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To Know Him · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Reading in Ephesians chapter 1, we can read again at verse 16.
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We read these words, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
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that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of
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revelation and the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know
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what is the hope to which he has called you, and so on. The psalms that we've sung together already
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this evening, there were words that came up in them that give a sense of how we are to approach God.
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Psalm 135 spoke of coming to him, even in the midst of a world that was full of idols, coming to him
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with a sense of praise. Praise the Lord was words that kept ringing in that psalm. Psalm 62, as mentioned,
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there was the word expectation, the idea of coming to God in worship and praise with that sense of
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expectation. And in the psalm we've just sung there, Psalm 122, well-known words, we have these words of
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approaching God in worship with a sense of joy. I joyed when to the house of God go up, they said to me,
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there's joy and there's a prayer for peace. And as we approach this weekend, where we come to remember
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the Lord's death, as we share in the communion weekend, we ask ourselves, how are we approaching it?
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How is it that we are coming to this time? Do we have that sense of praise that Psalm 135 spoke of?
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Do we come with a sense of expectation, as we sang off in Psalm 62? Do we come with a sense of joy,
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as Psalm 122 spoke of? Well, as we come to this weekend, we should come prayerfully. And as we've
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heard the men pray already, with that sense of wonder and amazement at what God has done for us,
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and at what we come to remember as a people. How God, in all his enormity and his majesty,
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came down to us, sinners as we are, and gave his own son, that we might find life through him.
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Well, as Paul writes to the church at Ephesus, he's writing to a church there that was a people
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gathered in God's name, who were seeking to realize who God was more and more.
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And he's filled with this desire for them. You see that, you know, in this first chapter,
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how in verse 15, he speaks of having heard about their faith and your love towards all the saints.
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I do not cease to give thanks for you. He's heard about their faith, their love, and he does not cease
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to give thanks for them in his prayers. But what is his prayer for them? Well, as Paul writes to the
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church at Ephesus here, as you see in verse 3 to verse 14, there's one long sentence there in the
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original. It just goes on, and it's like Paul is pouring out his heart to the church at Ephesus about
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the wonder and the glory and majesty of God. There's a great sense of praise, as Paul describes
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all that God has done for his people through Jesus Christ, how he has blessed them, how he has blessed
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us in so many ways. You read there in verse 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he blessed
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us in the beloved, his own son. The mystery that was made known of his will, the plan that came to
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fruition in the fullness of time, everything that God was working together, and the wonder of it,
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the amazement of it, Paul is pouring out that to them, that they would be filled with a sense of
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wonder and awe and praise towards God. And as we come this weekend, that is what we come with as well,
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to know more of him. That's what Paul goes on to pray for them then in verse 15 down to verse 23,
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and especially as you read there in verse 17, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
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of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, that we would
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know him. After telling the Ephesians of the wonder, the amazement of God, of all that he has done for
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them, for those reason, he says in verse 15, a phrase that shows Paul wants to help them understand
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even more of the things that he has already given to them, that he wants them to understand in the
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light of all the blessings that flow from God. He wants them to know more and more of this.
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He wants them to know in order that they can show.
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And as we approach this weekend too, that should be our longing and our desire, to know more of him.
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Not to focus on ourselves, not to focus even on the world around us, but for that time, for a special time,
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to be focused on him and to know more of him and the hope to which he has called us, the great riches
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of his glorious inheritance in the saints. And so there's two things I want us to think about from
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this passage this evening, two things as we approach this weekend. The first is this, to have a greater
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knowledge of him. And then secondly, a greater knowledge of the hope that he offers.
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So firstly, a greater knowledge of him. Anything we want to do for the Lord, we do it prayerfully.
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Because we know in prayer, we are acknowledging our dependence on him.
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And so we often ask ourselves, what should we pray? And how should we pray? Our prayers will have
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different elements to them. Our prayers will have various aspects to them. That's the way the Bible
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teaches us to pray. We learn simply from a very young age how we are to pray. The word joy is broken
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down into three words. You pray first to Jesus, then for others, then yourself. There's all kinds
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of ways that we pray. But the first priority in prayer. And the first thing that we look to
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in prayer before we seek to do anything for the Lord, before we seek to go on in any of the work
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we're involved in, whether it's our evangelism, an outreach, whatever we are doing for the Lord,
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even before we invite anyone along to church, it should always be to seek to know him ourselves.
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To know him better. Because how can we explain to others the wonder, the beauty of God,
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if we don't know it for ourselves?
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God bless you.
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It reminds me of the announcement on the aeroplane when you're sitting before takeoff and the safety
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announcement comes on. And it speaks about when the air supply fails and the masks drop down,
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before you help anyone else, put on your own face mask first.
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Because if you don't have your face mask on, you're not going to be able to help others.
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The oxygen is going to be starved from you. And so we think of that ourselves and our knowledge of God.
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If we're not feeding ourselves, if we're not hungering and thirsting for God more and more,
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how are we going to be able to help others?
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If our faith is weak, if we ourselves are weak, how are we going to help others?
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And so Paul's prayer here for the church at Ephesus is that as they go on in their faith,
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that the priority is that they know more of him.
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And as we approach this weekend and as we approach the Lord's Supper, how are you coming?
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Are you coming spiritually tired or spiritually vibrant?
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Have you been giving of yourself to the extent you feel like you're running on empty?
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Or are you feeling full?
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All of us will come with a fuel gauge at different levels.
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But we'll all come, or we should all come, seeking to know him.
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And to be filled up with this knowledge of him.
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To be filled up with a sense of praise towards him.
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To be filled up with this expectation of him and this joy towards him.
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To know him more.
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The shorter cataxe, when it speaks about the Lord's Supper, it says this.
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Towards the end of the question, it says that as we come, we come by faith.
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And as we do, we are made partakers of his body and blood.
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With all his benefits.
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To the spiritual nourishment and growth in grace.
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That is purpose in coming to the Lord's Supper.
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To do this in remembrance of him.
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And for our good, for spiritual nourishment and growth in grace.
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So the more we know him and see him and marvel at him, the more then we go on in his strength.
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That's what Paul prays here in verse 17.
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It's the starting point for this weekend.
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To have this desire to know him.
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And it's something that Jesus himself prayed for us too.
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Jesus' prayer for his people in John 17 is a prayer that prays in this way too.
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That we would know him.
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And this is eternal life, it says in verse 3 of that chapter.
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That they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
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That we know him more.
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What is the greatest threat facing the church today?
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When we look around ourselves, we might see many things that we see as a threat towards the church.
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We speak of different things.
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And we might have different answers.
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It may be other religions.
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It may be secularism.
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It may be materialism.
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It may be political powers that have no fear of God.
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There are so many answers that we could give.
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What is the greatest threat facing the church today?
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Someone once gave this answer though.
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The biggest threat is an inadequate, anemic, impoverished knowledge of God in the church of Jesus Christ.
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The greatest threat facing the church is not always out there.
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It's in here.
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It's in our own hearts.
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An inadequate, anemic, impoverished knowledge of God in the church of Jesus Christ.
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And when you think of what you read in this passage, the spiritual blessings in Christ that Paul has shown to the church at Ephesus.
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And the people there and to ourselves of all that God has done for us through Jesus Christ.
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How can we not long to know him better?
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Martin Lloyd-Jones, in preaching on this passage, he said,
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Our supreme need is to know God.
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And as you read the letter to the Ephesians, we see it's a subject dominating it.
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This knowledge of God, what people were thinking about, what they were speaking about, and it continues through all generations.
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People either seeking to know God or turning away from God.
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It's Satan's great ploy that we will think that he cannot be known.
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That he's not real.
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But God reveals to us through himself and through his word that he can be known.
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And if you have come to know him through faith in Jesus Christ, if you've come to know God, do you not long to know more and more of him?
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When you think of Paul himself, as he wrote later to the church at Philippi,
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In that letter he writes about his own knowledge of God after many years as a follower of Christ.
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And he says that in all that he's experienced, in all that he's done, he has not yet attained the knowledge of Christ that he should have.
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He doesn't know it yet.
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But he says, but he's pressing on towards that goal.
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In Philippians 3, verse 8 to 14, you read that section.
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Paul doesn't know him as he should, but he's pressing on.
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And so that's the way we should be as well.
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Even though we may go on many years, we still not know him in his fullness.
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There's so much to be known, so much of the riches of his grace that we still cannot fully understand or comprehend.
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But we still long to know him more.
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That's what Paul's prayer shows us here.
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But are we praying to him with a sense of praise and delight in who he is?
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Are we praying with a sense of expectation as to what God can do in our midst?
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For us and for many more throughout our communities, throughout this world that belongs to him.
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Do we have a sense of expectation?
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Do we have a sense of joy as we approach this weekend?
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Coming in to the Lord's house.
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Coming to be with his people.
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Coming to remember his death.
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Prayerfully praying that the peace of God will surround us.
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That we will know the blessing of his presence with us.
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That we will know him more.
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That that would be our desire first and foremost.
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To know him more.
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The second thing we see here too is a greater knowledge of hope.
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A greater knowledge of the hope that we have in Christ.
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In verse 18.
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Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened.
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That you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.
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The more we know him.
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The more we realize and see the hope that there is in him.
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And the more that we see the hope that is in him.
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The more we long for others to see the hope that there is with him too.
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That's the prayer that Paul has here for the church at Ephesus.
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Not that they should keep this to themselves.
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But that they would know this hope.
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The inheritance that they have.
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The immeasurable greatness of his power towards us.
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Who believe all of these things.
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He is praying not to keep to themselves.
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But to share with others.
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So as we come to the Lord's Supper this weekend.
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As we come to this communion weekend.
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With this hope to know him more.
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But this hope that we have to share as well.
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That we should be nourished.
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And refreshed through God's word.
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To go and share it with others.
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That our tanks that are maybe starting to run on empty.
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Be filled.
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So we go on in his strength.
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And his power.
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How well do you know people?
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There will be some people you know very well.
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And have known for a very long time.
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But there's other people you just meet.
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You haven't known them a very long time.
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And you don't know them.
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You don't know their past.
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You don't know their future.
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But when you look at what Paul is praying for the people here.
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And to know him.
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To know the Lord.
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It's to know him in his fullness.
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To fully understand Jesus.
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Past.
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Present.
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And future.
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Because it's in this knowledge.
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You'll be able to share him more clearly.
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The more you know what he has done.
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As we look back.
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And see.
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How God gave his son into this world.
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The more we see.
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How Christ died on the cross.
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For sinners.
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The more we see that.
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Even from the very foundations of time.
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That he was the one who had planned all things out.
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That there's this past.
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And you see there's this present.
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That we come in his presence tonight.
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That we come to meet with him.
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And that he speaks too of a future.
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There's this inheritance.
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Glorious inheritance.
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That speaks of.
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That we have to look forward to.
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So he prays too.
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That we would have more knowledge of this.
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Having your eyes and hearts enlightened.
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That you may know what is the hope.
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And another part of Ephesians.
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Just later on.
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In chapter 4 verse 18.
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It speaks there about that.
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There are those who are darkened in their understanding.
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Alienated from the life of God.
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Because of the ignorance that is in them.
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Due to their hardness of heart.
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They don't know him.
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And so Paul's prayer for them is.
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Having your eyes and your hearts enlightened.
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Opened to the knowledge of who he is.
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And the hope that he offers.
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There is great hope in him.
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And we see this hope.
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The hope of his calling.
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Which is what God has done for us.
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The wonder of salvation.
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The wonder that Christ died for me on that cross.
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And the hope that he has purchased for his people.
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The love of God as Romans speaks of.
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But God shows his love for us.
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And that while we were still sinners.
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Christ died for us.
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And yet the invitation goes out.
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It goes out to all to come.
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And see the wonder of this saviour.
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To come and taste of the glorious riches of Christ yourself.
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To come and know him.
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So that is Paul's great desire for the church at Ephesus here.
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But it always gives us a warning.
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Even as he spoke of those in chapter 4 verse 18.
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Who were darkened in their understanding.
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Later on in the book of Revelation.
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There is a warning given to the church at Ephesus.
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And it speaks there of the fact.
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That in all the good deeds that they are doing.
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In all that he sees of their active service for the Lord.
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He says this.
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You have left your first love.
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They have forgotten what it is about.
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And there is always that danger for ourselves.
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That we lose sight of the Lord.
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And all that we are doing for him.
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And that is the prayer that Paul has here.
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To guard against these very things.
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So that even we ourselves today.
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We would not abandon our first love.
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As they did.
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But that instead we would go on seeking him.
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To know him.
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And to continue having the eyes of our hearts enlightened.
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To know the hope to which he has called.
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To keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus.
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That is what we are called to do.
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Day by day.
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Week by week.
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Month by month.
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That we will go on longing to know more of him.
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And longing to have this hope.
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That is found in him.
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In order to share that hope with others.
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Do you know him?
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And do you long to know him more?
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Do you have that sense of praise?
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As we come to this communion weekend.
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Do you have that sense of expectation?
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As you come to this communion weekend.
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Do you have that sense of joy?
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As you come to this communion weekend.
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There are so many things.
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That will discourage us.
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But our greatest encouragement.
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Is found in the love of God towards us.
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That he gave his son.
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Who gives us hope.
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And we look to him.
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During the Second World War.
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There was an American troop ship.
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That was carrying 7,000 Marines across the Pacific.
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There was one evening on board.
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When seven Christians were out on deck.
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Towards the aft end.
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The back end.
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Of the ship.
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They'd gathered together for a time of praise.
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And prayer.
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Just seven of them.
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And they were there together.
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And the many other Marines on board.
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Were coming and passing by.
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Seeing what they were up to.
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But as soon as they heard that they were praising God.
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And praying to him.
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They turned away.
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Many of them just with a sense.
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Of mocking.
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But there was one young man.
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Who heard them.
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And he hung around.
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And towards.
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The end.
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When many of the people had moved away.
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He came up to them.
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And started to speak to them.
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And initially just asked them.
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Do you have a light for a cigarette?
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They said.
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No.
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We don't.
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They couldn't help with this.
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But that was really just a way in for him.
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What he wanted to know was more.
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Of what they were talking about.
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And they realized that.
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And they started speaking to him.
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About their Savior.
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And the love of Christ.
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That he had shown to them.
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And the Lord.
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Melted that young man's heart.
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And there.
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In that time together.
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He broke down.
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In tears of repentance.
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And they prayed.
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With him.
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In the midst of all that was going on.
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In the world then.
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In the midst of all that was going on.
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On this ship.
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With thousands of other troops.
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Who were mocking and laughing.
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There was this one.
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Who came to faith.
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In Christ.
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The meeting ended.
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With not seven singing praise.
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But eight.
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And they sang a hymn.
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As they closed.
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Thank you Lord.
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For saving my soul.
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Thank you Lord.
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For making me whole.
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Thank you Lord.
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For giving to me.
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Thy great salvation.
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So rich.
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And free.
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One soul.
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Came to praise God.
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That night.
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In the midst.
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Of seven thousand.
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And you think of the size.
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Of our town.
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It's a similar number.
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The population.
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Here.
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About seven thousand.
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But wouldn't it be wonderful.
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If even this weekend.
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One soul came.
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There would be reason.
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For rejoicing.
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To sing to God.
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With praise.
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To look to him.
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With expectation.
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To come.
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To him.
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With joy.
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Saying.
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Thank you Lord.
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For giving to me.
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Thy great salvation.
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So rich.
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And free.
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Let us come.
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Seeking to know.
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More of him.
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With a great expectation.
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That God.
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Can day.
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Do great things.
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And that he would give us.
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A sense of joy.
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In the midst.
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Of all that goes on.
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Word.
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Sacrament.
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Fellowship.
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Prayer.
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All that we do.
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May he be in our midst.
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And may he bless.
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We'll close.
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By singing.
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To God's praise.
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A psalm.
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A prayer.
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That seeks the blessing of God.
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Psalm 67.
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The first version.
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Of the.
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Psalm 67.