Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / God's Saving Power

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God's Saving Power · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise. We're singing in Psalm 90,
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in the Scottish Psalter, Psalm 90. We're singing from verse 13 down to the end of the Psalm,
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page 350 of the Psalm book, Psalm 90 at verse 13 down to the end. Turn,
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yet again to us, O Lord, how long thus shall it be? Let it repent thee now for those that servants
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are to thee. A Psalm crying out to God for his help. And the prayer at the end of the Psalm,
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verse 17, and let the beauty of the Lord, our God, be us upon our handiworks. Establish thou,
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establish them each one. We'll sing from verse 13 to 17 to God's praise, and we stand to sing.
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Yet again to us, O Lord, how long thus shall it be? Let it repent thee now for those that
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that serve us the Lord, our God, be us upon our handiworks. Let it repent thee now for those that serve us the Lord,
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and let it repent thee now for those that serve us the Lord, our God, be us upon our handiworks.
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O Lord, how long thin we are, and let it repent thee now for those that serve us the Lord, our God, be us upon our handiworks.
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O Lord, how long as shall it be? Let it repent thee now for those that serve us the Lord, our God, be us upon our handiworks.
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Let it repent thee now for those that serve us after thee.
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O with thy tender mercy, Lord, as thou art thee satisfied,
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So we rejoice shall all our days, and still be glad in thee.
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According as the days of thee,
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When we leave the past,
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And years when we ill have seen,
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So do thou make us glad.
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O let thy word and power appear,
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Thy servants face thee poor,
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And show us who their children dear,
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Thy glory evermore,
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And let the beauty of the Lord
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Our God be us upon,
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Our handy word established now,
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Established there, ye strong.
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We come to God in prayer.
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We bow our heads in a word of prayer.
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Our Father in heaven,
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We thank you for the beauty of this day,
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As we've enjoyed walking into the church here,
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As we've enjoyed just even looking out through our windows,
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On this bright sunny morning.
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We thank you for the beauty it shows to us.
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But we thank you that behind it all is the wonder of you as the maker,
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The creator of it all.
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And we have sung of the beauty of the Lord,
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And we pray that the beauty of the Lord would be upon us today,
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As the psalm says,
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That we would know the joy of your presence,
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That we would know joy in our time of worship here,
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That in all that we do,
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We would know, Lord, that we are able to look to you,
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And to rejoice in you,
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That you are God,
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And there is no other.
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So we pray, Lord, for everything that we do today.
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We pray for the time of worships we enjoy together,
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Both this morning and this evening.
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We thank you for the Sunday school,
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And the creche and the tweenies,
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And the time they enjoy together there.
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We thank you for times of fellowship around even just a cup of tea,
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And getting to know one another,
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And sharing with one another.
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We thank you for all that we have to enjoy from your hands.
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And we pray, Lord, that you will make us thankful,
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For every good gift that we have,
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All that you give us day by day.
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We do pray, Lord, your blessing on us as a people,
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From young to old here.
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We thank you for all the homes and the families represented.
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Thank you for those who are tuning in online as well.
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And we pray that near and far, Lord, your word will go with power,
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That will speak to us and remind us of the greatness of God,
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The goodness that you have shown to us,
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And giving your son, Jesus Christ.
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And we thank you that we come in his name asking all things.
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So we pray, Lord, that you will draw near to us and be with us in all that we do.
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That you will pardon our sins as we ask it all in that precious name of Jesus,
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For his sake and glory.
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Amen.
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I'll just have a word to the young ones before you go through next door.
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You know, last week I was seeing how many of you were going out,
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Coming down through the church.
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And it's great to see so many of you coming week by week
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And going through to learn so much about Jesus and all that he has done for us.
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We're so thankful to be able to gather together and worship.
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Now, there was something that was asked of maybe not so much the young folks,
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But maybe the parents, but parents might need help in order to do this.
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It was on the notice sheet today.
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And that is to register for the Sunday school.
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And to make it easy or make it more difficult, maybe for some,
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There's a QR code.
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And then you start thinking to yourself,
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What on earth is a QR code?
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So probably your parents or grandparents will need a little help in that being explained to them.
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And how it works.
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Because it's amazing what it can do.
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And you think to yourself, I've got a phone here in my pocket.
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And this is all you need to register yourself at the Sunday school.
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But in order to do that, you need all kinds of codes.
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I was thinking, well, there's the QR code.
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But before you come to that, there's other codes you need to have as well.
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First, you need a passcode to get into the phone.
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So everyone will have their own passcode that they have to put into the phone to get entry into the phone.
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And then once you're in the phone, to get to the QR code, you need the Wi-Fi code.
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You need access to get a connection online.
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And then you need to use this QR code to get to the form that you need to fill in.
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It all sounds maybe a little bit complicated.
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But it's actually quite straightforward.
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You look at the QR code there and you scan it and it will do everything for you almost.
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But it was reminding me as I thought of all these different codes and how they work.
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And how complicated things can sound.
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That that's sometimes the way it is with the Bible and the Gospel.
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How we can maybe make things sound more complicated than they really are.
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But how we can just look at it and see that there's actually easy access to get to the Lord Jesus.
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You think about a passcode.
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It gives you entry.
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Well, as you read the Bible, it's like a code.
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It gives you entry to come and draw near to God.
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You're coming to hear what God is saying to us.
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Then we think of the Wi-Fi connections.
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One of these things that so often bothers us.
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When we go somewhere new or when we're out and about, is there a Wi-Fi code?
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Can I get a connection?
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Can I get online?
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Well, here we've got a connection as well.
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A connection to Jesus.
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Through His Word, we have this connection.
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And then we come to the QR code.
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Does anybody know what QR stands for?
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You go into shops, you go into restaurants, you go into all kinds of different places,
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and it can say, scan the QR code.
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You can sit at your table in a restaurant and order your food and everything just by scanning a QR code.
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Does anybody know what QR stands for?
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It stands for quick response.
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That's what it stands for.
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QR stands for quick response.
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The QR code enables you to respond quickly to something.
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So this QR code on the sheet today, it allows you to respond quickly to Ian
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and let him know all your details for registering at Sunday school.
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But the Bible calls for a quick response as well.
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In many ways, that's what we're going to be looking at this morning as we look in the Book of Acts.
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We think of a man who was in charge of a prison.
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He was called a jailer.
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He had a question.
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What must I do to be saved?
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And the people that were with him in the prison, Peter and Silas, they gave him a response.
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They said, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
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This is like a QR code for them.
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It demanded a quick response.
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And he believed.
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He trusted in the Lord Jesus.
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And that's what the gospel is about.
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We can sometimes make it seem so complicated.
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But it's about having an entry, coming near to God, having access to Jesus and coming with a quick response.
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Believing in the Lord Jesus.
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So Ian wants you to respond quickly to this QR code on the sheet.
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But more importantly for us all is to have a QR, a quick response to the gospel.
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And to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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We're going to say the Lord's Prayer together now.
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Let's say the Lord's Prayer.
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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, the power and the glory forever.
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Amen.
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We're going to sing again to God's praise.
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We're going to sing in Psalm 130.
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And this is in the Scottish Psalter, page 421 of the psalm book.
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Psalm 130.
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We can sing the whole of this psalm together.
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Verse 1.
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Lord, from the depths to thee I cried, my voice, Lord, do thou hear.
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And to my supplications voice, give an attentive ear.
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We'll sing the whole of this psalm to God's praise.
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Lord, from the depths to thee I cried, my voice, Lord, do thou hear.
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Lord, from the depths to thee I cried, my voice, Lord, do thou hear.
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And to thee I cried, my voice, Lord, do thou hear.
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My voice, Lord, do thou hear.
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And to my supplications voice, give an attentive ear.
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Lord, who shall stand if thou, O Lord, do thou hear.
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Lord, who shall stand if thou, O Lord, shouldst hearken in pity.
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But yet with thee forgive me.
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Lord, who shall stand if thou, O Lord, shouldst hearken in pity.
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Lord, who shall stand if thou, O Lord, shouldst hearken in pity.
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But yet with thee forgive me.
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But yet with thee forgive me.
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Forgivenesses that fear thou hearst me.
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I wait for God, my soul doth wait.
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My hope is in his word.
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More than may that our morning watch.
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My soul doth watch my soul, which are the Lord.
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I say more than may that to watch.
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The morning light to see.
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Let Israel open the Lord.
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For with him blesses be.
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And plentious redemption is ever found within him.
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And from all his iniquities he is death shall redeem.
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Give him peace and heal.
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Thank you.
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I'll return to read in God's word.
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Reading in the Book of Acts.
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Reading in chapter 16.
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Acts chapter 16.
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Amen.
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We're taking up our reading at verse 16,
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although we're taking into consideration
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from verse 11 this morning as well.
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We will see the conversion of Lydia,
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who was a businesswoman, if you like,
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seller of purple.
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But she was gathered this day with many other women
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in a place of prayer.
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And Paul and Silas went to see her.
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And it says there in verse 14,
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One who heard us was a woman named Lydia
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from the city of Thyatira,
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a seller of purple goods,
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who was a worshipper of God.
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The Lord opened her heart
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to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
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So we're taking that into consideration as well
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as we take up our reading in verse 16.
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As we were going to the place of prayer,
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we were met by a slave girl
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who had a spirit of divination
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and brought her own owners much gain
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by fortune-telling.
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She followed Paul and us, crying out,
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These men are servants of the Most High God,
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who proclaim to you the way of salvation.
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And this she kept doing for many days.
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Paul, having become greatly annoyed,
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turned and said to the spirit,
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I command you in the name of Jesus Christ
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to come out of her.
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And it came out that very hour.
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But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone,
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they seized Paul and Silas
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and dragged them into the marketplace
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before the rulers.
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And when they had brought them to the magistrates,
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they said,
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These men are Jews,
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and they are disturbing our city.
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They advocate customs that are not lawful for us
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as Romans to accept or practice.
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The crowd joined in attacking them,
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and the magistrates tore the garments of them
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and gave orders to beat them with rods.
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And when they had inflicted many blows upon them,
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they threw them into prison,
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ordering the jailer to keep them safely.
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Having received this order,
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he put them into the inner prison
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and fastened their feet in the stocks.
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About midnight,
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Paul and Silas were praying
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and singing hymns to God,
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and the prisoners were listening to them.
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And suddenly there was a great earthquake.
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So the foundations of the prison were shaken.
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And immediately all the doors were opened,
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and everyone's bonds were unfastened.
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When the jailer woke
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and saw that the prison doors were open,
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he drew his sword
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and was about to kill himself,
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supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
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But Paul cried with a loud voice,
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Do not harm yourself,
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for we are all here.
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And the jailer called for lights
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and rushed in.
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And trembling with fear,
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he fell down before Paul and Silas.
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Then he brought them out and said,
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Sir, what must I do to be saved?
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And they said,
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Believe in the Lord Jesus,
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and you will be saved,
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you and your household.
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And they spoke the word of the Lord to him
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and to all who were in his house.
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And he took them the same hour of the night
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and washed their wounds.
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And he was baptized at once,
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he and all his family.
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Then he brought them up into his house
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and set food before them.
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And he rejoiced,
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along with his entire household,
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that he had believed in God.
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But when it was day,
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the magistrate sent the police,
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saying,
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Let those men go.
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And their jailer reported these words
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to Paul,
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saying,
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The magistrates have sent to let you go.
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Therefore,
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come out now and go in peace.
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But Paul said to them,
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They have beaten us publicly,
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uncondemned,
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men who are Roman citizens,
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and have thrown us into prison.
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And do they now throw us out secretly?
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No.
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Let them come themselves and take us out.
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The police reported these words to the magistrates,
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and they were afraid
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when they heard that they were Roman citizens.
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So they came and apologized to them.
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And they took them out
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and asked them to leave the city.
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So they went out of the prison
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and visited Lydia.
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And when they had seen the brothers,
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they encouraged them
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and departed.
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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
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in a word of prayer.
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Let us pray.
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O Lord, our God,
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we thank you
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that you are a gracious,
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a merciful God,
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a God who is patient with his people,
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a God who is long-suffering,
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as your word describes,
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and yet a God who is so quickly
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able to transform people's lives.
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And we thank you that you are the God,
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the one who has all power,
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the power to salvation,
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the power to convert,
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the power to change
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from those who are darkness
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to those who are
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in the marvelous light of the gospel.
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And we thank you
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for your transforming power,
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that just as you spoke
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this world into creation,
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so your voice still has power
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to this day,
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power over all people
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and all situations.
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And we thank you that in your word,
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as we have read it together here,
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we are reminded of your power,
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power and control in all circumstances,
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circumstances that seem
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outwith our natural control,
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but yet everything is in your hands.
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We think of the people
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we have read of in this passage,
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Lydia,
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a seller of purple,
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and yet one who is so wealthy,
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but maybe still distant from you.
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But we thank you for your power,
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that your word opened her heart.
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We thank you too of a young girl
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who was used by masters
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who were making money out of her,
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and yet you had power to set her free.
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We thank you for the Philippian jailer
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in his household,
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the one who was in fear of his very life,
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and yet was brought to rejoice in God.
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We thank you for the way your word reminds us
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that you have power,
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not just in all these circumstances,
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but power to this day over all our lives,
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lives of people who,
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as we often do,
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find ourselves in so many differing situations,
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how changeable our situations often are,
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and yet you are the one who changes not.
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And so we thank you that today
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that we are able to commit ourselves
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and all our loved ones
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and all that goes on around us
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into your mighty hands,
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praying for one another,
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seeking to encourage one another
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and build one another up.
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We do, Lord, ask your blessing on us as a people,
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on homes and families
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and all our different needs,
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knowing, Lord,
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that they are many and varied,
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and yet none hidden from you.
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We thank you that whatever our situation today,
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whether we are rejoicing
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or whether we are sorrowful,
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whether we are afflicted
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or whatever else may be going on in our lives,
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that we know, Lord,
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that you are the one
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who is able to give us strength.
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We ask your blessing then to be upon us
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and to be upon those who need you
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in particular ways.
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Again, we so often pray
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for those who are mourning,
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and we know
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throughout our communities
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there are many who are mourning at this time,
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mourning in very different circumstances,
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and yet all mourning the loss of loved ones
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in different ways.
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We do pray, Lord,
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for your comfort,
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for your presence,
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for your peace
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in the midst of difficult circumstances.
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We know that connected to ourselves
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as a congregation,
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that there are many
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who have lost loved ones,
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and we just pray, Lord,
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that you will draw near to them
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and their families, communities,
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that your word will be blessed
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in the midst of times of sorrow.
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We think, too,
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of our island community.
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We have seen tragedy
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in our midst this week
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with the passing of Mark Elston,
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who was known by many
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even in this congregation,
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someone who came through
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the doors of the hall
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on a number of occasions
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and attended churches
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in different parts of our community.
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We pray, Lord,
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for his family
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as they grieve his passing,
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his friends,
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those who knew him
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in different ways.
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We commit them to you, O Lord,
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asking for your comfort,
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for your grace towards them.
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We know, Lord,
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in our world
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that there are so many troubles.
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We see it day by day.
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We think of Libya
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and the tragedy there.
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We think of Morocco
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and the earthquake.
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We think of
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so many other conflicts
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going on around the world
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and the Ukraine
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and further afield.
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We know, Lord,
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day by day
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that there is sadness
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and sorrow around us.
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But we pray, too, Lord,
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that you will not leave us
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just looking down
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in sorrowful ways,
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but that you will help us
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to lift our eyes,
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to lift our eyes to you
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as the one
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who is able to do
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abundantly more
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than all that we ask
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or imagine.
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And we thank you
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that no matter
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the difficulties
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in this world,
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that with you
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there is hope,
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that the gospel
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is a gospel
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of change,
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of transformation.
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and we know, Lord,
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that ultimately
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you will transform
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this world,
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you will transform
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your people.
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But we pray, Lord,
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to know your power
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even in these days,
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that we would see
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the power of your word
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going out
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to convict
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and to convert,
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the power of your word
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bringing people
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from darkness
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to light,
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the power of your word
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transforming lives
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and households
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and communities
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as a whole,
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that we would see
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your saving power
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in our midst.
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We pray, O Lord,
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for there to be
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much rejoicing,
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the rejoicing
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of days of salvation,
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people knowing
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the joy of salvation.
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We ask, O Lord,
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that your power
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will go through
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our lands,
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throughout our world,
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to all ends
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of the earth,
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that your word
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will go out
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with power.
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We thank you, Lord,
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for every way
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that it does go out,
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through every individual,
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through every congregation,
27:09
denomination,
27:10
through all your people
27:11
around the world.
27:12
We thank you
27:13
that you have servants
27:14
who bring your gospel
27:15
and your people, Lord,
27:17
who are salt and light
27:18
in different parts.
27:20
And we pray, Lord,
27:21
that you will encourage us,
27:23
that you will help us
27:24
to be strong in the Lord
27:25
and to be encouraged
27:27
that you are at work.
27:30
Lord, continue to hear
27:31
our prayers,
27:32
bless us as we turn
27:33
to your word,
27:34
remember us as a people,
27:37
do us good, we pray,
27:39
build us up in our faith,
27:40
help us to encourage
27:42
and pray for one another
27:43
all the more.
27:45
And we ask all these things,
27:46
acknowledging our shortcomings,
27:48
our sinfulness
27:49
in our heart,
27:51
and yet thankful
27:51
as we have sung
27:52
that with you
27:53
there is plenteous redemption.
27:56
So, Lord,
27:56
forgive our sins
27:57
and go with us now,
27:59
continue with us
28:00
throughout this day
28:01
and with Adam
28:01
as he's with us
28:02
this evening, Lord.
28:03
May you encourage him
28:04
in his ministry,
28:06
in his life,
28:06
and in his soul.
28:07
And may he be
28:08
an encouragement
28:09
to us too.
28:11
Lord, hear us,
28:12
we pray,
28:12
and pardon us
28:13
as we ask it all
28:14
in Jesus' name.
28:16
Amen.
28:20
Let us again sing
28:21
to God's praise.
28:22
We're going to sing
28:23
in Psalm 80a.
28:25
It's in the Sing Psalms
28:26
version,
28:27
Psalm 80a,
28:29
page 106.
28:32
We'll sing
28:32
from verse 1
28:33
to verse 7.
28:34
Hear, O Israel,
28:37
shepherd, hear us.
28:38
Joseph,
28:39
like a flock you lead,
28:40
you who are enthroned
28:42
in glory,
28:42
shine upon us
28:43
in our need.
28:45
We'll sing
28:45
from verse 1
28:46
to 7
28:47
to God's praise.
28:48
Amen.
28:53
Hear, O Israel,
28:57
shepherd, hear us.
29:00
Joseph,
29:02
Joseph,
29:02
like a flock you lead,
29:07
you who are enthroned
29:11
in glory,
29:14
shine upon us
29:17
in our need.
29:21
Shine on,
29:23
angel,
29:25
when man has
29:27
day,
29:28
and forever
29:30
as your might.
29:35
Turn us once again
29:39
towards you.
29:41
Come and save us,
29:45
give us light.
29:49
O Lord God,
29:52
the Lord Almighty,
29:55
how long will
29:59
your anchor's hope,
30:03
making void
30:05
your people's prayers,
30:09
so that all
30:12
your enemies
30:14
talk.
30:17
You have fed
30:20
the spread
30:21
of sorrow,
30:23
tears in plenty
30:27
we must shed.
30:30
We are now
30:33
before our neighbors,
30:37
humbled
30:38
and discredited.
30:44
Luke on us,
30:47
O God Almighty,
30:50
let us see
30:53
your glory
30:55
bright.
30:58
Turn us once again
31:02
towards you.
31:04
Come and save us,
31:07
give us light.
31:11
Amen.
31:18
So we can turn back
31:19
to our reading
31:19
in the book of Acts
31:20
chapter 16.
31:23
And then we can read
31:24
at verse 30.
31:28
Acts 16
31:29
at verse 30.
31:30
Then he brought them
31:30
out and said,
31:31
Sir,
31:32
what must I do
31:33
to be saved?
31:35
And they said,
31:36
believe in the Lord
31:38
Jesus
31:38
and you will
31:40
be saved,
31:41
you and
31:42
your household.
31:46
We're very familiar
31:47
with hearing
31:48
bad news.
31:50
We hear it probably
31:51
every day of our lives.
31:52
Some sort of
31:53
bad news
31:54
comes our way,
31:55
whether it's
31:56
very personal
31:57
or local
31:58
or whether it's
31:58
national
31:59
or international.
32:00
We hear
32:01
bad news
32:02
so often.
32:04
And the psalm
32:05
that we were singing
32:05
there,
32:06
Psalm 80,
32:07
reminds us
32:08
that that is
32:09
often the case.
32:10
In Psalm 80
32:11
verse 5
32:11
it says,
32:12
You have fed us
32:13
bread of sorrow,
32:14
tears in plenty
32:16
we must shed.
32:18
There are so much
32:19
times of sorrow
32:21
in our lives.
32:22
But the psalmist
32:23
then says,
32:24
Look on us,
32:25
O God Almighty.
32:27
Let us see
32:28
your glory
32:29
bright.
32:30
Turn us
32:31
once again
32:32
towards you.
32:33
Come and save us.
32:35
Give us
32:36
light.
32:38
So we often hear
32:39
bad news.
32:41
But what's
32:42
the best news
32:44
you've heard
32:45
this week?
32:46
Or even in the last
32:47
number of weeks,
32:48
what's the best news
32:49
that you've heard?
32:51
What's the best news
32:52
you could hear
32:53
in the week ahead?
32:55
There may be many
32:56
things that come
32:57
to our mind
32:57
when we think
32:58
of good news,
33:00
great things
33:00
that we've heard,
33:02
things that make us
33:02
rejoice
33:03
and are glad.
33:06
But is it
33:07
that we've heard
33:08
of someone
33:08
converted?
33:11
Is it that we've
33:12
heard that God
33:13
has opened
33:14
the heart
33:14
of someone
33:15
and they've
33:16
come to believe
33:17
in the Lord
33:18
Jesus Christ?
33:19
When was the last
33:20
time
33:21
you rejoiced
33:22
in that good news?
33:25
A sinner
33:26
saved.
33:27
The Bible
33:28
tells us
33:29
that there is
33:30
rejoicing
33:31
in heaven
33:32
over one
33:33
sinner
33:34
who repents.
33:36
And that would
33:37
be great news
33:38
for us to hear.
33:39
Maybe we have
33:40
heard it
33:41
in the last week
33:42
or the last
33:42
number of weeks.
33:43
We hear of people
33:44
being converted
33:45
locally
33:46
or in many
33:47
different parts
33:47
of the world.
33:49
Do we go into
33:50
the week ahead?
33:50
Do we come into
33:51
the day-to-day
33:52
with a sense
33:53
of expectancy,
33:54
a wonder,
33:55
who the Lord
33:56
will save
33:57
today?
33:58
Do we expect
33:59
conversions
34:00
to happen?
34:02
Are we
34:02
praying
34:04
for conversions
34:05
to take place?
34:06
When you look
34:06
at the book
34:07
of Acts,
34:08
it's a wonderful
34:09
book of encouragement.
34:12
If you're feeling
34:12
discouraged
34:13
in the work
34:14
of the gospel,
34:15
if you're feeling
34:15
discouraged
34:16
in evangelism
34:17
and mission,
34:18
turn to the book
34:19
of Acts
34:20
and read through
34:21
it and it
34:22
reminds you
34:23
that God
34:23
is a God
34:24
of saving
34:25
power.
34:26
From the small
34:27
numbers you see
34:28
in the opening
34:29
chapter,
34:30
by the end
34:31
of chapter 2
34:32
it says,
34:33
the Lord
34:33
added to their
34:34
number day
34:35
by day
34:36
those who
34:37
were being
34:37
saved.
34:40
Salvation
34:40
is of God.
34:43
And so the
34:44
book of Acts
34:44
is a wonderful
34:46
reminder to us
34:47
of the power
34:48
of God
34:49
to salvation
34:50
and power
34:51
of God
34:51
in the midst
34:52
of all kinds
34:53
of different
34:54
situations.
34:55
It's not always
34:56
easy and plain
34:58
sailing for God's
34:59
people as you
35:00
read through
35:00
the book of Acts.
35:02
Even as we've
35:03
read here
35:03
in Acts
35:04
chapter 16,
35:06
Paul and Silas
35:08
they're in prison.
35:10
They're bound
35:11
in chains
35:12
and yet God
35:13
is able to use
35:14
that circumstance
35:15
for his
35:16
glory.
35:18
And it reminds
35:19
us that we have
35:20
to keep in mind
35:21
the greater
35:22
picture of God,
35:24
the bigger
35:24
picture of God,
35:26
that in all the
35:27
things that discourage
35:28
us and leave us
35:29
despondent and
35:30
despairing,
35:31
all the sad news
35:32
that comes our
35:33
way so often,
35:35
that we can look
35:35
to God and
35:36
remind ourselves
35:37
that God
35:38
is at work.
35:41
As you go through
35:41
the book of Acts,
35:43
it's almost a bit
35:44
like watching a
35:45
child grow.
35:48
If you're a
35:48
parent of a child
35:49
and you're with
35:50
that child all
35:51
the time,
35:51
you're watching
35:52
a child grow
35:53
and maybe you
35:54
don't see much
35:55
change.
35:56
But if you only
35:56
see that child
35:57
from time to
35:59
time,
36:00
if you're in a
36:00
relation,
36:00
maybe you only
36:01
sees them once
36:02
a year,
36:03
you'll notice
36:03
a huge change,
36:05
a big difference.
36:07
That's the way
36:07
it is with the
36:08
gospel sometimes.
36:09
In the midst
36:10
of the church
36:11
and the work
36:13
of the church,
36:13
perhaps you think
36:15
there's not much
36:16
happening,
36:17
nothing's really
36:18
changing.
36:19
Sometimes you
36:20
have to take a
36:20
step back
36:21
and see that,
36:23
yes,
36:23
God is at work
36:24
in this place.
36:26
God is at work
36:27
in our lives.
36:29
God is a God
36:30
of growth
36:31
and a God
36:32
of change.
36:33
That's what the
36:34
gospel does.
36:35
As you look
36:36
through the
36:37
book of Acts,
36:37
that's the way
36:38
you see God
36:39
working in
36:41
his power.
36:42
Perhaps the
36:43
people then,
36:43
they couldn't
36:44
see what God
36:45
was doing
36:46
until they took
36:47
a step back.
36:48
Actually,
36:49
when you look
36:49
at chapter 1,
36:50
all you see
36:51
is a small
36:52
group who
36:53
are named.
36:54
There were
36:54
so few of
36:55
them.
36:56
But by the
36:56
time you get
36:57
into chapter 2
36:57
and 3,
36:58
there are
36:59
thousands being
37:00
added to the
37:01
number being
37:01
saved.
37:03
It is about
37:04
God's power.
37:07
That's the same
37:08
God that is at
37:09
work here today
37:10
in our church,
37:13
in our community,
37:14
in our islands,
37:15
in our nation,
37:16
in the world.
37:17
God is our
37:18
God who is
37:18
working in
37:20
power.
37:20
And we can
37:20
take encouragement
37:21
from God's
37:23
word that he
37:24
will work,
37:25
that he will
37:26
do, that as
37:28
we look to
37:28
him and trust
37:29
in him, he
37:30
is able to
37:31
do far more
37:32
than we can
37:32
even imagine.
37:34
And so let
37:35
us keep
37:36
praying.
37:37
Let us keep
37:38
praising God,
37:39
just like Paul
37:40
and Silas here
37:41
in prison,
37:42
that God would
37:43
work in us
37:44
and through
37:44
us for
37:46
his glory.
37:48
Remembering
37:48
God's
37:49
saving
37:50
power.
37:52
So what we
37:53
see in this
37:53
section of
37:54
Acts in
37:55
chapter 16
37:56
is a powerful
37:58
passage about
37:59
conversion
37:59
and the number
38:01
of people that
38:02
God was at
38:03
work in,
38:04
in very
38:05
different
38:05
circumstances.
38:06
You have
38:07
Lydia,
38:08
you have this
38:08
young slave
38:10
girl,
38:10
you have the
38:11
Philippian
38:11
jailer,
38:12
very different
38:13
circumstances
38:14
and yet God's
38:16
transforming power
38:18
seen in all
38:19
their lives.
38:21
It's always
38:22
great to hear
38:24
someone's
38:25
testimony,
38:26
someone's story
38:27
about the way
38:28
God worked
38:29
in their life,
38:30
brought them
38:30
to see and
38:32
have their eyes
38:32
opened to the
38:33
wonder of
38:34
Jesus.
38:36
And there are
38:37
many conversions
38:38
you see and
38:39
they're maybe
38:40
not surprised
38:41
to us,
38:42
but there are
38:43
others that
38:44
are complete
38:45
surprised to us.
38:46
We didn't see
38:47
it coming,
38:48
but that's how
38:49
God works.
38:50
He works in
38:50
everyone's lives
38:52
in different
38:52
ways.
38:54
And the Bible
38:54
is full of
38:55
maybe surprising
38:57
conversions in
38:58
our eyes.
38:59
You think of
39:00
Paul himself,
39:02
his conversion
39:03
story is told
39:04
in the book
39:05
on Acts
39:05
on three
39:06
occasions.
39:07
In chapter
39:07
nine you can
39:08
read about it.
39:09
Saul who
39:10
persecuted
39:11
Christians,
39:12
people were
39:13
afraid of
39:14
him and
39:15
yet God
39:16
powerfully
39:16
transformed
39:18
his life.
39:20
Another one
39:20
is Cornelius
39:21
who we read
39:22
of just
39:23
previous to
39:23
this in the
39:24
book of Acts.
39:25
Again,
39:25
God worked
39:26
powerfully
39:27
in his
39:28
life.
39:28
Lydia,
39:29
here we are
39:30
told that
39:30
the Lord
39:31
opened her
39:32
heart.
39:34
The slave
39:35
girl,
39:36
she was in
39:37
bondage
39:38
through
39:39
spirits of
39:40
divination,
39:41
a fortune
39:41
teller,
39:42
yet God
39:43
set her
39:44
free.
39:45
And the
39:45
Philippian
39:46
jailer,
39:46
as we will
39:46
see,
39:47
someone who
39:48
was a
39:48
hard man
39:49
in so many
39:51
ways and
39:51
yet brought
39:52
to that
39:52
point of
39:55
bowing
39:55
before God.
39:57
What must
39:58
I do
39:59
to be
40:00
saved?
40:02
Conversions
40:03
are wonderful
40:04
things.
40:05
You just
40:05
have to
40:05
read through
40:06
Hebrews
40:07
11,
40:09
and there
40:09
you see
40:10
a list
40:10
of people
40:11
who God
40:12
worked
40:12
powerfully
40:13
in their
40:14
lives.
40:15
People
40:15
of all
40:16
kinds of
40:17
different
40:17
backgrounds,
40:19
all kinds
40:20
of different
40:20
issues in
40:22
their lives,
40:22
and yet God
40:23
worked
40:24
powerfully
40:24
in them
40:25
and then
40:26
through
40:27
them.
40:28
The gospel
40:28
is powerful,
40:31
and the
40:31
gospel
40:32
calls for
40:34
a response.
40:36
And what
40:36
this chapter,
40:37
chapter 16,
40:38
reminds us
40:39
of is the
40:40
wonder of
40:41
God's
40:42
grace.
40:43
The wonder
40:44
of God's
40:45
grace towards
40:46
all people,
40:49
men and
40:50
women,
40:50
boys and
40:51
girls.
40:53
God calls
40:54
on us all
40:54
to come
40:55
to him.
40:59
It's this
40:59
grace that
41:01
is at work
41:01
in all
41:02
of these
41:02
lives.
41:04
The grace
41:04
of Lydia,
41:05
a business
41:06
woman of
41:07
great means.
41:09
She would
41:09
have been
41:09
rich,
41:09
a seller
41:10
of purple,
41:12
of good
41:12
standing in
41:14
her town,
41:15
in her city.
41:16
And we see
41:17
that she was
41:18
one who
41:18
met for
41:19
prayer.
41:20
In verse
41:21
13 of this
41:22
chapter,
41:22
it says,
41:23
on the
41:23
Sabbath day,
41:24
we went
41:24
outside the
41:25
gate to
41:25
the riverside.
41:26
We supposed
41:27
there was a
41:28
place of
41:28
prayer.
41:29
So they
41:30
went,
41:30
and one
41:31
who heard
41:32
us was
41:32
a woman
41:32
named
41:33
Lydia.
41:35
The Lord
41:36
opened her
41:37
heart to
41:38
pay attention.
41:40
Again,
41:41
it's just
41:41
this powerful
41:42
way that
41:43
God works.
41:45
Just there
41:45
and then in
41:46
that moment,
41:47
the Lord
41:48
opened her
41:49
heart.
41:51
And maybe
41:52
you've come
41:52
in here today
41:53
and your
41:54
heart has
41:54
been hard.
41:56
You have
41:56
come in
41:56
here today.
41:57
You're not
41:57
really listening
41:58
to what
41:59
God is
41:59
saying to
41:59
you.
42:00
But in
42:00
a moment,
42:02
the Lord
42:02
can open
42:03
your heart.
42:05
That is
42:05
the power
42:06
that he
42:06
has.
42:07
That's
42:08
the power
42:08
that encourages
42:09
us as
42:10
preachers,
42:10
as Christians,
42:11
that we
42:12
don't lose
42:12
hope because
42:13
God's word
42:14
is powerful
42:15
to open
42:16
hearts.
42:17
Open hearts
42:17
of maybe
42:18
those we've
42:19
prayed for
42:19
over many
42:20
years.
42:22
Maybe we're
42:22
losing hope
42:23
of that
42:24
sense of
42:25
will they
42:26
ever be
42:26
converted.
42:28
And yet
42:28
this reminds
42:29
us that
42:29
it's the
42:30
Lord who
42:31
can just
42:31
open a
42:32
heart in
42:33
a moment.
42:35
In the
42:36
same way
42:36
as the
42:37
slave girl
42:38
too.
42:39
She was
42:40
caught up
42:40
in this
42:40
world where
42:41
she was
42:41
at the
42:42
hands of
42:43
her master.
42:44
She was
42:44
a slave
42:44
girl who
42:45
had a
42:45
spirit of
42:46
divination.
42:47
And yet
42:48
in a
42:48
word,
42:49
her life
42:50
is
42:50
transformed.
42:52
Her
42:52
life
42:52
is
42:53
changed.
42:54
The
42:54
God of
42:55
grace
42:55
can set
42:56
anybody
42:57
free.
42:58
From
42:58
any
42:58
bondage,
42:59
any
42:59
slavery
43:00
that we're
43:00
caught up
43:01
in,
43:01
God can
43:02
set us
43:03
free.
43:04
Why is
43:05
that?
43:06
Because
43:07
with God
43:07
it is
43:08
possible.
43:10
In
43:10
Matthew
43:10
19
43:11
verse
43:11
26,
43:13
Jesus
43:13
looked at
43:13
his
43:14
disciples
43:14
and said
43:15
to them,
43:15
with man
43:16
this is
43:16
impossible,
43:17
but with
43:17
God all
43:18
things are
43:19
possible.
43:21
And what
43:21
was the
43:21
context?
43:23
Salvation.
43:25
The
43:25
question was
43:26
asked,
43:27
how can
43:28
the rich
43:28
be saved?
43:31
And
43:31
Jesus
43:32
said to
43:32
them,
43:33
it seems
43:33
impossible
43:34
to you,
43:36
but with
43:36
God all
43:37
things are
43:39
possible.
43:41
And that's
43:41
a reminder
43:42
to us of
43:43
the power
43:43
of God's
43:45
word.
43:46
That he
43:47
is able
43:47
to save,
43:48
he is able
43:49
to convert.
43:50
And we
43:51
don't lose
43:51
hope because
43:53
he is able
43:54
to do
43:54
that.
43:56
And that's
43:57
what we
43:57
see when
43:57
we come
43:58
to the
43:59
Philippian
43:59
jailer.
44:01
In this
44:02
section from
44:02
verse 25,
44:05
where we
44:05
see Paul
44:06
and Silas
44:07
in prison,
44:09
we want
44:09
to see
44:09
just two
44:10
things from
44:11
this section.
44:13
First,
44:13
we see
44:14
the question
44:15
that the
44:16
jailer has.
44:17
And then
44:19
we see
44:19
the response
44:20
of Paul
44:22
and Silas.
44:24
The jailer
44:25
was given
44:26
orders to
44:27
guard these
44:28
men.
44:30
In verse 24,
44:30
having received
44:31
this order,
44:32
he put them
44:33
into the
44:33
inner prison
44:34
and fastened
44:35
their feet
44:36
in the
44:37
stocks.
44:39
They were
44:39
put in
44:40
the most
44:40
secure
44:41
part of
44:42
the prison.
44:43
And this
44:43
man was
44:44
put in
44:44
charge of
44:45
looking after
44:46
them.
44:47
But
44:49
something
44:49
remarkable
44:50
was about
44:51
to happen.
44:53
Paul and
44:53
Silas could
44:54
have been
44:54
sitting there
44:55
thinking,
44:56
what's next
44:57
for us?
44:59
What's
44:59
going to
45:01
happen?
45:01
They could
45:01
have lost
45:02
heart in
45:03
it all.
45:04
But look
45:04
at what it
45:05
says in
45:05
verse 25.
45:06
About
45:07
midnight,
45:08
Paul and
45:09
Silas were
45:10
praying and
45:11
singing hymns
45:12
to God.
45:13
and the
45:15
prisoners
45:15
were listening
45:17
to them.
45:19
Here they
45:19
were,
45:20
they weren't
45:20
losing hope,
45:22
they weren't
45:22
losing heart
45:23
in the midst
45:24
of all the
45:25
badness that
45:26
was around
45:26
them and
45:27
all the bad
45:27
things that
45:28
were happening
45:29
to them.
45:30
They were
45:31
confident in
45:32
God.
45:34
They were
45:34
rejoicing in
45:35
him, they
45:35
were praying
45:36
and singing
45:36
hymns to
45:37
God.
45:38
and they
45:40
were those
45:40
who were
45:41
beside them
45:41
listening to
45:43
them,
45:43
listening to
45:44
them as
45:44
they praised
45:45
God and
45:45
as they
45:45
sang to
45:47
him.
45:48
And in
45:48
the midst
45:48
of this
45:49
there's an
45:49
earthquake.
45:50
The foundation
45:51
of the prison
45:52
is shaken
45:53
and everything
45:55
just seems to
45:55
change in a
45:57
moment.
45:57
They're free
45:58
to go
45:59
and yet
46:01
they don't.
46:04
And the
46:04
Philippian
46:05
jailer in
46:06
all his
46:06
fear, in
46:07
all his
46:07
terror,
46:08
here, he's
46:09
in danger
46:09
of losing
46:10
his life.
46:11
If these
46:12
prisoners get
46:13
away, his
46:14
life would be
46:15
taken.
46:16
That's the
46:16
way it
46:17
worked with
46:17
the Roman
46:18
soldiers in
46:19
those days.
46:22
But what
46:23
happens?
46:24
Well we
46:25
have this
46:25
dramatic
46:26
conversion of
46:27
the Philippian
46:28
jailer.
46:31
He fell
46:32
down before
46:33
Paul and
46:33
Silas.
46:34
Then he
46:34
brought them
46:35
out and
46:35
said,
46:36
Serge,
46:37
what must
46:38
I do
46:39
to be
46:40
saved?
46:42
Isn't
46:42
that a
46:43
wonderful
46:44
question?
46:47
Is that
46:48
a question
46:48
that you
46:49
have today?
46:51
Sir,
46:52
what must
46:53
I do
46:54
to be
46:55
saved?
46:57
What
46:57
provokes
46:58
this question
46:59
in the
46:59
Philippian
47:00
jailer?
47:01
Is it
47:01
fear?
47:03
Maybe a
47:04
little,
47:04
but fear
47:05
of what?
47:07
Is it
47:07
a fear
47:08
of
47:08
retribution
47:09
at the
47:09
hand of
47:09
his
47:10
masters?
47:11
Or is
47:12
it more
47:12
a fear
47:13
of God?
47:16
You
47:16
know when
47:16
Paul and
47:17
Silas were
47:18
praying and
47:19
singing,
47:20
the prisoners
47:21
heard it.
47:23
And you
47:23
wonder if
47:24
the Philippian
47:25
jailer
47:25
heard it
47:26
too.
47:28
His life
47:29
was about
47:30
to be
47:31
transformed.
47:31
transformed.
47:32
A life
47:33
that perhaps
47:33
had no
47:34
thought for
47:34
God until
47:36
this very
47:36
moment on
47:37
this night.
47:40
And this
47:40
was a man
47:41
who would
47:41
have seen
47:41
so much.
47:44
A Roman
47:44
soldier,
47:45
a jailer,
47:46
he would
47:46
have seen
47:46
so many
47:47
things in
47:48
life,
47:48
so many
47:48
hard things,
47:50
so many
47:50
wicked
47:51
things.
47:52
Perhaps he
47:52
was involved
47:53
in things
47:53
himself that
47:55
is now
47:55
weighing heavy
47:56
on his
47:56
heart.
47:58
He knows
47:59
he has done
48:00
wrong as so
48:00
many of us
48:01
do.
48:02
He knows
48:03
there are
48:03
things missing
48:04
in his
48:04
life as so
48:05
many of
48:05
us do.
48:08
But it
48:09
leads him
48:09
to this
48:10
question.
48:12
What must
48:13
I do
48:14
to be
48:15
saved?
48:19
Is that
48:19
the question
48:20
that is
48:21
eating away
48:22
at you?
48:24
And you're
48:24
thinking of
48:25
your own
48:25
life,
48:25
your own
48:26
situation,
48:27
the way
48:27
you've
48:28
responded to
48:29
God in
48:30
the past,
48:30
the way
48:30
you've
48:31
treated
48:31
God's
48:32
people in
48:33
the past,
48:33
the way
48:33
you've
48:34
lived your
48:34
life in
48:35
general up
48:36
to this
48:36
point,
48:38
and yet
48:38
God is
48:39
speaking to
48:40
you.
48:43
And maybe
48:43
this is the
48:44
burning question
48:45
that you have
48:46
in your
48:47
heart.
48:48
What must
48:49
I do
48:51
to be
48:52
saved?
48:54
Don't just
48:54
push that
48:55
question
48:56
away.
48:57
God is
48:59
going to
49:15
take you
49:16
to be
49:17
busy at
49:18
times and
49:18
you've
49:18
just got
49:19
a list
49:19
of things
49:20
that you
49:20
need to
49:21
get through.
49:21
but maybe
49:24
God is
49:25
just bringing
49:25
you to
49:25
a shuddering
49:26
halt like
49:27
this jailer.
49:30
You hadn't
49:30
expected any
49:31
of this to
49:32
happen.
49:33
An earthquake,
49:34
the prisoners
49:35
getting free,
49:37
his own life
49:38
in danger.
49:39
It had
49:39
happened so
49:40
quickly as
49:41
our lives
49:41
can often
49:42
be.
49:43
But it
49:44
leads to
49:44
this question,
49:46
what must
49:47
I do
49:48
to be
49:49
saved?
49:51
Stop
49:52
and ask
49:53
that question.
49:55
Am I
49:56
saved?
49:57
If not,
49:58
what must
49:59
I do
50:00
to be
50:01
saved?
50:03
Well,
50:04
the other
50:04
thing we
50:04
see in
50:05
this passage,
50:06
we see
50:06
the question,
50:07
but then
50:08
we see
50:09
the response.
50:11
The response
50:12
of Paul
50:13
and Silas
50:14
in verse
50:15
31,
50:16
they said,
50:17
believe,
50:17
in the
50:18
Lord Jesus
50:19
and you
50:20
will be
50:21
saved,
50:22
you and
50:23
your
50:23
household.
50:25
And they
50:26
spoke the
50:27
word of
50:27
the Lord
50:28
to him.
50:30
The word
50:31
of the
50:31
Lord was
50:32
spoken to
50:33
him.
50:34
The word
50:34
of the
50:35
Lord is
50:36
powerful
50:36
and mighty
50:38
to save.
50:40
And this
50:41
is the
50:41
gospel.
50:43
You have
50:44
the question,
50:45
what must
50:45
I do
50:46
to be
50:46
saved?
50:48
And we
50:48
can
50:48
over
50:49
complicate
50:49
it so
50:50
much.
50:51
But the
50:52
simple
50:53
answer is
50:53
here before
50:54
us.
50:56
Believe
50:57
in the
50:58
Lord Jesus
50:59
and you
51:00
will
51:00
be saved.
51:04
Now,
51:04
the response
51:05
of Paul
51:05
and Silas
51:06
could have
51:06
been so
51:07
different here.
51:08
They had
51:09
been beaten
51:10
by this
51:11
man.
51:11
They had
51:11
been put
51:11
into the
51:12
innermost
51:12
part of
51:13
the prison
51:13
and put
51:14
their feet
51:15
in stalks
51:15
to this
51:16
man.
51:16
They could
51:17
have easily
51:17
turned and
51:18
say,
51:18
you deserve
51:19
nothing.
51:20
And grace,
51:21
no chance.
51:24
But what
51:25
they do is
51:26
they point
51:26
him to
51:27
the gospel.
51:30
And thanks
51:30
be to God
51:31
that he
51:31
doesn't
51:32
treat us
51:33
as we
51:33
deserve.
51:35
That he
51:35
doesn't turn
51:36
to us and
51:36
say, you
51:36
don't
51:37
deserve,
51:37
mercy.
51:38
You
51:38
don't
51:39
deserve
51:39
grace.
51:41
He
51:41
could,
51:43
but he
51:43
doesn't.
51:45
Instead,
51:46
he gave
51:46
his own
51:47
son for
51:48
us.
51:49
He showed
51:50
his love
51:50
by sending
51:51
his son
51:52
into this
51:52
world to
51:53
die on
51:54
a cross
51:55
for his
51:55
people.
51:57
He bore
51:58
our sins.
51:59
He bore
52:00
the punishment
52:01
that we
52:01
deserved.
52:02
He showed
52:03
grace when
52:05
we didn't
52:05
deserve it.
52:07
And that's
52:07
what Paul
52:08
and Silas
52:09
remind us
52:10
of here.
52:12
If someone
52:12
comes to
52:13
us who's
52:14
mistreated
52:14
us,
52:15
our natural
52:16
response is
52:17
to want
52:17
harm for
52:18
them,
52:19
not good.
52:21
But our
52:22
ultimate desire
52:23
should be
52:23
their salvation,
52:26
that God
52:27
would have
52:27
mercy on
52:28
their soul,
52:29
that they
52:30
too would
52:30
come and
52:31
believe in
52:32
the Lord
52:32
Jesus Christ.
52:35
In the
52:36
midst of
52:37
tribulation,
52:38
in the
52:39
midst of
52:39
hardship,
52:41
here,
52:41
Paul and
52:41
Silas find
52:43
an opportunity
52:43
to be used
52:44
by God
52:45
to lead
52:46
someone to
52:47
salvation.
52:47
Isn't that
52:48
wonderful?
52:50
And how
52:50
often do we
52:51
hear Paul
52:52
reminding us
52:53
that it's
52:54
rejoicing in
52:55
tribulation?
52:56
salvation.
52:58
You see it
52:59
so often in
52:59
Paul's life
53:00
and others
53:01
life in
53:01
the Scripture,
53:02
it's through
53:03
their hardships,
53:04
through their
53:04
suffering,
53:05
that they see
53:06
the greatest
53:06
glory being
53:08
given to
53:08
God.
53:10
And we
53:11
have to
53:11
understand that
53:12
too, that
53:14
sometimes it's
53:14
in our greatest
53:15
tribulation that
53:17
God is working
53:18
most powerfully,
53:19
whether it's in
53:21
us or through
53:22
us for someone
53:23
else, that we
53:25
are reminded of
53:26
the power of
53:27
God to save.
53:29
Faith in
53:30
God makes us
53:32
great optimists,
53:33
somebody once
53:34
said.
53:35
And that's
53:36
what we are
53:36
guided to here,
53:38
believe in
53:39
the Lord Jesus
53:40
Christ and
53:41
you will be
53:43
saved.
53:44
The
53:45
missionary
53:45
Adoniram
53:46
Judson, he
53:48
was a
53:48
missionary in
53:49
Burma in
53:50
the 1800s,
53:52
and it was
53:52
a very
53:53
difficult
53:54
place.
53:56
And yet
53:56
over a
53:57
number of
53:57
years, he
53:58
saw a few
53:59
converted.
54:01
But he was
54:02
always optimistic.
54:04
He knew
54:05
that's where
54:06
God wanted
54:07
him.
54:07
Even though
54:07
things seemed
54:08
so dark and
54:09
difficult, even
54:11
at a time when
54:11
he ended up in
54:12
prison, he
54:13
still held on
54:14
to the hope
54:15
and the power
54:16
of the gospel.
54:18
He spent
54:19
over 20
54:20
months in
54:20
prison at
54:21
one stage.
54:21
And during
54:22
his time
54:23
in prison,
54:24
as he was
54:24
chained beside
54:25
other prisoners,
54:27
one prisoner
54:27
turned to
54:28
him, smirking
54:29
and sneering
54:30
at him.
54:32
And he
54:33
said,
54:33
Dr.
54:33
Judson,
54:34
what about
54:35
the prospect
54:36
of conversion
54:37
of the
54:38
heathen
54:39
now?
54:42
Dr.
54:43
Judson
54:43
replied
54:44
instantly.
54:46
He said,
54:47
the prospects
54:47
are just
54:49
as bright
54:49
as the
54:51
promises
54:51
of God.
54:54
And that
54:54
is our
54:55
hope in
54:56
the gospel.
54:57
We don't
54:58
lose hope
54:59
because the
55:00
prospects
55:00
today are
55:01
just as
55:02
bright as
55:03
the promises
55:04
of God.
55:06
That is what
55:07
the power of
55:08
the gospel
55:09
reminds us
55:10
of.
55:11
There is
55:12
salvation
55:13
in no one
55:14
else,
55:16
but in
55:16
the Lord
55:17
Jesus Christ.
55:19
And that
55:19
is what we
55:20
are guided
55:20
to here.
55:21
We have
55:21
the question,
55:23
what must
55:23
I do
55:24
to be
55:25
saved?
55:26
The answer
55:27
is clear
55:28
and simple.
55:31
Believe
55:31
in the
55:33
Lord Jesus
55:33
and you
55:35
will be
55:36
saved.
55:38
And the
55:38
word saved
55:39
here is
55:40
full of
55:41
God's
55:42
promise.
55:44
It means
55:46
to be
55:47
rescued
55:48
from all
55:49
harm and
55:50
danger
55:51
and to
55:52
be kept
55:53
safe
55:53
and sound.
55:56
To be
55:57
rescued
55:57
from all
55:58
harm and
55:59
danger
55:59
and kept
56:00
safe
56:01
and sound.
56:04
And that
56:04
is what the
56:04
Philippian
56:05
jailer came
56:06
to know.
56:07
That is what
56:08
the young
56:08
slave girl
56:09
came to
56:10
know.
56:10
That is what
56:11
Lydia came
56:12
to know.
56:12
by the
56:13
grace of
56:14
God.
56:15
What must
56:16
I do
56:16
to be
56:17
saved
56:17
today?
56:18
Believe
56:19
in the
56:20
Lord Jesus
56:20
and you
56:22
will be
56:23
saved.
56:24
You will
56:25
be rescued
56:27
from all
56:28
harm and
56:28
danger
56:29
and you
56:30
will be
56:31
kept
56:31
safe
56:32
and sound.
56:33
God
56:35
God
56:37
said to
56:38
God
56:38
God
56:38
says to
56:41
us
56:41
for this
56:42
is the
56:43
will of
56:43
my
56:43
father
56:44
that
56:45
everyone
56:45
who
56:45
looks
56:46
on the
56:46
son
56:46
and
56:46
believes
56:47
in
56:47
him
56:47
should
56:48
have
56:49
eternal
56:50
life
56:50
and I
56:51
will
56:51
raise
56:52
him
56:52
up
56:52
on the
56:53
last
56:54
day.
56:55
That
56:55
is the
56:55
security
56:56
of
56:57
Christ.
56:58
The
56:58
salvation
56:59
that we
57:00
have
57:00
in
57:01
Christ
57:01
as we
57:02
believe
57:03
in
57:04
him.
57:05
Do you
57:06
have that
57:07
question
57:07
today?
57:09
What
57:10
must
57:10
I do
57:11
to be
57:12
saved?
57:14
Is it
57:14
burning
57:15
in your
57:16
heart?
57:17
Is it
57:17
troubling
57:18
you?
57:20
Is it
57:20
keeping you
57:20
awake at
57:21
night?
57:23
What
57:23
must I
57:24
do
57:24
to be
57:25
saved?
57:27
Here is
57:28
the answer.
57:29
believe
57:30
in the
57:31
Lord
57:31
Jesus
57:32
and you
57:33
will
57:34
be
57:35
saved.
57:36
God
57:37
can open
57:38
our hearts
57:39
in an
57:40
instant
57:41
and give
57:42
us
57:42
his
57:43
peace
57:44
of that
57:45
salvation
57:45
and that
57:47
security.
57:48
If you
57:49
have that
57:49
question
57:50
don't let
57:52
it go.
57:53
Don't push
57:54
it away
57:54
but plead
57:56
with the
57:57
Lord Jesus
57:58
for mercy.
57:59
come to
58:01
him.
58:02
Believe
58:02
in him
58:03
and know
58:04
this great
58:05
assurance of
58:06
security
58:07
and salvation
58:08
with him.
58:11
What
58:11
must I
58:12
do?
58:13
Believe
58:14
in the
58:15
Lord Jesus.
58:16
Let us
58:17
pray.
58:17
Lord
58:20
our God
58:21
our
58:21
Father
58:21
in heaven
58:22
we
58:23
thank you
58:23
that
58:24
your
58:24
word
58:24
is
58:25
powerful
58:25
that
58:26
your
58:26
word
58:27
is
58:27
sharper
58:28
than
58:28
any
58:28
two
58:29
edged
58:29
sword
58:29
that
58:31
is
58:31
a
58:31
power
58:31
to
58:32
cut
58:32
us
58:33
right
58:33
to
58:34
the
58:34
heart
58:34
and
58:35
we
58:35
pray
58:36
today
58:36
Lord
58:36
that
58:36
you
58:37
will
58:37
bring
58:37
that
58:38
word
58:38
of
58:38
power
58:39
to
58:39
us
58:39
that
58:40
we
58:40
will
58:41
know
58:41
it
58:41
not
58:41
in a
58:42
way
58:42
that
58:42
just
58:42
rebukes
58:43
us
58:43
and
58:43
makes
58:44
us
58:44
feel
58:44
cast
58:45
down
58:45
but
58:46
in a
58:46
way
58:47
that
58:47
lifts
58:47
us
58:48
up
58:48
a
58:49
way
58:49
that
58:49
reminds
58:50
us
58:50
that
58:50
we
58:51
can
58:51
come
58:51
to
58:52
you
58:52
a
58:53
way
58:53
that
58:53
we
58:53
can
58:53
approach
58:54
with
58:54
all
58:54
our
58:55
questions
58:55
and
58:56
find
58:57
in
58:57
you
58:57
all
58:57
the
58:57
answers
58:58
that
58:58
we
58:58
need
58:59
and
59:00
if
59:00
we
59:00
have
59:00
that
59:01
lack
59:01
of
59:02
assurance
59:02
we
59:03
have
59:04
the
59:04
doubt
59:04
that
59:04
we
59:04
are
59:04
deserving
59:05
of
59:06
your
59:06
mercy
59:06
and
59:07
grace
59:07
we
59:07
thank
59:08
you
59:08
that
59:08
your
59:08
word
59:08
reminds
59:09
us
59:09
that
59:09
though
59:09
we
59:10
are
59:10
not
59:10
yet
59:11
you
59:11
give
59:11
it
59:12
freely
59:12
and
59:13
that
59:13
we
59:13
are
59:13
commanded
59:14
that
59:14
we
59:14
are
59:20
might
59:20
know
59:20
his
59:21
great
59:21
salvation
59:22
help
59:23
us
59:23
to
59:23
find
59:24
that
59:24
peace
59:25
as
59:25
we
59:25
seek
59:26
for
59:26
it
59:26
as
59:27
we
59:27
ask
59:27
it
59:27
in
59:28
Jesus
59:28
name
59:28
Amen
59:29
we're
59:36
going to
59:36
conclude
59:37
by singing
59:37
again
59:38
in
59:38
Psalm
59:39
80
59:39
Psalm
59:44
80
59:45
page
59:46
107
59:47
of the
59:48
psalm
59:48
book
59:48
verse
59:50
17
59:50
down
59:51
to
59:51
the
59:51
end
59:51
of
59:52
the
59:52
psalm
59:53
let
59:56
your
59:56
hand
59:56
be
59:56
placed
59:57
in
59:57
blessing
59:57
on
59:58
the
59:58
man
59:58
at
59:59
your
59:59
right
59:59
hand
59:59
on
1:00:00
the
1:00:00
son
1:00:00
of
1:00:00
man
1:00:01
you've
1:00:01
chosen
1:00:01
whom
1:00:02
alone
1:00:02
you
1:00:03
caused
1:00:03
to
1:00:04
stand
1:00:05
then
1:00:06
we
1:00:06
will
1:00:06
not
1:00:06
wander
1:00:06
from
1:00:07
you
1:00:07
turning
1:00:07
from
1:00:08
you
1:00:08
to
1:00:08
our
1:00:09
shame
1:00:09
strengthen
1:00:10
us
1:00:10
revive
1:00:11
and
1:00:11
heal
1:00:12
us
1:00:12
then
1:00:12
we'll
1:00:13
call
1:00:13
upon
1:00:13
your
1:00:14
name
1:00:14
look
1:00:15
on
1:00:15
us
1:00:15
Lord
1:00:16
God
1:00:17
almighty
1:00:17
let
1:00:17
us
1:00:18
see
1:00:18
your
1:00:19
glory
1:00:19
bright
1:00:20
turn
1:00:20
us
1:00:20
once
1:00:21
again
1:00:21
towards
1:00:22
you
1:00:22
come
1:00:23
and
1:00:23
save
1:00:24
us
1:00:24
give
1:00:24
us
1:00:25
light
1:00:25
we
1:00:26
stand
1:00:26
to sing
1:00:27
these
1:00:27
words
1:00:27
to
1:00:28
God's
1:00:28
praise
1:00:28
let
1:00:34
let
1:00:34
let
1:00:34
your
1:00:35
hand
1:00:36
be
1:00:36
placed
1:00:37
in
1:00:38
blessing
1:00:40
on
1:00:41
the
1:00:42
man
1:00:43
at
1:00:44
your
1:00:45
right
1:00:46
hand
1:00:47
on
1:00:48
the
1:00:49
son
1:00:50
of
1:00:51
man
1:00:52
you've
1:00:53
chosen
1:01:24
Then we'll call upon your name.
1:01:32
Look on us, Lord God Almighty,
1:01:40
Let us see your glory bright.
1:01:46
Turn us once again towards you.
1:01:54
Come and save us, give us light.
1:02:03
After the benediction, I'll go to the door to my left.
1:02:06
We'll close the benediction.
1:02:08
Now may grace, mercy, and peace from God,
1:02:11
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
1:02:13
that rest upon and abide with us all now and forevermore.
1:02:18
Amen.
1:02:43
Amen.
1:02:48
Amen.
1:02:48
Amen.
1:02:48
Amen.
1:02:48
Amen.
1:02:48
Amen.
1:02:49
Amen.
1:02:49
Amen.
1:02:50
Amen.
1:02:51
Amen.
1:02:52
Amen.
1:02:52
Jenkins說