:09
Story before
29:09
Maybe you've
29:10
Grown up
29:11
Hearing this
29:11
Story
29:12
And you've
29:12
Heard it
29:12
Maybe many
29:13
Times
29:13
The parable
29:14
Of the
29:14
Prodigal
29:15
Son
29:15
It's a
29:15
Well known
29:16
Story
29:17
That Jesus
29:17
Told
29:18
But what's
29:19
It about
29:20
Your
29:21
Immediate
29:22
Reaction
29:22
Maybe
29:22
It's about
29:23
This young
29:24
Son
29:24
Who just
29:25
Wanted to
29:25
Live life
29:26
To have
29:26
Freedom
29:27
To get
29:27
Away
29:27
From
29:28
Everything
29:28
Maybe you
29:30
Think it's
29:30
About the
29:31
Older
29:31
Brother
29:31
The one
29:32
Who
29:32
When this
29:33
Young son
29:33
Came back
29:34
He was
29:34
Jealous
29:35
He was
29:35
Angry
29:35
He didn't
29:37
Wanted to
29:38
He squandered
29:38
His
29:39
Inheritance
29:40
He treated
29:41
Them
29:41
Unfairly
29:42
Unjustly
29:43
And he
29:43
Was
29:43
Just
29:44
Not
29:44
Wanting
29:45
Anything
29:45
To do
29:45
With
29:46
Them
29:46
Is
29:48
That
29:48
What
29:48
The
29:48
Story
29:49
Is
29:49
About
29:49
Well
29:51
Neither
29:51
Of
29:51
These
29:51
Are
29:51
The
29:52
Main
29:52
Character
29:52
See
29:54
The
29:54
Main
29:54
Character
29:55
In
29:55
This
29:55
Story
29:56
As
29:56
Jesus
29:56
Is
29:57
Telling
29:57
It
29:57
Is
29:57
The
29:58
Father
29:58
And
30:00
The
30:00
Father's
30:00
Response
30:01
To
30:01
His
30:02
Son
30:02
We're going to look at his response to the younger son today.
30:07
And in this we see the great invitation of the gospel.
30:12
That's the title of our sermon this morning, the invitation to come.
30:18
To come.
30:19
We see this father who is already looking for his son as he comes to return to him in verse 20.
30:26
While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and ran to him and embraced him and kissed him.
30:34
It's like Jesus is telling the crowd.
30:36
He's telling ourselves, this is who we need.
30:40
This is the father that you are to come to.
30:44
To come and know the warmth of this welcome.
30:48
And to see the glory and the power that is in Jesus himself.
30:53
The one who is, as the Bible describes, the way to the father.
31:00
Come.
31:01
Come is what the Bible so often says to us.
31:05
Come.
31:06
Come.
31:06
No matter what our situation.
31:08
No matter what our circumstances.
31:10
The text on the invitation card was,
31:12
Come, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
31:17
Wonderful invitation.
31:19
Come.
31:20
Come.
31:20
When you think of the word come itself, if you take each letter of that word, you could put it like this.
31:27
Come, because Christ offers me everything.
31:33
Christ offers me everything.
31:38
And that's what we see with this young son who goes away from his father, but who comes home, as it were.
31:47
So we're going to see three things in this parable for ourselves today.
31:53
Three things that we can relate to, I'm sure, ourselves in many ways.
31:59
We can relate to this younger brother.
32:03
And the first thing I want to see is a recognition.
32:06
A recognition.
32:07
When you read of this young brother, do you see yourself, the young son, do you see yourself in him?
32:16
I'm sure many of us can look at this young son and think, that's me.
32:22
That's maybe me just now, or that's been me in the past.
32:26
You recognize the kind of situation he's in.
32:29
You recognize the kind of attitude that he has.
32:33
He's just, in his life, he wants to get away and have freedom.
32:38
He wants to enjoy his life, but everything seems to be just restricting him.
32:43
And he's like so many, so many since Jesus told this parable down through all the generations.
32:50
Right to this very day, there's so many who can relate to this young son.
32:55
Men and women, boys and girls, down through all the generations.
32:59
This kind of attitude, this kind of outlook on life is so often a stage that we come to ourselves.
33:06
A position we find ourselves in.
33:11
And what is it that we see?
33:14
Well, it's like Jesus is describing so many that are brought up, as it were, around church circles.
33:21
Like many of us today, we may have even brought up either going to church or knowing about church in a Christian community where we see so many different churches.
33:33
And it can leave us asking so many questions.
33:37
It can even leave us looking around and think, what's the point in it?
33:40
Oh, I just want to get away from this.
33:43
It just seems to stifle our lives.
33:48
It seems to just tell us, you can't do this, you can't do that.
33:52
It's so often the way we think of the community that we live.
33:57
We've been there. I've been there.
34:00
And we start speaking to ourselves just like this younger son and saying, I want my freedom.
34:05
I want to get away from all of this.
34:08
And you see it in this young son.
34:13
He said in verse 12,
34:15
Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.
34:20
Give me my share.
34:22
Give me my inheritance.
34:24
Give this to me so that I may go away and live my life, enjoy my life.
34:29
He wants to be his own boss.
34:31
He wants to do his own thing.
34:33
He wants to live life the way he sees fit himself.
34:37
It's like that cry in Braveheart that Mel Gibson so often puts out, if you've watched the film.
34:44
The cry, freedom.
34:47
That's what this young son wants.
34:50
He wants his freedom.
34:52
He thinks he recognizes his need in life.
34:55
He thinks he recognizes how he wants to live his life.
34:58
He wants to get away from all of this.
35:02
He wants to be free.
35:04
But you realize the seriousness of his request when you recognize in verse 12 what that actually means.
35:12
When he says, Father, give me the share of the property that is coming to me.
35:18
It should only come when the father dies.
35:23
And he's basically almost saying to his father, I wish you were gone.
35:26
I wish you would just let me have my freedom and live my life.
35:33
And can we not relate to that, recognize that perhaps in ourselves today or in our past?
35:43
This recognition that all we want is to do things in our own way and on our own terms.
35:51
We're almost saying to God, that's what the parable is telling us, God, we don't want you.
36:00
We want nothing to do with you.
36:03
I just want to get away from you and have my freedom, have my life.
36:08
This is what he thinks that he needs.
36:14
And so he goes away.
36:16
Goes away to enjoy himself, or so he thinks.
36:20
And it goes on to outline his life.
36:23
Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had, took a journey into the far country,
36:27
and there squandered his property and reckless living.
36:33
This is the freedom that he was looking for.
36:36
This is what he was wanting to enjoy.
36:37
This is what he thought he recognized life to be.
36:43
Living life to the full.
36:45
Enjoying himself.
36:47
Having his liberty.
36:48
And yet it's described as reckless living.
36:52
Reckless living.
36:54
And that's what it is.
36:56
Because without God, our lives are in danger of ruin.
37:02
The parable is called the parable of the prodigal son
37:05
because prodigal means spending our resources just lavishly and freely but recklessly.
37:13
It's about an extravagance.
37:15
And that's the way he wants to live his life.
37:20
Is that you today?
37:22
Is that the way you want to live your life?
37:26
Is that the way you are living your life?
37:28
Just give me my freedom from God.
37:30
Give me my freedom from this place.
37:32
These people.
37:33
Let me just get away from it all.
37:35
Maybe you've been running away like this.
37:39
Looking for answers in many different places.
37:42
Hoping to come to the point where you're able to say,
37:45
Now I'm free.
37:49
Running away so often seems like the answer.
37:54
Running away is where we think we recognize the answer to all our problems.
37:59
But it's not.
38:03
And the son soon recognizes the emptiness of it all.
38:09
He soon recognizes just how far away he has gone to the extent that when a severe famine comes,
38:17
he ends up living with pigs.
38:22
Just wanting to eat some of their food.
38:25
His life just comes to a low ebb.
38:31
In his freedom, he's not free.
38:35
He doesn't have what he expected.
38:38
All that he thought he would recognize as good for him and good for his life, good for his freedom,
38:45
it's nothing.
38:47
It's empty.
38:51
And do you recognize that in your own life today?
38:55
Running from God just leaves you empty.
39:00
You can imagine the crowd who are hearing this story.
39:06
They're hearing Jesus telling this, and they're shocked by it.
39:11
The behavior of this son.
39:13
And they would be thinking,
39:15
We're going to hear something here about what Jesus will do to those who turn their back on him.
39:20
How he's going to punish them.
39:22
How he's going to be hard upon them.
39:24
That they're going to get what's coming to them.
39:28
This son, they're probably waiting just for him to come back,
39:32
and then they're going to see how he's going to be treated.
39:35
Well, it's not what they expect.
39:40
Perhaps today, you're coming back to church.
39:43
You're thinking, you know what kind of response you would get.
39:48
You think you're maybe going to be judged or looked down on.
39:51
You don't deserve anything.
39:53
Anything.
39:55
And yet we see the response of this young son.
40:00
And the response of the father.
40:03
And how different they might be to our expectations.
40:08
How different they were to the expectations of the crowd that was looking on.
40:12
Because when you look at the response, which is the second thing we see here.
40:16
We see first the response of the son.
40:19
It says in verse 17,
40:21
When he came to himself, he said,
40:24
How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread,
40:27
but I perish here with hunger.
40:31
The life of freedom and joy that he was wanting to have it hadn't lasted long.
40:36
It wasn't what he anticipated.
40:39
It wasn't what he expected.
40:41
He had spent all his money on reckless living.
40:44
And then this famine arrived in the country.
40:46
And he had nothing.
40:47
He was left empty handed.
40:51
I'm sure many of his friends were turning his back on him.
40:56
Once the money was gone.
40:57
Once all the fun was gone.
40:59
Once the trials came.
41:01
They were gone.
41:02
And he's left by himself.
41:07
And the crowd watching Jesus telling this story.
41:10
They're thinking,
41:11
Here comes the crux.
41:14
Here comes when we see what's going to happen to him.
41:17
The punchline is coming.
41:20
But it's not what they expected.
41:24
The son says,
41:25
I will rise and go to my father.
41:27
And we'll say to him,
41:28
Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
41:32
So he has this response.
41:34
He almost knows where he needs to go.
41:37
But his expectation is so low now
41:40
that he's only going to be just like a servant in his father's house.
41:44
He doesn't deserve anything.
41:48
But it says this,
41:49
He came to himself.
41:53
And it's a wonderful phrase that.
41:56
Because it reminds us all that no matter how far away from God we've tried to run,
42:01
that there is always a point where we can come to our senses,
42:05
come to ourselves,
42:07
and think,
42:08
Is there not better?
42:11
Is there not hope in this world for me?
42:15
Is there not something I can look forward to,
42:18
something I can enjoy?
42:20
The course that starts this week and Thursday evening,
42:23
it's about hope explored.
42:25
It's about looking into this in more detail and thinking,
42:28
There is.
42:29
There is more that we can enjoy in this life.
42:33
There is more to life than just finding my freedom myself.
42:36
It's about finding our freedom in Christ.
42:41
And this is the beginning of this son coming to his senses,
42:45
coming to realize,
42:47
I have done wrong against God.
42:50
I have done wrong against my father, as he describes here.
42:53
We have done wrong against God,
42:55
but that we can still come to him.
42:58
That's the invitation of the gospel.
43:01
That's the invitation of the word of God.
43:03
It's for all to hear.
43:05
Every one of us to come.
43:09
To come, whether it's for the first time,
43:11
for the hundredth time,
43:13
no matter how often we've already come back to church,
43:17
it's about coming back to our Savior,
43:20
coming back to Jesus,
43:21
day after day,
43:23
week after week,
43:25
and keeping close to him,
43:27
because he realizes there is better.
43:32
When we go away from God,
43:34
when we do as the son did initially,
43:37
when he asked for his inheritance,
43:39
run away from God,
43:40
what was he doing?
43:42
Was he stopping worshipping?
43:45
He wasn't.
43:46
When we go away from God,
43:48
it doesn't mean we worship nothing.
43:50
We worship something else in the place of God.
43:53
He was worshipping the money,
43:56
his inheritance.
43:57
He was worshipping his freedom,
43:58
his lifestyle.
43:59
All of these things were his God.
44:03
But these gods left him empty.
44:08
There's a song that's sung.
44:10
It's called,
44:10
I'm Coming Back to the Heart of Worship.
44:12
And it says this,
44:14
it's all about you.
44:15
It's all about you, Jesus.
44:16
I'm sorry, Lord,
44:20
for the thing I've made,
44:21
when it's all about you,
44:23
it's all about you, Jesus.
44:27
We end up worshipping
44:29
the idols of this world,
44:31
the false hopes of this world,
44:33
when we run away from God.
44:35
But he invites us to come back.
44:38
He invites us to come to himself.
44:42
Now, this young son,
44:46
he'd forgotten many things,
44:49
but he hadn't forgotten his home.
44:54
He hadn't forgotten his home
44:57
or his father.
44:59
In verse 18,
45:00
I will rise and go to my father
45:02
and will say to him,
45:04
Father, I have sinned against heaven
45:06
and before you.
45:12
He hadn't forgotten
45:14
that there was a place
45:16
for him to go.
45:19
And maybe you had forgotten
45:21
that there was a church
45:23
to come to.
45:24
Maybe you had forgotten
45:25
that there was a place
45:26
you could come.
45:27
Maybe you thought it was a place
45:28
you wouldn't be welcome.
45:31
But everyone is welcome.
45:35
Everyone is invited to come.
45:37
To come because here we see
45:40
that we need this father ourselves.
45:43
All of us.
45:44
Each one of us.
45:45
We need God.
45:48
And so his answer was,
45:51
I'll go home.
45:53
I'll go home.
45:56
How many of us have longed
45:58
to get away from home?
46:00
In our young days,
46:01
we've longed to get away
46:03
and just enjoy life,
46:04
live life.
46:06
And it wasn't what we expected.
46:08
But the wonder of God's grace
46:12
is that it so often speaks to us
46:14
and reminds us that there is a place
46:17
and that the father hasn't forgotten about us.
46:24
You see, the father here,
46:26
his response in verse 20,
46:30
while he was still a long way off,
46:32
his father saw him and felt compassion
46:34
and ran and embraced him
46:36
and kissed him.
46:39
What he didn't expect,
46:41
he got and got it in abundance.
46:46
It's an amazing picture there
46:48
of just the grace
46:50
and the love of God.
46:52
Ronrig sang a song,
46:57
it's a Gaelic song,
46:58
Chile Migachi.
47:00
I'll return home.
47:03
And it says in the line as well,
47:05
chachadil mi,
47:06
gynchail mi,
47:07
gynmog rach.
47:09
I will not sleep
47:10
until I return
47:12
to my love.
47:13
And that's the way
47:17
we should be with God.
47:21
Return home.
47:23
Even if it means
47:24
sleepless nights,
47:27
unrest,
47:28
because God
47:28
so often stirs up an unrest in us
47:31
like he did in this young son.
47:33
He wasn't resting.
47:35
He wasn't happy.
47:37
He wasn't enjoying life
47:39
until he came to his senses
47:41
and returned home.
47:46
Even to be a servant,
47:47
that he says.
47:50
It's a time
47:51
to come home.
47:54
Not just
47:55
back to church
47:57
in the sense of being
47:58
in a seat
47:59
or being part of the worship service
48:02
sitting in or tuning in online,
48:05
but coming home
48:07
to Jesus.
48:09
to come
48:10
because Christ
48:12
offers me
48:14
everything.
48:18
There is a response
48:20
of the son
48:20
and the response
48:22
of the father.
48:23
The third and final thing
48:24
we see here
48:25
is the rejoicing.
48:29
The rejoicing.
48:32
The expectation
48:33
of returning home
48:35
for the son
48:35
was that he would receive
48:37
nothing.
48:37
just wanted to be
48:40
a servant.
48:42
Just wanted to have
48:43
a little bit of food.
48:46
And he comes to the father
48:48
in verse 21.
48:49
He says,
48:49
Father,
48:49
I have sinned against heaven
48:51
and before you.
48:52
I am no longer worthy
48:53
to be called your son.
48:57
And that's the way
48:58
we can look at ourselves.
48:59
I'm not worthy.
49:01
I'm not worthy
49:03
of any of this love
49:04
of God.
49:06
I'm not worthy
49:07
because of the way
49:08
I've lived my life,
49:09
that we have gone away
49:10
from God,
49:11
that we have shunned him
49:12
and just turned
49:13
my back
49:14
on him.
49:18
And you can imagine
49:19
again
49:19
the crowd here.
49:21
The expectation
49:22
of the crowd
49:23
would have been
49:23
that this young man,
49:24
he was going to be given
49:25
the punishment
49:26
that he deserves.
49:28
The father will sort him out.
49:30
The father will make him,
49:31
pay him back
49:31
every last penny
49:32
that he owes.
49:35
And we feel this burden,
49:37
this weight.
49:39
How can I possibly come?
49:41
How can I repay
49:42
a Lord
49:43
who I've shunned
49:44
and turned my back on?
49:47
And yet we are reminded
49:49
it was not about us
49:51
paying the price.
49:54
When you look at the gospel,
49:55
the good news
49:56
and the invitation
49:58
that it gives to us
50:00
to come,
50:01
it's come to Christ.
50:02
Christ who offers me
50:04
everything.
50:05
Christ who has done
50:06
everything for me.
50:10
Christ who went
50:11
to the cross
50:12
to pay
50:13
for my sins.
50:16
Christ who has risen,
50:18
who has ascended,
50:19
who is coming again.
50:21
It's not about
50:22
what we do,
50:23
it's about what he
50:23
has done
50:24
for us.
50:27
We have to come
50:28
acknowledging
50:29
our sin
50:30
against him.
50:32
But not come
50:33
with our own
50:33
expectations
50:34
of what we need
50:35
to do.
50:38
Perhaps your expectation
50:39
coming here
50:40
is very little.
50:43
You're thinking
50:44
just lowly
50:46
of yourself,
50:49
undeserving
50:49
of any of this.
50:51
Maybe you're even saying,
50:52
I don't want
50:53
any of it.
50:56
But the amazing
50:57
thing about the gospel
50:58
is it's an offer.
51:00
It's an offer
51:01
to us all
51:03
to come.
51:07
And when we see
51:08
the love of God
51:09
here,
51:10
what does
51:11
the Father
51:12
give
51:13
to the Son?
51:15
The last thing
51:15
the crowds
51:16
would have expected
51:17
to hear,
51:18
the best robe,
51:19
a signet ring,
51:21
give him shoes,
51:22
go and kill
51:24
the fattened calf.
51:27
All of the best,
51:30
all of the goodness
51:31
and love
51:32
of God
51:32
is seen in this.
51:35
The kindness,
51:36
the mercy,
51:37
the grace
51:38
is overwhelming.
51:40
It breaks us
51:41
to think
51:43
how undeserving
51:44
we are
51:45
and how much
51:47
God wants
51:48
to give
51:48
and has
51:49
given.
51:54
The Son
51:55
here realizes
51:56
he doesn't
51:56
deserve it.
51:59
But nonetheless,
52:00
he gets it.
52:02
And that's
52:02
grace.
52:04
The grace
52:05
of God.
52:07
He
52:08
has paid
52:10
the price.
52:13
All our
52:13
debts
52:14
all our
52:16
sins,
52:17
all our
52:18
forgetfulness
52:18
of God.
52:21
Jesus
52:21
has paid
52:22
the price.
52:24
And he
52:25
says,
52:26
come.
52:28
Christ
52:28
offers
52:29
me
52:30
everything.
52:33
There was
52:33
a father
52:34
called
52:34
Patrick
52:35
Henry
52:36
and he
52:37
knew his
52:37
life was
52:38
coming
52:38
to an
52:39
end and
52:40
he was
52:40
sorting out
52:41
his
52:41
will.
52:42
he had
52:44
a family
52:44
and his
52:45
family were
52:45
to receive
52:46
all that
52:47
he had.
52:47
He was
52:47
quite a
52:48
rich man.
52:50
And he
52:50
said this,
52:51
I have
52:51
now disposed
52:53
of all my
52:53
property to
52:54
my family.
52:55
He arranged
52:56
it all so
52:57
what they
52:57
were to
52:57
get.
52:58
But then
52:59
he said,
52:59
there is
53:00
one more
53:01
thing I
53:01
wish I
53:02
could give
53:02
them.
53:03
And that
53:04
is faith
53:05
in Jesus
53:06
Christ.
53:06
if they
53:09
had that
53:10
and I
53:11
had not
53:11
given them
53:12
a single
53:12
penny,
53:13
he said,
53:14
they would
53:15
have been
53:15
rich.
53:17
But if
53:18
they had
53:18
not that
53:19
and I
53:20
had given
53:21
them all
53:21
the world,
53:23
they would
53:23
be poor
53:24
indeed.
53:27
This young
53:28
son,
53:29
just like
53:30
ourselves,
53:31
he thought
53:32
his riches
53:33
was found
53:33
in living
53:34
life to
53:35
the fool,
53:36
but living
53:37
it recklessly
53:38
without God.
53:40
And he
53:40
ended up
53:41
poor.
53:43
But in
53:44
coming back
53:44
to the
53:45
father and
53:46
in receiving
53:47
his mercy,
53:49
he ended
53:50
up rich.
53:54
There's a
53:54
time to
53:56
come to
53:56
your senses.
53:58
There's a
53:59
time to
54:00
come home
54:01
and to
54:03
see the
54:03
father you
54:04
thought,
54:04
he won't
54:05
welcome
54:06
me,
54:07
but to
54:08
realize he
54:09
longs for
54:10
you.
54:11
He's
54:12
looking for
54:12
you.
54:13
Even as
54:13
a father
54:13
here was
54:14
looking for
54:15
his son,
54:15
he saw
54:15
him a
54:16
long way
54:17
off and
54:17
ran
54:18
towards
54:19
him.
54:22
But the
54:23
Lord is
54:25
waiting for
54:25
you to
54:26
come.
54:28
The
54:29
invitation
54:29
is there.
54:32
Come,
54:33
Christ
54:34
offers me
54:36
everything.
54:37
Not just
54:38
come back
54:38
to church
54:39
today and
54:40
that's it.
54:41
You can go
54:42
away and
54:42
not come
54:43
back again.
54:45
But to
54:45
come today,
54:47
not to a
54:49
building,
54:50
but to a
54:51
person who
54:52
is Jesus
54:53
Christ.
54:55
And to
54:55
come to
54:56
him tomorrow
54:57
and every
54:58
day to
55:00
entrust
55:00
your whole
55:01
life and
55:02
your being
55:03
to him.
55:04
For he
55:05
loves you
55:06
and longs
55:07
for you
55:08
to come
55:09
home.
55:10
Come.
55:11
Come today.
55:13
Come tomorrow.
55:14
Come in the
55:14
week ahead.
55:16
Come to him
55:16
for all
55:17
eternity and
55:18
know that
55:19
love of
55:20
Christ that
55:21
wants what
55:22
is best for
55:23
you.
55:24
Come,
55:25
because Christ
55:27
offers me
55:27
everything.
55:29
Let us
55:30
pray.
55:33
Our
55:33
Father in
55:34
heaven, we
55:35
thank you
55:35
that you
55:36
are one who
55:36
will never
55:37
turn us
55:37
away from
55:38
yourself, but
55:39
that you
55:39
are even
55:40
today looking
55:41
out for
55:41
us, that
55:42
you are
55:42
longing for
55:43
us to
55:43
come home
55:43
and help
55:45
us, Lord,
55:45
to know that
55:46
in you we
55:46
have one who
55:48
will give us
55:48
a warm
55:49
welcome, who
55:50
will receive
55:51
us gladly,
55:52
that even as
55:53
the Father
55:54
said in
55:54
this passage,
55:55
this my
55:56
son who
55:57
was lost,
55:58
he is
55:58
found.
56:00
We pray,
56:00
Lord, to
56:01
know that
56:01
rejoicing even
56:03
today in
56:03
our own
56:04
hearts, that
56:05
we would
56:05
come from
56:06
being a
56:06
people who
56:07
are lost
56:08
and running
56:08
away from
56:09
God to
56:10
being a
56:10
people who
56:11
are trusting,
56:13
who are
56:13
receiving that
56:14
welcome home
56:15
and knowing
56:15
the love of
56:17
God and
56:17
rejoicing in
56:19
your goodness
56:19
to us through
56:20
Jesus Christ.
56:22
So hear our
56:23
prayers and
56:23
continue with
56:24
us.
56:25
We ask the
56:26
forgiveness of
56:26
our sin in
56:27
Jesus' name.
56:28
Amen.
56:35
We're going to
56:36
conclude by
56:37
singing to
56:38
God's praise
56:39
in Psalm
56:39
100 in
56:42
the Scottish
56:42
Psalter
56:43
version,
56:44
page 362,
56:49
the first
56:50
version of
56:50
the Psalm,
56:51
Psalm 100.
56:53
Page 362,
56:54
we'll sing
56:55
the whole of
56:55
this Psalm,
56:57
a Psalm that
56:58
just reminds us
57:00
of giving
57:01
praise to
57:02
God and
57:03
coming into
57:03
his presence
57:04
and going
57:04
on in
57:06
his strength.
57:07
All people
57:08
that on
57:08
earth do
57:09
dwell,
57:09
sing to
57:10
the Lord
57:10
with cheerful
57:11
voice,
57:12
and serve
57:12
with mirth
57:13
his praise
57:14
forth tell,
57:15
come ye
57:15
before him
57:16
and rejoice.
57:18
The tune
57:18
is Old
57:18
100th and
57:20
we'll stand
57:20
to sing the
57:21
whole of
57:22
this Psalm.
57:27
All people
57:29
that on
57:31
earth do
57:32
dwell,
57:35
sing to
57:37
the Lord
57:39
with cheerful
57:41
voice,
57:44
and serve
57:46
with
57:47
marvelous
57:48
praise for
57:51
tell,
57:52
come ye
57:55
before him
57:57
and rejoice.
58:00
all that the
58:05
Lord is
58:07
God
58:08
did
58:09
deed,
58:11
without
58:13
doubt
58:14
it
58:15
he did
58:17
us
58:18
say,
58:19
we
58:21
are his
58:23
not
58:33
love he
58:34
in
58:34
not
58:34
bad
58:34
is
58:35
weary
58:36
to
58:36
take
58:37
o'er
58:39
into
58:40
and
58:42
his
58:42
ire
58:43
to
58:43
earth
58:44
fors
58:44
lee
58:45
is
58:46
un
58:48
irtland
58:49
Proach with joy his courts and two.
58:55
Praise God and bless his name always.
59:05
For it is simply so to do.
59:13
For why the Lord our God is good,
59:23
his mercy is forever sure,
59:32
his truth at all times firmly stood,
59:40
and shall form his true age in truth.
59:51
After the benediction I'll go to the main door.
59:54
We'll just close with the benediction.
59:56
Now may grace, mercy and peace from God,
59:59
Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with you all
1:00:03
now and forever. Amen.
1:00:10
Amen.
1:00:29
Amen.
1:00:32
Thank you.