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All The Blessings · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Murdo Campbell, delighted to welcome Murdo to the pulpit for this weekend.
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He is a Stornoway boy. He became a member here in the congregation in 2006, he was just telling me.
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And he's now been a minister in Barres Free Church for 10 years, and it was 10 years ago yesterday
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was the date of his induction there. So we're very thankful to have Murdo with us, leading the
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services over this weekend, and we do pray God's blessing on him and on us all together as we come
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under the sound of the glorious gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And I'll invite Murdo now
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to lead us in our worship. Well, good evening. It's lovely to be with you this evening, and God willing,
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over this weekend. We do pray that we know the Lord's blessing as we meet around God's Word and
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also around the Lord's table. You know, I was thinking as I was coming over the moor from Bonnie
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Barvis, in our pulpit, or my pulpit, I have this sign that reminds me every time I stand in the pulpit.
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It says on it, Sir, we would see Jesus. And I was thinking that's what we should be longing for
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this coming weekend, that we would see Jesus, that we would see none other save Jesus only,
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that he would be lifted up before us, and that in lifting him up, we would all be drawn to him,
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to know him, to love him, and to follow him, and even to walk with him more closely.
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So let us worship God this evening. We're going to sing to God's praise in Psalm 32.
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Psalm 32, it's in the Sing Psalms version, on page 38, if you have the blue psalm book.
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Psalm 32.
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The tune is Arlington. We're singing from the beginning down to the verse mark 7.
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Psalm 32, page 38. All of our psalms this evening, they focus upon the theme of blessing or blessedness.
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And Psalm 32 is, it's a psalm that was written after Psalm 51. Psalm 51, it's my favorite psalm.
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It's the psalm where David confesses his sin. And then he wrote, after he wrote Psalm 51,
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he wrote Psalm 32, because he knew the forgiveness of his sin. He knew how blessed he was to receive
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forgiveness for his sin. That's what David writes here. He says, how blessed the one who has received
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forgiveness for his sin, whose sins are covered from God's face, whose debt is cancelled in God's grace.
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There's no deceit in him. So we'll sing Psalm 32 from the beginning down to the verse mark 7.
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Do you stand to sing? And we'll stand to sing, if you're able, to God's praise.
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Amen.
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When I kept silent, all my bones were thrown in heaven.
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I felt entrapped. Both day and night, my strength was up, as in a summer drought.
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Then I laid bare my sin to you, the guilt that lay within. I said, O Lord, I have transgressed,
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and you forgive when I confess. You pardoned all my sin.
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So let the Godly pray to you, while you are to be found.
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Surely, when waves are sweeping past, and mighty waters rising fast, you keep them safe and sound.
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You are my hiding place, O Lord, my true security.
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You keep me safe and troubled days. You circle me with joyful praise, when you have set me free.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Well, let us come before the Lord in prayer. Let's pray together.
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Gracious God and loving Heavenly Father, enable us this evening, as we meet together in worship,
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to first of all be still, to be still and to know that thou art God.
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Help us, Lord, we pray, to come aside from all the business of the day, and even the busyness of our week,
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and to just stop, and to be still in the Lord's presence,
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and to know that the promise remains true for thy people,
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that where two or three gather in thy name, thou art there in the midst of them.
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And that our prayer, Lord, as we meet together, is that thou wouldst be pleased to bless us.
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And as the psalm has said, Lord, bless and pity us.
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Shine on us with thy face, that the earth, thy way, and nations all would know thy saving grace.
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And tonight we bless and praise thee for knowing the saving grace of God in our life,
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to know that we have been brought from darkness, and to thine own marvelous light,
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that we can say that we were once not a people, but we are now the people of God.
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We are those who had once not obtained mercy, but now we have obtained mercy.
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And what a mercy it is to know that God has been gracious and merciful towards us.
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He has been long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth.
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And it is no wonder that David praised the Lord in that psalm that we were singing.
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And he said, how blessed is the one who has received forgiveness for his sin.
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And tonight, Lord, help us to see that we are a people who are blessed.
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We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ.
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We have received what we do not deserve.
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And the Lord has kept from us what we do deserve.
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That he has been so good to us.
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That he has drawn us to himself.
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That he has called us with that holy calling.
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That he has made known to us the wonder and beauty of thy Son, the Lord Jesus.
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And we thank thee tonight for him.
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We thank thee, O Lord, that he is a faithful friend.
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He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
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He is our shepherd who leads us in every step of the way of life.
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He is there for us even when we have to be confronted with the valley of the shadow of death.
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That he is the one who is by our side.
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He is the one who assures us that his goodness and his mercy, they still follow us all the days of our life.
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And that in God's house forevermore our dwelling place shall be.
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And so, Lord, whatever or however we felt coming in here this evening.
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However we felt in and of ourselves.
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That how often, Lord, we look at ourselves and we see how sinful we are.
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And that we are not becoming more holy.
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But we feel that we are becoming more and more sinful.
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And yet, Lord, we find ourselves confessing more and more with the Apostle.
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That the good that I would, I do not.
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But the evil that I would not, that is what I keep on doing.
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But, Lord, help us, we pray, to see tonight that there is and there remains,
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therefore now no condemnation, to those who are in Christ Jesus.
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That we are those who have been given that spirit of adoption.
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Whereby we are able to cry and call upon our Father which art in heaven.
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And to know that he hears us and he answers us in accordance with his will.
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Help us, Lord, we pray, to be persuaded.
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As Paul was persuaded.
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That neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers.
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Nor things present, nor even things to come.
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Neither height, nor depth, nor any other creature.
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Is able to separate us from the love of God.
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That is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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And so, Lord, our prayer is, as we meet together as weak.
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Saints traveling through this world.
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Help us, Lord, to be encouraged by thy word.
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Help us, Lord, to be lifted up to see Jesus.
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That while we are looking at him, that, oh, as one of old said, that for every look at self,
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to take ten looks at Jesus.
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And that we might keep looking at him.
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That we might keep focusing upon him.
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Knowing that he is the lover of our soul.
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He is the fairest among ten thousand.
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He is the one who was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.
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And help us then, we pray, to see more and more of him.
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That he would increase.
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That we would decrease.
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That he would ultimately have all the preeminence.
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That thou, our heavenly Father, would have all the glory.
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And that we, tonight, as we gather around thy word.
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And as we seek thy face.
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That, Lord, that we would know blessing.
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That we would experience thy presence.
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That we would know the power of thy spirit.
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As thy word is opened.
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And as thy word is read.
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And as it is proclaimed.
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Lord, that thou wouldest open our ears to hear.
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Open our hearts to receive thy truth.
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Open our minds to engage with it.
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But, Lord, enable us, we pray, as thy people.
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Not only to be hearers of thy word.
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To be doers also.
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To be living it out.
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And to be living epistles.
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Seen and read of those around us.
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That we, O Lord, would do it ultimately for thy glory.
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And the furtherance of thy kingdom.
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Bless us, Lord, we pray, then, as thy children.
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Remember this congregation.
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That we thank thee for them.
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That thou wouldest strengthen them and sustain them.
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Uphold them and support them.
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Remember the minister, Lord.
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We thank thee for him.
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We pray for our brother, Calamurdo.
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Grant him, Lord, to know thy presence.
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To know thy nearness.
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And that even as he would enjoy a communion season.
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With his own people here.
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Bless him, Lord, we pray.
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Remember his wife, Joanne, and their family.
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And we pray, Lord, even for the vacancy in the congregation.
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That thou wouldest provide for them.
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Not only an under-shepherd.
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But also a brother to work alongside Calamurdo.
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One who will serve alongside him.
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One who will seek to lift up the name of Jesus.
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Encourage them, Lord, we pray, in the work of the gospel.
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That as they plough their furrow.
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And as they seek to break up the fallow ground.
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And as they seek to invite people to come and hear this glorious gospel message.
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Our longing is that more would be won to Christ.
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That more and more would taste and see that thou art good.
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And trust in thee and be blessed.
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And Lord, remember us then, we pray this evening.
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Remember those who are not with us.
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Those who are confined to homes or to beds of sickness.
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Those, Lord, who are laid aside.
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Those whose longing and heart's desire is to be here.
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And yet, Lord, they are confined to their homes.
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Or wherever they may be.
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But, Lord, we ask that thou wouldest meet with them.
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At their point of need.
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And, Lord, we pray also for homes and families that are separated by the gospel.
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We pray for husbands that are out of Christ.
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Or wives that are still strangers to grace and to God.
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Or children that are on the broad road.
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That leads to destruction.
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Lord, our longing is that the prodigals would come home.
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That they too would be found here on a Friday evening.
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Seeking to worship the Lord.
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Seeking to lift up his name.
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Seeking to glorify and enjoy him forever.
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For that is our chief end.
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O Lord, bless us then, we pray.
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Lead us and guide us by thy spirit.
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And go before us in all things.
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Taking away our iniquity.
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And receiving us graciously.
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For Jesus' sake.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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But we're going to sing again.
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This time in Psalm 119.
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Psalm 119.
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It's in the Scottish Psalter, page 399.
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Psalm 119.
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We're singing from the beginning down to the verse marked 6.
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As you know, Psalm 119.
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It's the longest psalm in the Psalter.
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And for good reason.
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It's a psalm that reminds us about the importance of God's word in our life.
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That God's word is to be central to our life.
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And when God's word is central to our life.
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As the psalmist reminds us there.
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We are blessed.
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He says there in verse 1.
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Blessed are they that undefiled and straight are in the way.
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Who in the Lord's most holy law do walk and do not stray.
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Blessed are they who to observe his statutes are inclined.
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And who do seek the living God with their whole heart and mind.
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So we're singing Psalm 119 from the beginning down to the verse marked 6.
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It's on page 399.
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We're singing to the tune Jackson.
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And we'll stand to sing if you're able.
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To God's praise.
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Blessed are they that undefiled and straight are in the way.
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Who in the Lord's most holy law do walk and do not stray.
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Blessed are they who to observe his statutes are inclined.
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And who do seek the living God with their whole heart and mind.
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Such endless ways to walk and lay.
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To know any clergy.
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Thou hast commanded us to keep thy footsteps carefully.
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O that thy statutes to observe.
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Thou wouldst my ways silent.
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Then shall I not be shamed when I by three steps always pray.
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Amen.
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We're now going to read the word of God.
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As we find it in Paul's letter to the Ephesians and chapter 1.
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Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
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And chapter 1.
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Ephesians chapter 1, we're going to read the whole chapter together.
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So let us hear the word of God.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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in the heavenly places,
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far above all rule and authority
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and power and dominion
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and above every name that is named,
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not only in this age,
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but also in the one to come.
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And he put all things under his feet
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and gave him as head over all things
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to the church, which is his body,
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the fullness of him who fills all in all.
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And so on, may the Lord bless
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that reading of his own holy word.
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We're now going to sing again
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before we consider that passage
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in Ephesians chapter one.
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We're going to sing again.
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And I want to apologize to Ali
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before I open my mouth.
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It's Psalm 89, I should have said to Ali.
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I don't know why I wrote 78.
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I hope that's okay, Ali.
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That's good.
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Psalm 89, it's at verse 15.
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When I had turned to Psalm 78,
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I was looking at it thinking,
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why on earth did I choose that Psalm?
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It's not what I was wanting us to sing.
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So Psalm 89, it's on page 345.
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It's in the Scottish Psalter.
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Psalm 89.
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And we're singing from verse 15
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down to the verse marked 18.
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And the reason we're going to sing Psalm 89
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is because it reminds us that as a people,
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we are a blessed people.
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Not only blessed, we are greatly blessed.
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That's what the psalmist reminds us in verse 15.
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O greatly blessed the people are,
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the joyful sound that know.
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In brightness of thy face, O Lord,
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they ever on shall go.
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They in thy name shall all the day rejoice exceedingly.
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And in thy righteousness shall they,
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exalted, be on high.
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So we'll sing Psalm 89 from verse 15
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down to the verse marked 18.
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And we'll stand to sing, if you're able,
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to God's praise.
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Amen.
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O greatly blessed the people are,
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the joyful sound that know,
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and brightness of thy face, O Lord,
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they ever on shall go.
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They in thy name shall all the day rejoice exceedingly.
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And in thy righteousness shall they,
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and in thy righteousness shall they,
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exalted be on high.
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because the glory of their strength,
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doth only stand in thee.
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and in thy faith shall our horn,
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and power exalted be.
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for God is our own.
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For God is our own.
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He begs and thee,
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to us doth safety bring.
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The holy one of Israel,
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is our almighty King.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Well, if we could, this evening,
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with the Lord's help and the Lord's enabling,
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if we could turn back to that portion of scripture that we read,
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Paul's letter to the Ephesians,
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and chapter 1.
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Ephesians chapter 1.
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And if we read again in verse 3.
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Actually, we'll just read from the beginning.
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Where Paul writes,
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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
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to the saints who are in Ephesus
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and are faithful in Christ Jesus,
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grace to you and peace from God our Father
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and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Blessed be the God and Father,
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of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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who has blessed us in Christ
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with every spiritual blessing
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in the heavenly places.
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And so on.
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If I were to ask you this evening,
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how are you?
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How would you answer?
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Would you slap on a smile
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and give the generic answer
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that we almost always give to almost everyone?
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Would you just say,
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I'm fine, Murdo?
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Not bad, Murdo?
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But you know, more often than not,
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the truth is we're not fine
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because we're all struggling in some way.
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We're all struggling with sin
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or with sickness
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or with stress
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or with stress
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or sorrow
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or separation.
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We're not fine
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because we're all broken people
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living broken lives
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in this broken world.
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But even though we're broken people,
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Paul reminds us that,
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as believers,
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we are blessed people.
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We're blessed people.
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You know,
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when I was studying in the Free Church College,
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which wasn't yesterday,
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I was there with a private student
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and every time I saw this private student
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and I asked him the question
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I've just asked all of you,
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I would ask him,
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how are you?
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And he would say it to me
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in his strong Glaswegian accent,
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and I'm not going to try his Glaswegian accent,
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he would say,
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Murdo, my friend,
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I'm blessed.
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Murdo, my friend,
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I'm blessed.
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Because you know,
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despite his struggles,
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and he had many of them,
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he was sure of who he was
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in Christ.
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And that as a child of God,
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he had received,
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as Paul writes,
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he had received
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every spiritual blessing
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in heavenly places
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in Christ.
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And that's where Paul begins
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his letter to the Ephesians,
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because Paul wants to remind us
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and reassure us this evening
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of how we are tonight
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as believers.
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So that when someone asks you,
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how are you?
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You're not to give the generic answer
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that you always give.
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Paul tells us that we are
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to respond and say,
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I'm blessed.
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I'm blessed with every
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spiritual blessing
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in heavenly places
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in Christ.
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And that's what I want us
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to see this evening
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from this passage
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as we consider three things.
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We consider, first of all,
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all the believers,
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then all the blessings,
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and then all the benefits.
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So there are three headings,
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all the believers,
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all the blessings,
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and all the benefits.
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So first of all,
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all the believers,
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we see that in verses 1 and 2.
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Paul writes there, he says,
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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus
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by the will of God,
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to the saints who are in Ephesus
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and are faithful in Christ Jesus,
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grace to you and peace
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from God our Father
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and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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You know, the word Ephesus
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means desirable,
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because the ancient city of Ephesus
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was a desirable place to live.
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Ephesus was this wealthy seaport city
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situated along the southwest coast
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of what is now modern-day Turkey.
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And as a seaport city,
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the city of Ephesus
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that had built up its reputation
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as this key trade route
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along the Aegean Sea,
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so much so that Ephesus
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became this important
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and influential city
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within the Roman Empire.
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Sadly, Ephesus was also known
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for its idolatry.
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They had built a temple
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double the size of any other temple
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around them
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to this Greek goddess Diana,
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making it what's been known
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as one of the seven wonders
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of the ancient world.
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It was also known for its immorality
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because as an idolatrous city,
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that often meant two things.
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It meant temple priests
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and also temple prostitutes,
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making Ephesus nothing more
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than what it was, sin city.
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And yet around 54 AD,
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it was into that dark context
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and culture of idolatry
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and immorality
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that the Lord directed Paul
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to plant a church
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and to place a lampstand
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in this what was a cosmopolitan
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and even a commercial seaport city
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of Ephesus.
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And Paul remained there.
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He stayed there for about
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two to three years
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where he challenged
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and confronted their idolatry
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and all their immorality.
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And by God's grace,
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many of the Ephesians,
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they turned away
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from their idolatry,
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they left their immorality,
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and they began worshipping
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the living and through God.
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In fact, the gospel
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had such an impact
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and such an influence
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upon the church in Ephesus
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that they became
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this church that was a light.
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They were a church
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that was a light in darkness.
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And for that reason,
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Paul's letter to the Ephesians,
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in many ways,
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it's a unique letter
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because it's a letter
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unlike many of his other letters.
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As you know,
30:48
in all of his other letters,
30:49
Paul is addressing
30:51
and dealing with division
30:52
or heresy
30:53
or false teaching
30:54
or counterfeit Christianity.
30:57
But in the letters
30:59
of the Ephesians,
30:59
Paul doesn't deal
31:00
with any of those problems
31:01
because as a church,
31:04
this church,
31:05
as we said,
31:05
was a light.
31:07
But the Ephesians,
31:08
they just seemed to be
31:09
faithfully plowing away
31:10
in their furrow.
31:12
The Ephesians were faithfully
31:14
plowing away
31:15
in their furrow.
31:18
And yet Paul writes to them
31:19
because as a seasoned pastor
31:22
and preacher of the gospel,
31:24
Paul always knew
31:25
that when things are going well,
31:27
there's always this temptation
31:29
to lose focus
31:31
and to forget the Lord.
31:34
That's why he encourages
31:35
and even exhorts the Ephesians
31:37
throughout this entire letter.
31:39
And you know,
31:41
it's actually a beautiful letter.
31:43
It's a letter that's split
31:44
and you could see
31:45
it's separated into two halves.
31:47
It's a game of two halves,
31:48
the letter to the Ephesians.
31:50
Because chapters 1 to 3,
31:51
Paul is teaching.
31:53
Chapters 4 to 6,
31:54
Paul is telling.
31:55
Chapters 1 to 3
31:56
are full of information.
31:58
Chapters 4 to 6,
31:59
full of application.
32:01
Chapters 1 to 3
32:01
are full of indicatives.
32:03
4 to 6 are full of imperatives.
32:06
Chapters 1 to 3
32:06
are full of encouragements.
32:08
And chapters 4 to 6
32:10
are full of exhortations.
32:12
Because Paul,
32:13
he encourages here
32:14
all the believers at Ephesus
32:16
and us here this evening.
32:18
And he does so by reminding us
32:19
about all the blessings
32:21
and all the benefits
32:22
of salvation in chapter 1.
32:25
He tells us that we're saved
32:26
by grace alone,
32:27
through faith alone,
32:28
in Christ alone,
32:29
in chapter 2.
32:30
He tells us all about
32:32
the length and the breadth
32:33
and the depth
32:33
and the height of God's love
32:34
that has been displayed
32:36
and demonstrated towards us
32:38
in Jesus Christ.
32:39
He does that in chapter 3.
32:41
So chapters 1 to 3,
32:42
they're full of encouragements
32:44
for the Christian.
32:46
And then chapters 4 to 6,
32:48
they're full of exhortations
32:49
to the Christian.
32:52
Because as Christians,
32:53
Paul tells us in chapter 4,
32:56
that we are to walk worthy
32:57
of the calling
32:58
to which we have been called.
33:00
In chapter 5,
33:01
he tells us
33:02
that we are to live our lives
33:03
as children of God,
33:06
imitating our Heavenly Father.
33:08
And in chapter 6,
33:09
he tells us
33:10
that we're to stand firm
33:11
against the wiles of the devil
33:12
by wearing the whole armor of God.
33:17
You know,
33:17
Paul's letter to the Ephesians,
33:18
it's a beautiful letter
33:20
full of encouragement,
33:21
full of exhortation.
33:24
But as you know tonight,
33:26
as Christians who are struggling,
33:30
we need encouragement.
33:31
We seek encouragement this evening,
33:35
even as we prepare
33:36
to come to the Lord's table.
33:39
Because, you know,
33:39
regardless of who we are,
33:41
we all need encouragement.
33:43
We all need to be reminded
33:45
of the great and precious promises
33:47
of God's Word.
33:48
We all need to be reassured
33:50
of the glorious gospel
33:52
of Jesus Christ.
33:54
And that's what Paul does here.
33:56
Right from the outset of his letter,
33:58
he seeks to encourage
33:59
all the believers
34:00
in the city of Ephesus.
34:03
And he seeks to encourage
34:04
all the believers tonight
34:05
in the town of Stornoway.
34:08
And he does so by reminding us
34:09
and reassuring us
34:10
of all the blessings
34:12
that we have in Christ.
34:16
And that's what we see secondly.
34:18
We see all the blessings.
34:19
So he talks about,
34:20
first of all,
34:21
all the believers
34:21
and then all the blessings.
34:24
All the blessings, secondly.
34:27
He says there in verse 3,
34:28
Blessed be the God and Father
34:29
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
34:32
who has blessed us in Christ
34:34
with every spiritual blessing
34:36
in heavenly places.
34:38
You know, when I was in school,
34:43
there was one subject
34:44
that I hated
34:45
and that was English.
34:47
I loved maths,
34:48
I loved physics,
34:49
I loved chemistry,
34:50
but I hated English.
34:51
And I'm sorry if you're
34:52
an English teacher
34:54
here tonight.
34:55
But the thing is,
34:55
I could never get my head around
34:57
writing proper paragraphs.
35:00
And I could never get my head around
35:01
using punctuation.
35:03
Because I would write
35:04
all these long sentences
35:05
with no paragraphs
35:06
and little punctuation.
35:09
It would just be,
35:11
this happened
35:11
and then that happened
35:12
and then and then
35:13
and then and then and then.
35:15
And I always got into trouble for it.
35:17
Never got good marks
35:18
when it came to English.
35:21
But you know,
35:21
when I come to Ephesians chapter 1,
35:24
I take comfort.
35:26
And I take comfort
35:26
because verses 3
35:28
down to the verse 14,
35:30
they have no paragraphs
35:31
and they have no punctuation.
35:33
Verses 3 to 14,
35:36
it's one long sentence.
35:40
In the original language,
35:41
it's one long sentence.
35:42
Now as you know,
35:43
the average length of a sentence
35:44
is about 15 to 20 words.
35:47
But this sentence,
35:48
it's 10 times that.
35:50
Because I've counted,
35:52
it's 203 words in Greek
35:54
and it's 244 words in English.
35:58
It's one long sentence.
36:00
And of course,
36:01
all our Bible,
36:01
our modern Bible versions,
36:02
they seek to try and tidy up
36:05
Paul's sentence
36:06
by adding in all the paragraphs
36:08
and adding in all the punctuation.
36:10
But when Paul penned this,
36:12
or these verses originally,
36:14
when he penned this sentence
36:15
to the Ephesians,
36:18
there were no paragraphs.
36:19
There was no punctuation.
36:22
It was just one long sentence.
36:24
In fact,
36:24
it's the longest sentence
36:26
in the Bible.
36:28
But Paul wrote this one long sentence,
36:30
not because of his lack of education like me,
36:33
but because he was full of excitement.
36:35
Paul was full of excitement
36:37
about what he's writing.
36:39
Because in this long sentence,
36:41
Paul is describing
36:42
all the blessings
36:43
that all believers receive
36:45
in and through Jesus Christ.
36:47
And that's how he begins this long sentence.
36:50
He says there in verse 3,
36:52
blessed be the God and Father
36:53
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
36:55
who has blessed us in Christ
36:57
with every spiritual blessing
37:00
in the heavenly places.
37:04
And you see the emphasis
37:05
on the word blessed.
37:08
Now this word blessed,
37:10
it's a beautiful word.
37:12
It's a beautiful word.
37:13
And you know,
37:14
I often feel that we,
37:16
it's a word that we misunderstand
37:17
and it's often a word
37:19
that is misused by people.
37:21
Because the word bless
37:23
or blessed
37:24
literally means
37:26
to kneel.
37:28
It literally means to kneel.
37:30
And you know,
37:31
it's a word that gives to us
37:32
this picture,
37:33
this,
37:35
it portrays to us
37:36
this image,
37:37
this illustration
37:38
of a king.
37:40
A king standing up
37:41
from his throne.
37:44
And before the king
37:45
is his subject
37:46
or his servant.
37:48
And this servant has,
37:49
he's adopted
37:50
this position
37:51
and posture
37:52
of kneeling
37:53
in submission
37:54
and surrender
37:55
before his king.
37:57
And of course,
37:58
for Paul,
37:59
the king is obviously
38:00
King Jesus.
38:02
Because,
38:03
as Paul tells us,
38:04
he's the king of kings.
38:05
He's the Lord of lords.
38:06
And when King Jesus,
38:08
he describes,
38:08
when he stands up
38:09
from his throne
38:10
and sinners
38:12
are in his presence.
38:14
He says,
38:14
sinners are to assume
38:15
and adopt
38:16
the position
38:16
and posture
38:17
of kneeling.
38:19
Kneeling in submission
38:20
and surrender.
38:22
And we are to kneel.
38:24
And this is the description
38:25
he's given.
38:25
We are to kneel
38:26
with our head bowed
38:27
and our hand outstretched.
38:30
And our hand
38:31
is to be outstretched
38:32
in order to receive
38:34
from the hand
38:35
of King Jesus
38:36
something
38:37
that we don't deserve.
38:40
That's how we're to come.
38:42
That's what blessing is.
38:44
Because when our head
38:45
is bowed
38:45
and our hand
38:46
is outstretched
38:47
and we're receiving
38:47
something
38:48
from the gracious
38:49
hand of King Jesus,
38:51
what we don't deserve,
38:52
Jesus graciously,
38:53
lovingly,
38:54
and mercifully
38:55
gives it to us.
38:57
He blesses us.
38:59
That's what the word
39:00
blessing means.
39:00
He blesses us.
39:01
When we are on our knee
39:02
before King Jesus,
39:05
blessing comes to us
39:06
from his hand.
39:09
Blessing only comes,
39:10
my friend,
39:11
from the hand
39:12
of King Jesus.
39:13
And this is why
39:14
Paul writes
39:15
this one long sentence.
39:17
Because he's full
39:18
of excitement.
39:19
He's full of excitement
39:20
and he wants
39:21
to encourage
39:22
all these believers
39:24
in Ephesus
39:25
and in Stornoway tonight.
39:26
He wants to remind them
39:27
and reassure them
39:28
of all the blessings
39:29
that we have graciously
39:30
and lovingly
39:32
and mercifully received
39:33
from the hand
39:34
of King Jesus.
39:35
He says,
39:37
Blessed be the God
39:37
and Father
39:38
of our Lord Jesus Christ
39:40
who has blessed us
39:41
in Christ
39:42
with every spiritual blessing
39:44
in the heavenly places.
39:47
And you know,
39:48
I think it's important
39:48
that we also stress
39:49
the word every.
39:51
Not only the word blessed
39:52
but the word every.
39:54
Because in Paul's words
39:55
of excitement
39:56
and encouragement
39:57
to us as believers,
39:59
he says that we've been blessed
40:00
with every spiritual blessing
40:03
in heavenly places
40:05
in Christ.
40:07
There is nothing lacking.
40:09
It's every spiritual blessing
40:11
in heavenly places
40:12
in Christ.
40:13
And I stress the every
40:14
and I think it's important
40:16
because you know,
40:19
there are many Christians,
40:21
not reformed Christians,
40:24
I hope,
40:25
but there are many Christians
40:26
that will tell you
40:26
that you're not
40:27
a proper Christian
40:28
until you have received
40:30
the second blessing
40:31
and you can speak
40:32
in tongues.
40:35
And you know,
40:35
I'll never forget
40:36
Dr. Steve Lawson's answer
40:38
when he was asked
40:38
by a Pentecostal pastor,
40:41
have you received
40:41
the second blessing?
40:44
Have you received
40:45
the second blessing?
40:46
And Steve Lawson said,
40:48
yes,
40:49
and the third blessing,
40:51
and the fourth blessing,
40:53
and the fifth blessing.
40:55
In fact, he said,
40:56
I have received,
40:57
as Paul tells us,
40:58
every spiritual blessing
41:00
in heavenly places
41:02
in Christ.
41:04
My friend,
41:04
you know,
41:04
all believers,
41:06
they receive all the blessings
41:08
in and through
41:09
Jesus Christ.
41:11
And what Paul is encouraging us here,
41:13
what Paul is excited
41:14
to tell us about tonight
41:16
is that there is nothing
41:17
lacking in your salvation.
41:20
You have received all of it
41:22
graciously,
41:23
mercifully,
41:24
and lovingly
41:25
from the hand of King Jesus.
41:28
And you know,
41:29
in order to emphasize
41:29
and even explain
41:30
the beauty of this blessing,
41:33
Paul repeatedly uses
41:34
one of the shortest words
41:36
in this long sentence.
41:39
It's one of the shortest words
41:41
in the longest sentence.
41:43
He focuses upon the word blessed,
41:45
the word every,
41:46
but also the short word
41:48
in.
41:51
In.
41:51
In fact,
41:53
he uses the word
41:54
in 13 times
41:55
in this one long sentence.
41:57
And when you read
41:57
through the sentence,
41:59
and I want you to read
42:00
through it,
42:01
because this is all
42:01
that you have.
42:02
This is all that you've received.
42:04
When you read
42:04
through this sentence,
42:05
you see that Paul
42:06
repeatedly says
42:07
that all believers,
42:09
they have graciously,
42:10
mercifully,
42:11
and lovingly received
42:12
all the blessings
42:13
from the hand of King Jesus
42:15
because they're in Christ.
42:18
They're in him.
42:19
And they're in the beloved.
42:22
We are in Christ.
42:24
We're in him.
42:26
And we're in the beloved.
42:28
And you know,
42:28
it's often said
42:29
that large doors
42:30
swing on small hinges.
42:32
And in the Bible,
42:33
large theological truths
42:34
swing on small words.
42:37
And you can't get
42:38
much smaller
42:38
than the word in.
42:39
In Christ.
42:42
And with this small word,
42:43
Paul is,
42:44
he's reminding us,
42:45
he's reassuring us
42:46
that as a Christian,
42:47
as a Christian tonight,
42:48
you are blessed.
42:50
You're not fine.
42:53
You're not okay.
42:54
You are blessed,
42:55
my friend.
42:56
And you're blessed
42:56
not because of who you are
42:58
or what you've done
42:58
or what you've achieved in life.
43:00
You are blessed
43:01
because you've graciously
43:02
and lovingly
43:02
and mercifully
43:03
received all the blessings
43:05
from the hand of King Jesus.
43:07
And as we said,
43:08
Paul repeatedly uses
43:09
this one small word
43:12
in the longest sentence
43:13
in order to emphasize
43:15
the beauty
43:16
of our blessing.
43:17
And he does this,
43:20
you know,
43:20
the reason he does that
43:21
is because,
43:23
you know,
43:23
what we often forget
43:24
or even fail to remember
43:26
is that
43:26
when this letter
43:28
was written,
43:29
it was written
43:31
to be read
43:31
audibly.
43:34
They didn't have Bibles.
43:36
They couldn't read.
43:38
So when this letter
43:39
was written,
43:39
it was written
43:40
to be read audibly.
43:41
It was written
43:41
to be read out loud.
43:43
And as you know,
43:44
when someone is speaking audibly,
43:47
repetition is important
43:48
in order to make an emphasis.
43:51
Repetition is important
43:52
in order to make an emphasis.
43:54
That's what a preacher does.
43:55
That's what Paul does here.
43:57
He repeatedly uses
43:58
the word in.
44:00
And he does so
44:00
in order to emphasize
44:01
that all the believers
44:02
receive all the blessings
44:04
because we're in Christ.
44:07
We receive all the,
44:08
all the believers
44:09
receive all the blessings
44:10
because we're in Christ.
44:12
and that our salvation
44:14
is precious
44:14
and our salvation
44:16
is personal
44:17
because we are in Christ.
44:19
We have this union
44:20
with Christ.
44:22
And for Paul,
44:23
he stresses the in
44:25
because he loves
44:26
the doctrine
44:26
of union with Christ.
44:28
And he writes about it
44:30
in almost
44:30
all of his letters
44:31
because Paul knows
44:33
that our union
44:34
with Christ,
44:35
our being united
44:37
to Jesus Christ
44:38
is what underlies
44:39
every aspect
44:41
of our salvation.
44:43
And that every
44:44
spiritual blessing,
44:46
it flows to us
44:47
and it follows behind us
44:50
because we're in Christ.
44:53
We're in Christ.
44:56
You know,
44:56
one theologian
44:57
put it this way
44:58
and you know,
44:58
I read this quote
44:59
a number of years ago.
45:00
I don't know who wrote it
45:01
but I've never forgotten it
45:03
because he said
45:05
that union with Christ
45:06
is the fountainhead
45:07
from which every
45:09
spiritual blessing
45:11
flows
45:12
down to the Christian.
45:15
Repentance and faith,
45:17
pardon,
45:19
justification,
45:20
adoption,
45:21
sanctification,
45:22
perseverance,
45:24
and glorification.
45:25
It's all ours
45:25
because we're
45:26
in Christ.
45:29
You know,
45:29
Paul here,
45:30
he's excited.
45:31
He wants to encourage us
45:33
this evening
45:33
because when you're
45:34
a Christian,
45:36
when you're a Christian,
45:38
everything you have
45:39
as a Christian
45:39
and everything you are
45:40
as a Christian
45:41
is because you're in Christ.
45:43
You're in union
45:43
with Christ.
45:45
You're united
45:45
to Jesus Christ
45:46
and you can say tonight
45:47
with Solomon,
45:49
my beloved is mine
45:50
and I am his.
45:53
My beloved is mine
45:55
and I am his
45:57
because I am in Christ.
46:00
And here Paul,
46:00
he reminds us
46:01
and reassures us
46:02
that all the believers,
46:04
they experience
46:05
all the blessings
46:06
and they enjoy
46:07
all the benefits
46:08
because we're
46:10
in Christ.
46:12
All the believers
46:13
experience
46:14
all the blessings
46:14
and enjoy
46:15
all the benefits
46:15
because we're
46:16
in Christ.
46:17
And that's what
46:17
I want us to think
46:18
about lastly.
46:19
All the benefits.
46:21
All the benefits.
46:22
All the believers,
46:23
all the blessings
46:23
and all the benefits.
46:26
All the benefits.
46:27
Look at verse 3 again.
46:28
blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every
46:34
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the
46:41
world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined us for adoption through
46:48
Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious grace with which he
46:54
has blessed us in the beloved you know in this one long sentence with over 200 words Paul is excited
47:04
he wants to encourage by speaking seeking to show us that God the Father has blessed us he has
47:12
graciously given us all these gifts through our union with his beloved and his only begotten son
47:19
Jesus Christ and when Paul lists all these gracious and glorious gifts that have come from God the
47:25
Father he begins where God began because God began with our election
47:32
because our election as you know it's all of grace where as Paul writes we were and Peter writes we
47:41
were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father but the truth is God didn't have to choose
47:49
any of us in fact there was no reason why he chose any of us there was nothing good in us nothing
47:58
gracious about us nothing great that we had done that God would ever choose us and yet he chose us
48:06
even as he chose us Paul writes in him he chose us in him before the foundation of the world
48:14
that we should be holy and blameless before him and in love he writes he predestined us because our
48:23
predestination as well as our election it's all of grace in love he writes verse 5 he predestined us
48:30
for adoption through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious
48:36
grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved in other words the gracious benefits of our election
48:44
our predestination our predestination and our effectual calling they are our adoption into the family of God
48:51
our justification before a holy God and our sanctification to be conformed to the image of God
48:59
and it's all according to the purpose of his will it's all according to the praise of his glorious grace
49:06
because he has blessed us he has blessed us in the beloved but there's more because all the blessings
49:13
and all the benefits for all believers Paul says they just keep on flowing towards us he says verse 7
49:20
in him we have redemption in him we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to
49:28
the riches of his grace it's all of grace he says from beginning to end it's all as I was taught in
49:36
Sunday school in Melbost a long time ago it's all g-r-a-c-e God's riches at Christ's expense it's all of grace
49:46
we've been redeemed not with corruptible things such as silver and gold but by the precious blood of Christ
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which verse 8 which he has lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will
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according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ do you know my friend our perseverance
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and our preservation as saints in other words the fact that we are kept it's not our own doing
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Paul tells us it's all his doing and it's all according to his purpose which he has set forth in Christ
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it's all of grace the fact that we are kept tonight is all of grace you know we have an elder in Barvis and he always says
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that the first step after being saved is being kept the first step after being saved is being kept
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and that's because we are kept as Peter tells us we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
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but you know for Paul in verse 10 there's an end product there's an end purpose because there's a plan
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and this plan that God has put in place for the fullness of time he says in which our glorification in Christ
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will see the unification of all things through a new heaven and a new earth he says that in the
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father's house are many mansions and in him in him we will obtain our inheritance an inheritance
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that is incorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away but is reserved in heaven for us and you're in these
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verses from verse 3 just down to verse 11 Paul is reminding us Paul is reassuring us tonight as
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Christians that our election our predestination our adoption our justification our sanctification our
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redemption our redemption our forgiveness our perseverance as saints our glorification and our
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eternal inheritance in glory it's all of grace
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and we should never forget it it's all of grace because all the blessings and all the benefits
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for all believers when we submit and surrender our lives to King Jesus when we come kneeling before him
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we are given and gifted every spiritual blessing from the gracious merciful and loving hand of this
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wonderful king and you know you'd think that Paul would stop there and put a full stop in you'd think
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that he'd draw a breath or put in a semicolon especially once he'd reached out heavenly inheritance
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but Paul is excited Paul wants to encourage Paul wants to remind us he wants to reassure us of all these
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glorious and and great gifts and he wants to tell us that they all come to us with a guarantee
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not a one-year guarantee not a three-year or even a 10-year guarantee but this eternal guarantee
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because verse 13 in him in union with him when we are united to him he says in him you also when you
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heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation and believed in him you were sealed with the promised
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holy spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory
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my friend the holy spirit is your guarantee a guarantee of all these glorious gifts and graces which you have
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graciously mercifully and lovingly received from the hand of King Jesus they're all yours
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they're all yours tonight and they're all yours for the whole of time until you draw your last breath
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and they're all yours for all eternity because you have been blessed in every with every spiritual blessing
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in heavenly places in Christ it's all yours what an encouragement you know when we consider Paul's
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encouragement that all the believers experience all the blessings and enjoy all these benefits because
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we're in Christ we're in union with Christ you know it's no one no wonder Paul concluded his words of
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encouragement at the end of chapter 3 with that beautiful benediction there even at verse 20
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he's encouraged the believers he's reminded them of every spiritual blessing that's theirs he's reminded
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them that they're saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone he's reminded them that they are
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loved absolutely loved the length and breadth and depth and height of God's love has been revealed and
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demonstrated to them in Christ and what does he say he gives this beautiful benediction now unto him
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who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all more than we could ask or even think according to the
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power there is at work in us unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end
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amen
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what blessings we have received my friend what benefits we enjoy all because we are believers
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we are believers in the church by God's grace and God's goodness and so if on the way out of church tonight
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someone asks you
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how are you
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what are you going to tell them
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are you going to say I'm fine
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I'm not bad
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no no my friend
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you're going to tell them the truth
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of who you are in Christ
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you're going to say I'm blessed
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my life not me might not be the way I wanted it to turn out
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I've gone through providences that I never expected
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but still I'm blessed
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I'm blessed with every spiritual blessing
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in heavenly places
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in Christ
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I'm blessed
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and if that's your testimony my friend
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and you've never sat at the Lord's table
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then that's where you should be sitting
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this coming Lord's day
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may the Lord bless these thoughts to us
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let us pray
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our Father in heaven
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we bow in thy presence
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realizing that everything we have
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and everything we are
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is in and through thy Son
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the Lord Jesus
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and help us we pray
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not only to see the blessings
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but to see the benefactor
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to see the one who bestows every blessing upon us
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that we might keep looking to him
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and keep lifting our eyes towards him
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that as we kneel before him in worship
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as we adore him day by day
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and as we walk with him through every providence in life
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help us Lord to know that we still have
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every blessing
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they are ours for time and for eternity
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encourage us we pray
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lift us up we ask
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lift us up Lord to see more and more of Jesus
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and to see less and less of self
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help us Lord to see his glory
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that we might see the glory as of the only begotten of the Father
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full of grace and truth
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hear us then we pray
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part us with thy blessing we ask
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for we ask it in Jesus name
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and for his sake
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Amen
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we're going to bring our service to a conclusion this evening
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we're going to sing the words of Psalm 133
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Psalm 133
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it's in the Sing Psalms version on page 175
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Psalm 133
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Psalm 133 page 175
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we're singing the whole psalm
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Psalm 133
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it's a psalm that I'm sure we're familiar with
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but it's a psalm that asks the question
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how does the blessing come?
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how does blessing come?
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and it comes when God's people
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come together in unity
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and seek to live
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for God's glory
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they live
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as they should
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that's how the blessing comes
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that's what the psalmist tells us
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how excellent a thing it is
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how pleasant
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and how good
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when brothers dwell in unity
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and live as brothers should
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for it is like the precious oil
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poured out on Aaron's head
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that running over down his beard
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upon his collar spread
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like Herman's dew
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and Herman's dew was like rain
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wasn't dew that we get
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it poured like rain
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that's what he wants
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he wants God's blessing
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God's outpouring
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like Herman's dew upon the hill
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of Zion it descends
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the Lord bestows his blessing there
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the life
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that never ends
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we'll sing the whole psalm
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and we'll stand to sing if you're able
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to God's praise
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how excellent a thing it is
1:00:05
how pleasant and how good
1:00:09
how pleasant and how good
1:00:14
when brothers dwell
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when brothers dwell
1:00:17
in unity
1:00:19
and live as brothers should
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and live as brothers should
1:00:27
and live as brothers should
1:00:31
and live as brothers should
1:00:34
for it is like the precious oil
1:00:42
poured out on Aaron's head
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poured out on Aaron's head
1:00:51
that running over down his beard
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upon his collar spread
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upon his collar spread
1:01:05
upon his collar spread
1:01:09
upon his collar spread
1:01:12
like Herman's dew upon the hill
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of Zion it descends
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of Zion it descends
1:01:29
the Lord bestows his blessing there
1:01:36
the life that never ends
1:01:39
the life that never ends
1:01:43
the life that never ends
1:01:47
the life that never ends
1:01:51
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
1:01:55
the love of God the Father
1:01:57
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
1:01:59
be with you all
1:02:00
now and forevermore
1:02:01
Amen
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Amen
1:02:39
Amen