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Where Do We Go From Here? · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Colossians chapter 4 verse 2, we read there in verse 2, continue steadfastly in prayer,
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being watchful in it with thanksgiving. And then in verse 5, conduct yourselves wisely,
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or another version would say, walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time.
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How many times have we come to a point in our lives where we may ask ourselves, where do we go from here?
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Some of us will have gone through that experience perhaps many times in our lives.
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Others perhaps are going through that experience at this very moment.
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Depending what's coming our way, there can be many different times where we ask that question,
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where do we go from here? Sometimes it's related to very practical decisions that we make in our lives,
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leaving school or looking for a workplace to go to. Where do we go from here?
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Perhaps for others, it's related to coming into retirement. Where do we go from here? What are we going to do?
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But perhaps more so in our walk with God, there are many times we come across experiences in our lives,
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which make us ask the question, where do I go from here? It can be emotional situations we find ourselves in,
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times of loss and bereavement. It can be times when we've got decisions to make, even in our walk with God.
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Where do we go from here? There's all kinds of situations that we find ourselves in, and we have that question on our minds.
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And in the two passages that we've read together this evening, both in the Old Testament,
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in the book of Exodus chapter 14, and also here as we read in chapter 4 of Colossians,
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that's the kind of situation that people are in. It's perhaps more clear in the book of Exodus,
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because we see there the children of Israel have come out of Egypt.
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They've got the Egyptian army and Pharaoh chasing after them, behind them.
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Ahead of them, they've got the Red Sea.
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They can't see which way they're going to go, and they start grumbling towards Moses.
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Why have you brought us here?
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The question they're asking there is, where do we go from here?
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And what we see is that even though they can't see the way forward, that God has a plan.
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And that even as they cry out to him, they do so.
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But God has a plan behind that.
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But they have to be courageous.
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They have to go forward, trusting in him.
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And that has remarkable results there.
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The passage we're looking at here in Colossians, it's maybe not so obvious in the sense of the walk that they're on,
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but it's more related to their spiritual walk with God.
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And we think of verse 5 there, it's talking about walking in wisdom, going on in wisdom.
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And really, the question is, for the church, for the people at Colossae, is where do we go from here?
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Where Paul is coming to the end of the letter, he's given them a wonderful insight in the previous chapters throughout the letter of the wonder of Jesus Christ,
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the wonder of salvation in him, and the challenges in which they live, in the world in which they are living then,
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and the purpose for which Christ came.
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They have been told about their faith and the difference it is to the false teachers who are all around them,
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who are opposing the teachings of Christ.
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They've been given instructions as to how to live as a church, as a community, as families.
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They've been given all of these things.
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Another question they have is, where do we go from here?
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Where do we go from here?
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We have all this great teaching.
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We have all this great wisdom from God, but where do we go with it in our walk with God?
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So you see, in both situations, both in Exodus and here in Colossae,
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they are at this point in their experience where they're asking, where do we go from here?
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Although the situations are quite different, the way forward is very similar,
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both in the response that God gives to the people through Moses and Exodus,
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and also through what Paul says to the church of Colossae here.
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The response is very similar.
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Paul's advice in verse 2 to verse 6 is the way forward,
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are things that we should bear in mind ourselves as well and take heed of,
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both like it is in the book of Exodus as well.
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Two bits of advice that we see in both circumstances are,
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first of all, be prayerful, but secondly, be active.
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The children of Israel have been calling on God, crying out to God,
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and he responded to them, go forward, be active.
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The church at Colossae has been seeking God, has been learning of the wonder of Christ,
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and in the same way, the response to that is devote yourselves to prayer and be wise,
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walk in wisdom towards outsiders that cease.
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And it's always that challenge that we have in our lives,
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the balance between faith in prayer and faith in action.
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Faith in prayer and faith in action.
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And that's the two points we're going to look at together this evening.
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These two things, faith in prayer, as we see here in verse 2 of Colossians,
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perseverance in prayer, continue steadfastly in prayer, it says.
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And then secondly, our faith in action, walk in wisdom.
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So we want to think of these two things.
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Under that question, where do we go from here?
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So where do we go from here, Paul is saying to the church at Colossae?
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He says, persevere in prayer.
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Paul has spoken of the way of holy living in terms of relationships so much in this letter.
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The relationship that Christ has with the church, with his people,
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and the relationship that they now have through faith in him,
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and the relationship that that leads to in their lives,
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in the church, in the community, in their families.
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You see all that in the previous chapters.
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And when he's concluding here in chapter 4,
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he says one of the headings is in the ESV, further instruction.
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It's in light of everything that's come beforehand.
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Here's some further instructions as we conclude this letter.
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So he's saying in conclusion, go forward in this way.
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In all of these relationships, the foundation is your relationship with the Lord.
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And that's why he says there, continue steadfastly in prayer.
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All you have to remember as you're reading many of these letters in the New Testament is
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that these were people who were young in the faith.
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These were towns and cities that weren't grounded in the gospel,
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the way we have experienced in our own nation, in our own islands here.
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We are a generation who has enjoyed so much of the gospel,
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and generations have gone before us who have enjoyed the gospel, as we heard in prayer.
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However, we have the blessing of the gospel having come to our land many years ago.
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But for the churches that you're reading of here in the New Testament, for many of them,
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the gospel had only very recently come.
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And the church in Colossae was a very young church in the faith.
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They had come from a very different background.
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They weren't brought up with the gospel all around them.
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They were brought up with other gods and false gods and all kinds of teachings around them,
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teachings that were still all around them.
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And the challenge for them would be, you know, where are we going from here?
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What are we doing with this teaching?
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And one of the challenges that would have come to them would be as they were told to pray to God,
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their faith will be tested in their prayers.
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Not seeing perhaps prayers answered immediately.
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And the false teachers coming in and saying to them,
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your God's not listening.
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He's not real.
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You have to turn away from that and come back to our ways.
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There would have been all these challenges.
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But Paul is saying, you know, it's not just an occasional prayer that you offer up
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and God's going to answer it immediately.
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Or it's not just one long, intense prayer that God is going to hear and everything's going to change for you.
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The lesson is, as we always see throughout the scripture, is this idea of perseverance in our relationship with God.
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Whether it's in the Old Testament or the New Testament, there's always that challenge.
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When a challenge comes, when opposition arises, how do we go on?
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Do we lose faith?
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Do we lose hope?
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Or do we persevere in prayer?
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Well, the lesson here is persevere in prayer.
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Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
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So their prayers were to be prayers of perseverance.
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And their prayers, as you see here, were to be active prayers.
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Praying, being watchful.
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Being watchful.
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Being on their guard.
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Being aware of everything that's going on around them.
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Being aware of all the different challenges.
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Being watchful there behind that word is the watchman's tower.
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The one who would look out over and survey the landscape and see the enemy coming and warn the people.
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And Paul is saying, you know, you've got to be persevering in prayer.
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But always, as it were, praying with your eyes open.
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Praying as the attacks are coming.
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As the opposition is arising against you.
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And that's the way we are to pray ourselves as well.
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Guard, being on our guard.
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Being watchful.
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Being aware of what is happening around us.
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Being aware of all the different challenges that are around us.
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It often reminds me of a scene in the film Titanic I watched many years ago.
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Based on a real story, but much of it as well, is fiction as two.
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But on the night when they were, before they hit the iceberg, there's a scene where there's two watchkeepers up in the mast.
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They're on watch for icebergs.
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And one of the watchkeepers turns to the other one and says to him, you don't have to worry, I can smell ice.
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And just moments later, what happens?
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They hit the iceberg.
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He was so busy boasting about his abilities.
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What he could do, how he could smell ice.
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He wasn't watching.
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He wasn't looking.
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And there's a reminder to ourselves there as well.
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Again, we heard it in prayer earlier about being careful of our boasting.
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How we're standing.
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How we go on.
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How good we are.
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That's not what we are to be like.
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We are persevering in prayer.
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Not boasting.
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But being watchful.
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Being on our guard.
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Being alert to what's going on around us.
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But also what's going on within us.
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So we keep humble before God.
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You see it again going back to the book of Exodus.
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Taking their eyes off God and just looking to the opposition around them.
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It made them fear.
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Filled them with fear.
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But when they're redirected to look at God and to trust in him, they can go forward.
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And so it is for ourselves.
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And the Colossians here in being watchful have been reminded so much of the wonder, of the beauty of Christ.
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In chapter 1, it's the preeminence of Christ.
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He is the image of the invisible God, it says in verse 15.
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For by him all things were created.
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In him, heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.
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And so it goes on.
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It's the preeminence of Christ.
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The one they look to, the one we look to as well.
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So when they're asking this question, where do we go from here?
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It's a steadfastness in prayer.
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This persevering in prayer.
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This being on their guard in prayer.
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This thanksgiving in prayer.
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That they have Christ on their sides.
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And you also see too, that it's about being specific in prayer.
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In verse 3 and verse 4, that's made clear for us as well.
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Paul is asking them there initially, specifically pray for his ministry.
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And at the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word.
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Where do we go from here?
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We want to go forward with the door opening by God, that we may declare the mystery of Christ.
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That we may proclaim the gospel.
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That the Lord would open doors for the message of the gospel to go out and to go forward.
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And again, it's a great reminder to ourselves today of being specific in prayer.
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We've heard it in the prayers earlier.
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Specifics of prayer about things that are going on in our own lives, in our congregation, in our communities, in our nation, in the world.
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Being specific for prayer.
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And that's what Paul is asking for here as well.
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That doors may be opened to declare the mystery of Christ.
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Now, we have been blessed with doors that have been opened for us in different ways.
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With a freedom to proclaim the gospel.
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To go into schools.
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To go into care homes.
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To go into the hospital.
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To be with each other here in the church.
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To have opportunities to go out with the gospel.
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Doors have been opened.
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And our prayer would be that these doors remain open for us.
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And open wider.
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And that other opportunities come.
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As we pray for ourselves individually.
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As we go into the workplaces.
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We go into the places of sport.
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Or the places of other places of worship.
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Wherever we go.
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Whatever we do.
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We are praying specifically for doors to open.
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And to proclaim the mystery of Christ.
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The wonder of Christ to others.
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So you see there's this perseverance in prayer.
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But it's an active prayer.
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One other thing under that is what you see is.
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Paul's plea for prayer himself.
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That I may make it clear.
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Which is how I ought to speak.
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He's asking his people.
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The church and Colossae.
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To pray for him.
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That he may make it clear.
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What he preaches.
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And again.
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It's a prayer.
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And I know James mentions this often.
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And thankful for the praying people here.
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Who remember us as we preach.
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And as we go out with the gospel.
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Again thankful for the prayers offered up tonight.
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And that to that end.
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And for your ongoing prayers.
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For ourselves as ministers.
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For Scott.
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And for all of us together.
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That we would pray for one another in that way.
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That as we're involved in the work of the church.
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Whatever we're doing.
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As we're involved in our witness in the community.
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That we would pray.
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That we would be clear.
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In how we present the gospel.
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So there's this.
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There's this.
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Where do we go from here?
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We go on in prayer.
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Persevering in prayer.
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That everything we do.
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Is grounded in prayer.
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And praying.
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Remembering.
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We are praying to the one.
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Who is able.
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And the second thing we see here.
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Under that question again.
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Where do we go from here?
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We are to walk in wisdom.
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Verse 5.
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Conduct yourselves wisely.
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Toward outsiders.
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Making the best use of the time.
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Let your speech.
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Always be gracious.
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Seasoned with salt.
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So that you may know how you ought to answer.
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Each person.
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So there's this idea that prayer is what we are grounded in.
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But that there's also activity.
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That is our conduct.
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That is our walk.
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That is our making the best use of the time.
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And you see wisdom is a recurring theme in this letter.
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In chapter 1.
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Verse 9.
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It says.
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And so.
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From the day we heard.
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We have not ceased to pray for you.
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Asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will.
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In all spiritual wisdom.
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And understanding.
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So there's wisdom.
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That's the prayer of Paul for the church at Colossae.
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In verse 28 of chapter 1.
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There it also speaks of wisdom.
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Him we proclaim.
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Warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom.
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That we may present everyone mature in Christ.
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Wisdom is at the heart of the preaching of the gospel.
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In verse 3 of chapter 2.
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There it speaks again of wisdom.
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In verse 2.
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That their hearts may be encouraged.
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Being knit together in love.
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To reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding.
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And the knowledge of God's mystery.
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Which is Christ.
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In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
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Christ has all wisdom.
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And if we lack wisdom as it says in James.
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We are to ask God who gives.
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Because he has all wisdom to give.
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And he gives wisdom to us in order to live for him.
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To conduct ourselves in the right way.
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Because we don't have that wisdom of ourselves.
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How often we make mistakes.
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How often we fail when we go in our own strength.
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But we have him to come to and ask for wisdom.
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But as we do.
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We are to go on.
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To walk in that way.
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To walk in the way of wisdom.
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There will be the temptation here.
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For the church at Colossae.
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If you like.
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To almost back away.
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From everything that's going on around them.
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To hide themselves away.
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To be a people who say.
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We'll just keep ourselves to ourselves.
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We'll pray that God will work.
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But that he'll work apart from us.
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Away from us.
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But yet Paul is saying no.
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You continue steadfastly in prayer.
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Being watchful.
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And all of these things.
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But then conduct yourselves wisely.
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Towards outsiders.
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Be in their midst.
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Do not distance yourself.
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From them.
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But resisting their teaching.
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Take the opportunities that arise.
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To present the faith.
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To present the gospel.
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In our prayers.
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There should always be a plea.
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For wisdom.
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But it's a wisdom.
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That goes forward.
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We will be in prayer.
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But looking to action.
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As well.
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And that's the key.
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For the church at Colossae.
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Here as we are reading.
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And it's key for ourselves.
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Today it was the key.
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For the children of Israel.
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In Exodus 14.
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Sometimes we can be afraid.
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To go forward.
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We can be afraid.
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Of the challenges.
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That are all around us.
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But still.
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We cannot just become.
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So comfortable.
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In prayer.
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That we leave it all.
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To others.
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And always just.
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Don't take that step.
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Of faith.
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When you look at.
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The children of Israel.
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When you see them there.
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In chapter 14.
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They are crying out.
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To God.
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And God.
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And Moses says to them.
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You know.
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You be still.
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We're going to see.
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God's hand.
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In the midst of this.
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But what God says.
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To them is.
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Why do you cry.
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To me.
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Tell the people of Israel.
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To go forward.
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To go on.
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In faith.
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So I think it was the time.
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To stop praying.
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And start moving.
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To start going forward.
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And it's always the case.
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For the church of Christ.
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Yes.
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Everything is grounded.
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In prayer.
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But we always.
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Pray.
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In the hope.
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And in the will of God.
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To go forward.
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To walk.
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In wisdom.
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To conduct ourselves.
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Wisely.
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Towards outsiders.
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To do all things.
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As unto the Lord.
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There's faith.
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And there's action.
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We remember Hannah.
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Who we were looking at last week.
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Who was praying.
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For a son.
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And she prayed.
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And as she was praying.
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She was making a promise.
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A promise to God.
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If you give me a son.
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I will give him back to you.
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All the days.
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Of his life.
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God honoured her prayer.
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And Hannah honoured God.
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In her action.
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In her faith.
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She moved forward.
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In faith.
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And gave the child.
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Over to God.
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All the days.
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Of his life.
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Where.
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Do we go.
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From here.
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We go forward.
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Devoting ourselves.
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To prayer.
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But being wise.
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In our actions.
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To all.
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Around us.
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Being on our guard.
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And being thankful.
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That the Lord.
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Is on our side.
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We all know.
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Prayer is.
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Indispensable.
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Prayer is the heart.
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The heartbeat.
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Of what the church.
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Is all about.
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And it would seem strange.
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Maybe to say.
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At times.
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That.
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We can let.
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Prayer.
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Impede.
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Our progress.
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But we can.
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If we say.
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All we can do.
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Is pray.
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Because God.
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Gives.
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Commands.
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To go forward.
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To pray.
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And to go forward.
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To go forward.
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Thrusting him.
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To go forward.
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Looking to him.
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To perform.
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Miraculous things.
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As we go on.
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The Red Sea.
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As they went forward.
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Parted.
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And they crossed over.
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On dry land.
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God.
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God.
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Was able.
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To do it.
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But they had.
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To go forward.
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And for ourselves.
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Too.
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And so many things.
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That we are doing.
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It may be personal.
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An individual.
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It may be as families.
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It may be as a congregation.
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As a denomination.
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Whatever we are doing.
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We pray over it.
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But we go forward.
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In faith.
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Challenged.
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To trust.
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God.
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There's a story told.
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During the American Civil War.
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Of an army.
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That was led by a general.
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And they found themselves.
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Coming into the evening of a day.
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On the wrong side.
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Of a river.
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And they needed to be on.
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The other side.
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As soon.
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As possible.
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And the general.
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Went to his engineers.
26:04
And said.
26:05
We need to get across.
26:06
That river.
26:08
So he told his engineers.
26:10
To come up with a plan.
26:12
To build a bridge.
26:13
So the army could cross.
26:15
But he also called.
26:17
The man who was in charge.
26:18
Of the wagons.
26:19
The horses.
26:20
That were carrying the wagons.
26:22
With all the supplies.
26:23
All the ammunition.
26:24
All the guns.
26:25
He got him ready.
26:26
As well.
26:26
He said.
26:27
To him.
26:27
We have to be over that river.
26:29
As soon as possible.
26:31
So get the wagons.
26:33
Ready.
26:34
The man in charge.
26:36
Of the wagons.
26:37
He went away.
26:38
And started.
26:39
Getting everything ready.
26:40
The engineers.
26:42
Went away.
26:42
And started planning.
26:45
But the man.
26:46
Who was getting the wagons.
26:47
Ready.
26:48
When he had done that.
26:48
He started gathering logs.
26:50
Started gathering rocks.
26:52
And anything else.
26:53
He could find.
26:54
To build a bridge.
26:57
And then he came back.
26:58
To the general.
26:59
Not too long after.
27:01
And he said.
27:02
To the general.
27:03
That's the wagons.
27:05
And all the horses.
27:06
Across the river.
27:08
And the general.
27:10
Was surprised.
27:11
And he asked.
27:12
Where are the engineers?
27:13
What are they doing?
27:14
He said.
27:15
They're still in the tent.
27:16
Making a plan.
27:17
The work.
27:19
Had been done.
27:20
Because the man.
27:21
Saw it could be done.
27:23
And he went ahead.
27:24
And did it.
27:26
And sometimes.
27:27
That's the way.
27:28
We can end up too.
27:30
We think of our own.
27:31
Prayer life.
27:33
We think of our own.
27:35
Community prayer life.
27:36
We think.
27:37
Of what we're doing.
27:37
In prayer.
27:38
It's so important.
27:40
So important.
27:41
That everything.
27:41
Is grounded in it.
27:43
But there's always a time.
27:44
When we have to say.
27:45
It's a time for action.
27:48
It's a time to do.
27:50
It's a time to go out.
27:52
To stand up for the gospel.
27:54
To proclaim the gospel.
27:56
To speak to others.
27:57
Whatever it is.
27:59
We pray.
28:00
And plan.
28:02
And we also.
28:03
Put our faith.
28:05
Into action.
28:06
The children of Israel.
28:08
Faced it at the Red Sea.
28:10
They cried to God.
28:12
And God said.
28:13
Go forward.
28:14
The church at Colossae.
28:17
They were told.
28:18
Continue.
28:19
Steadlessly in prayer.
28:21
But also.
28:22
Conduct yourselves.
28:24
Walk.
28:25
In wisdom.
28:26
Go forward.
28:28
For the Lord.
28:30
And for ourselves.
28:31
We ask so often.
28:32
Where do we go.
28:33
From here.
28:34
Tonight.
28:35
Where do we go.
28:36
From here.
28:38
Let us go on.
28:40
Persevering.
28:41
In prayer.
28:41
Not losing heart.
28:43
Or hope.
28:44
In our prayer.
28:45
But also.
28:46
Conducting ourselves.
28:49
Going forward.
28:50
In faith.
28:52
And trusting.
28:53
God.
28:54
That he be with us.
28:56
And that he help us.
28:58
And guide us.
28:59
Along the way.
29:00
He is able.
29:02
And we have to believe.
29:04
Let us pray.
29:05
Lord our God.
29:07
Our Father.
29:08
In heaven.
29:09
We do thank you.
29:10
For all the.
29:12
Instrations.
29:12
And reminders.
29:13
That you give.
29:14
Through your word.
29:15
Of the power.
29:16
That there is.
29:16
In prayer.
29:17
But we thank you too.
29:19
That there is also.
29:20
A reminder.
29:20
Of the power.
29:21
Of the response.
29:22
That there is.
29:23
To prayer as well.
29:24
That we are a people.
29:26
Just as a people.
29:27
Of old.
29:27
Who are told.
29:28
So often.
29:29
To go forward.
29:31
To go out.
29:32
With the gospel.
29:32
Even the great commission.
29:34
Reminds us of that.
29:35
To go.
29:36
To all the ends.
29:36
Of the earth.
29:37
With that great promise.
29:38
That you are with us.
29:40
And so help us.
29:41
That we will ground ourselves.
29:42
In prayer.
29:43
And be persevering.
29:45
In it.
29:46
But also.
29:46
That we will walk.
29:47
In wisdom.
29:48
And know that you are with us.
29:50
Help us.
29:50
To be courageous.
29:51
And to be bold.
29:52
In the days.
29:53
That we live.
29:54
When there is.
29:55
So much opposition.
29:56
Around us.
29:57
And there are so many.
29:58
Challenges to us.
29:59
And to the faith.
30:00
And to the gospel.
30:02
But we thank you.
30:03
That you are on our side.
30:04
That you are sovereign.
30:05
In all things.
30:06
And that you are with your people.
30:08
Here and all over the world.
30:10
And that your gospel.
30:12
As is promised.
30:13
Is and will.
30:14
Bear much fruit.
30:15
We pray that for ourselves.
30:16
As a denomination.
30:18
And as a congregation.
30:19
As a community here.
30:21
To see your spirit.
30:22
Working in our midst.
30:23
So give us that faithful prayer.
30:26
And that perseverance in it.
30:28
And give us that wisdom.
30:30
And to walk by too.
30:31
As we ask it all.
30:32
In Jesus name.
30:33
Amen.
30:34
Amen.
30:34
Thank you.