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The Bible Lived Out · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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We're going to begin our worship now. We're singing firstly today from Psalm 122.
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Psalm 122, that is in the Scottish Psalter version on page 416 of Tunis St. Paul.
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I joyed when to the house of God go up, they said to me, Jerusalem within thy gates our feet
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shall standing be. Words that people of Israel sang long ago when they made their way up to
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the temple to worship the Lord and express their joy in going as well as in arriving.
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And it's our great privilege as well to come together, together as they did, as we come
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together today. Let's express our joy and thankfulness to God with these great words.
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Tunis St. Paul, when we stand to sing, I joyed when to the house of God.
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I joyed when to the house of God, O what is said to me?
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Jerusalem within thy gates, how ye shall stand in thee?
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Jerusalem within thy gates, how ye shall stand in thee?
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Jerusalem within thy gates, how ye shall stand in thee?
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Jerusalem within thy gates, how ye shall stand in thee?
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Within thy walls remain
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And never may thy promises
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Prosperity retain
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Thou, for my friends and brethren, say
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Peace be heavy and safe
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And for the hands of Father Lord
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And seek thy good away
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Let's now join together in prayer briefly
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Praying especially for the children and the young folks at the moment
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Lord our God, we give thanks again that we are able to gather as we have been singing
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In this place of worship
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A place that has been used for so many years
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To seek to glorify the Lord and to give thanks for all his goodness
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And we pray today, Lord, for our children, young folks
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We pray for them whether they be in creche or tweenies or Sunday school or Bible class
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We ask your blessing for them all
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You know their circumstances
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You know their different capacities of age
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We commend them to you, O Lord
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And we pray for them
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For it is the desire of our hearts to see them following in the ways of the Lord
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And we pray today that what they receive in teaching
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And in ways in which your word is explained to them
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We pray that that will continue to be beneficial to them
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And a blessing to them
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And indeed to their parents and loved ones as well
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Bless the teachers, we pray
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And the carers and all who look after
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Our young folk in creche and tweenies
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Who teach in the Sunday school and the Bible class
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We thank you for them
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And we pray that they may know your blessing
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As they seek to impart that teaching to the young folk
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And help us to be thankful as a congregation
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When we have so many young families
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And so many children and young people who belong to us
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And Lord, we ask that your blessing will be with us
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To provide for us in regard to all of these needs
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Hear us now, we pray
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And pardon our sin
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For Jesus' sake
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Amen
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Well, today I'm following what the syllabus is for the Sunday school
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And the Sunday school syllabus today
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At least on the sheet that I've got
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Has to do with Saul
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King Saul in the Old Testament
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Being rejected by God as king
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There are two chapters in the Old Testament
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In 1 Samuel chapter 13
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And 1 Samuel 15
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Where we find God saying that he had rejected Saul
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From being king
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Now something serious must have really happened
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Before God would have rejected him
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From being king
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Having already had him anointed as king over the people
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And that's true
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When you read these two passages in 1 Samuel
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You'll discover why it was that God rejected him
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The first passage really was
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God having said through Samuel
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To Saul to wait in a certain place for seven days
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Until Samuel had come back
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And then he would actually go from there
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To somewhere else
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And Saul waited for the seven days
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Samuel hadn't yet appeared
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So Saul decided
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I'll just do the sacrifice myself
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And so that's what he did
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And before he was finished
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Samuel appeared
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And Samuel told him
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That he had done wrong
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That he was actually disobeying the Lord
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And the ways that the Lord
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Had set out for his worship
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And for sacrifice
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He should have waited for Samuel
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Even though he thought
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Well he's late
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So I'll just do it myself
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That was the problem with Saul there
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That's the problem with Saul also
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In 1 Samuel 15
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What Saul was really doing
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In both cases
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Was doing what he thought was best
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Instead of following God's direction
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He actually decided to do it his way
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And to do it in a way that was different
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To the way God had specified
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And that means
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In each of these cases
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He was being disobedient to God
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And that was really serious
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And it's still a serious thing for us as well
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Because obedience to God
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Is one of the marks
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Of a genuine Christian
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Obedience to God is important
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In the life of a Christian
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It doesn't matter what age we're at
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Even when we are actually older
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We're still, as Christians
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Required to obey God
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To obey him in everything
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That he sets out
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We need to do and be for him
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So it's an important mark
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Of a Christian
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To have obedience to God
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And when Saul was being disobedient
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God saw that as being very serious
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Especially for a man
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Who had been made king
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Over Israel
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And also that's why God
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Rejected him
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And afterwards
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David took Saul's place
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As king over Israel
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So for you as young folk today
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It's important for yourselves
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That whenever we don't do
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What God says we should do
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We're being disobedient
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And whenever we do
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What God said we don't do
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That's also being disobedient
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And when we're disobedient to God
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Well that is something that God
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Is not pleased with
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God is pleased with
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Our obedience to him
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And we show our obedience to him
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When we accept him
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When we love him
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When we serve him
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When we want him
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To be the most important person
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In our lives
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This is what Jesus said
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In John chapter 3
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And verse 36
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And I want you to notice
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How Jesus combined together
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Faith, believing
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And also obeying
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This is what he said
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Whoever believes in the Son
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That's Jesus himself
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Whoever believes in the Son
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Has eternal life
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Whoever does not obey the Son
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Shall not see life
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But the wrath of God
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Remains on him
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You can see from that
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That believing in Jesus
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Involves obeying Jesus
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And obeying Jesus
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Involves believing in Jesus
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You can't have the one
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Without the other
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So today
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Our obedience
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Is so important
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Whatever age we are at
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Okay so we'll say
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The Lord's Prayer now together
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Our Father
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Which art in heaven
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Hallowed be thy name
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Thy kingdom come
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Thy will be done
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On earth
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As it is in heaven
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Give us this day
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Our daily bread
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And forgive us our debts
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As we forgive our debtors
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And lead us not into temptation
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But deliver us from evil
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For thine is the kingdom
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The power and the glory
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Forever
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Amen
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I'm going to sing again now
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To God's praise
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In Psalm 119
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Psalm 119
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Again it's the Scottish Psalter
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On page 407
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407
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June this time is Wiltshire
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Thy word forever is
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O Lord
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In heaven settled fast
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And to all generations
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Thy faithfulness
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Doth last
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All our singings today
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Refer to the word of God
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Because our sermon's
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Going to focus on
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Our word
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On the word
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And our being doers
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Of the word
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From the epistle of James
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Psalm 119
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At verse 89
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Thy word forever is
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O Lord
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In heaven settled fast
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Fast
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Thy word for him
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But this O Lord
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In heaven settled fast
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Unto all generations
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Thy faithfulness
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Thy faithfulness
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The past
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The earth of us
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Estublish it
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And it applies by thee
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This day they stand
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As the Lord be
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For all thy servants be
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Unless in thy most perfect law
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My soul delights are found
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I should not perish
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My soul delights are found
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My soul delights are found
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Thy peace and sight
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Will never forget
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Everything to be brought
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Everything to be brought
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Lord I am thine
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For save thou me
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Thine peace set thine out
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Out
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For all thy
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Thine peace and soul
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For all thy wicked
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Thine peace and soul
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For all thy wicked
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Thine peace and soul
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Thy dead
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Thy dreams
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with joy.
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I can
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know
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all
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perfection.
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Here
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have I
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see thee
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O Lord.
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But
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else for
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I commanded
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it
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is
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exceeding
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cross.
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Let's turn to read God's word now.
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We're reading from the epistle, the letter
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of James
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and chapter 1 from
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the beginning. The letter of James
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chapter 1
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page 1215
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or so in your church Bibles if you're
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using these.
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So James chapter 1
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we'll read from the beginning.
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James a servant of God
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and of the Lord Jesus Christ
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to the twelve tribes of the
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dispersion
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greetings.
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Count it all joy my brothers
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when you meet trials of various kinds
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for you know that the testing
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of your faith produces steadfastness
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and let steadfastness
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have its full effect
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that you may be perfect and complete
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lacking in nothing.
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if any of you
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lacks wisdom
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let him ask God
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who gives generously to all
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without reproach
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and it will be given him.
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But let him ask in faith
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with no doubting
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for the one who doubts
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is like a wave of the sea
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that is driven and tossed
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by the wind
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for that person
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must not suppose
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that he will receive anything
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from the Lord.
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He is a double-minded man
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unstable in all his ways.
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Let the lowly brother boast
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in his exaltation
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and the rich in his humiliation
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because like a flower of the grass
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he will pass away
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for the sun rises
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with its scorching heat
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and withers the grass
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its flower falls
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and its beauty perishes
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so also will the rich man
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fade away
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in the midst of his pursuits.
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Blessed is the man
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who remains steadfast
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under trial
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for when he has stood the test
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he will receive
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the crown of life
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which the Lord has promised
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to those who love him.
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Let no one say
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when he is tempted
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I am being tempted by God
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for God cannot be tempted
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with evil
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and he himself
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tempts no one.
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But each person is tempted
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when he is lured
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and enticed
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by his own desire.
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Then desire
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when it has conceived
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gives birth to sin
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and sin
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when it is fully grown
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brings forth death.
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Do not be deceived
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my beloved brothers
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every good gift
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and every perfect gift
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is from above
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coming down
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from the Father of lights
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with whom there is no variation
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or shadow due to change.
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Of his own will
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he brought us forth
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by the word of truth
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that we should be
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a kind of first fruits
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of his creatures.
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Know this
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my beloved brothers
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let every person
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be quick to hear
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slow to speak
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slow to anger
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for the anger of man
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does not produce
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the righteousness
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that God requires.
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Therefore put away
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all filthiness
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and rampant wickedness
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and receive with meekness
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the implanted word
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which is able
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to save your souls.
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But be doers
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of the word
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and not hearers only
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deceiving yourselves.
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For if anyone
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is a hearer
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of the word
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and not a doer
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he is like a man
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who looks intently
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at his natural face
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in a mirror
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for he looks at himself
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and goes away
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and at once
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forgets what he was like.
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But the one
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who looks into
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the perfect law
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the law of liberty
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and perseveres
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being no longer
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one who forgets
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but a doer
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who acts
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he will be blessed
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in his doing.
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If anyone
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thinks he is religious
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and does not
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bridle his tongue
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but deceives
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his heart
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this person's
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religion is worthless
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religion that is pure
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and undefiled
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before God
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and the Father
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is this
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to visit orphans
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and widows
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in their affliction
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and to keep oneself
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unstained
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from the world.
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May the Lord
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add his blessing
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to our reading
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that portion
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of his word.
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Let's join together
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again once more
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in prayer.
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Lord we thank you
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today for your word.
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We thank you
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for all that it
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contains.
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We thank you
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for the way
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that you took
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account of our
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needs
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as you caused
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your word
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to be written
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down over the
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centuries.
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We thank you
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therefore that your
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word is both
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authoritative
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and also relevant
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to our needs
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that it is backed
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up by your
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authority
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and by your
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knowledge of us.
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And we ask
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today that your
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word will be
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blessed to us
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and prized by us.
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Help us Lord
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to be like the
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psalmist who
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could say that
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he treasured
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your word in
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his heart
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so that he
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would not sin
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against you.
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As we come
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before you Lord
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and around your
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word Lord we
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pray today for
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your Holy Spirit
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to open our
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minds to give
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us an understanding
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of your word
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and to enable
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us to carry it
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forward in our
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lives so that
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we may be as
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this passage says
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to us a doers
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of your word
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and not hearers
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only.
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We give thanks
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Lord for each
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and every one
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that comes today
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to gather together
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with your people
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everywhere throughout
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the world.
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We know that we
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belong to a
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great volume of
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people,
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a great multitude
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of people
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most of whom
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we don't know
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and yet they are
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all known to you
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and all known
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to you intimately
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and personally.
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We thank you
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that your word
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assures us that
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you know even
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the number of
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the hairs on
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our head
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that you are
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able to deal
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with every aspect
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of our need
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however great
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or however small
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it may be.
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Lord we pray
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today that you
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bless us here
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as a people,
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bless us as we
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gather as a
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congregation,
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bless us with
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our individual
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concerns,
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with our family
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concerns,
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with our concerns
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in the wider
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sense for our
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community,
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for our nation,
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for the world
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in which we live.
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we give thanks
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that we are able
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to express these
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to you in prayer
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and that we are
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able as we sing
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your praises also
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to take account
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of the words
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that we are
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singing and
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recognize that
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in so many respects
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the things that
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we see in our
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world and in our
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society are not
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new but have
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been features of
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the world at
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different times
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in the way in
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which human
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beings have lived
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and interacted
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together.
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We ask today
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oh God that
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we here may be
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thankful for all
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the goodness that
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you keep showing
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to us for the
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ways in which we
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know your blessing
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already to have
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affected and
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touched our lives.
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We pray today
21:10
that that will be
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added to as we
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seek further
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blessing here Lord
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from you at this
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time.
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We give thanks
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again for all
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that we can reflect
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on that you have
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done for us and
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you continue to do
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for us as a
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people.
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We pray today Lord
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that your work
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amongst us will
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continue that we
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will see much
21:30
fruit for the
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way in which the
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gospel is presented
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and your people
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serve you that we
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will see many
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others coming to
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be joined to you
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and to walk in
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your ways and to
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give themselves to
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the work of the
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gospel in the
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different ways in
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which we would
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seek oh Lord to
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serve you and to
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hold forth the
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word of life in
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our community.
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Remember us in
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all our activities.
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Remember us in
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everything Lord that
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we seek to do in
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conjunction with your
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worship and the
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preaching of your
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word.
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We pray that today
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Lord we may follow
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with our own
22:05
prayers everything
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that's happening
22:06
already in regard to
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our young people
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in regard to the
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various ways in
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which we anticipate
22:14
this week meetings
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to take place
22:16
associated with
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your truth and
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with the gospel and
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with your people.
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And grant Lord to
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continue to remember
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us and to provide
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for us.
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Remember us in
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terms of the
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practical and
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financial needs of
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the congregation
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too.
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Lord we recognize in
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your providence that
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we live in difficult
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and testing times
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even in regard to
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these things even
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though we know that
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they are not as
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hard and testing as
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they are for many
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others throughout the
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nation and even
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throughout the world.
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Nevertheless Lord
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give us we pray to
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be dedicated to the
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upholding of your
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cause and we thank
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you for the measure
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in which this is
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already the place
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with us as a
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people.
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Remember now those
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who are ill of our
23:01
number we pray for
23:03
them today oh Lord
23:04
and ask that you'd
23:05
bless them whether
23:06
at home or in
23:07
hospital or in
23:08
care homes receiving
23:10
treatment or looking
23:11
forward to such.
23:13
Lord we pray for
23:14
them and ask that
23:15
your healing hand
23:16
will be upon them
23:17
where that is
23:17
pleasing to you.
23:19
We pray for those
23:20
who mourn over
23:21
loved ones gone
23:22
and the death of
23:24
loved ones Lord is
23:25
something that
23:26
features in our
23:27
congregational life
23:28
from week to week
23:30
and we commend to
23:31
you today those
23:32
families those
23:33
individuals who have
23:35
lost loved ones in
23:36
recent days in
23:37
recent weeks and
23:38
months and even in
23:40
past years we Lord
23:41
commend them to you
23:42
for we know that
23:43
bereavement and the
23:45
sorrow and the
23:47
absence of loved ones
23:48
is something that
23:49
remains with us all
23:51
our days and we
23:52
pray oh Lord as
23:53
you are the one who
23:54
promises to be a
23:56
father to the
23:56
fatherless and the
23:57
widow stay we pray
23:59
that you would prove
24:00
yourself oh Lord to be
24:01
for us one who is
24:03
dependable at all
24:04
times and consistent
24:05
in the way in which
24:06
you keep your
24:07
promises.
24:08
Remember the world
24:09
in which we live
24:10
we bring before you
24:12
today Lord all the
24:13
troubles of the
24:14
world and the
24:15
troubled parts of the
24:16
world and we pray
24:18
that you would bless
24:19
where there is war and
24:20
conflict and we know
24:22
that there are many
24:22
places Lord where this
24:23
is the case throughout
24:25
the world even in
24:27
addition to the ones
24:27
we regularly have
24:29
featured on our news
24:30
reports.
24:31
Be merciful to us
24:33
Lord we pray
24:34
throughout our human
24:36
society and turn us
24:38
into your ways and be
24:39
pleased to bring the
24:41
quickening effects of
24:42
the gospel to bear
24:44
upon our world as we
24:45
pray as we have
24:46
already read in the
24:48
Lord's prayer that
24:49
your will be done on
24:50
earth as it is in
24:52
heaven.
24:53
And we ask Lord today
24:54
that you would also
24:55
be pleased to bless us
24:57
as a nation.
24:58
Lord we are so
24:59
concerned from week
25:01
to week at the
25:02
ways in which we
25:04
find violence and
25:07
protest turned into
25:09
violence and ideologies
25:11
that are contrary to
25:13
the gospel upheld and
25:15
exalted and praised.
25:17
Be merciful to us
25:18
Lord we pray as a
25:20
people and turn us
25:21
into your ways and
25:23
help us to value again
25:25
the gospel and its
25:26
message and the
25:28
testimony of your
25:29
church throughout the
25:30
ages that there is no
25:31
other name given under
25:33
heaven but the name of
25:34
Jesus by which we must
25:36
be saved.
25:38
Be merciful to those
25:39
who are over us in
25:40
power and authority in
25:43
our governments and
25:44
with the king and all
25:45
others Lord who have
25:46
places of authority and
25:48
influence and importance
25:49
throughout our land.
25:51
You have called upon us
25:52
Lord to pray for those
25:54
in authority and to
25:56
pray that we may live
25:57
peaceable lives and that
25:59
we might have a society
26:00
where the gospel will
26:01
flourish.
26:02
And so we do pray for
26:04
these things today.
26:05
We ask now that you'd
26:07
bless us and further
26:08
guide us in our praise
26:09
and in our thoughts upon
26:11
your word and as we
26:13
seek to set it forth in
26:14
the preaching of your
26:15
word.
26:16
Be with us Lord we pray
26:17
in all aspects of this.
26:20
Forgive our sins and
26:21
cleanse us for Jesus'
26:23
sake.
26:24
Amen.
26:24
Amen.
26:28
Well we'll sing once again
26:29
before we turn to the
26:30
scriptures singing this
26:32
time in Psalm 19.
26:35
This time it's in the
26:36
Sing Psalms version.
26:37
You'll find that on page
26:39
23 of the psalm books.
26:41
Page 23 and we're singing
26:44
verses 7 to 11.
26:46
The tune is St.
26:47
John.
26:49
The perfect law of God
26:50
revives the soul of man.
26:52
The statutes which are
26:54
sure make wise the
26:55
simple one.
26:56
The precepts of the Lord
26:58
are right and fill the
26:59
heart with great delight.
27:02
Words again which
27:03
celebrate the word of God
27:06
and the effects of God's
27:08
word when it's blessed to
27:09
us and how it brings to
27:11
our hearts such joy when
27:13
we rejoice in the Lord
27:14
through it.
27:15
These verses then 7 to 11.
27:17
The perfect law of God
27:19
revives the soul of man.
27:21
The perfect law of God
27:32
revives the soul of man.
27:37
His statutes which are sure
27:42
make wise the simple one.
27:47
The perfect law of God.
27:48
The perfect law of God.
27:49
The perfect law of God.
27:50
The perfect law of God.
27:52
The perfect law of God.
27:53
And fill the heart with great delight.
27:58
God with great delight.
27:58
cybt十 Corrections And the perfect law of God.
28:01
The perfect law of God.
28:02
Who will the perfect law of God.
28:05
Gn오�ly-ié-ered Furnit-Lyem.
28:06
Check light on what we see.
28:11
The fear of God is pure,
28:16
and lasts eternally.
28:22
The standards of the Lord express
28:27
His perfect truth and righteousness.
28:33
Of our worth and gold,
28:40
and what pure Lord they are,
28:45
and our money from the gold,
28:50
and our money sweeter fine.
28:55
May or the servant of the Lord
29:00
and keep in heaven's day reward.
29:10
Now let's turn together, as we wait on the Lord,
29:14
to James chapter 1.
29:17
Today we're looking at verses 22 to 25,
29:20
and I'm going to read again from verse 18,
29:23
because these verses really flow together.
29:25
So we'll read from verse 19.
29:32
Know this, my beloved brothers,
29:34
that let every person be quick to hear,
29:36
slow to speak, slow to anger,
29:39
for the anger of the man does not produce
29:40
the righteousness that God requires.
29:43
Therefore put away all filthiness,
29:46
and rampant wickedness,
29:47
and receive with meekness
29:49
the implanted word,
29:51
which is able to save your souls.
29:54
But be doers of the word,
29:56
and not hearers only,
29:58
deceiving yourselves.
29:59
For if anyone is a hearer of the word,
30:01
and not a doer,
30:03
he's like a man who looks intently
30:04
at his natural face in a mirror,
30:07
for he looks at himself and goes away,
30:09
and at once forgets what he was like.
30:12
But the one who looks into the perfect law,
30:14
the law of liberty,
30:16
and perseveres,
30:17
being no hearer who forgets,
30:19
but a doer who acts,
30:21
he will be blessed in his doing.
30:27
Well, when you read through the epistle of James,
30:30
you very soon realize
30:31
that this is a very practical part of Scripture,
30:34
a very practical letter.
30:36
Indeed, you could say that,
30:37
it would be true to say that James
30:39
is the most practical
30:41
of all the letters of the New Testament,
30:43
because it's more or less practiced
30:46
from beginning to end.
30:47
And James is always to the point.
30:52
As you read through his letter,
30:54
you begin to realize,
30:55
well, here's somebody
30:56
who takes no prisoners
30:58
with what he says.
30:59
He's very often sharp.
31:01
He's very often denouncing
31:03
certain ways of life.
31:05
And therefore,
31:07
he confronts us with the truth of God,
31:09
not in an unloving way,
31:11
but in a very direct way.
31:13
And that's one thing we have to
31:15
bear in mind as a distinction
31:17
that's important for ourselves
31:19
as well at all times.
31:21
For somebody to be non-compromising
31:23
in terms of the gospel,
31:25
in terms of what God himself
31:27
has set forth in his word,
31:29
to be non-compromising,
31:31
to be steadfast in keeping
31:33
to the word of God,
31:34
it's not the same thing
31:35
as to be unloving.
31:37
Yes, there are ways
31:38
in which we can present the gospel
31:40
in a way that's not tactful,
31:42
in a way that's harsh,
31:44
in a way that seems
31:45
at least to be unloving.
31:47
But that's not what James is doing.
31:49
He's being direct
31:50
because what he wants to present
31:53
to his readers is so important
31:55
in terms of their lives practically.
31:59
And I hope we come across that way
32:01
in the preaching of the gospel
32:02
because God lays that burden upon us
32:05
as preachers of the gospel
32:06
to be uncompromising
32:09
in presenting the truth
32:10
of the gospel
32:11
to all who hear it.
32:13
But we never want to be
32:14
unloving in doing that.
32:16
Being at times direct
32:19
as the word is direct.
32:21
If we're true to the word,
32:22
then we present the word
32:24
as directly speaking to us,
32:26
speaking to us
32:27
in an uncompromising way.
32:29
But we never want to do that
32:30
unlovingly.
32:32
We never want to present things
32:33
harshly or in a way
32:36
that comes across
32:37
as if we didn't really care
32:39
about those we're preaching to.
32:42
So if we come across
32:43
at times as seeming to be harsh
32:46
or overly direct,
32:48
I hope it's because
32:49
we're being true
32:49
to the word of God
32:51
and not because we're unfeeling
32:53
or unloving towards yourselves.
32:57
And so here in this passage
32:59
from chapter 1, verse 21,
33:01
we read there in verse 21,
33:04
he finishes that verse
33:05
by referring to the word of God,
33:09
the implanted word,
33:10
he calls it there,
33:11
using an agricultural term.
33:13
Or verse 18 even says
33:15
that of his own will,
33:16
God has brought us forth,
33:17
given birth to us
33:18
by the word of truth.
33:20
And he carries on that theme
33:21
of the word of God,
33:23
the word of truth that we have,
33:25
when he says,
33:25
now but be doers of the word
33:27
and not hearers only,
33:30
deceiving ourselves.
33:32
And so in verse 19,
33:33
you could say
33:34
what he's dealing with is
33:35
how we hear the word.
33:37
We have to receive the word
33:39
in a way that's quick to hear it.
33:44
Somebody has said,
33:45
God has given us
33:46
two ears and one mouth.
33:48
Just to follow what
33:50
James is saying there,
33:52
quick to hear,
33:54
slow to speak.
33:55
And that's how we find ourselves
33:59
confronted with God's word,
34:00
to be quick to hear it,
34:02
to be anxious to hear it,
34:04
but to be slow
34:05
in using our tongues.
34:07
He has a chapter
34:07
that deals with the tongue
34:09
in chapter three
34:09
and that's an important passage.
34:12
But that's taking us away
34:12
from the main passage
34:15
that we're looking at today.
34:16
How we hear the word
34:17
and then in verses 21 to 25,
34:19
you could say he's looking at
34:20
how we live out the word.
34:23
That's what we've called
34:24
our study today.
34:26
The Bible lived out.
34:28
The Bible as it's seen
34:30
in the lives of people
34:32
practically that want
34:34
to be true to God,
34:35
that live out the word
34:36
of God in their lives.
34:38
And that's really what
34:39
James is saying.
34:40
Be doers of the word
34:42
and not hearers only.
34:46
And he follows on
34:47
by giving us an illustration
34:49
as well of the mirror.
34:51
So two things he's looking.
34:52
He's giving us firstly
34:53
the imperative.
34:55
It's really in the form
34:56
of an imperative
34:56
or a command.
34:58
Be doers of the word
34:59
and not hearers only.
35:01
And he's following
35:02
that imperative
35:03
by the illustrative,
35:05
by the illustration.
35:07
If anyone is a hearer
35:08
of the word
35:08
and not a doer,
35:10
he's like a man
35:11
who looks intently
35:12
at his natural face
35:14
in a mirror
35:15
and so on.
35:16
So following that pattern,
35:18
let's look at
35:18
the points he gives us
35:21
there under these two headings.
35:22
First of all,
35:23
there's this imperative.
35:24
Be doers of the word
35:26
and not hearers only,
35:28
deceiving yourselves.
35:30
Now it's clear
35:30
from what James is saying there
35:32
that hearing the word
35:33
is not unimportant.
35:36
And how we hear the word
35:37
is not unimportant.
35:39
That's what we said
35:40
in verse 18,
35:41
going back to being quick
35:42
to hear the word.
35:44
In other words,
35:45
to hear the word
35:46
in such a way
35:48
as realizes
35:48
is the importance
35:49
of taking account
35:50
of what this word
35:51
is saying to us,
35:53
seriously reckoning with it
35:54
and what it's saying,
35:55
taking it into our minds,
35:57
thinking it through,
35:58
applying it to life,
35:59
to our behavior,
36:00
to our way of life
36:01
and all aspects of it.
36:03
We are to hear the word
36:04
in such a way
36:05
that really hears it intently,
36:07
that hears it seriously,
36:09
that regards it
36:10
as God speaking to us
36:12
through the written word
36:13
that he's given us.
36:15
Romans chapter 10,
36:17
verse 17,
36:17
you remember that
36:18
that context has to do
36:19
with preaching
36:20
and how God has sent people
36:23
to preach the word,
36:25
but he also says
36:26
that faith comes by hearing
36:29
and hearing the word of God
36:32
or the word of Christ.
36:34
In other words,
36:34
the faith that we want to have
36:36
as a feature of our lives
36:38
by which we live,
36:39
faith in God,
36:40
trust in God,
36:41
how does that come about?
36:43
Well, it comes about largely,
36:45
Paul was saying in Romans 10,
36:47
by the hearing of the gospel,
36:49
by the hearing of the word preached.
36:51
And that has its own implications,
36:53
which I'm not going to spend time on
36:55
at the moment to add to that,
36:57
to amplify that,
36:58
but the word preached,
37:00
seeing it's such an important feature
37:02
of how faith is produced
37:04
and how faith is fed by God,
37:07
it's so vital to us
37:08
to be under the preaching of the word
37:10
as you are here today,
37:12
whether you're online
37:13
or here in person.
37:15
We're under the word preached,
37:17
and the word preached,
37:18
God has specified,
37:20
is his way,
37:22
one of his main ways
37:23
of dealing with our needs
37:25
as human beings.
37:28
Preaching is an agency
37:30
that God has set up.
37:33
Agency in the sense of a means
37:34
or a method,
37:36
but you could say
37:37
preaching is the agency
37:39
for person building,
37:42
for building us up
37:43
in our person.
37:44
So that fits into
37:45
what James is actually saying
37:47
in being doers of the word
37:49
and not hearers only.
37:52
When he says not hearers only,
37:53
obviously means
37:54
but you are still hearers also.
37:57
And the hearing comes
37:58
ahead of the doing.
38:00
We can only be doers of the word,
38:02
put it into practice
38:04
in our lives
38:05
by first of all hearing it
38:07
and hearing it
38:07
in a way that intends
38:09
the doing of it,
38:10
in a way that regards it
38:11
as an important feature
38:13
of what God's gifts to us are,
38:16
the preaching of the word
38:17
being a primary means
38:19
of faith
38:20
and of producing faith.
38:22
So James has emphasis
38:24
on being not hearers only,
38:29
being doers
38:29
as well as hearers.
38:33
In other words,
38:34
we really have to be careful
38:35
that we come to be doers
38:37
of God's word
38:38
and not be satisfied
38:39
with simply hearing it.
38:41
It's a great thing
38:42
to be hearers of God's word
38:44
and we've said
38:45
how important a feature it is
38:46
in the method
38:47
that God uses
38:48
to feed our souls.
38:50
But you know,
38:51
we could go away
38:51
from here today,
38:53
I could be away
38:54
from here today
38:55
and congratulate myself
38:56
that I had preached
38:57
the word of God,
38:58
that I had kept to the text
39:00
that I had chosen
39:00
or God had laid on my heart
39:02
to preach from.
39:03
You could go away
39:04
from here today
39:04
and say,
39:05
well, I heard the word of God,
39:06
I really listened
39:07
while I was there
39:08
and then go away
39:09
and congratulate yourself
39:11
and congratulate myself
39:12
in doing that.
39:13
But have I put it
39:14
into practice?
39:16
Have I become
39:17
the things
39:18
that God itself
39:20
in his word
39:21
tells me I need to be?
39:23
Have I done the things
39:25
or have I avoided
39:26
doing the things
39:27
that God's word
39:29
sets before me
39:30
I should be doing
39:31
or not be doing?
39:34
Remember John
39:35
in chapter 5
39:37
and verses 39 to 40,
39:40
Jesus speaking there
39:41
to the crowd there,
39:43
he's speaking to those people
39:44
that were at that time
39:46
gathered around him
39:47
and he's finding fault
39:48
with them
39:49
for one thing especially,
39:50
he's finding fault
39:51
with them
39:51
not for searching
39:52
the scriptures
39:53
because that's what
39:54
they were doing.
39:54
You are searching
39:56
the scriptures,
39:57
he said,
39:57
for they are they
39:58
which testify about me
40:00
and in them
40:01
you do think
40:02
you have eternal life
40:04
and they weren't wrong
40:04
in that.
40:06
But you will not
40:07
come to me
40:08
that you might have life.
40:12
See,
40:12
you can be a hearer
40:13
of the word,
40:15
I have never come
40:15
to Christ.
40:17
You can be a hearer
40:19
of the word today
40:20
and satisfy yourself
40:21
that you've heard
40:22
the word,
40:23
that you've been
40:23
attentive to the word,
40:25
that you've gone
40:25
to where the word
40:26
is preached
40:27
and then you go home
40:28
unsaved.
40:30
And that means
40:30
you haven't really
40:31
done the word.
40:33
You haven't been through
40:34
to what God is saying
40:35
to you,
40:35
to come to Jesus,
40:37
to repent of sin,
40:39
to place your trust
40:40
in Christ,
40:40
to give your life
40:41
over to him.
40:43
So many ways
40:44
in which we can
40:45
be hearers of the word
40:46
and be hearers only.
40:49
And then James
40:51
adds something
40:51
very significantly
40:53
to that.
40:53
He said,
40:55
Be doers of the word
40:56
and not hearers only,
40:57
deceiving yourselves.
41:00
Now this is something
41:01
that James frequently
41:02
mentions,
41:03
deceiving yourselves.
41:04
We saw it earlier
41:05
in the chapter
41:06
where he mentioned
41:08
deceiving,
41:09
being deceived
41:10
in verse 16.
41:11
Do not be deceived,
41:13
my beloved brothers.
41:14
Every good gift,
41:16
every perfect gift
41:17
is from above.
41:19
And he mentions
41:19
throughout the letter
41:20
different times
41:21
that we can deceive ourselves.
41:24
And the word
41:24
that's used here
41:25
is very interesting.
41:27
It really means
41:27
to be led astray
41:29
by false reasoning.
41:32
To be led away
41:33
by false reasoning.
41:36
In other words,
41:37
you can hear the word,
41:39
you can in a measure
41:40
accept what it's saying
41:41
and listen to it
41:42
in such a way
41:44
that you're actually
41:46
careful at the time.
41:47
And we'll see that
41:47
in a minute
41:48
in the illustration used.
41:50
But then you don't do
41:51
what the word is saying.
41:54
And you know,
41:55
you can end up
41:56
very easily
41:57
persuading yourself,
41:59
well,
41:59
I don't really need
42:00
that part of
42:01
a Christian character.
42:02
I can leave that out.
42:03
I can be happy
42:04
with what I've got.
42:05
I don't really need
42:06
actually seriously
42:08
to take communion,
42:09
to go to the Lord's table,
42:11
though I know
42:11
God's word
42:12
is telling me that.
42:13
But I can just leave that.
42:14
I'm not really thinking
42:16
of that as so important.
42:18
You can deceive yourself
42:19
so easily.
42:20
I can deceive myself
42:21
so easily
42:23
by persuading ourselves,
42:25
by false reasoning,
42:27
that there are certain features
42:29
of what the Bible describes
42:31
as a Christian life
42:32
that are not applicable to me.
42:35
That are not applicable
42:36
or necessary for me
42:37
to follow out.
42:38
That's for other folks.
42:39
Other folks who want to
42:41
go that far
42:42
with their religious life
42:43
or their spiritual life,
42:45
their Christian life,
42:45
that's fine,
42:46
that's for them,
42:46
but I'm quite happy with them.
42:48
I'm a hearer of the word.
42:50
I go to church.
42:51
I do that.
42:52
That'll do for me.
42:54
Well, James is saying,
42:55
be careful.
42:57
You could be deceiving yourself.
43:01
Be a doer of the word
43:03
and not a hearer only,
43:05
deceiving yourself.
43:06
People tell us that
43:09
if you have a stretch of water
43:11
or an area of water
43:13
that has a stream flowing into it
43:17
but no outlet,
43:19
what happens to that stretch of water
43:21
or to that area of water?
43:22
Something like the Dead Sea,
43:24
for example.
43:26
Other areas as well you can see.
43:28
But what happens to that area of water
43:31
if there's a lovely,
43:33
fresh, flowing stream
43:34
going into it
43:35
but nothing coming out of it?
43:37
Well, it becomes stagnant.
43:40
It putrefies.
43:42
It becomes stinking.
43:44
And it becomes useless.
43:47
You know, a human life
43:48
can be like that.
43:50
And if we're through
43:50
to what James is saying
43:52
and giving place
43:54
to his pointedness
43:55
and to his directness,
43:57
your life and my life
43:58
could very easily be that
44:00
if we're deceiving ourselves
44:01
that being a hearer of the word
44:03
is sufficient,
44:04
if you like,
44:06
the water of the gospel
44:08
is going into us.
44:10
But there's no outflow
44:11
and our life becomes
44:14
like stagnant water
44:15
if we take the hearer's only approach.
44:20
So, be a doer of the word
44:23
and not a hearer only.
44:27
That's the imperative
44:28
that James is beginning with.
44:31
But he moves on
44:32
to the illustrative
44:33
because he wants to illustrate that
44:35
to give us something
44:36
by which we can
44:37
have that
44:39
greater focus
44:41
upon what he's saying.
44:42
And when he says
44:43
in the illustration here,
44:46
he is using
44:47
the illustration
44:48
of a mirror.
44:49
If anyone is a hearer
44:51
of the word
44:51
and not a doer,
44:53
in other words,
44:54
a hearer only,
44:55
he's like a man
44:56
who looks intently
44:57
at his natural face
44:59
in a mirror.
45:00
For he looks at himself
45:01
and goes away
45:02
and at once
45:03
forgets what he was like.
45:05
But the one
45:06
who looks into
45:07
the perfect law,
45:08
the law of liberty,
45:09
we'll see what that means
45:10
in a minute.
45:10
It means really
45:11
the whole of the word of God,
45:13
not just the law part of it.
45:16
If he looks into that,
45:18
he being not a hearer
45:19
who forgets
45:20
but a doer who acts,
45:21
he will be blessed
45:22
in his doing.
45:23
In other words,
45:23
he's still focusing
45:24
on the difference
45:25
between being a hearer only
45:27
and somebody
45:29
who's a hearer
45:30
and a doer.
45:31
Now look at the illustration.
45:32
Somebody who looks
45:33
at himself
45:33
in a mirror
45:35
and then goes away
45:35
and forgets.
45:36
Now the difference,
45:37
the distinction
45:37
James is making
45:38
is not
45:39
between somebody
45:40
who just glances
45:41
casually at himself
45:43
and somebody
45:44
who really,
45:45
in looking into
45:45
the law of liberty,
45:47
looks seriously
45:48
at himself.
45:49
Because you'll notice
45:50
that both
45:51
use words
45:52
that show
45:53
the looking
45:54
as that looking intently.
45:55
Here's a man
45:56
who's looking intently
45:57
at his natural face
45:59
in a mirror.
45:59
He doesn't just go out
46:00
in the morning,
46:02
have a look at his
46:02
face in the mirror
46:03
before he goes,
46:04
just a casual glance
46:05
and he says,
46:06
okay,
46:06
my hair's okay
46:07
and I don't need
46:08
to shave today
46:09
so off I'll go.
46:11
It's not that kind
46:11
of casual glance
46:12
he's talking about
46:13
at all.
46:14
He looks at himself
46:15
intently
46:16
in this mirror.
46:18
He looks at
46:19
what his face
46:20
is like
46:20
as he sees himself
46:21
in the mirror
46:22
but then he goes away
46:23
and at once
46:24
forgets what he was like.
46:26
In other words,
46:27
James is telling us
46:28
that it's so,
46:29
so possible
46:30
to look at yourself
46:31
in the word of God
46:32
as the mirror
46:33
by which it tells you
46:35
about yourself
46:36
and what you're like
46:37
and then all too soon
46:38
be distracted.
46:39
Something happens
46:40
in your life
46:41
and you actually
46:41
don't find that image
46:43
of what the mirror
46:44
gave you,
46:44
the word of God
46:45
gave you,
46:46
abiding with you
46:47
so you forget it
46:48
and you just carry on
46:50
as things were.
46:54
He looks at himself
46:56
intently
46:56
and he forgets
46:58
what he's like.
47:00
We're so very easily
47:01
distracted,
47:03
aren't we,
47:03
from the image
47:04
of ourselves
47:05
that the Bible
47:06
gives us
47:06
and we allow
47:08
so many things
47:09
to interfere
47:10
with that image
47:12
of ourselves
47:12
as God shows us
47:14
what we're like
47:14
and what our needs are
47:16
and whether
47:18
we're unsaved still
47:20
and the Bible
47:21
tells us
47:22
you need to repent
47:22
and to place your trust
47:24
in Jesus
47:25
and then something happens
47:26
as you leave church
47:27
and interacts
47:29
and interferes
47:30
with your thinking
47:30
and you go the rest
47:31
of the week
47:32
and there's all
47:32
of these distractions
47:33
and before the next
47:35
Lord's Day comes
47:35
you've lost
47:36
the image of yourself
47:38
the Bible gave you
47:39
or you might be
47:41
a Christian today
47:42
and you might say
47:44
well the Bible
47:45
showed me today
47:46
what I need to do
47:47
I need to attend
47:48
to my life
47:48
in a way that
47:49
prays regularly
47:50
in a way that
47:52
values company
47:53
with other Christians
47:54
I need to attend
47:55
to my life
47:55
by regular reading
47:57
of the word of God
47:58
so that I do
48:00
that aspect of it
48:01
faithfully as well
48:02
but then throughout
48:03
the week
48:04
so many things
48:04
happen don't they
48:05
that distract us
48:06
myself included
48:07
from all of these
48:08
aspects of
48:09
what's essential
48:10
to a Christian life
48:11
and a Christian character
48:13
and he's saying
48:14
don't
48:16
be like that
48:18
otherwise we're like
48:20
somebody
48:20
looks intently
48:22
at himself
48:22
in a mirror
48:23
sees there
48:24
what he sees
48:25
takes stock of it
48:27
but then just
48:27
forgets it
48:28
and goes on his way
48:30
as if he'd seen
48:30
nothing at all
48:31
and then maybe
48:32
a good long time
48:33
after that
48:34
he realizes
48:35
that's not good enough
48:37
I need to go back
48:38
to the mirror
48:39
but he contrasts that
48:42
with the one
48:43
who looks into
48:44
the perfect law
48:45
the law
48:46
of liberty
48:47
the perfect law
48:49
the law of liberty
48:50
is a reference
48:52
to the whole
48:53
word of God
48:53
I'll come to
48:54
the actual phrase
48:56
in a minute
48:56
but just keep
48:57
the contrast here
48:59
and the way
48:59
in which they're
49:00
compared
49:00
the person
49:01
who looks
49:02
at himself
49:02
intently
49:03
but then forgets
49:05
and here's the person
49:06
who looks into
49:07
and it really means
49:09
to stoop down
49:10
to look into
49:11
so it's the same idea
49:12
of
49:12
well it's a different word
49:14
James uses
49:14
the same idea
49:16
of looking
49:16
seriously
49:17
into the word
49:18
of God
49:19
who looks into
49:21
the perfect law
49:22
the law of liberty
49:23
but being no hearer
49:25
who forgets
49:25
but a doer
49:26
who acts
49:27
in other words
49:28
this person
49:30
unlike the one
49:32
who looked in the mirror
49:32
and then went away
49:34
and was distracted
49:35
this person
49:36
looked into the mirror
49:36
of God's word
49:37
saw himself
49:39
or herself
49:39
in God's word
49:40
and then what
49:41
well they went away
49:42
and carried that mirror
49:42
with them
49:43
they remained
49:45
in the company
49:46
of the word of God
49:48
they let the word
49:49
of God
49:49
actually travel
49:50
with them
49:51
into the various
49:53
aspects of the day
49:54
that they were
49:55
involved with
49:55
and I know that's
49:56
hugely challenging
49:57
to myself
49:58
and it's challenging
49:58
to you as well
49:59
because I'm sure
50:00
if you're like me
50:01
there are times
50:02
throughout each day
50:03
when you realize
50:04
I haven't really
50:05
let the word of God
50:07
influence how I see that
50:09
or how I spoke
50:10
or how I related
50:11
to such and such
50:12
a person
50:12
we're all guilty
50:15
of that
50:15
but here is
50:16
the way that James
50:17
reminds us
50:18
how important it is
50:19
to look into
50:21
the perfect law
50:22
of liberty
50:22
the mirror
50:23
of God's word
50:24
but actually
50:26
carry that with us
50:28
he being not
50:30
a forgetful hearer
50:32
but a doer
50:33
who acts
50:34
he will be blessed
50:37
in his doing
50:39
in other words
50:39
he perseveres
50:40
in the company
50:42
of the word
50:43
of God
50:44
that he looked into
50:45
and saw himself in
50:46
so if you carry that
50:49
contrast with you
50:51
you can see that
50:52
this is how he puts
50:53
it into practice
50:54
now that means that
50:56
we today need to give
50:58
not just a hearing
51:00
to this word of God
51:01
but to be hearing
51:02
in such a way
51:03
that says
51:04
I must let this word
51:05
remain with me
51:06
throughout this week
51:07
I've begun this week
51:08
in a good way
51:09
I've been in church
51:10
I've heard the word of God
51:12
I've heard it preached
51:13
I've been under the word
51:14
by which faith comes
51:16
so now I must attend
51:18
every day to this
51:19
that I keep that word
51:21
in my company
51:21
and keep company with it
51:23
that I'm not a forgetful
51:25
person who just looked
51:26
on one occasion
51:27
and then forget
51:28
for the rest of the week
51:29
I must carry it with me
51:31
I must be in its companionship
51:33
it must be my constant companion
51:35
must feed my mind
51:36
my thinking
51:37
my reactions
51:37
my speech
51:39
that's what we
51:41
need to put to ourselves
51:43
today friends
51:44
isn't it
51:44
because we want to be
51:46
productive
51:46
fruitful Christians
51:48
we want to be people
51:51
who have some sort of
51:53
impact or influence
51:54
in the society
51:54
in which we live
51:55
we will not do that
51:56
by being hearers
51:58
only
51:58
of the word of God
52:00
we must be hearers
52:01
and doers
52:02
some people think
52:03
that
52:03
this passage
52:05
really has to do
52:06
with us
52:06
practically being
52:08
as fully involved
52:09
as possible
52:10
with things like
52:10
the church's outreach
52:12
evangelism
52:13
evangelistic activities
52:15
whatever they might be
52:17
and of course
52:17
that's included in it
52:19
absolutely
52:19
but you mustn't think
52:22
that being a doer
52:24
of the word
52:24
is just those
52:25
sort of things
52:26
where you're seen
52:28
practically to be
52:30
active Christians
52:31
to be a doer
52:34
of the word
52:34
means you pray
52:35
faithfully
52:35
it means you read
52:37
your Bible
52:37
faithfully
52:38
it means you take
52:40
your relationships
52:41
faithfully
52:42
it means every
52:44
single thing
52:44
of a practical
52:45
Christian life
52:46
that you put
52:47
into action
52:48
as a doing
52:49
of the word
52:50
of God
52:50
so every aspect
52:52
of life
52:54
privately
52:55
relationships
52:56
publicly
52:57
whatever they are
52:59
they have to be
53:00
by the
53:01
they have to be
53:02
in a way
53:03
that's fed
53:03
by the word
53:04
of God
53:04
so become
53:05
doers
53:05
of the word
53:07
of God
53:07
and being
53:09
faithful
53:10
to God
53:11
involves being
53:12
a doer
53:13
of the word
53:14
of God
53:15
but let's look
53:17
at why he calls
53:18
this the perfect
53:19
law
53:20
the law
53:20
of liberty
53:21
whoever
53:21
looks into
53:23
the perfect
53:23
law
53:24
the law
53:25
of liberty
53:25
and perseveres
53:27
well you carry
53:29
the imagery
53:30
with you
53:30
of the word
53:31
of God
53:31
being a mirror
53:32
in which you
53:34
see yourself
53:34
and you're
53:36
looking into it
53:37
into peering
53:38
into it
53:39
as he says
53:40
in verse 25
53:41
looking into it
53:42
in terms of
53:42
stooping down
53:44
humbling yourself
53:45
to say
53:46
this word
53:47
is the word
53:48
that must direct
53:48
my mind
53:49
not the other
53:49
way about
53:50
and as you do
53:52
that
53:52
it is the
53:54
perfect law
53:55
the law
53:55
of liberty
53:56
sometimes we think
53:57
that God's
53:58
law
53:58
is at odds
54:01
with the gospel
54:02
sometimes we think
54:05
that God's law
54:06
is something
54:07
very rigid
54:08
and it is
54:09
something of course
54:10
which is
54:10
itself set
54:11
by God
54:12
in which the
54:13
character of God
54:14
is set forth
54:15
and that remains
54:16
the case
54:17
whatever we make
54:17
of it
54:18
but
54:20
James is actually
54:22
here describing
54:23
the whole
54:23
of scripture
54:25
the whole of
54:25
the word of God
54:27
and describing it
54:28
as the law
54:29
of liberty
54:30
why does he do
54:30
that
54:31
how can he link
54:32
the idea of
54:33
law
54:33
with liberty
54:34
or with freedom
54:35
because sometimes
54:35
the Bible does
54:36
speak about
54:37
the works of the
54:38
law
54:39
being bondage
54:40
if we're trying
54:41
to please God
54:42
by keeping the
54:42
law ourselves
54:43
instead of
54:44
turning to Jesus
54:45
and accepting
54:46
Jesus as one
54:47
who kept the
54:47
law perfectly
54:48
then we're in
54:49
the position
54:51
of legalism
54:52
and trying to
54:53
do something
54:53
ourselves
54:54
which has been
54:54
done for us
54:55
in Jesus
54:56
that's not the
54:57
idea that's
54:59
behind this at
54:59
all
54:59
the law
55:00
the perfect
55:01
law
55:01
the law
55:01
of liberty
55:02
let me just
55:02
think about
55:04
Israel for a
55:05
moment as they
55:06
came out of
55:07
Egypt
55:07
came through
55:08
the wilderness
55:09
and a part
55:09
of the journey
55:10
and then they
55:10
arrived at
55:11
Mount Sinai
55:12
well what
55:13
happened at
55:14
Mount Sinai
55:15
why was
55:16
Mount Sinai
55:16
so important
55:17
to them
55:18
and so much
55:19
a feature
55:19
of their life
55:20
afterwards
55:21
because what
55:23
happened at
55:23
Mount Sinai
55:24
was that God
55:25
gave them
55:26
his law
55:27
he gave them
55:29
not just the
55:29
Ten Commandments
55:30
but other
55:31
laws as well
55:31
but the Ten
55:32
Commandments
55:32
especially
55:33
he gave them
55:34
that as their
55:34
moral code
55:36
as the way
55:38
by which their
55:39
life was to be
55:40
directed
55:41
and their
55:41
lifestyle
55:42
was to be
55:42
directed
55:43
he gave them
55:44
that law
55:45
as the
55:46
lifestyle required
55:48
by God
55:48
was set forth
55:49
in it
55:49
but who
55:52
were they
55:52
what was their
55:54
position on
55:55
Mount Sinai
55:56
he didn't
55:57
bring them
55:58
to Mount
55:58
Sinai
55:59
so as to
55:59
say
56:00
if you
56:00
keep
56:00
this
56:01
law
56:01
then
56:02
I'll
56:02
treat
56:04
you
56:04
as
56:05
deserving
56:06
of my
56:06
redemption
56:07
he had
56:08
already
56:08
redeemed
56:09
them
56:09
they had
56:10
come out
56:11
of Egypt
56:11
by the
56:11
power
56:12
of God
56:13
they were
56:14
God's
56:14
redeemed
56:15
covenant
56:15
people
56:16
in that
56:16
sense
56:17
and they
56:18
had come
56:18
out of
56:18
that bondage
56:19
of Egypt
56:20
the slavery
56:21
of Egypt
56:21
they had
56:22
been kept
56:22
in that
56:23
for many
56:23
years
56:23
hundreds
56:24
of years
56:25
and here
56:26
they were
56:26
released
56:27
by God's
56:28
power
56:28
by God's
56:29
grace
56:29
by God's
56:30
love
56:30
from that
56:31
bondage
56:31
of Egypt
56:32
and here
56:32
they were
56:33
as a
56:33
redeemed
56:34
freed
56:35
people
56:35
given
56:36
the law
56:37
of God
56:37
for their
56:38
direction
56:38
that's
56:40
really what
56:41
the Christian
56:42
life
56:42
is about
56:44
God
56:45
has
56:46
released
56:47
you
56:47
has given
56:48
you liberty
56:48
from sin
56:49
from the
56:50
guilt of sin
56:50
from the
56:51
grip of
56:51
Satan
56:52
and he's
56:54
brought you
56:54
to present
56:56
you with
56:56
his word
56:57
as your
56:58
safeguard
56:59
if you like
57:00
as your
57:00
directions
57:01
for life
57:02
and as
57:04
he's done
57:05
that
57:05
you come
57:06
to this
57:07
word of
57:07
God
57:07
even the
57:08
parts of
57:09
it that
57:09
are actually
57:10
laws
57:10
and you
57:12
don't regard
57:13
them as
57:13
being
57:14
burdensome
57:15
as somehow
57:16
or other
57:17
being
57:17
inappropriate
57:18
for a
57:18
Christian
57:19
life
57:19
you rejoice
57:21
that
57:23
they keep
57:23
you safe
57:24
that
57:25
they tell
57:25
you what
57:26
God
57:26
is like
57:27
as well
57:28
as other
57:29
aspects
57:29
of his
57:30
word
57:30
let me
57:30
just
57:31
read
57:32
from one
57:33
of the
57:34
Psalms
57:34
Psalm 119
57:35
which is
57:36
all about
57:36
the word
57:37
of God
57:38
sometimes
57:38
called
57:39
statutes
57:40
testimonies
57:41
precepts
57:43
word
57:43
but this
57:44
is what
57:45
he says
57:45
in
57:45
verse 97
57:46
oh how
57:49
I love
57:49
your law
57:51
it is my
57:52
meditation
57:53
all the
57:54
day
57:55
your
57:55
commandment
57:56
makes me
57:57
wiser
57:57
than my
57:57
enemies
57:58
for it
57:59
is ever
58:00
with me
58:00
verse 103
58:02
have a
58:03
similar
58:03
emphasis
58:04
there
58:05
how sweet
58:06
are your
58:07
words
58:07
to my
58:08
taste
58:08
sweeter
58:09
than honey
58:10
to my
58:10
mouth
58:10
through your
58:11
precepts
58:12
I get
58:13
understanding
58:14
therefore I
58:14
hate
58:15
every
58:15
false
58:16
way
58:17
and verse
58:18
162
58:19
just picking
58:20
up some
58:20
verses from
58:21
the whole
58:22
Psalm here
58:22
but 162
58:23
I rejoice
58:25
at your
58:25
word
58:26
like one
58:27
who finds
58:28
great spoil
58:28
I hate
58:30
and abhor
58:30
falsehood
58:31
but I
58:32
love
58:33
your law
58:34
seven times
58:35
a day
58:35
I praise
58:36
you for
58:37
your righteous
58:37
rules
58:38
great peace
58:39
have those
58:41
who love
58:42
your law
58:42
nothing can
58:43
make them
58:44
stumble
58:44
see how
58:45
important
58:46
how precious
58:47
how central
58:48
how foundational
58:49
how liberating
58:51
if you like
58:52
the word
58:52
of God
58:53
the law
58:53
of God
58:54
as he calls
58:54
it
58:55
was to
58:56
him
58:56
that's why
58:58
he relished
58:58
it
58:59
that's why
59:00
he wanted
59:01
to live
59:01
it out
59:02
to be
59:04
a doer
59:04
of that
59:05
law
59:05
of that
59:06
word
59:07
and not
59:08
a hearer
59:09
only
59:09
and this
59:10
is really
59:10
what
59:11
James is
59:12
setting
59:13
before us
59:13
today
59:14
the one
59:15
who looks
59:15
into the
59:16
perfect
59:16
law
59:16
the law
59:17
of liberty
59:17
we're taking
59:19
the whole
59:19
of scripture
59:20
and saying
59:20
this is
59:21
God's
59:21
regulating
59:22
word
59:23
for us
59:23
and it's
59:25
not burdensome
59:26
though it
59:27
places certain
59:28
restrictions
59:28
on us
59:29
whoever
59:31
looks into
59:33
the law
59:33
of liberty
59:34
and perseveres
59:36
who remains
59:38
in its
59:38
company
59:38
being no
59:40
hearer who
59:41
forgets
59:41
but a
59:42
doer who
59:42
acts
59:42
he will
59:44
be blessed
59:44
in his
59:46
doing
59:46
and when
59:48
James'
59:49
companion
59:50
John
59:51
wrote his
59:52
small but
59:53
important
59:53
third letter
59:54
this is what
59:57
he said
59:57
in verse
59:57
four
59:58
I have
1:00:00
no
1:00:00
greater
1:00:01
joy
1:00:01
and to
1:00:03
hear that
1:00:03
my children
1:00:04
walk
1:00:05
in the
1:00:06
truth
1:00:07
in the
1:00:08
ways of
1:00:08
truth
1:00:09
because friends
1:00:10
that's what
1:00:10
this word
1:00:11
is
1:00:11
it is
1:00:13
God's
1:00:13
truth
1:00:13
it's
1:00:15
God's
1:00:15
infallible
1:00:16
truth
1:00:16
God's
1:00:17
authoritative
1:00:18
truth
1:00:19
and it's
1:00:20
in his
1:00:21
kindness
1:00:21
that he
1:00:22
has given
1:00:23
it to
1:00:23
us
1:00:24
we are
1:00:26
not to be
1:00:26
hearers
1:00:27
only
1:00:27
though we
1:00:28
are to be
1:00:28
intent
1:00:29
hearers
1:00:29
we are
1:00:31
to be
1:00:31
doers of
1:00:32
the word
1:00:32
and not
1:00:33
hearers
1:00:34
only
1:00:34
we are
1:00:35
to let
1:00:36
the word
1:00:36
be our
1:00:36
constant
1:00:37
companion
1:00:37
so that
1:00:39
by living
1:00:40
fruitful
1:00:40
lives
1:00:41
and this
1:00:42
is James
1:00:43
O'er
1:00:43
writing
1:00:43
concern
1:00:44
as it
1:00:44
is
1:00:44
with
1:00:45
all
1:00:45
epistles
1:00:46
we will
1:00:47
bring
1:00:47
glory
1:00:48
and
1:00:49
honour
1:00:49
and
1:00:50
praise
1:00:51
to our
1:00:52
God
1:00:52
may these
1:00:55
words be
1:00:55
blessed to
1:00:55
us
1:00:56
we're going
1:00:58
to conclude
1:00:58
now by
1:00:58
singing
1:00:59
once again
1:01:00
to God's
1:01:00
praise
1:01:00
in Psalm
1:01:01
119
1:01:02
this time
1:01:05
it's from
1:01:05
the Scottish
1:01:06
Psalter
1:01:06
on page
1:01:07
167
1:01:08
verses
1:01:12
beginning
1:01:12
at 161
1:01:14
and that's
1:01:14
section 4
1:01:15
verses
1:01:15
to tune
1:01:17
Rockingham
1:01:17
though rulers
1:01:19
hound me
1:01:20
without cause
1:01:20
my heart
1:01:21
fears nothing
1:01:22
but your
1:01:22
word
1:01:23
for in your
1:01:24
promise I
1:01:25
rejoice
1:01:25
like one
1:01:26
who finds
1:01:27
great spoil
1:01:28
O Lord
1:01:28
all false
1:01:30
who die
1:01:30
a poor
1:01:30
and hate
1:01:31
with all
1:01:32
my heart
1:01:33
I love
1:01:33
your law
1:01:34
I praise
1:01:35
you seven
1:01:35
times a
1:01:36
day
1:01:36
for your
1:01:37
commands
1:01:38
I hold
1:01:39
in all
1:01:40
so these
1:01:42
four verses
1:01:42
from verse
1:01:43
161
1:01:44
on page
1:01:45
167
1:01:46
though rulers
1:01:47
hound me
1:01:47
without cause
1:01:49
for you
1:01:54
for you
1:01:56
that
1:01:57
have
1:01:57
me
1:01:59
with
1:02:00
that
1:02:01
thoughts
1:02:02
my heart
1:02:05
fears
1:02:05
nothing
1:02:07
but
1:02:09
your
1:02:09
word
1:02:11
for in
1:02:14
your
1:02:15
promise
1:02:16
I
1:02:17
rejoice
1:02:19
like
1:02:21
one
1:02:23
who
1:02:23
finds
1:02:24
this
1:02:26
spoil
1:02:27
O Lord
1:02:29
out
1:02:31
What
1:02:31
Ham
1:02:34
I am old and late, with all my heart I love you all.
1:02:48
I praise you seven times a day, for your commands I hold in all.
1:03:06
If he stands for those who love her, they will not stumble in the way.
1:03:24
I pray for you, salvation Lord, and you commands I will obey.
1:03:42
I will, old Savior's statue's heart, my love for them is great and true.
1:04:01
Through the lost and peace, I obey, for all my ways I hold to you.
1:04:21
I'll go to the main door after the benediction.
1:04:25
Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father,
1:04:28
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and evermore.
1:04:33
Amen.