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It is Good to be Full · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise in Psalm 63.
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! In the Scottish Psalter verse in Psalm 63, we're going to sing from verse 1 down to verse 8.
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! The tune is Jackson.
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Lord, thee my God I'll early seek, my soul doth thirst for thee, my flesh longs in a dry parched
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land wherein no waters be. Psalm 63, page 295, we stand to sing to God's praise.
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Lord, thee my God I'll early seek, my soul doth thirst for thee, my flesh longs in a dry
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large land wherein no waters be.
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Psalm 63, page 295, verse 1.
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As I thy power may be whole, and brightness of thy face, as I have seen thee clear to
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forth within thy holy face.
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Psalm 63, page 295, verse 1.
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Since Bethany's time of the light, my lips be patient near.
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Psalm 63, page 295, verse 1.
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Psalm 63, page 295, verse 1.
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Psalm 63, page 295, verse 1.
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Even as with marrow and with fat my soul shall fill it thee,
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then shall my blood with joyfulness sing graces unto thee.
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When I do thee upon my bed, remember with delight,
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and when on thee I meditate in watches of the night.
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Then shadow of thy wings I'll join, for thou my wealth must be.
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My soul re-follows far than me, thy light hand doth sustain.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer. Let us pray.
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Our gracious Father in heaven, we come in your name this evening,
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thankful for an opportunity again this day to gather in worship.
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Thankful for your word to us.
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Thankful to be able to sing your praises as we come.
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With these words on our lips just now, that we would come with that longing, that desire,
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coming into your presence, longing like the dry parched land, to meet with you as our true and living God.
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That we would know, Lord, the power of your name in our midst this evening.
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For we know that if we are just gathered here by ourselves, if we just come as the people that we are,
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just seeking to talk with one another, to say words that maybe just come from our own lips.
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We know that in ourselves there is no good, and in us there is no power.
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But we thank you that as we come, we come in the knowledge and assurance that when we gather in your name,
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that you are in the midst to bless.
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And that is what we seek in you this evening, to know your presence with us,
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to know in the quietness of our hearts your voice speaking to us,
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ministering to us in every need that we have,
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ministering to us, Lord, knowing that you have every concern and care that we carry,
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sometimes we feel by ourselves that you already know them.
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And so that we are not alone, even if we are sitting by ourselves in a pew,
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even if no one has said a word to us, even as we have come in.
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We thank you, Lord, that your voice is there to speak to us.
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And that through it, Lord, we know that you are God and there is no other.
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And so we come, Lord, yes, to meet together and fellowship with one another.
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But we come especially to meet with you as the living God.
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And so, Lord, be pleased to come. Be pleased to be with us, Lord.
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Be pleased to hear our prayers, even at this time, and to hear us and encourage us in our hearts as we offer up our praise to you.
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And as we read your word and as we share from it, Lord, that your spirit would help us to understand and to hear what God the Lord is saying.
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And we do thank you, Lord, that we come with that prayerful spirit, that even as we are gathered here just now,
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that it is not just one voice praying, but many, and many in their hearts.
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And so, Lord, even quietly just pleading with you and praying to you for so many different things, personal things, very private things to ourselves, perhaps,
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but also for our congregation, for our people here, even those who are at home, Lord, tuning in in their own quietness of prayer just now as well,
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that we can offer that up together as the fellowship of your people, and that we can come, Lord, with the prayers for all around us as well,
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praying for those who would say to us quite naturally that they want no prayer from us, that they want nothing to do with us.
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But yet we thank you, Lord, that we can come praying for them, praying for them just as we were, in ignorance and darkness,
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and yet praying, Lord, for your light to shine into their hearts, shine the beauty of Christ towards them,
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that they might be overwhelmed and overcome by the sense of God and the sense of your power all around us.
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For we see it in so many ways. We see it in the creation, in all the wonder of it,
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whether it's the beauty of sunny days or even the clouds that come with the rain, the clouds that water the ground and give growth.
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We see that just now, Lord, as we see plants and trees and grass begin to flourish.
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We see new life in the fields around us. We see a freshness in it in so many different ways.
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We thank you, Lord, for every season that you give and give with a purpose, whether it's winter, spring, summer or autumn.
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We thank you, Lord, that each of them have a purpose in our life and in our years.
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We thank you, Lord, that you have ordained all, that you have created it by your power, through your word and for your glory.
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And we pray, Lord, that you would help the world in which we live to know that you are its God, its maker.
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For when we see how much we've turned away and how much we've rejected you,
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how much we see it in our day, Lord, as we thought of this morning,
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and yet thankful that your voice goes out, thankful that you still call people to you,
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to all ends of the earth, that you have the word preached in every nation, through every tongue, to every tribe.
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And yet we know, Lord, that still your word reaches out to people who have not heard it yet.
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But we thank you that it never returns empty or void.
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And so we pray that that word gone out today would be blessed by you and accomplish great things for you.
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And we pray that for this evening hour as well, that you would help us to be still before you,
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to know you with us, and to hear our prayers, Lord.
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And we do pray for our people here, Lord, thankful for everyone, thankful for your goodness to us,
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thankful as we look ahead to the week before us, Lord, that you are with us in it, that you go before us,
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that every plan and purpose that we seek to put into place, they're all ordained by you and given blessing by you.
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We do pray, Lord, that you will be pleased to meet with us in the week ahead,
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when we think of all the different things going on, whether it's groups meeting in the hall or prayer meetings going on,
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whatever is taking place, Lord, that you would be pleased to bless.
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We think of the WFM, thankful again for them and pray for the meeting tomorrow evening.
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We commit the prayer meetings during the week to you as well in Laxdale, here in the hall and in the seminary on Thursday,
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Lord, thankful for these opportunities that we have to call upon the name of the Lord together,
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to share from your word, to encourage one another and to meet with one another.
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We pray, Lord, for the opportunities we have to reach out to our community as well,
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to invite people through our doors, whether it's to these services during the week,
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to our services on the Lord's Day or to the Friday, the free, the over 55,
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so the youth groups, the toddler groups, Lord, we thank you for all of these endeavours
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and just pray to see your spirit working in them.
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Thankful for every encouragement that you give us, Lord,
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and thankful for all who come through our doors and the connections that that builds,
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connections that we see growing and developing in different ways
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and connections that help us, Lord, to be alongside people in times of need as well.
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And so remember those in need at this time.
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Remember those who are unwell, some seriously unwell, Lord.
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We pray that you will surround them and uphold them and bless them.
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We ask, O Lord, that in every tear that's shed or every prayer that's offered,
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that you will hear and be near to all who need you in these ways.
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Remember, too, Lord, those who grieve and mourn.
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We pray that you will comfort us as only you can.
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For we thank you that in the midst of mourning,
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we thank you that there are times when we know just the peace of God,
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that peace that passes understanding.
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For when we know the Lord and when we know those who are being called by him home
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have trusted in you,
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we thank you for the comfort and the peace that that gives.
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And we pray, Lord, that those who mourn will continue to know that for themselves.
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We pray for our nation as a whole as well, Lord.
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We thank you for the wider church.
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We thank you for every place that meets in your name today
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that proclaims the name of Jesus Christ as Lord
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and that calls sinners to repentance.
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We pray that you would be pleased to build your church throughout our land
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and that in the midst of our nation and all that we're going through at this time
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when there's so much confusion and turmoil,
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so much anxiety and fear,
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Lord, may you hear our prayers.
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We pray for leaders,
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whether it's our prime minister, our first minister,
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our royal family, our governments,
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whoever it might be, Lord,
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in positions of authority and power,
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we ask for your blessing,
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your mercy upon them,
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to be able to know your goodness
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and to be able to know your name as a name that's to be called upon,
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a name that's the foundation of our nation and this world,
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the cornerstone that is Jesus Christ.
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We pray that his name would be praised in the corridors of power
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and throughout all our land and to the ends of the earth.
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So we think, oh, nations in conflict
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and nations with so many different needs,
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persecution and famine and drought
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and so many atrocities going on
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and so many nations around the world
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where your people are being put to the sword
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in so many different ways.
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We ask, oh, Lord, for mercy and grace
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in the midst of all of these things.
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We do pray, Lord, that you will just hear us now
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and continue with us as we worship you,
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as we sing your praise
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and as we seek your presence.
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Lord, may you be pleased to bless all that we do
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and we ask all acknowledging our sin before you
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and you seeking pardon for all things,
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whether it's what we have forgotten to do
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or what we shouldn't do at all.
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Lord, we pray that you would have mercy upon us
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and hear us as we pray in the name of Jesus,
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asking all things for his sake and his glory.
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Amen.
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We'll again sing to Psalm 44.
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We'll sing from verse 1 down to verse 8.
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Psalm 44, verse 1 to verse 8.
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O God, we without ears have heard,
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our fathers told us so,
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what you accomplished in their days,
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in days of long ago.
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We'll sing from verse 1 to 8 to God's praise.
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Psalm 44, verse 1 to 9.
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Psalm 44, verse 1 to 9.
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Psalm 44, verse 1 to 9.
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Psalm 44, verse 1 to 9.
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We're going to read together in the New Testament
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in Paul's letter to the Colossians.
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Colossians chapter 1.
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And we read from the beginning of the chapter down to verse 23.
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Colossians chapter 1.
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Find it around page 1182 of the church Bibles thereabouts.
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Paul, we begin our reading of the church Bibles thereabouts.
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We begin our reading at verse 1.
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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
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and Timothy our brother,
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to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae,
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grace to you and peace from God our Father.
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We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus,
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and of the love that you have for all the saints,
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because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
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Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth,
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the gospel which has come to you,
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as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing,
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as it also does among you since the day you heard it
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and understood the grace of God in truth.
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Just as you learned it from Epaphras,
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our beloved fellow servant,
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he is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,
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and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
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And so from the day we heard,
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we have not ceased to pray for you,
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asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will
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in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
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so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
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fully pleasing to him,
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bearing fruit in every good work
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and increasing in the knowledge of God.
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May you be strengthened with all power,
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according to his glorious might,
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for all endurance and patience,
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with joy, giving thanks to the Father
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who has qualified you to share
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in the inheritance of the saints in light.
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He has delivered us from the domain of darkness
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and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
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in whom we are redemption,
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the forgiveness of sins.
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He is the image of the invisible God,
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the firstborn of all creation.
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For by him all things were created,
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in heaven and on earth,
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visible and invisible,
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whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.
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All things were created through him and for him.
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And he is before all things.
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And in him all things hold together.
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And he is the head of the body,
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the church.
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He is the beginning,
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the firstborn from the dead,
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that in everything he might be preeminent.
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For in him all the fullness of God
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was pleased to dwell,
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and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
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whether on earth or in heaven,
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making peace by the blood of his cross.
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And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind,
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doing evil deeds,
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he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death,
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in order to present you holy and blameless
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and above reproach before him.
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If indeed you continue in the faith,
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stable and steadfast,
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not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard,
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which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven,
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and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
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And so on.
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And may God bless that reading from his word.
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And before we come back to this passage,
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we're going to sing again to God's praise in Psalm 81.
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The Singed Psalms version, Psalm 81,
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page 109 of the psalm books.
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We're going to sing from verse 8
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down to the end of the psalm.
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Psalm 81 at verse 8.
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Hear, my people, let me warn you,
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if you would but listen now.
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No strange God shall be among you.
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To a false God do not bow.
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We'll sing from verse 8 to the end of the psalm,
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to the tune Stuttgart we stand to sing.
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To a false God do not bow.
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I do not do love from Egypt,
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your own God, the Lord, and I.
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Open wide your mouth towards me,
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and your food I will supply.
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But my people would not listen,
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would not do what I require.
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So I gave them up to follow
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what their stubborn hearts desire.
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If my people would not heed me,
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Israel followed my command.
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I would soon,
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I would soon subdue their enemies,
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and against them turn my hand.
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For to it the Lord would power,
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and their doom would never end.
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But with finest we die,
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I feed you,
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and me from the rock I send.
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Amen.
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We can turn back to our reading in Colossians.
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Colossians chapter 1.
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We're going to focus on verse 3 to verse 8
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together this evening.
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Colossians chapter 1.
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We just read at verse 3.
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We always thank God,
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the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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when we pray for you,
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since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus,
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and of the love that you have for all the saints,
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and so on.
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As you read through the Bible,
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as you go to the different parts,
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whether it's the letters,
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as we look at Paul's letters here,
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or the Gospels,
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or even back into the Old Testament,
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do you ever think to yourself,
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there's a place,
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if I had a choice,
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if I could do it,
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I'd love to go back,
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and be in that place at this very time,
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and just see what it was like.
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Maybe you've had the privilege of visiting
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some of these places in your own time,
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whether it's the Middle East,
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or different parts of Turkey,
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as we see Colossae here,
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as part of modern day Turkey,
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or Rome,
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places in Italy.
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Maybe you've seen it as it is now,
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but as you're there,
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you've thought,
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I wonder what it was like to be there
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in the days that we read of in the scripture.
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Well, I'm sure there's some places
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that would maybe be up on the top of your list
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of places you might want to go to Jerusalem.
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It'd be fascinating maybe just to walk up,
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as it is,
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up to Jerusalem,
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as we read of in the Old and New Testament,
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as you see just what it would be like
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to go back to those days
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and walk up with a crowd
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making their way up to the festivals
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in Jerusalem.
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Or to go to Corinth,
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a city that was busy and bustling
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in so many different ways,
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where the gospel had come,
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and yet there were so many challenges in it.
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Or Rome,
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another fascinating place to see,
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and it would have been
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to see the Colosseum
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and all of these different things
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in the day
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that we read of in the scriptures.
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You can't but wonder
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what it would be like.
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But where would Colosse come
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on your list of places to go?
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I'm sure it's maybe not up there
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in the top places you'd like to see,
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but it's interesting to think
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of what these places were like at the time,
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because it helps us to understand
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the way Paul is writing
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and the things that are going on.
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And that's why we want to just begin
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by looking at this evening,
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is just to think of Colosseum,
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what kind of place it was.
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Paul was obviously writing to them,
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but it's a place he'd never even been.
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And yet the gospel had come to them
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and was bearing fruit in their midst.
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And Paul is writing to encourage them.
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But what kind of place was it?
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Well, if you go back
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in the history of Colosseum,
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the time of Paul's writing to it
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was a time when that place
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was very much in decline.
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It wasn't as vibrant
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as it had once been.
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And in many ways,
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it may sound strange,
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but you could almost compare it
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to Stornoway.
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Colosseum and Stornoway
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have things in common.
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And what are they, you might ask?
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It may not be the weather,
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but they've certainly got other things
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in common.
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Colosseum, when it was founded,
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it was founded on industry.
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And it was a textile industry
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that it was founded on.
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It was famous for wool,
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and especially purple wool.
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And that's what it had thrived on,
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that business of textile.
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And yet, that was about
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three or four hundred years
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before Christ came.
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But by the time Paul is writing to them,
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it's a place that has seen decline.
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That vibrant industry
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is no longer there.
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It's dwindled in many ways.
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And people,
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as we would see in our own town,
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a textile town, if you like,
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a place that was vibrant,
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has seen a bit of decline.
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And you think of many young people
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having to go away from here
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to the mainland for work
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and different things.
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Colosse went through that
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itself as well.
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Places nearby,
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Laodicea was a more thriving place
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that attracted people away,
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that brought work away from Colosse.
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They went away to work.
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And all of these things were going on
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because trade had moved around.
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But as Paul is writing to them,
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as if he was writing to ourselves today,
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these aren't the things
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that he's interested in.
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What's important to him
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is not the economy
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or the politics of the place,
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but the very fact that
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God is in the midst.
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That God was there
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when the place was thriving and busy.
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And that even though
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there's a time of decline,
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God is still in the midst.
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These people are still there.
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And so that's why
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Paul is writing to them.
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And he's writing to them,
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even though he's not been there,
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he's writing to them
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because he's heard about their faith.
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Epaphras had come back,
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I think from Ephesus it was,
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and come back,
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shared the gospel with them.
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And the gospel had borne fruit
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in this place.
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And the church was established.
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And the people of God
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were positive in so many ways.
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And yet there were challenges.
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There were challenges.
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And that's the reality
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of the Christian life, isn't it?
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When we think of history,
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there's always been challenges.
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And when we think of our own day today,
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even our own town today,
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as we look around,
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we see vibrancy that was there once,
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decline that's there now.
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Even in the church,
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we see it's so different
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to what it once was,
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but yet still with the hope
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of God in our midst.
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And so Paul,
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as he's writing to them,
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he's writing to encourage,
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even though he's in prison,
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even though he doesn't know
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what the future holds for him,
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he's writing to encourage them
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because they have something
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in common together,
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the gospel.
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The gospel is in his heart,
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it's in their hearts.
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It's in the place of Colossae
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as it is in Paul's prison cell
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as he writes.
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We often speak about people
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that can be in two different ways
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described.
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One person can be described
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as a glass half empty person.
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Somebody else can be described
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as the glass half full person.
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And we can know ourselves
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where we maybe fall into that.
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We know the glass half empty
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is things are looked at
30:05
a little bit more negatively.
30:06
The glass half full,
30:08
it's got a more positive outlook.
30:11
But Paul wasn't either of these.
30:14
He wasn't just half full glass.
30:17
He was the fullness
30:19
of the glass entirely
30:21
to overflowing.
30:23
And that's what he was seeking
30:24
to encourage the church,
30:26
whatever it was to be like.
30:28
To be a people who knew
30:29
God is with us.
30:31
Therefore, we don't have to look
30:32
at things glass half empty
30:34
negatively and think,
30:35
well, God can't do.
30:37
Or just to be just half full
30:39
where we're looking more positively,
30:41
but still only halfway.
30:43
But to be overflowing.
30:45
To be overflowing with that hope
30:47
that God is with us.
30:50
And that's what we want to think
30:50
about this evening.
30:51
It's this fullness
30:52
that Paul speaks of here.
30:55
And when we think of the word full,
30:57
it can be looked at both positively
30:58
and negatively as well.
31:01
It can be looked at
31:02
being full of the joys.
31:05
We can see that,
31:06
but we can also be full of sorrow.
31:09
Or we can think of it
31:10
full of love
31:11
in a positive sense
31:12
or full of hate
31:13
in a negative sense.
31:14
There's this fullness in life.
31:17
It's an overwhelming experience,
31:19
whether it's in a positive way
31:21
or a negative way.
31:23
But when the Lord Jesus
31:24
is in our hearts,
31:25
we have that fullness
31:26
that goes beyond anything else.
31:29
An abundance of good things.
31:31
An abundance that the psalmist
31:33
speaks of in Psalm 23,
31:35
when he speaks of
31:36
the table being set
31:38
in the presence of an enemy.
31:39
And yet even so,
31:42
what does he say?
31:42
And yet my cup overflows.
31:45
My head, he does anoint.
31:47
And my cup overflows.
31:49
What springs up from the hope
31:51
that we have in the gospel,
31:52
it speaks of here
31:54
in verse 5
31:56
of the hope of the gospel,
31:58
this foundation
31:59
that's laid up in heaven for us,
32:02
that we have heard
32:02
the word of truth,
32:03
the gospel.
32:04
That's what helps us
32:06
to remain full
32:07
and to have that focus
32:09
on the fullness of Christ
32:11
that you see running
32:12
throughout this first chapter
32:14
as you read
32:15
the preeminence of Christ.
32:17
There's so much imagery
32:19
there for us
32:20
as Paul writes to them.
32:22
He is the image
32:23
of the invisible God,
32:24
the firstborn
32:25
of all creation
32:26
for by him
32:27
and all things were created.
32:30
This richness here of Christ,
32:32
and that's the fullness
32:33
that he's speaking of
32:35
in these verses as well,
32:37
verse 3 to verse 8.
32:40
So there's three fullnesses
32:43
that we want to know.
32:44
That's a word, fullness.
32:45
The fullnesses
32:46
that we want to speak of,
32:47
thankful, boastful, and faithful.
32:52
And that's the fullness
32:53
that we see in these verses,
32:55
verse 3 to verse 8.
32:59
So we think first of all
33:00
of thankful.
33:02
Being thankful.
33:04
And you see that in verse 3.
33:06
We always thank God,
33:08
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
33:12
when we pray for you.
33:14
It's rich in thanksgiving.
33:16
Not just this verse,
33:18
but really throughout the letter
33:20
there's so much thanksgiving
33:22
that Paul gives for them.
33:26
Imagine, or maybe you've had this,
33:28
you've had work done
33:29
in your house.
33:30
Perhaps it's been a major work
33:33
that's been done,
33:34
a whole rewiring of the house
33:36
or a whole new heating system
33:38
put into the house.
33:41
There's always a little anxiety
33:43
that comes with it.
33:46
The old is taken out
33:47
and the new is put in,
33:49
and you're wondering,
33:51
will it work?
33:52
Will it be efficient?
33:53
Will it be as good
33:55
as they say it will be?
33:57
And I'm sure
33:57
if you've had it done,
33:59
there'll be others
33:59
who will come and say,
34:00
oh, you should have done it this way.
34:01
You should have gone with that instead.
34:04
There'll be all of these
34:05
different opinions
34:06
coming in.
34:08
When does it get to the point
34:11
where you know
34:11
that it's working?
34:13
Only when it's up
34:15
and running
34:16
and put to the test.
34:19
Checking,
34:20
double checking,
34:21
making sure that
34:21
everything's working all right.
34:23
And then you get to the point
34:24
where you have peace of mind
34:25
because you know
34:27
it's all working.
34:30
Well, the church at Colossae
34:32
had gone through a renovation.
34:35
It had gone from having no faith
34:38
to being a people
34:39
who were in darkness
34:40
to being a people
34:42
who were in light.
34:44
A people who had heard the gospel
34:46
and they were transformed
34:48
by the gospel.
34:51
But remembering the kind of place it was,
34:54
a place that wasn't as vibrant
34:57
as it once used to be,
34:58
a place that was in decline,
35:00
it was also a place
35:01
that hadn't totally abandoned
35:03
other religions.
35:06
And so those who had been converted
35:08
by the gospel
35:09
who had come to faith
35:10
they faced many challenges.
35:14
And the biggest challenge of all
35:16
was people saying,
35:17
you may have that gospel
35:19
but that's not enough.
35:22
You need more.
35:24
You need more than just that gospel
35:25
of Jesus Christ.
35:26
You need to bring other things in.
35:29
And there's so many different opinions
35:31
that are being offered to them.
35:34
And so Paul is writing
35:35
with this sense of
35:37
thanking God,
35:38
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
35:41
that he is with them.
35:44
That he is in their midst.
35:48
That through their relationship
35:49
that they have in Christ,
35:52
that they have
35:52
the fullness of Jesus,
35:55
the fullness of Christ
35:56
in their hearts.
35:58
And there is nothing else
35:59
that they need.
36:01
There is nothing else
36:02
that is going to make
36:03
a difference to them.
36:06
And this is what is so
36:07
in giving thanks
36:09
to Paul himself
36:10
and that he's encouraging them
36:12
in their thankfulness
36:13
with a swell.
36:16
So in the midst
36:17
of all the problems
36:19
and Paul could have
36:20
come down hard on them
36:22
in the fact that
36:22
they were being swayed
36:25
away from the gospel,
36:26
but instead he comes
36:27
alongside
36:27
to encourage them
36:29
and to give thanks
36:31
for them.
36:33
We always thank God,
36:36
the Father of our Lord Jesus,
36:37
when we pray
36:38
for you.
36:40
There is this bond.
36:42
There is this relationship.
36:46
And that's a challenge
36:47
to ourselves today as well.
36:48
As we think of our own sense
36:50
of thankfulness,
36:52
are we glass half empty
36:53
or glass half full?
36:55
Or are we overflowing
36:56
with thankfulness?
36:57
Do we look at things
36:58
with that negative sense?
37:02
We have those days,
37:03
we have those times,
37:05
but do we look around
37:06
and give thanks
37:07
that God is working,
37:10
that God is with us?
37:12
Is that our attitude
37:14
that we are always
37:16
full of thanksgiving
37:18
to God
37:19
and what he is doing
37:21
in our midst,
37:23
in our congregation,
37:24
in our friends,
37:25
in our families,
37:26
in our denomination?
37:30
Do we have that sense
37:31
of thanksgiving,
37:33
that sense of thankfulness?
37:34
Even as we think
37:35
of joining together
37:36
on Wednesday evening,
37:37
a time of thanksgiving
37:39
for God's goodness
37:40
to our denomination
37:41
over these last number
37:43
of years,
37:43
there's been reasons
37:44
for encouragement.
37:46
Yes,
37:46
we can look at things
37:47
and think,
37:47
it's not what we would want,
37:49
we can look at it
37:50
in a negative sense,
37:51
but let's come together
37:52
in thanksgiving
37:53
that God is with us,
37:55
that God hears
37:57
his praying people
37:58
and God is able
37:59
to answer
38:00
his praying people.
38:03
If we see what Christ
38:04
has done for us,
38:06
and that's what Paul
38:07
goes on to describe
38:08
so wonderfully here
38:09
in this chapter,
38:11
how he has
38:12
his beloved son,
38:14
as he says in verse 14,
38:15
in whom we have
38:16
the forgiveness of sins,
38:18
if we see what we have
38:19
in Christ,
38:21
if we see what we have
38:22
in him,
38:23
there is reason
38:24
for thanksgiving.
38:27
Otherwise,
38:27
we just miss out
38:29
on so much.
38:31
I was reading
38:32
a sad story
38:33
about a sportsman
38:34
just the other day
38:35
who had made millions
38:37
during a sporting career,
38:39
a short career,
38:41
being a footballer it was.
38:43
He had got on
38:44
so well,
38:46
he had earned
38:46
so much money,
38:47
and during
38:47
those great days
38:50
when he was making
38:50
so much,
38:51
he had helped
38:51
so many people,
38:53
being so generous
38:54
to them,
38:54
family,
38:55
friends,
38:56
even strangers.
38:58
He had helped
38:58
out so many people.
39:01
However,
39:02
over the years,
39:04
addiction
39:04
took a hold
39:05
of him.
39:06
Gambling addiction,
39:08
and then drinking,
39:10
and all his money
39:11
was gone.
39:13
He hit rock bottom.
39:15
He lost
39:16
everything.
39:17
And some people
39:18
would say
39:18
it's his own fault.
39:20
And that's the way
39:21
many people
39:21
looked at him.
39:23
But one of the saddest
39:24
things he said
39:25
was,
39:26
of all the people
39:27
that I helped
39:28
when I had plenty,
39:31
not one of them
39:32
was there
39:33
when I was in need.
39:34
Not one of them
39:35
came back
39:36
with a sense
39:37
of thanksgiving
39:38
to him
39:38
that he had helped
39:40
them in their time
39:41
of need.
39:41
No one.
39:43
No one came.
39:44
And that's
39:47
a challenge
39:48
to us
39:48
as we think
39:48
of our own
39:49
thanksgiving
39:50
as well.
39:52
Are we
39:52
thanking the Lord
39:53
for all that
39:54
he has done
39:54
for us?
39:55
Are we
39:55
thanking the Lord
39:56
for his goodness
39:57
and mercies
39:58
new each day?
40:00
Or are we
40:00
choosing
40:01
to ignore
40:02
his goodness
40:03
to us
40:03
and therefore
40:04
in that
40:04
ignore others
40:06
in their need
40:07
as well?
40:09
Coming to faith
40:10
is not the
40:11
end of our
40:12
journey
40:12
and that's
40:13
what Paul
40:14
is so encouraging
40:15
with here.
40:16
He's encouraging
40:17
them to grow
40:18
in their faith.
40:19
They have
40:20
learned the
40:20
gospel as we
40:21
see in verse
40:22
7 there
40:23
just as you
40:24
learned from
40:25
Epaphras,
40:26
our beloved
40:26
fellow servant.
40:28
They learned
40:28
the gospel
40:29
from him.
40:31
And then in
40:31
verse 10
40:31
to walk in a
40:33
manner worthy
40:34
of the Lord
40:35
fully pleasing
40:36
in him
40:36
bearing fruit
40:37
in every good
40:38
work
40:38
and increasing
40:40
in the
40:40
knowledge of
40:41
God.
40:41
It's about
40:42
going on.
40:44
And
40:45
thanksgiving
40:45
is what
40:46
helps us
40:47
to go on.
40:50
I think it was
40:50
one of the
40:50
old Puritans
40:51
that had said
40:52
the thankful
40:54
heart has a
40:55
continual
40:56
feast.
40:58
The thankful
40:58
heart is a
40:59
continual
41:00
feast.
41:01
In other
41:01
words the
41:02
more we are
41:02
in thanksgiving
41:04
to God
41:04
the more we
41:05
are thankful
41:05
to him
41:06
the more
41:07
we are feasting
41:08
on his
41:09
goodness
41:09
to us.
41:11
So the
41:12
first thing
41:12
we see here
41:13
is Paul
41:13
is this
41:14
thankfulness.
41:16
The second
41:17
thing we see
41:17
is to be
41:18
boastful.
41:20
To be
41:21
boastful.
41:22
And this
41:22
immediately
41:23
thinks
41:24
surely that's
41:25
a negative.
41:26
Surely that's
41:27
a negative
41:28
to be boasting
41:29
in anything.
41:30
Because boasting
41:31
is often seen
41:32
as something
41:33
that's not
41:33
good to do.
41:35
And we can
41:35
think of people
41:35
who are boastful
41:36
in so many
41:37
arrogant ways.
41:40
Think of
41:40
these people
41:41
who boast
41:41
in their
41:42
riches or
41:42
boast in
41:43
what they've
41:44
done in
41:44
life.
41:45
They're boasting
41:46
in themselves
41:47
in so many
41:47
ways.
41:48
It can be
41:48
irritating.
41:51
And that's
41:51
not the kind
41:52
of boasting
41:52
that we want.
41:54
But what
41:54
Paul is
41:55
boasting
41:55
in is about
41:56
something
41:56
that for the
41:58
people of
41:58
God in
41:59
Colossae
42:00
would not
42:00
irritate
42:01
them at
42:01
all.
42:03
But really
42:03
encourage
42:05
them.
42:06
That's
42:07
what we
42:07
see in
42:07
verse 6.
42:11
Paul is
42:11
full of
42:12
thanksgiving
42:12
but then
42:13
there's
42:13
this
42:13
thanksgiving
42:15
because of
42:15
the hope
42:16
laid up
42:16
in heaven
42:17
in verse
42:17
5.
42:18
Of this
42:18
you have
42:19
heard
42:19
before
42:19
the word
42:20
of truth
42:20
the gospel
42:21
which has
42:22
come to
42:23
you as
42:23
indeed
42:24
in the
42:25
whole
42:25
world
42:25
it is
42:26
bearing
42:27
fruit
42:27
and
42:28
growing.
42:30
What is
42:30
he boasting
42:31
in?
42:33
He is
42:33
boasting
42:34
in the
42:35
power of
42:35
God.
42:36
That the
42:37
gospel
42:37
is
42:38
bearing
42:39
fruit
42:39
not
42:40
just
42:41
in
42:42
them
42:42
but
42:44
in
42:44
the
42:44
whole
42:44
world.
42:47
And you
42:48
can imagine
42:48
what it would
42:48
be like
42:49
for the
42:49
people of
42:50
Colossae.
42:51
They would
42:52
have been
42:52
thinking about
42:52
other places
42:53
maybe like
42:54
Laodicea
42:55
or Ephesus
42:57
where
42:57
Epaphras
42:58
had come
42:59
from
42:59
and hearing
43:00
these great
43:01
things that
43:01
were happening
43:02
Paul has
43:03
been there
43:03
but he
43:04
hasn't come
43:05
to us.
43:06
Or these
43:07
places that
43:08
there's so
43:09
many more
43:09
people in
43:10
them.
43:11
So many
43:12
more things
43:12
going on
43:13
and yet
43:15
Paul is
43:15
here coming
43:16
to them.
43:17
Maybe they
43:17
are feeling
43:18
discouraged
43:19
to remember
43:20
what you
43:21
have in
43:21
your midst.
43:23
You have
43:24
that same
43:24
gospel that
43:25
is bearing
43:26
fruit in
43:27
the whole
43:27
world and
43:28
you have
43:29
it here in
43:29
your midst.
43:31
And that
43:31
is something
43:32
to be
43:33
boastful
43:34
in.
43:34
To
43:35
rejoice
43:35
in.
43:38
And they
43:39
could have
43:39
easily just
43:40
focused on
43:41
themselves and
43:42
become so
43:43
insular in
43:44
so many
43:45
ways and
43:46
just have
43:46
no thought
43:47
for anybody
43:47
else.
43:48
It's always a
43:49
danger when
43:49
you're feeling
43:50
discouraged or
43:51
glass half
43:52
empty that
43:53
we just
43:54
focus inwardly.
43:55
Let's just
43:56
look after
43:56
ourselves.
43:58
but what
44:00
Paul is
44:00
doing here
44:01
in
44:01
thanksgiving
44:02
and then
44:03
coming with
44:03
his boastful
44:04
side as
44:05
well,
44:06
remember
44:06
God is
44:07
working in
44:09
your midst.
44:11
And we
44:12
live in a
44:12
place, a
44:13
location and
44:13
even a
44:14
culture where
44:15
family is
44:16
important,
44:16
where friendship
44:17
is important
44:18
and very
44:19
strong and
44:20
is a great
44:21
thing.
44:23
But it
44:23
can also be
44:24
a barrier,
44:26
a barrier
44:27
to going
44:28
beyond
44:28
ourselves
44:29
and to
44:30
loving
44:30
others.
44:32
We can
44:33
be so
44:34
comfortable
44:34
loving our
44:35
own family,
44:36
loving our
44:37
own friends,
44:38
loving the
44:38
people that
44:39
we've grown
44:39
up with or
44:40
gone to
44:41
school with
44:41
or work
44:42
with.
44:44
We can
44:44
be so
44:44
comfortable
44:45
in these
44:45
things and
44:46
forget
44:47
others.
44:51
Those who
44:51
come through
44:52
our doors,
44:53
who we
44:53
don't
44:54
recognize or
44:54
are different
44:55
to us,
44:56
or those
44:58
who don't
44:58
even darken
44:59
our doors
44:59
at all.
45:01
We think
45:01
that we
45:02
have nothing
45:03
in common,
45:03
that we
45:03
have nothing
45:04
to say.
45:07
And yet
45:08
the gospel
45:09
is what
45:09
they need.
45:12
And Paul
45:13
in many ways
45:14
is reminding
45:14
the church
45:15
at Colossae
45:15
of what
45:16
they have
45:16
in their
45:17
midst.
45:19
The gospel
45:20
that has
45:21
come to
45:22
you as
45:23
indeed in
45:23
the whole
45:24
world,
45:24
it is
45:25
bearing fruit
45:25
and growing
45:26
as it
45:27
also does
45:28
among you.
45:29
He's saying
45:30
to them,
45:30
you are not
45:30
alone.
45:33
That I
45:33
have people
45:35
everywhere,
45:35
all over
45:36
the world,
45:36
who are your
45:37
brothers and
45:38
sisters in
45:39
Christ.
45:41
We can
45:41
boast in
45:42
this, in
45:43
the greatest,
45:44
in the right
45:44
sense of the
45:45
word, that
45:46
we rejoice
45:46
with thanksgiving
45:48
and boasting
45:48
that this
45:49
gospel is
45:50
bearing fruit.
45:51
do we
45:54
rejoice when
45:55
we hear
45:56
as we
45:56
have
45:56
updates,
45:57
even within
45:57
our own
45:58
denomination,
45:59
as we
45:59
are given
46:00
updates of
46:01
what's
46:01
happening in
46:02
other places,
46:03
as we
46:03
hear of
46:04
conversions,
46:05
as we
46:05
hear of
46:06
new members
46:06
in our
46:07
own
46:07
presbytery,
46:08
our own
46:08
islands,
46:09
we rejoice,
46:10
we boast
46:10
because God
46:11
is working
46:12
in the right
46:14
sense of
46:15
boasting.
46:15
or boasting
46:18
when we
46:18
hear of
46:19
new churches
46:20
being planted
46:21
or elders
46:22
and deacons
46:22
being made
46:23
or new
46:24
students coming
46:25
into the
46:25
seminary or
46:26
whatever it
46:27
is, it's
46:27
boasting in
46:28
the right
46:28
sense of
46:29
giving thanks
46:30
to God
46:30
that he is
46:31
in our
46:32
midst, that
46:32
the gospel
46:33
is bearing
46:34
fruit.
46:37
But it's
46:38
always with
46:38
that caveat
46:39
as Paul
46:39
says to
46:40
the Galatians,
46:41
may I
46:41
never boast
46:42
except in
46:43
the cross
46:43
of our
46:44
Lord Jesus
46:44
Christ.
46:46
That's
46:46
where boasting
46:47
comes from,
46:49
that Christ
46:50
has done
46:51
it.
46:52
We boast
46:53
in his
46:53
finished work
46:54
because that
46:55
is the
46:55
work that
46:56
is bearing
46:57
fruit.
47:00
There's
47:00
always a
47:01
danger of
47:01
jealousy or
47:02
a negative
47:03
attitude coming
47:04
through in
47:05
all that we
47:06
do.
47:08
It's been
47:08
there down
47:09
through all
47:10
the generations.
47:11
You find it
47:12
in Scripture,
47:12
you find it
47:13
in every
47:14
generation of
47:15
God's
47:15
people,
47:16
the danger
47:16
of jealousy
47:18
and rivalry
47:18
and all of
47:19
these things.
47:21
But what
47:22
Paul encourages
47:23
here is that
47:24
boastful nature
47:25
of rejoicing
47:26
that the
47:27
gospel is in
47:28
everything,
47:29
that we see
47:30
glory for
47:31
God in.
47:33
Whether it's
47:33
here,
47:34
whether it's
47:35
in our
47:35
nation,
47:36
whether it's
47:36
to all the
47:36
ends of
47:37
the earth,
47:38
to all
47:38
different people,
47:39
we can rejoice
47:41
that the
47:42
gospel is
47:43
bearing
47:43
fruit.
47:45
We boast
47:46
in Christ.
47:49
So we
47:50
have thankful,
47:51
we have boastful,
47:53
and then
47:53
finally we
47:54
have here
47:54
faithful,
47:56
being faithful.
48:02
And what
48:02
we see
48:03
here is
48:04
faithfulness
48:05
is at the
48:06
heart of so
48:06
much here
48:07
too.
48:09
We see
48:10
the
48:10
faithfulness
48:11
of Paul,
48:13
who is
48:13
remembering
48:14
the church
48:14
at Colossae,
48:16
who is
48:16
giving thanks
48:17
as he's
48:17
praying for
48:18
the church
48:19
at Colossae.
48:20
There is
48:21
that faithfulness
48:22
of him.
48:24
There is
48:25
the faithfulness
48:25
of Epaphras,
48:27
as it speaks
48:28
of in
48:29
verse 7.
48:31
Our
48:31
beloved
48:32
fellow
48:33
servant,
48:34
he is a
48:34
faithful
48:35
minister
48:36
of Christ.
48:37
on your
48:38
behalf.
48:40
And they
48:41
have the
48:41
people.
48:43
In verse
48:44
2 it
48:44
says,
48:45
to the
48:45
saints
48:45
and faithful
48:46
brothers in
48:47
Christ at
48:48
Colossae.
48:49
There is a
48:49
sense of
48:50
faithfulness
48:51
right throughout
48:52
all that is
48:53
taking place.
48:55
And
48:55
faithfulness is
48:56
such a key
48:57
feature for
48:57
any Christian's
48:58
life.
49:00
Faithfulness
49:00
towards God,
49:02
towards his
49:03
word,
49:04
towards prayer,
49:05
towards his
49:06
people.
49:06
It is a
49:07
life of
49:08
faithfulness.
49:10
And no
49:10
matter what
49:11
is going
49:11
on around
49:13
us, we
49:13
remain faithful
49:14
and sure
49:15
and steadfast
49:16
in the
49:17
Lord.
49:18
When you
49:18
look at the
49:19
Old Testament,
49:20
you find so
49:21
many of
49:21
God's people
49:22
who were
49:23
faithful in
49:24
the midst of
49:25
very challenging
49:25
periods.
49:26
We think of
49:27
Jeremiah we
49:27
were looking
49:28
at this
49:28
morning.
49:29
So many
49:30
of the
49:30
people are
49:30
turning away
49:31
from God
49:32
and yet
49:32
Jeremiah was
49:33
faithful,
49:35
faithfully
49:35
proclaiming
49:36
the message
49:37
that God
49:38
gave.
49:40
And you
49:40
see it
49:41
as you
49:41
look in
49:41
the book
49:42
of Hebrews
49:42
chapter 11,
49:43
that great
49:44
book of
49:44
faith,
49:46
and those
49:46
who were
49:46
faithful to
49:48
God in
49:49
the midst
49:49
of all
49:49
kinds of
49:50
situations.
49:52
Situations
49:53
that seemed
49:53
absurd,
49:55
situations
49:55
that seemed
49:56
crazy to
49:57
others around.
49:57
You think
49:58
of Noah
49:58
building an
49:59
ark when
50:00
there was
50:00
no sign
50:01
of water
50:02
or rain
50:02
or anything
50:03
and yet
50:04
he was
50:04
faithful,
50:05
he listened
50:06
to God.
50:08
You think
50:08
of Daniel
50:09
and his
50:10
faithfulness
50:10
in the
50:11
midst of
50:11
great
50:12
challenges
50:13
when he
50:13
was being
50:13
told to
50:14
bow down
50:15
to the
50:15
king
50:15
instead
50:16
of God
50:17
with the
50:17
very threat
50:18
of his
50:18
life and
50:20
yet he
50:20
was faithful
50:20
to God
50:21
and was
50:21
blessed.
50:23
Faithfulness
50:24
is so
50:25
important.
50:26
Epaphras,
50:27
it wasn't
50:28
easy for
50:28
him and
50:30
yet he
50:30
was faithful.
50:31
He was
50:32
faithful with
50:32
the gospel
50:33
that he
50:33
had heard
50:34
himself and
50:35
he brought
50:35
it to his
50:36
beloved brothers
50:37
and sisters
50:38
here in
50:38
Colossae that
50:40
they might
50:40
hear of the
50:41
wonder of
50:42
this Christ.
50:44
He was
50:45
faithful and
50:47
all our
50:48
faithfulness is
50:50
built on the
50:51
fact of Jesus'
50:52
faithfulness to
50:54
us and what
50:56
he has done
50:56
for us.
50:57
we can be
51:00
faithful because
51:01
he was
51:02
faithful for
51:03
us.
51:04
He did
51:05
all for
51:06
us.
51:09
And so
51:09
as Paul is
51:10
writing to
51:10
this church
51:11
at Colossae
51:12
to be
51:12
thankful,
51:13
to be
51:14
boastful,
51:14
to be
51:15
faithful,
51:16
it's all
51:17
for Christ.
51:19
It's all
51:19
for him
51:20
that he
51:21
might get
51:21
glory and
51:23
that the
51:23
gospel would
51:23
go on
51:24
bearing
51:25
fruit.
51:27
And that's
51:28
what it is
51:28
for us
51:29
too, to
51:30
remember what
51:31
we have in
51:32
Christ and
51:33
that we
51:33
would be
51:34
thankful for
51:35
all of that,
51:36
that we
51:36
would be
51:36
boastful,
51:37
that we
51:37
would be
51:38
encouraged that
51:38
God is in
51:39
our midst and
51:41
that we would
51:41
be faithful in
51:43
serving him
51:44
and in all
51:45
that we do
51:45
for him.
51:49
There was a
51:50
story told
51:51
about a
51:53
man who
51:53
was a
51:54
clerk in a
51:54
small hotel
51:55
in a
51:56
town in
51:57
America.
51:59
And this
51:59
night, a
52:00
stormy night,
52:01
heavy rain
52:02
outside, an
52:03
elderly couple
52:04
arrived at
52:04
the hotel.
52:05
They came in
52:06
through the
52:06
door and
52:07
they came up
52:07
to the
52:07
clerk at
52:08
the reception
52:08
and asked
52:10
if they
52:10
could have
52:10
a room.
52:12
And the
52:13
clerk at
52:13
the desk
52:14
said,
52:14
I'm sorry,
52:16
but we're
52:16
full.
52:17
And I
52:18
know for a
52:18
fact that
52:19
all the
52:19
towns,
52:20
all the
52:20
hotels in
52:21
the town
52:21
are full
52:22
as well.
52:23
Then he
52:25
said,
52:25
but I
52:25
can't
52:25
send you
52:26
back out
52:27
into the
52:28
rain.
52:29
How about
52:29
would you
52:29
stay in
52:31
my room?
52:32
He had
52:32
his own
52:32
room in
52:33
the hotel.
52:35
You can
52:36
stay in
52:36
my room
52:37
and I'll
52:38
stay out
52:38
at the
52:38
desk
52:39
through the
52:39
night.
52:41
The
52:41
couple
52:42
hesitated,
52:43
but the
52:43
clerk insisted
52:44
that they
52:45
would stay
52:45
in his
52:46
room.
52:47
The next
52:48
morning,
52:49
when the
52:49
couple were
52:49
leaving,
52:50
the man
52:50
came and
52:51
paid his
52:51
bill.
52:52
He had
52:52
stayed a
52:53
night in
52:53
the hotel,
52:53
therefore he
52:54
was wanting
52:54
to pay
52:55
for the
52:55
room.
52:57
And the
52:58
man said
52:58
to him as
52:58
he was
52:59
departing,
53:00
you're the
53:00
kind of
53:01
man who
53:02
should be
53:02
managing the
53:02
best hotel
53:03
in the
53:04
United States
53:05
has to
53:05
offer.
53:06
Someday I'll
53:07
build you
53:08
one.
53:09
And the
53:10
clerk at
53:11
the desk
53:11
just laughed
53:12
it off,
53:13
thought nothing
53:14
else of it.
53:15
Until a
53:16
couple of
53:16
years later,
53:18
a letter
53:18
arrived from
53:19
this elderly
53:20
man.
53:20
outlining
53:22
and remembering
53:22
that he
53:23
had been
53:24
so faithful
53:24
to them
53:25
as a
53:25
couple and
53:26
letting them
53:26
stay in
53:27
his room
53:28
that night,
53:29
inviting him
53:30
to come to
53:31
New York,
53:32
that he had
53:33
something to
53:33
say to
53:34
him.
53:35
And so
53:36
the man,
53:36
the clerk,
53:37
the ticket
53:38
was there,
53:38
he took it
53:39
and he went
53:40
to New York,
53:40
he was met
53:41
by this elderly
53:42
man who
53:42
took him
53:43
to this
53:43
brand new
53:44
building,
53:45
a brand new
53:46
hotel,
53:47
and said,
53:49
that's mine.
53:50
And I
53:51
want you
53:52
to manage
53:52
it.
53:55
He hadn't
53:55
forgotten the
53:56
kindness of
53:57
that man
53:58
when he
53:58
needed him
53:59
and he
54:00
invited him
54:01
to be
54:02
the hotel
54:02
manager.
54:04
And so
54:05
he did.
54:08
Well,
54:09
remember who
54:10
it is we
54:11
are to be
54:12
faithful to.
54:14
Even in the
54:14
least of
54:15
these things
54:16
as the
54:16
scripture
54:17
describes it,
54:19
the least
54:19
of these
54:20
things you
54:20
have been
54:20
faithful to
54:21
me and
54:22
there is
54:23
great reward.
54:25
When we
54:25
are faithful
54:26
to Christ,
54:27
even in the
54:27
least of
54:28
these things,
54:29
we remember
54:30
who we're
54:30
serving,
54:32
we remember
54:32
what he's
54:33
doing,
54:34
that he is
54:34
building not
54:36
a hotel,
54:38
but a
54:38
kingdom,
54:40
his kingdom,
54:42
and that
54:43
people are
54:43
being called
54:44
into his
54:46
kingdom,
54:47
to be part
54:48
of his
54:49
kingdom.
54:50
Through the
54:51
least of
54:51
the things
54:52
that we
54:53
do for
54:53
him,
54:54
we are
54:55
to be
54:55
faithful.
54:57
And when
54:57
we are
54:57
faithful,
54:59
he
54:59
blesses.
55:02
That's the
55:02
encouragement
55:03
that Paul
55:04
is giving to
55:05
the church,
55:06
to the people
55:06
at Colossae.
55:08
They may be
55:08
small,
55:10
they may feel
55:10
discouraged,
55:11
they may have
55:12
their challenges,
55:13
they may not
55:14
know where
55:15
things are
55:15
going,
55:16
but he is
55:17
reminding God
55:19
is with them.
55:21
And with
55:22
God, we are
55:23
to be thankful,
55:25
thankful for
55:26
all of his
55:27
people, for
55:28
all that he
55:29
is doing.
55:30
We are to be
55:31
boastful,
55:33
boasting in the
55:33
right sense,
55:35
that the
55:35
gospel is
55:37
bearing fruit
55:38
all over the
55:39
world, that we
55:40
are part of
55:41
that, and
55:42
to be
55:43
faithful, to
55:44
be faithful in
55:45
all that we
55:46
do for him,
55:46
even the
55:47
littlest of
55:47
things, seeking
55:49
his blessing
55:50
in all.
55:53
So may we
55:53
be a people
55:54
who are
55:55
thankful, giving
55:57
praise to
55:57
him, who
55:58
are boastful
55:59
that God is
56:00
with us, and
56:01
who are
56:01
faithful in
56:03
all that we
56:04
do.
56:05
Let us
56:05
pray.
56:08
Lord, our
56:09
gracious God,
56:10
help us
56:11
to be
56:11
encouraged by
56:12
your word,
56:13
help us to
56:14
be a people
56:14
who don't
56:15
just see our
56:16
glasses half
56:17
full, but
56:18
that see it
56:18
overflowing,
56:20
for you are
56:20
the fullness
56:21
of all, you
56:22
are the
56:23
richest of
56:24
all things,
56:24
and we
56:25
thank you
56:25
that you,
56:26
when you
56:26
are with
56:27
us, Lord,
56:27
help us
56:28
to know
56:29
your glory
56:30
and your
56:30
power.
56:31
And so,
56:32
Lord, we
56:32
ask that you
56:33
would bless
56:33
all that we
56:34
seek to do
56:35
in your
56:35
name, help
56:36
us to be
56:37
thankful, help
56:38
us to boast
56:39
in the gospel
56:40
of our Lord
56:40
Jesus Christ,
56:41
and help us
56:42
to be faithful
56:43
in all that
56:44
you ask us
56:44
to do for
56:45
it.
56:46
And so, we
56:46
pray, Lord,
56:47
that you will
56:47
guide us and
56:48
help us, and
56:49
that we would
56:50
give all glory
56:50
to you, that
56:51
your kingdom
56:52
would come in
56:53
power, as we
56:54
ask it all in
56:55
the precious name
56:56
of our Lord
56:56
and Saviour,
56:57
Jesus Christ.
56:59
Amen.
56:59
Amen.
56:59
we're going
57:04
to conclude
57:05
by singing
57:06
in Psalm 26,
57:08
and let's
57:08
sing Psalm's
57:09
version,
57:11
page 31,
57:15
Psalm 26.
57:17
We'll sing
57:17
from verse 7
57:19
down to the
57:20
end of the
57:20
psalm, the
57:21
tune is
57:21
Balerma.
57:21
I'll tell of
57:26
all your
57:26
awesome deeds,
57:27
proclaiming loud
57:28
your praise,
57:29
your glory
57:30
fills, your
57:31
dwelling place,
57:32
I love, I love
57:34
your house
57:34
always.
57:35
from verse 7
57:36
to the end
57:37
of the
57:37
psalm, we
57:38
stand to
57:38
sing.
57:39
Amen.
58:05
sing.
58:06
Amen.
58:07
Amen.
58:08
Amen.
58:09
Amen.
58:35
Amen.
59:05
Amen.
59:35
Amen.
1:00:00
After the
1:00:01
benediction, I'll
1:00:01
go to the
1:00:02
door to my
1:00:02
right.
1:00:03
We'll close
1:00:03
with the
1:00:03
benediction.
1:00:04
now may grace mercy and peace from god father son and holy spirit rest upon and abide with you all
1:00:12
now and forevermore amen