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A Promising Sight ends in a Disappointing Discovery · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Let's begin our worship now, beginning first of all today by singing to God's praise from Psalm 105.
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Psalm 105, that's in the Scottish Psalter version. The page number is 374.
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We're singing verses 1 to 6.
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Give thanks to God, call on his name to men his deeds make known.
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Sing ye to him, sing psalms, proclaim his wondrous works, each one.
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See that ye in his holy name to glory do accord, and let the heart of everyone rejoice that seeks the Lord.
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If you're able to stand, please stand. We'll sing verses 1 to 6.
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Give thanks to God, call on his name.
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Sing ye to him, sing psalms, proclaim his wondrous works, each one.
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See that ye in his holy name to glory do accord,
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And let the heart of everyone rejoice that seeks the Lord.
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The Lord almighty and his strength with steadfast hearts seek ye.
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His blessed and his gracious face seek ye continually.
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Think on the works that he hath done, which admiration breathe.
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His wonders and the judgments of which from his mouth proceed.
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For ye that are of Abraham's race, his servant will approve.
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And he that is of Jacob's children, whom he chose for his own.
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Let us join again now briefly in prayer.
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We're going to pray particularly for the children and the young folks.
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Lord, our God, we thank you that these words you have given us to sing,
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That we have sung in your praise, do remind us again of the many benefits we receive from you.
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And among the many benefits we receive, Lord, we place so high the benefit of the gospel.
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The benefit of that teaching we have in your word that comes to instruct our mind of whatever age we're at,
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In regard to God and his ways, in regard to ourselves and our need.
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We pray today, Lord, for our young people.
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We pray for the younger ones.
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We pray for the Sunday school.
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We pray for the creche.
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We pray for the youth fellowship.
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We pray for the Bible class.
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We pray for our young folks, Lord, of all ages.
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And we pray that you would bless them today, whether here or not.
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We crave your blessing for them.
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And we ask, Lord, again, that you would bless your word to them.
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And make them today, O Lord, to think upon those things that are taught.
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So that they may receive them into their hearts.
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That they may live by them.
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That they may glorify your great name.
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And live in such a way as seeks to love you with all their heart and with all their soul.
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Bless them then, we pray today.
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Bless their teachers as well.
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Bless those who look after them in creche and also in the tweenies.
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We pray that you would bless them.
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And bless the Sunday school teachers and the Bible class teachers themselves.
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Be with them, Lord, we pray.
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As they come to the end of this current term, we give thanks for their contribution.
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We give thanks for the encouragement it gives us as a congregation to see so many of them.
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And to see the dedication of those who give of their time and of their talents to teach the young folk.
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Bless them, we pray.
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And be with us today as we further wait upon you now.
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We pray this in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Hands up.
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How many would like a Roscoe story today?
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Oh, how many of the older ones would like a Roscoe story today?
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Wow, what a popular lad he is.
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Okay, well, I've got a Roscoe story for you today.
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I haven't had one for quite a long time.
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Nothing much has happened other than what I've been telling you previously in Roscoe stories.
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But I've got another one for you today.
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About two weeks ago, guess what?
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He managed to escape again.
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And I'll tell you a bit about the background of it.
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I had a Zoom meeting with some other ministers throughout the country that were involved in training.
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Training ministers such as Scott, a trainee minister.
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So we had a meeting on Zoom.
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And I said quickly to Donna, when I was going up to the meeting, quickly said to her,
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I'm going to start a Zoom meeting.
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I'll be there for a wee while.
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Roscoe's in the garage.
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So like I said, I'd rushed off to the meeting.
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What I meant was Roscoe's in the garage and the door is open.
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So I can get in and out the back garden.
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Be safe there.
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The side gates were closed.
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Donna had to go out.
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Her car was in the back.
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And she thought that I'd said he was in the cage.
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So off she went with the car.
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Left the gates open.
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She was only going to be away a few minutes.
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And she came back.
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Closed the gates.
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Thinking Roscoe was either with me or in the cage.
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Got a chair out.
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Sat out in the nice sunshine.
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And I was busy at the Zoom meeting.
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And then a phone call came through.
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And I picked up the phone so as not to disturb the meeting.
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And a lovely young lady said, hello, this is the vet.
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Are you missing a dog?
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I said, I don't think so, but let me go and check.
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So I went downstairs quickly, rushed off, opened the back door.
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And there's Donna sunning herself in the sun, oblivious to any emergencies.
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And I said, where's the dog?
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She said, is he not with you?
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No, I said, he's not.
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The vet have just phoned.
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You've got to go and pick him up because they've still got a meeting.
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So off she went.
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And once she got to the vet, there was Roscoe.
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And the girls in the vet's office there in the vet's reception area, absolutely enthralled with him.
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They said, oh, he's just so lovely.
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And saying that he'd just been wagging his tail all the time since he arrived.
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Anyway, he got back home.
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So what's the message in Roscoe's story today?
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Well, it's about communication.
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Communication is important.
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Speaking and listening, in other words.
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When I rushed off to my meeting, I should have taken a bit more time to explain to Donna where Roscoe actually was.
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And I'll maybe get around for it afterwards, but she should have taken a wee bit more time to ask more details as to where he was.
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So the communication works both ways.
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And if it's not the way it should be, if it's not really detailed enough, then something's going to go wrong.
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Now, that's important for you yourselves as young people.
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When you come to speak to God, take time in telling God what you see your needs to be, asking for his forgiveness, asking for his guidance, asking for his help.
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And you can bring anything to God that you feel you need to have help with.
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God will always listen to our prayers.
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And we don't need to be afraid that somehow it's just too trivial or not important enough.
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God knows everything about us already, but he wants us to come and tell us what's on our heart.
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And to do that, we need to take time.
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Sometimes we do have to rush about, but we need to try at all times, as far as possible, make time to speak with God, to pray to God, to set out your heart before the Lord.
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That's what I didn't do.
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And that's why Roscoe escaped.
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But on the other hand, you have to make time as well to listen to God.
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How do we listen to God?
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Well, you listen to God, especially when you read his word, when you hear his word preached.
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That is God speaking to you and to the older ones as well.
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Every time we come to the Bible, we're coming to the word of God.
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We call it the word of God because that's what it is.
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And we should think every time I come to read my Bible, I'm hearing God's voice because this is God's word.
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And I need to prepare to listen to it properly.
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And to listen carefully, to listen in such a way as seize this message that God has for me as so important.
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So there you go, Roscoe still teaching us things.
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And today I want you to think about speaking to God, taking time to pray, and listening to God, taking time to read your Bible, to listen to what he's saying there, and then try and apply that in your own lives as well.
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Okay, so may God bless these thoughts to us.
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Let's say the Lord's Prayer now together.
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Amen.
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We're going to sing again to God's praise this time.
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We're singing Psalm 61.
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Psalm number 61.
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That's in the Sing Psalms version on page 78.
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We're going to sing verses 1 to 5.
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O hear my urgent cry, my God, and listen to my plea.
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From earth's remotest bounds I call when my heart faints in me.
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O God, conduct me to the rock that's higher far than I.
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For you're my refuge from the foe, my tower of strength on high.
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Here is the psalmist speaking to God and taking time to ask God for these important things that he's asking in prayer.
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So, we'll sing verses 1 to 5 to his praise.
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O hear my urgent cry, my God, and listen to my plea.
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From earth's remotest bounds I call when my heart faints in me.
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O God, conduct me to the rock that's higher far than I.
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For you're my refuge from the foe, my tower of strength on high.
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O let me dwell within your tent, forever there to live.
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O for the shelter of your wings, the refuge which they give.
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For you have heard my verse, O God.
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And you have given me the heritage of those who fear.
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Your name continually.
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Let's turn now to read God's Word.
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Reading today is from Mark's Gospel.
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Gospel according to Mark and chapter 11.
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Reading from the beginning down as far as verse 26.
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Matthew 11, from Mark 11 at the beginning.
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Now they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives.
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Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them,
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Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied,
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on which no one has ever sat.
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Untie it and bring it.
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If anyone says to you, Why are you doing this?
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Say, The Lord has need of it, and will send it back here immediately.
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And they went away and found a colt tied at the door outside in the street, and they untied it.
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And some of those standing there said to them, What are you doing, untying the colt?
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And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.
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And they brought the colt to Jesus, and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.
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And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches
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that they had cut from the fields.
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And those who went before, and those who followed, were shouting,
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Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
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Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!
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And he entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple.
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And when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late,
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he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
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On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.
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And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it.
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When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
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And he said to them,
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He said to it, May no one ever eat fruit from you again.
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And his disciples heard it.
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And they came to Jerusalem, and he entered the temple,
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and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple.
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And he overturned the tables of the money changers,
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and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
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And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.
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And he was teaching them, and saying to them,
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Is it not written,
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My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?
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But you have made it a den of robbers.
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And the chief priests and the scribes heard it,
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and were seeking a way to destroy him.
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For they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.
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And when evening was come, they went out of the city.
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As they passed by in the morning,
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they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.
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And Peter remembered and said to him,
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Rabbi, look, the fig tree that you cursed has withered.
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And Jesus answered them,
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Have faith in God.
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Truly I say to you,
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Whoever says to this mountain,
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Be taken up and thrown into the sea,
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And does not doubt in his heart,
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But believes that what he says will come to pass,
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It will be done for him.
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Therefore I tell you,
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Whatever you ask in prayer,
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Believe that you have received it,
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And it will be yours.
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And whenever you stand praying,
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Forgive,
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If you have anything against anyone,
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So that your Father,
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Who is in heaven,
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Your Father also,
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Who is in heaven,
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May forgive you your trespasses.
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Amen.
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May God follow with this blessing our reading of his word.
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Let's again call upon his name in prayer.
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Lord, our gracious God,
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We thank you for the privilege of being gathered here today in your name.
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The privilege of having your word open before us.
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The privilege of being able to speak to you in prayer,
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And call upon you for your blessing.
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We have so many privileges,
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O Lord,
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In the course of life,
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And we acknowledge,
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That today we experience one of the greatest you give us.
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The privilege of the gospel,
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And our relationship with the gospel,
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And with you through it.
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We thank you,
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Lord,
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Today for every prospect of your blessing.
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You promise your blessing to your people,
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As they gather together in your name.
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You tell us that even where two or three are gathered together,
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In your name you are there in the midst.
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And we bless you,
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O Lord,
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Today that we know your blessing,
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That we have known your blessing in the past.
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And we pray that from that,
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Lord,
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We may confidently ask that your blessing will be with us today.
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That you would take up your word and show us,
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Lord,
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Its meaning,
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Its importance,
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Its relevance to our own lives.
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We ask,
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Gracious one,
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That your blessing may truly give us the desire to hold forth your word,
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As the word of life,
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Before the world in which we live.
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We thank you,
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Lord,
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For every opportunity,
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You give us,
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To speak of you,
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To the people that surround us.
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And we thank you,
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Thank you especially,
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That you have promised that the witness of your people will not be in vain.
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And today we pray that you would further prepare our hearts,
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Prepare our minds,
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Give us,
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We pray,
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That desire inwardly to make Christ known to the people around us.
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We ask that we may know this individually for ourselves.
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Lord,
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Help us,
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Help us,
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Help us,
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Help us,
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Christ in our manner of life to the world in which you have placed us. Be merciful to us, Lord, we pray
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as a generation. Once again, we bring before you the needs of our day. And while we cannot, Lord,
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adequately describe them before you, we thank you that you know them in detail and in perfection.
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And we bring before you especially, Lord, our concern over the way in which so many have turned
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from your ways, the way in which so many have taken up teaching and opinions and ideologies
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that are in conflict with your word, in conflict with the gospel. And we know, Lord, that this has
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come to infiltrate our schools, our places of education, so many other avenues in our society,
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Lord, that people frequent. We ask, O God, that you would turn us into your ways, that we may know
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the breath and the spirit of revival and of power, coming to empower ourselves as a people, first of
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all, and spreading out, Lord, into our districts and communities. We ask that your blessing today will
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be with those who face challenges in the education of their children, challenges in the teaching of
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children. We thank you for all, Lord, who teach in our schools that fear your name. We thank you for
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all parents who desire to bring up their children in the ways of the Lord. We ask that you bless them
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in their homes, bless them in the testimony they bear to their children. Bless our teachers, bless our
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schools. Lord, our God, we pray that through all of these challenges and challenging times, we may know
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the guidance of your spirit, the blessing of your word in our lives. We ask your blessing for our young
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people themselves. And we ask that you would be with them today, Lord, those of them here in church,
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those of them who are not able to be here, those of them who attend Sunday school, tweenies,
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the other older age groups and youth fellowship and Bible class. Be with them all, we pray.
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Encourage our hearts, Lord, we pray, and enable us today to further contribute to your cause in
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whatever way we can. We thank you for the support that we receive, Lord, from your people here,
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as those who preach the gospel, as those who are in the leadership of the congregation as elders and
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as deacons. We thank you for the many prayers that are set up for us, Lord, from day to day.
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We pray that you would hear us as we cry to you for your blessing further to be evident among us.
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We pray today, Lord, for your people not only here but throughout the world. Remember those who face
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real difficulty and trauma today, those who are seeking to recover from natural disasters,
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from disease, from poverty, from war, from conflict, from persecution,
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from many things, Lord, that blight human lives throughout the world.
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O gracious one, have mercy upon us, we pray, as a generation. Deliver us, Lord, we pray,
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from darkness, from the powers of darkness, from the ways in which the evil one seeks to
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carry people's minds away from the gospel and persuade them that alternatives are equally valid.
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O Lord God, be with those who carry your word into different parts of the world,
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not only people in your churches throughout the world, but people also who serve in various agencies.
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We pray for our own Muriel. We ask that you bless her, Lord, during these days. We thank you for her,
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for her place in Cambodia. Pray that you'd continue to encourage her and all who are with her, Lord,
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in the work there, and all the young ones that she has contact with. Lord, we pray that you would
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protect her and keep her and be mindful of her during these times.
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Bless those who mourn the passing of loved ones. Lord, we know that our bulletin sheet today bears
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evidence of the passing of those that were well-known amongst us and those that came so faithfully to
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church when they were able. Bless them, we pray, and bless those who mourn over their passing.
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Be with those too who are seriously ill in the congregation. Lord, be with them and with their families
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today. Lay your good hand upon them, and if it is not your will, that they be healed from whatever
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is afflicting them at this time. Lord, prepare them, we pray, to take that step out of time into eternity
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so they may do so safely in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so receive us now. Hear us in our prayer and
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continue with us. For Jesus' sake. Amen.
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Let's sing some more verses before we turn to Mark chapter 11. Singing the whole of Psalm 1 in the
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Singed Psalms version on page 1.
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Blessed is the one who turns away from where the wicked walk, who does not stand in sinners' paths
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or sit with those who mock. Instead, he finds God's holy law, his joy and great delight. He makes the
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precepts of the Lord his study day and night. The whole of Psalm 1a to God's praise.
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Christ.
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Paul's verse 2.
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Blessed is the one who turns away from where the wicked walk, who does not stand in sinners'
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paths
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or sit
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with those
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who mope.
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Instead
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he
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finds
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God's holy
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law,
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his joy
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and great
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delight.
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He
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makes
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the precepts
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of
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the Lord,
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his study
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day
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and night.
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He
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prospers
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ever
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like
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a tree
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that's
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planted
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by a
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stream.
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And
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in
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due
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season
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yields
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its fruit,
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its leaves
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are
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always
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green.
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Not
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so
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the
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wicked
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they
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are
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like
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the
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chaff
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that's
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blown
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away.
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They
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will
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not
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stand
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when
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judgment
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comes
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or
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with
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the
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righteous
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day.
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the
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righteous
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day.
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It
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is
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the
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Lord
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who
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sees
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and
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knows
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the
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way
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the
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righteous
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go.
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but
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those
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who
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live
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an
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evil
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life
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the
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Lord
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will
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overthrow.
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Now please turn with me to Mark chapter 11 where we read earlier.
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And there are two sections of that chapter or the passage read I want to look at this morning with you.
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First of all from verse 12 down to verse 14.
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And then the related verses to that from verse 20 down to verse 26.
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So verse 12 to 14 and then verses 20 to 26.
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What you find really in these verses verses 12 to 14 is at one and the same time a miracle and a parable.
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It's an unusual miracle because a lot of Jesus' miracles were to do with life and with giving life and with healing.
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This is one that really cursed this fig tree. It's normally called the fig, the parable of the fig tree.
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And when he Jesus cursed the fig tree so that it would not bear fruit again, it proves to be a most unusual parable.
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And it's not the kind of thing you would expect Jesus normally to do.
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But it's a miracle because the fig tree withered and died within a short time following the Lord's announcement to it.
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So both things are important for us to bear in mind as we look at these two passages today.
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There is both a miracle and a parable in what it represents and what Jesus taught by it we'll see in the second passage.
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First of all, let's look at the promising appearance of the fig tree.
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Here we have in verse 13a there,
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So we'll look at the promising appearance of the fig tree.
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And then from verse 20 to 26, the application which Jesus made of it, which really is in regard to two things especially that he mentions there.
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First of all, have faith in God, which he then relates to prayer, but also the need to forgive others when there is a need to forgive them.
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And that's also in relation to prayer, as you see from verse 25.
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So faith and forgiveness following our view of the previous passage, the promising appearance of the fig tree.
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Now you can see here in the following day, when they came from Bethany, following the story through as we did, Jesus was hungry.
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And he saw in the distance a fig tree in leaf.
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He went to see if he could find anything on it.
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He found nothing but leaves.
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And then it says, for it was not the season for figs.
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Then why would Jesus expect to find figs on this fig tree if he knew it was not yet the season for figs?
31:15
And expositors and commentators take different views as to what is really meant by these references there.
31:24
Some will say that fig trees actually bear fruit before it comes to bear leaves.
31:29
Others disagree with that.
31:30
Some will say some fig trees are not fruit bearing anyway.
31:34
They just bear leaves.
31:36
Whatever you actually say of the actuality of that in terms of its agriculture and so on,
31:42
what is important is that despite it not being the season for figs,
31:47
this fig tree seemed to be an exception.
31:50
And it seemed to be an exception so that Jesus had every right to expect that he would find figs on it.
31:59
It was very promising in its appearance.
32:02
What he saw there from a distance really led him to expect and others to expect fruit on this tree,
32:11
given its situation, given its appearance.
32:14
That's an important point in the message that Jesus actually then brings from it.
32:20
It was very promising in appearance.
32:23
There was every reason to expect fruit from it.
32:26
And yet it only had leaves.
32:29
There was no fruit, just leaves.
32:32
And then look at the placement of that passage.
32:38
Because the placement is important to understand its meaning.
32:42
It's placed in between verses 9 and 10,
32:46
and I'm especially referring to the content of these verses rather than just these verses in number.
32:51
verses 9 and 10,
32:53
which have to do with the praises that were being wrung out,
32:57
the exclamations that were being made as Jesus came towards Jerusalem.
33:02
All of these hosannas.
33:03
Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
33:06
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David.
33:09
Hosanna in the highest.
33:11
There, you might say,
33:12
is exclamations,
33:15
soundings of praise,
33:16
that look very promising.
33:19
But there's no fruit.
33:21
Because as he then comes to the temple,
33:25
Jesus proceeds to cleanse the temple,
33:29
to overturn the tables of the money changers,
33:32
to drive out those who are misusing the temple for profitable gain, financial gain.
33:38
That's not, he says,
33:39
the purpose of the temple.
33:41
My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.
33:45
There's the evidence of the lack of fruit.
33:49
The hosannas are the very promising leaves.
33:52
The cleansing of the temple is the evidence of the lack of fruit.
33:59
Now, this was particularly something that referred to Israel at the time
34:03
and the disciples having heard it.
34:05
It's important that we see in verse 14,
34:07
his disciples heard this when he spoke to the fig tree.
34:11
In other words,
34:12
he's drawing our minds firstly to its application to the people of Israel,
34:17
to the Jewish people at the time.
34:19
Because what it's saying is that these people were promising
34:23
because they had so many advantages,
34:25
they had so many benefits,
34:26
so many privileges.
34:28
Here were the people to whom God had actually given himself
34:32
in his revelation down through the years of the Old Testament.
34:35
Here were the people to whom God had spoken so,
34:38
so frequently,
34:39
who had seen the miracles,
34:40
and indeed people who had seen the miracles
34:42
that Jesus himself had been doing up to this stage.
34:45
This was a people who had all the advantages
34:49
and you would expect them
34:50
as God had given them everything necessary
34:53
to produce spiritual fruit,
34:55
yet they were not of that caliber.
34:59
Their history,
35:01
God's covenant promises to them,
35:03
the prophecies that God had given them
35:07
regarding their future,
35:08
regarding their relationship to himself,
35:10
regarding the intake of the Gentiles
35:12
into the kingdom of God.
35:16
So when Jesus,
35:17
in verse 14,
35:18
speaks so condemningly
35:20
to the fig tree,
35:22
he's really,
35:22
in a sense,
35:23
doing what the Old Testament itself
35:25
did at many times,
35:26
pronouncing
35:27
over the people who were fruitless,
35:30
pronouncing
35:30
God's condemnation.
35:33
Pronouncing over them,
35:35
why have you not produced fruit?
35:36
I mean,
35:37
there are two passages especially
35:38
that come to mind.
35:39
First of all,
35:40
Isaiah chapter 5,
35:41
which speaks about a vineyard.
35:43
And Israel is his vineyard,
35:45
and there's a lot of labor
35:46
being expended on that vineyard,
35:49
and yet it kept
35:50
on just being fruitless.
35:53
It produced no fruit.
35:55
And Israel,
35:56
God says through the prophet Isaiah,
35:58
you are my vineyard.
36:00
I've taken such labor with you.
36:02
I've given you so many advantages.
36:04
Why are you still fruitless?
36:06
Why,
36:06
when I come looking for grapes,
36:08
do I find nothing but sour grapes?
36:11
The other chapter is Jeremiah chapter 24,
36:16
which speaks about two types of figs,
36:19
two baskets of figs.
36:21
One is ripe and beautiful and luscious.
36:23
The other is rotten.
36:24
And God through Jeremiah is saying to the people,
36:29
the fruit that you're seeing,
36:30
the luscious fruit,
36:31
is what I would expect you to be like.
36:33
But instead I'm finding
36:34
you're like the rotten figs,
36:36
like the rotten fruit,
36:37
which really have not lived up
36:39
to the expectation
36:40
and the advantages
36:42
that I've given you.
36:44
So you can see that's why
36:46
this passage is so important
36:48
in its context
36:49
to the people that Jesus
36:50
was speaking to directly
36:52
at that time,
36:53
to his own people,
36:54
to the Jewish people.
36:55
Here they were making
36:56
all of these exclamations,
36:58
these hosannas
36:59
as he came riding on the colt,
37:01
as he came to enter Jerusalem.
37:03
And all looked very promising.
37:04
It all looked very much
37:06
as if they were going to receive him gladly
37:08
and just welcome him
37:09
with open arms as their Messiah,
37:11
that this was indeed the case.
37:14
But then he came to the temple
37:15
and it was obvious then
37:17
that that's not what the case was.
37:18
They were fruitless by and large.
37:21
And so he drove out
37:22
in a condemning way
37:24
those who had misused
37:26
their privileges.
37:29
Now Jesus looks for fruit
37:31
on our lives today.
37:34
There's no use leaving this
37:35
and just saying,
37:36
well, that was for that age.
37:38
That was for the context
37:39
Jesus was directly working in.
37:40
We have to actually remember
37:41
this is the word of God
37:42
to us today.
37:43
We try and put these things together
37:45
in such a way
37:46
that draws from it
37:47
lessons for ourselves today.
37:49
Things which apply
37:50
in our own context
37:51
here today
37:52
in Stornway Free Church.
37:54
Jesus expects you
37:56
and I to bear fruit.
37:59
Why does he expect you
38:00
and I to bear fruit?
38:01
Because he's placed us
38:02
in such a favorable environment,
38:05
hasn't he?
38:06
Where could you be placed
38:07
more favorably
38:08
than under the gospel
38:10
for your life
38:11
to develop spiritually
38:12
and morally?
38:14
Where more advantageously
38:16
could Jesus have placed you,
38:17
could God have placed you
38:19
than where you are today
38:20
as you belong
38:21
to a gospel congregation,
38:23
as you belong
38:24
to a gospel fellowship?
38:26
You have his word,
38:27
you have his worship,
38:28
you have his teaching,
38:29
you have his encouragement,
38:31
you have prayer
38:32
and here is Jesus
38:33
coming today
38:34
to you and to me
38:35
and he's looking for fruit.
38:37
He's seeing the very promising lives
38:39
that we are outwardly
38:40
but he's coming to look
38:42
for ripe spiritual figs.
38:47
and he's looking for things
38:51
like faith
38:52
and love
38:53
and hope
38:54
but he's looking for real faith
38:58
and real love
39:00
and real hope.
39:03
He's not looking for
39:04
the kind of faith
39:05
in your life
39:06
and my faith
39:06
that might indeed be the case
39:08
but it's not primarily
39:09
the greatest faith
39:11
that exists,
39:12
it's not primarily
39:13
the greatest love
39:14
that exists
39:14
that he looks for,
39:15
it's not that you
39:16
would be able to say
39:17
or he'd be able to say of you,
39:18
you're the best Christian
39:19
in the world today,
39:20
you're the best Christian
39:21
in the congregation,
39:22
you're the best Christian
39:23
in the district.
39:24
What he's looking for
39:25
is real faith,
39:26
real love,
39:27
real grace.
39:30
And even if you think today
39:31
it's really such
39:33
a small thing,
39:35
never mind is it real,
39:36
that's the important thing.
39:38
God is looking
39:39
for real fruit
39:40
in your life.
39:41
You might think
39:42
it's hardly worth noticing,
39:44
hardly worth mentioning.
39:45
You see it yourself
39:47
as so small
39:47
when you compare yourself
39:48
to others
39:49
which really is not advisable
39:50
for us to do anyway.
39:53
But you might say,
39:54
well my faith is tiny,
39:55
I can hardly see it
39:56
and I don't really believe
39:58
my love for other people
40:00
is really to any extent
40:01
the way it should be.
40:04
And God is saying,
40:05
fine,
40:05
but is it real?
40:07
You see,
40:07
a lot of people come
40:08
to this passage
40:09
and it scares them.
40:11
And there's an element
40:13
of why understandably
40:15
that should be the case
40:16
because it is a very solemn thing
40:18
to have people
40:19
with so many advantages,
40:21
to have the leaves
40:22
that are promising
40:23
about their lives
40:24
and yet there's no fruit.
40:25
And you might be saying
40:26
today of yourself,
40:27
well I think that's me.
40:29
If it is you
40:30
and if this is me,
40:32
then God is kindly
40:33
showing us today,
40:34
well I'm showing you this
40:35
so that you can actually
40:36
do something about it.
40:38
so that you will not be
40:40
just a pile of leaves
40:41
but you'll have
40:42
the real fruit
40:43
that I desire to see
40:45
in your life.
40:48
But if you're saying today,
40:49
well I'm just,
40:50
I just don't see myself
40:52
hardly as a Christian at all.
40:54
Do you pray?
40:56
Yes.
40:57
Well you're a believer then.
40:59
Do you read your Bible
41:00
faithfully,
41:02
knowing it to be
41:02
the word of God?
41:03
Yes.
41:04
Well,
41:05
will a believer,
41:05
will an unbeliever
41:06
just do that regularly?
41:10
Do you love the gospel?
41:12
Yes,
41:13
of course I love the gospel.
41:14
That's why I'm here today,
41:15
you're saying.
41:15
Well isn't that
41:16
itself
41:17
an evidence of fruit
41:18
in your life?
41:20
Isn't it more than
41:21
just leaves
41:22
that you actually
41:23
have a love for the Lord,
41:24
that you would never
41:25
speak disparagingly of Him,
41:27
that you love to be
41:28
with His people,
41:28
that you love to be
41:29
under the gospel,
41:30
that you pray to God
41:31
for yourself,
41:32
that you seek His forgiveness,
41:34
that you want His guidance
41:35
in your life,
41:36
that you bring
41:36
these concerns to Him,
41:38
that maybe you can't
41:38
put into words adequately,
41:40
but you still actually
41:41
say them as the desire
41:42
of your heart?
41:43
Isn't that fruit?
41:46
Don't actually
41:47
dismiss things like that
41:49
as if that's not
41:49
really fruit at all.
41:51
But whatever fruit
41:52
there is,
41:53
seek the Lord's help
41:55
for it to increase.
41:58
It's not that long
41:59
since we had
42:00
the Lord's Supper,
42:02
and the Lord's Supper
42:03
is one of the primary ways
42:05
by which God
42:06
provides for us
42:07
a situation
42:08
by which we will come
42:10
to bear more fruit.
42:12
Sadly,
42:13
some people,
42:13
maybe you're one of them,
42:14
and our heart is with you.
42:17
We want to see
42:17
as many people
42:18
as possible,
42:19
all of you indeed,
42:20
coming to the Lord's Supper
42:21
to benefit from
42:22
the Lord's Table,
42:23
to profess your faith,
42:24
but it's not primarily
42:26
a means of professing
42:27
your faith,
42:27
it's primarily a means
42:29
of advancing
42:29
your life spiritually.
42:34
And so many people
42:36
come and say
42:37
about the Lord's Supper,
42:40
however much we encourage
42:41
people to come
42:42
that are real believers,
42:44
well, I'm not,
42:44
my faith is not
42:45
at that stage yet.
42:47
I've not reached
42:48
that level of fruit yet
42:50
that I see in other people,
42:51
so I can't go
42:52
to the Lord's Supper,
42:53
I can't go
42:53
to the Lord's Table,
42:54
I've not yet reached
42:56
that level.
42:58
Well, you see,
42:58
the Lord is saying
42:59
to you today,
43:00
if that's your situation,
43:02
if that's your conviction,
43:03
the Lord is saying,
43:04
but that's what
43:05
the Lord's Supper
43:06
is for.
43:08
It's not so that
43:09
you can conclude now,
43:11
I don't have enough fruit
43:12
to warrant my going
43:14
to take communion,
43:15
it's so that you'll say,
43:16
well, my fruit is so small,
43:17
I need the Lord's Supper
43:19
to bring it on.
43:21
Isn't that how it is?
43:26
We're all reluctant
43:27
to speak of ourselves,
43:30
to acknowledge truthfully,
43:33
openly,
43:34
the work that God
43:35
has done in our lives,
43:36
the fact that there are
43:38
elements of fruit
43:39
in our lives,
43:40
and sometimes we feel
43:41
that if we were just
43:42
going to confess that,
43:43
well, you know,
43:44
we're just getting
43:45
into a situation of pride,
43:47
and we're just afraid
43:48
to elevate ourselves.
43:50
Never be afraid
43:51
to confess
43:52
to yourself
43:53
or to others
43:54
what you see
43:54
as a real work
43:56
of grace in your life.
43:57
It's dishonoring to God
43:59
if we're reluctant
44:00
to confess that,
44:02
to follow that through.
44:05
So lovingly,
44:05
I say to you today,
44:07
don't be afraid
44:08
of using
44:09
the means God
44:10
has given you
44:11
to produce more fruit
44:14
in your life
44:14
compared to what
44:16
you may see now.
44:16
That's what
44:19
this passage
44:20
is really about too.
44:22
It's not there
44:23
to discourage anyone.
44:25
It's not there
44:26
to reach wrong conclusions
44:28
about yourself.
44:30
It's there so that
44:31
you'll say,
44:32
well,
44:33
God has been good to me.
44:35
God has placed me
44:36
so advantageously
44:37
in the gospel.
44:38
I must make sure
44:39
now that I go
44:40
and produce more fruit
44:41
than I've got,
44:43
and I must use
44:44
every advantage
44:45
God gives me
44:46
so that that
44:47
will be the case.
44:50
There's the
44:50
promising appearance
44:52
of the fig tree.
44:55
But you might be here today
44:56
and genuinely
44:57
not be bearing
44:57
any fruit yet.
45:00
And we mustn't
45:01
just pass over this
45:02
as if everybody here
45:03
was bearing
45:04
so much fruit
45:05
that just needed
45:06
to be
45:06
multiplied.
45:11
There are some people
45:13
who are familiar
45:14
with the gospel,
45:15
who know the gospel,
45:17
who are planted,
45:18
if you like,
45:19
in the ground
45:20
in which God
45:22
places people
45:23
advantageously
45:24
under the gospel,
45:26
but who don't
45:26
bear fruit,
45:27
who have not yet
45:27
come to repent
45:28
of their sin,
45:30
who have not yet
45:31
come to embrace
45:32
Christ by faith
45:33
and thankfully.
45:35
Please,
45:36
if that is you today,
45:37
if you know that
45:38
that is the case
45:38
with you today,
45:40
you have the advantage
45:41
today of doing
45:43
something about
45:44
that too,
45:45
of coming to say
45:47
to God,
45:48
Lord,
45:49
whatever's gone
45:51
past in my life,
45:53
I would like
45:55
to start today
45:56
in a way that
45:58
would bear fruit
45:59
to your glory,
46:01
in a way that
46:02
would actually bring
46:03
honor to your name.
46:04
In other words,
46:05
you would come to God
46:06
and say,
46:06
Lord,
46:06
please,
46:07
please don't leave
46:08
me fruitless.
46:08
don't leave me
46:10
just at a show
46:11
of leaves.
46:12
Don't leave it
46:13
just as an outward
46:14
promising life.
46:16
Give me fruit.
46:18
Give me real life.
46:19
Give me real faith.
46:22
Give me the hope
46:22
of eternal life
46:23
in Jesus Christ.
46:27
But then you see
46:27
the application
46:28
which followed.
46:29
We'll just finish
46:30
with the second point
46:31
which is the application
46:32
followed from
46:33
verse 20 to 26.
46:35
As they passed by
46:35
in the morning,
46:36
they saw the fig tree
46:38
withered away
46:38
to its roots.
46:40
And Peter remembered
46:41
and said,
46:43
Rabbi,
46:43
look,
46:44
the fig tree
46:44
that you cursed
46:45
has withered.
46:46
And Jesus answered them,
46:48
Have faith in God.
46:51
Truly I say to you,
46:52
whoever says
46:53
to this mountain
46:54
be taken up
46:55
and thrown into the sea
46:56
and does not doubt
46:57
in his heart
46:58
but believes
46:59
that what he says
47:00
will come to pass,
47:00
it will be done
47:01
for him.
47:02
Then he mentions that
47:04
in relation to prayer.
47:05
Whatever you ask
47:06
in prayer,
47:07
believe that you have
47:08
received or that
47:08
you are receiving it
47:09
and it will be yours.
47:11
Whatever you stand
47:12
praying,
47:13
forgive
47:13
if you have anything
47:15
against anyone.
47:16
So two things in that.
47:17
Have faith in God.
47:19
Peter is amazed.
47:21
He's obviously
47:21
taken up with the fact
47:22
that this fig tree
47:23
has withered away
47:24
to its roots.
47:25
It's died
47:25
virtually overnight.
47:28
And that's really striking
47:29
as far as Peter is concerned
47:30
and he remembers
47:31
the words the Lord spoke.
47:33
But the Lord turns
47:35
what you might say
47:36
is that negative
47:38
comment of Peter
47:39
into a very positive one.
47:43
He is saying
47:43
effectively
47:45
whoever says
47:47
to this mountain
47:47
be taken up
47:48
and does not doubt
47:49
in his heart
47:50
it will be done for him.
47:51
Now what is he saying
47:52
really there?
47:53
Because this is a perplexing
47:54
thing for many people
47:55
as well
47:56
and a lot of people
47:57
face this
47:58
false teaching
47:59
in the world today
48:00
in the church today
48:01
that says
48:01
you know
48:02
if things are not
48:03
really advancing
48:04
as they should
48:04
in your life
48:05
if you're not able
48:06
to do this
48:06
or to do that
48:07
it's your fault
48:08
you don't have enough faith.
48:12
What Jesus is saying
48:13
here is
48:14
look at this mountain
48:16
think of it being
48:18
moved from here
48:19
to the depth of the sea.
48:20
In other words
48:21
Jesus is saying
48:21
think of what appears
48:23
to you
48:23
to be impossible
48:24
and then think of God
48:27
and for God
48:29
it's possible.
48:31
What appears
48:32
impossible to us
48:33
it's not impossible
48:35
with God.
48:37
It's not about
48:38
what to pray
48:40
but the mindset
48:42
that we need
48:43
to have in prayer.
48:45
The mindset
48:46
that is absolutely
48:47
convinced
48:48
that God
48:49
is able to do
48:50
what we will bring
48:51
before him
48:52
and even sometimes
48:55
that he will do
48:56
when he gives us
48:57
that conviction
48:57
that he will do
48:59
what we're asking
49:00
him to do.
49:02
It's really all
49:03
about himself
49:05
and your view
49:05
of himself.
49:07
It's about his
49:08
capability
49:09
and his power
49:11
that he is able
49:13
to do the things
49:13
which we think
49:14
are impossible.
49:17
You're praying
49:17
for someone today.
49:19
You've been praying
49:20
for them for a long time.
49:23
They're still not converted
49:24
as far as you know.
49:26
You may be saying
49:26
in your heart
49:27
when you go to pray
49:28
for them
49:29
time after time
49:30
and think this is
49:31
just impossible.
49:32
It's not going to happen.
49:34
Well here is God
49:35
saying to you
49:36
that's your opinion.
49:37
How do you see me?
49:40
What do you think
49:41
I'm able to do
49:41
for them?
49:43
Have you lost
49:43
your vision
49:44
of what I can do?
49:45
Are you just looking
49:46
at it from your own
49:47
perspective?
49:48
Friends, today
49:49
whatever we're praying
49:50
for and we're praying
49:51
for the congregation
49:52
and we're praying
49:53
for the blessing
49:54
of the Lord
49:55
and the congregation
49:55
and we pray
49:56
for the individuals.
49:57
We're praying
49:57
for the work
49:58
with the young folks.
49:59
We're praying
49:59
for so many things.
50:01
Catch this vision
50:02
of God
50:02
that is before you
50:03
in the passage
50:04
and say
50:05
don't doubt God.
50:08
Have faith in God.
50:12
Have faith in God.
50:15
But when we're praying
50:16
he says in verse 25
50:18
whenever you stand
50:20
praying forgive.
50:22
If you have anything
50:23
against anyone
50:24
so that your Father
50:25
who is in heaven
50:26
may forgive you
50:27
your trespasses.
50:28
Very like what you find
50:30
in the Sermon on the Mount
50:31
in Matthew's Gospel.
50:33
Remember there in chapter 6
50:35
of Matthew's Gospel
50:36
at verse 14
50:37
where Jesus said
50:39
if you forgive others
50:44
this is after the Lord's Prayer
50:46
which we've said together earlier
50:48
if you forgive others
50:50
their trespasses
50:50
your heavenly Father
50:52
will also forgive you.
50:54
But if you do not
50:55
forgive others
50:56
their trespasses
50:56
neither will your Father
50:58
forgive your trespasses.
51:00
If you take that
51:00
along with Mark
51:01
he's not saying
51:02
that God's forgiveness
51:04
is conditional
51:05
or that the ground
51:07
of God forgiving us
51:09
is our forgiving others.
51:11
In other words
51:12
that we constrain God
51:14
or persuade God
51:16
to forgive others
51:17
by our forgiveness
51:19
of them
51:20
or forgive ourselves.
51:23
What he's saying is
51:24
when you come to pray
51:25
and ask God's forgiveness
51:27
search your heart.
51:29
And if you have
51:31
in your heart
51:31
something there
51:32
and then against
51:33
someone that you're
51:34
conscious of
51:35
in your heart
51:36
then deal with that.
51:40
Because
51:41
that will actually
51:42
blight your prayer.
51:44
it will
51:46
if you like
51:46
shrivel your prayer.
51:49
If you come before God
51:50
and you know
51:51
that there's
51:52
something you need
51:53
to forgive someone about.
51:55
If you have anything
51:56
against anyone
51:57
just stop.
52:00
Before you ask
52:01
anything of God
52:02
come and
52:05
forgive that person
52:06
first.
52:07
That person
52:08
may not be willing
52:10
to confess
52:11
their fault
52:12
between you
52:12
and themselves.
52:15
And forgiveness
52:15
in a sense
52:17
is always
52:17
consequent
52:18
upon
52:18
confession.
52:20
It's the same
52:21
for ourselves.
52:21
We come to God
52:22
and don't automatically
52:23
receive forgiveness.
52:25
We need to come
52:26
and confess
52:26
our sins
52:27
and then we
52:28
have the warrant
52:29
of God's word
52:29
that he will
52:30
hear our prayer
52:31
and forgive our sins.
52:34
But sometimes
52:34
you'll find someone
52:35
not prepared
52:36
to confess
52:36
that they've done
52:37
anything wrong
52:38
even if in
52:38
your heart of hearts
52:39
and maybe in theirs
52:40
they know they have.
52:42
It might be the other way
52:43
about it.
52:44
It might be that
52:44
something we've done
52:45
has hurt others
52:46
and we're not
52:47
prepared to confess
52:48
that we're at fault
52:50
with it.
52:51
Either way
52:52
we need to be
52:56
seriously honest
52:57
with the issue.
52:58
And if the person
52:59
we go to says
53:00
look
53:00
if I've done anything
53:01
forgive me
53:02
and you go to them
53:04
and say
53:05
well look
53:05
you've done this
53:06
and I think it's wrong
53:07
so we're here
53:09
to be reconciled
53:11
to each other
53:11
maybe the person
53:12
will say
53:12
I don't want to be
53:14
forget it
53:15
I don't want to speak
53:15
to you.
53:17
What do you then do?
53:18
Well you're still
53:18
in your heart
53:19
come say to the Lord
53:20
Lord
53:21
they're not prepared
53:22
to confess
53:23
I confess
53:24
if I've done wrong
53:25
that I need
53:26
your forgiveness
53:27
Lord
53:27
and even if they
53:29
never confess
53:30
to have done wrong
53:31
Lord help me
53:32
in my heart
53:33
to forgive them
53:33
in my thoughts
53:35
as if they had
53:36
confessed.
53:37
Because
53:38
it's so vital
53:40
to our ongoing
53:41
spiritual relationship
53:42
to God
53:43
that we don't
53:45
hold anything
53:45
against anyone
53:47
when we come
53:48
to prayer
53:48
at any time
53:49
indeed
53:49
but he's confining
53:51
it here
53:51
to the issue
53:52
of prayer.
53:55
And that's why
53:55
in Matthew 18
53:57
remember Matthew 18
53:58
where Peter said
53:59
to Jesus
54:01
Lord
54:01
how often
54:02
will my brother
54:03
sin against me
54:04
and I forgive him
54:05
will it be up to
54:06
seven times
54:07
and Peter thought
54:08
seven times
54:09
surely that's enough
54:10
because the law
54:12
of the rabbis
54:13
at that time
54:13
the regulation
54:14
of the rabbis
54:15
was well
54:16
four times
54:17
is quite sufficient
54:18
and Peter was thinking
54:21
well if I go to seven
54:22
surely that's going
54:23
to be enough.
54:25
What did the Lord
54:25
say to him?
54:26
No he said
54:26
I don't say to you
54:28
seven times
54:29
but I do say
54:29
seventy times seven.
54:31
What did Jesus mean?
54:32
He meant that
54:33
however many times
54:35
you have to forgive
54:36
then you forgive.
54:38
There are no limits
54:39
to it.
54:40
You don't actually
54:41
put something
54:41
around it
54:42
so that you say
54:43
within a certain time
54:44
or after a certain
54:45
number of times
54:46
we forgive somebody
54:47
then it's okay
54:48
not to forgive
54:49
and then hold it
54:50
against them.
54:50
No.
54:53
We always have
54:54
to forgive
54:54
whenever there's
54:56
something
54:57
that we know
54:58
needs to be forgiven.
54:59
something we need
55:01
to confess
55:01
that we've done
55:02
or that's been
55:04
done against us.
55:06
Jesus replied
55:07
you can't impose
55:10
limits
55:10
on confession
55:13
or forgiveness.
55:15
It's open ended.
55:17
It's there
55:18
throughout the whole
55:19
of life.
55:21
So many
55:22
personal relationships
55:24
and personal
55:26
relationships
55:27
developing
55:27
to spread
55:28
the influence
55:29
into a congregation
55:30
or community
55:31
or family
55:33
have all started
55:34
with a reluctance
55:36
to forgive.
55:38
A reluctance
55:39
to confess
55:40
faults
55:40
a reluctance
55:42
to forgive
55:42
when we're
55:44
asked to forgive.
55:46
Let's be
55:47
fruitful Christians.
55:51
Take from
55:51
today
55:52
three words
55:53
easy to remember
55:55
three words
55:56
that begin
55:56
with F.
55:57
fruit
55:59
faith
56:01
forgiveness
56:03
because
56:05
each of them
56:06
and together
56:07
are the essence
56:08
of the life
56:10
of Christ's people.
56:13
Let's pray.
56:14
Lord we thank you
56:18
that we can come
56:18
to you
56:19
and confess
56:19
our sins
56:20
to you
56:20
and that we
56:22
can be
56:23
people who
56:24
show that
56:25
our desire
56:25
is to forgive
56:26
whenever there
56:28
is a need
56:28
to forgive.
56:29
We thank you
56:30
for the advantages
56:31
you give us
56:32
that are all
56:33
designed
56:33
that we should
56:34
bear fruit
56:35
to your glory
56:35
and we pray
56:37
especially
56:37
under the gospel
56:38
that our lives
56:39
may be such.
56:40
hear us we pray
56:42
and accept
56:42
our worship
56:43
now.
56:44
Continue with us
56:44
throughout this day
56:45
be with us
56:46
in the evening
56:46
bless Reverend
56:48
Calmurdo
56:48
as he preaches
56:49
this evening
56:50
and help us
56:51
Lord as we
56:52
spend this
56:53
Lord's day
56:54
in relation
56:55
to your word
56:56
and to your
56:57
worship
56:57
help us
56:58
we pray
56:59
to further
57:00
advance
57:00
our relationship
57:01
with you
57:02
all for Jesus
57:03
sake
57:03
Amen.
57:04
We're going
57:07
to now
57:07
conclude
57:07
our worship
57:08
today
57:08
this morning
57:09
singing
57:09
to God's
57:10
praise
57:11
in Psalm
57:11
92
57:12
and that's
57:13
from the
57:14
Scottish
57:14
Psalter
57:15
singing
57:19
verses 12
57:20
to 15
57:20
that's
57:21
on page
57:22
353
57:24
But like
57:27
the palm tree
57:28
flourishing
57:28
shall be
57:29
the righteous
57:29
one
57:30
he shall
57:31
like to
57:31
the cedar
57:32
grow
57:32
that is
57:33
in Lebanon
57:33
those that
57:34
within the
57:35
house of
57:35
God
57:35
are planted
57:36
by his
57:37
grace
57:37
they shall
57:38
grow up
57:38
and flourish
57:39
all in
57:39
our God's
57:40
holy place
57:41
and in
57:42
old age
57:42
when others
57:43
fade
57:43
they fruit
57:44
still forth
57:45
shall bring
57:45
they shall
57:46
be fat
57:47
and full
57:47
of sap
57:48
and a
57:49
be flourishing
57:49
to show
57:50
that upright
57:51
is the Lord
57:52
he is a rock
57:53
to me
57:53
and he
57:54
from all
57:55
unrighteousness
57:56
is altogether
57:57
free
57:58
these four
57:58
verses
57:58
in conclusion
57:59
but like
58:07
the palm tree
58:09
flourishing
58:11
shall be
58:14
the righteous
58:17
one
58:19
he shall
58:22
like to
58:24
the cedar
58:26
grow up
58:28
that is
58:30
in Lebanon
58:33
those that
58:38
within
58:39
the house
58:42
of God
58:44
are planted
58:46
by his
58:49
grace
58:51
they shall
58:54
grow up
58:55
and flourish
58:58
all in
59:01
our God's
59:03
holy place
59:07
and in
59:10
old age
59:12
when others
59:14
fade
59:16
they fruit
59:18
still forth
59:21
shall
59:22
bring
59:23
they
59:24
shall
59:26
be
59:27
fat
59:28
and full
59:30
of sap
59:32
and
59:33
they
59:34
be
59:35
flourishing
59:38
to
59:40
show
59:41
that
59:43
upright
59:44
is
59:46
the
59:47
Lord
59:48
he
59:49
is
59:51
a
59:52
rock
59:53
to
59:53
me
59:55
and
59:57
he
59:58
from
59:58
all
1:00:00
unrighteousness
1:00:04
is
1:00:05
altogether
1:00:07
free
1:00:10
I'll go to the door
1:00:13
to my left
1:00:14
this morning
1:00:14
now may grace
1:00:18
and mercy
1:00:18
and peace
1:00:19
from God
1:00:19
the Father
1:00:20
Son
1:00:20
and Holy Spirit
1:00:21
be your portion
1:00:23
now and evermore
1:00:24
Amen
1:00:25
her
1:00:55
Thank you.