Business lies at Jesus' gate, where many a laser comes, and here I sue, and here I wait, for mercy's falling crumbs. Hymn 743 to the tune Popham 207.

Let us again read together from the gospel according to Matthew chapter 15, reading from verse 21 to the end. Matthew's gospel Chapter 15, commence reading at verse 21.

Then Jesus went thence and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cried unto him, saying, have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with the devil, but he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, helped me. But he answered and said, it is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs. And she said, truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the master's table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith, be unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. A great multitude came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them, insomuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to behold, the lame to walk, and the blind to see, and they glorified the God of Israel.

Then Jesus called His disciples unto Him, and said I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away fasting lest they faint in the way and his disciples say unto him whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude And Jesus saith unto him, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and break them, and gave to his disciples. And the disciples to the multitude, And they did all eat and were filled. And they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men beside women and children. And he sent away the multitude and took ship and came into the coasts of Magdala.

May the Lord bless the reading of his own precious word. and grant unto us a spirit of real prayer. Gracious, merciful, and eternal God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we desire to bow before thy glorious majesty. We desire, O Lord, to confess our unworthiness of the least of thy mercies. And we realise, O Lord, what a great disparity there is between us, us and Thee. We are sinful, unholy, unrighteous altogether. Thou art holy and pure and dwelleth in light inaccessible to which no man can approach unto.

But we come in that way that Thou hast appointed even unto Jesus Christ, the mediator of the new covenant. We desire to worship Him and to worship Thee in Him, for through Him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Holy, blessed, divine Spirit, convince us of our sin and lead to Jesus' blood. and to our wandering eyes reveal the secret love of God, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should be saved.

Lord, on such grace my heart still ponders, on such love, such infinite love, wisdom and power, in that profound mystery of godliness of God manifest in the flesh. We desire, O Lord, a truly thankful heart that there is a new and living way that has been made into the holy place. We desire, O Lord, to thank Thee for Thee, that wonderful and profound mystery of God manifest in the flesh, even our Lord Jesus Christ. the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father.

And what a profound mystery that is, that the infinite assume in thee finite. And what a holy life He lived as a man here upon earth, when He was made of a woman and made under the law, that He might redeem them that are under the law. We desire, O Lord, a thankful heart We desire a spirit of adoration and praise for that wonderful mystery.

And we desire to thank Thee that in that glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the law has been fulfilled and honoured and magnified, and everlasting righteousness has been brought in for Thy people. Oh, we do desire, O Lord, a thankful heart for these wonderful precious truths of our most holy faith. We thank thee for that holy, precious sacrifice that he offered on Calvary, for by one offering he hath perfected forever all them that are sanctified.

We desire a thankful heart for that precious blood that he has shed, and the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin, Lord, this is all our hope and all our desire. And we pray, O Lord, for a truly thankful heart that he died for our sins and rose again for our justification. And we would desire to come in faith unto that Saviour that was not only risen from the grave but ascended up on high and sitteth at thy right hand.

We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high and it is our desire as we gather round thy word to give thee thanksgiving and praise and honour and glory for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. We thank Thee for the infinite love of our eternal Father that sent His Son to suffer, bleed and die. And we do thank Thee for the Holy Ghost, for His heavenly power, for His quickening power, for His willingness to enter into the hearts of poor, lost ruin sinners and to quicken their soul into life and to bring them to living faith in Jesus Christ.

Lord, we do pray for thankful hearts. We would enter thy gates with praise and with the voice of thanksgiving for all thy tender mercies and thy loving kindness, every blessing, every favour, freely flows through Jesus' precious blood. Lord, we do pray that thou would remember us as a church and as a congregation, that thou would bless us together. We do pray for those that are today not able to be with us because of affliction, and we pray that thou would send thy healing hand and grant thy restoring mercies, for thou art the great physician of body and of soul. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst graciously come and open our hearts. We read of that one in Holy Scripture, Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened. Oh, we do pray that it may be so among us, that thou wouldst open our hearts. Open our ears, open our eyes, we do humbly beseech thee that thou wouldst do everything for us, sovereign grace or sin abounding.

Lord, we would bless thee for that sovereign grace, for that eternal covenant that has been sealed with the blood of Jesus. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst remember our brethren, the deacons, and richly bless them, and that thou wouldst remember the little ones and the children, have mercy upon them, and bless them, and put thy holy fear into their hearts, and guide and direct them into thy truth. And Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst graciously remember our young friends, bring them to live in faith in Jesus Christ, make them true followers of thee, and to keep thy commandments, and to follow the Lord Jesus.

Lord, do these things with our dear young friends, and fulfill that wonderful word. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth, Lord, let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children. We do humbly beseech thee.

Lord, remember the prodigals that have wandered away and stretch out thy almighty arm and cause them to return. We think of that one in scripture, I will go to my father's house. Lord, we pray that it may be so. None are beyond the power of thy love and of thy grace, infinite love, infinite grace. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity? O gracious God, we do pray for thy pardoning love. We do pray our sins may be washed away, that we may feel the cleansing power of that precious blood,

We seek thy blessing upon parents as they bring up their children, that they may be enabled to do so in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We seek thy blessing upon all in the midst of the journey of life, O that thou wouldst be gracious and that thou wouldst bring them to living faith in Jesus Christ.

Lord, we Pray for any that have a name to live and yet are dead. We pray that thou wouldst graciously work. Open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf. We do humbly beseech thee. Let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children.

Remember all in affliction and trouble and trial and perplexity. and undertake for each one. Remember, Lord, we pray thee, those of us that are now in the evening time of life's journey, and we pray that thou would graciously guide us safely unto thy heavenly kingdom.

And we pray, most gracious Lord, that thou would send out the wonderful light and glory and power of gospel truth into this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets and that those blessed the distribution of thy word and the scripture calendars that have been distributed that it may be to the great glory of thy name. We think of thy servant of old if one soul from Amworth be found at God's right hand My heaven will be two heavens in Emmanuel's land. Lord, we pray.

Pray for our dear brother and sister in Holland that thou wilt richly bless them. Pray for any in temptation and trial that they may be delivered. And we pray, most gracious Lord, for those in darkness that they may be brought into light. Those that are far off may be made nigh. Lord, we pray for those in bondage that they may be set at liberty, that they always breathe comfort where distress abounds. We do humbly beseech thee.

We pray that we may see Zion's offspring come. We pray that there may be the fulfilling of those wonderful gospel promises. I will bring thy sons from far, and thy daughters from the ends of the earth. They shall come from the north, and from the south, and from the east, and from the west. Lord, let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man, whom thou madest strong for thyself. Turn us again, O God of hosts. Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.

Oh, do hear us, O Lord, we beseech thee, and breathe thy word into our hearts. Remember thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion. Lord, thy servants, many of them are ageing. We long to see that thou, the great Lord of the harvest, would yet send true labourers into the harvest and settle pastors among the churches. We think of those, O Lord, that expect to, as it were, go on probation in these coming months, and we pray that thou wouldst be with them, that thou wouldst bless the word, and that the word of the Lord may have free course, and that thy will may be done in heaven, on earth as it is in heaven.

Lord, we thank Thee for every mercy of Thy kind providence and for all Thy goodness that has passed before us in the way. We thank Thee for our house of prayer. We thank Thee for the open Bible. We thank Thee for every mercy and every blessing which I knew every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness. We ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen

Let us now sing together hymn number 1075 1078 The tune is Mitten 374

Dear Lord and shall thy spirit rest in such a wretched heart as mine, unworthy dwelling, glorious guest, favour, astonishing divine.

Hymn 1078, tune Mitten 374.

Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help, I direct your attention to Matthew chapter 15 and reading verse 25 for our text. Gospel according to Matthew chapter 15, reading verse 25. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord help me.

It's wonderful how the Lord or the Spirit of God here shows us what worship is. We tend to think that if we have worship that there's some light and joy and peace and we know that is so sometimes but here the Spirit of God reveals to us she worshipped him saying Lord help me It was an act of worship, it was an act of faith and we can we can see the faith of this woman. He said Jesus went then and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon and behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coast, a woman of Canaan. Gentile and yet this woman of Canaan this Gentile woman who the Jews would have greatly despised being a Gentile and especially being a Canaanite she came out of the same coast and cried unto him saying Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David."

Now this is something that is quite remarkable. She was a Canaanite and she was in Ta'a and Sinai. And yet, it had obviously been revealed to her that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. Because This was the language that was used by the Jews concerning the coming Messiah, Son of David. So this woman had got this teaching, this knowledge, this understanding, that had no doubt been given her by the Spirit of God, that Jesus was the Son of God, that Jesus was the promised Messiah. And we can tell this by her language.

Now, she was in great need. And cried. We take that with a loud voice. She cried. Have mercy on me, O Lord thou Son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. So there's one or two things here. Firstly then that she had that faith that this was the son of God. And she had need. Her daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. We think of those words, the cause that is too hard for thee Bring it unto me. Take it to the Lord in prayer. That's exactly what this woman did. She took it to the Lord Jesus Christ. She believed that he was able to heal her daughter with this vexatious thing.

The other thing we notice in this narrative is that she persevered. She wasn't put off. He answered her, not a word. The Lord waits to be gracious. He answered her, not a word. And yet she still pressed her case. My mind was very much drawn in meditation yesterday on this particular text and to the prophecy of Isaiah and chapter 30 we read in Isaiah chapter 30 how that the Lord waits to be gracious we read in Isaiah 30 verse 18 and therefore the Lord will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you therefore will the Lord be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgment blessed are all they that wait for him what it means the Lord is a God of judgment is in his judgment in his opinion if you want to put it that way he judges when it was needful when he would deliver her He waited. So she had to wait.

And it says in verse 20 here in Isaiah, though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and this dear woman had that bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner anymore, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers. though an ear shall hear a word behind this saying this is the way, walk ye in it when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left. You see the bread of adversity and the water of affliction. How often the Lord uses those things in our life, in our circumstances, in our experience he uses those things that are adverse to us that are afflictive dispensations to teach us and it says here that yet shall not thy teachers be moved into a corner anymore but thine eyes shall see thy teachers and what it means is the troubles, the trials, the perplexities, the sorrows, the losses, the crosses, the long wait.

The Lord will use those to teach us, teach us to wait upon Him, teach us to look to Him, teach us to cleave to Him, teach us to persevere. Sometimes We come in our feelings to the end of everything. Sometimes we're tempted to give up, but the Lord will appear. The Lord will appear in his own time, in his own way.

And we have instances of this right throughout the word of God. Look at Abraham, how that dear man of God, the Lord called him out of Ur of the Chaldees, He promised him a seed of Sarah, his wife. He had to wait 25 years. But the Lord still fulfilled it. The Lord still fulfilled it. That was adversity. And he had the waters of affliction. But the Lord still fulfilled it.

If you read carefully at your leisure, through the Hebrews chapter 11, you will see that many of the Lord's people, how that they had so many trials, so many perplexing circumstances, and it says these all died in faith. In faith, looking, watching, waiting. That's the posture of the true child of God, looking, watching, waiting. And the hope deferred make it the heart sick. It does. But we have to watch, we have to wait. Sometimes we're exceedingly impatient. Abraham got impatient. Abraham listened to his wife and lay with her maid. And Ishmael was born, but the Lord wouldn't have that. Abraham was trying there to fulfill the promise himself. He had to wait. And at one point there, he so wrestled with the Lord, let Ishmael live before them. But no, my beloved friends, that couldn't be so. That couldn't be so. The promised seed would come in the way that God had promised.

And look at It seemed utterly impossible that that could be fulfilled, but it was. Abraham was almost a hundred years old and the Lord appeared. Sarah, we read in the Hebrews, she was past the age of childbearing, but the Lord appeared. He gave them the promised seed. Isaac was born. See the wonderful goodness and mercy of God.

And you know, friends, with this woman, the Lord, this Gentile woman, this Canaanite woman, this woman that would have been despised by the disciples. And when she came and he answered her, not a word. And his disciples came and besought him saying, send her away. That's the disciples you see. When they came with little children, what did the disciples say? Send them away. Not the Lord Jesus. He didn't send her away. For she crieth unto us. It's like blind Bartimaeus when he was sitting by the wayside and he heard. The poor man, he'd heard. You know we read in Romans chapter 10, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And this dear woman, she was exactly the same. And what did blind Bartimaeus say? Jesus thou son of David. Jesus thou son of David. cried out and the people around him they got fed up with him crying out and they said be quiet but he he cried them all jesus thou son of david have mercy on me you see it was revealed to him that jesus was the son of god that jesus was the promised messiah And in their great need, he in his great need of sight and this woman in the great need with her afflicted daughter.

But look at the disciples. Send her away. Oh my beloved friends, these things are written for our instruction. May we not be like that. Send her away. She's only a Canaanite woman. She's pestering us, send her away. And he answered her not a word, and his disciples came and besought him saying, send her away, for she crieth after us. And then the Lord Jesus, he tests her again. But he answered and said, I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. She was not of the house of Israel. But look at her response, and she said, truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the master's table. You see, she couldn't be put on. Why? Because the Lord had given her faith. And she cried after him, and she pressed on.

You think of the other cases there are in the word of God, you think of that dear woman that had had an issue of blood for 18 years. She came to the Lord Jesus and she said in herself, if I might touch the hem of his garment, I shall be whole. She'd heard of this Jesus. She'd heard of this Jesus. She heard, you see, and it says in, I think it's in Mark's gospel, as many as touched him, were made whole. She'd heard of the wonderful power and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If I might but touch the hem of his garment, I shall be made whole. And she did. She came behind him and she touched the hem of his garment and immediately she was made whole. And Jesus said, who touched me? And the disciples said, Lord, people press around me and they'll say, who touched me? He said, someone touched me because virtue has gone out of me. He felt it. And she, when she could not be hid, she came and bowed before him. She was the one. She touched the hem of his garment. She felt that wonderful healing virtue.

The hymn writer says, she too had touched him in the press. and healing virtues told, was answered, daughter, go in peace, thy faith hath made thee whole.

You see, so he almost rebuffed her each time, to the point where he calls her a dog. Dogs among the Jews were reckoned to be extremely unclean and he calls her a dog. But she still pressed her case. Truth Lord, I am. I am a dog. I'm a Cainiac woman. I'm not of the house of Israel. Truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the master's table.

You see, my beloved friends, when we have pressing needs, those pressing needs will bring us to Jesus, and we will not be put off. And the Lord, he gives perseverance with faith. Persevere, you keep pressing on, you keep pressing forward. You have your disappointments, and perhaps you've had many disappointments, But you still keep pressing your case.

But the Lord answered her. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith. Be unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Wonderful, isn't it? That very hour.

We have the case of the centurion, a man in great authority, hundreds of soldiers under his command. And he said to the Lord Jesus, I say to one, go, and he goeth. And to another one, come, and he cometh. He had a servant that was very sick. And he sent to the Lord Jesus that he would heal his servant. And when the Lord Jesus was coming toward him, this house, he said, I'm not worthy that thou should come under my roof. Speak the word only. The faith that that man had, speak the word only. And these, the same as this one, he was a Gentile. Speak the word only and he shall be healed. And he was healed from that hour.

You see my beloved friends, These things are written in God's holy word for our instruction, for our encouragement. Press thy case through all unfitness. Keep pressing on. Keep pressing forward. Don't give up. Don't give up. But keep looking, keep watching, keep waiting. The Lord will come. He waits. He waits to be gracious.

Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. What a simple, short prayer. You know, friends, when we come into great need and when we have great burdens things that we can't handle and perplexities that we can't unravel. We come into such an intensity of spiritual exercise in those things when things look as though they're utterly impossible. You won't have a prayer as long as your arm. No. It will be short, what is called ejaculatory prayer. Lord help me. It's simply stated I need Lord help me. All the intensity of it. It's like King Hezekiah when the Lord laid his afflicting hand on him and when he sent Isaiah the prophet to tell him thou shalt die and not live.

And we read that Hezekiah turned his face to the wall. What does that mean? He turned away from all human help. Nobody could help him in that situation. He turned his face to the wall. Now listen to his prayer. Oh Lord, I am oppressed. Undertake for me. That was the sure prayer of Hezekiah. And the Lord heard his prayer. And the Lord answered his prayer.

And this dear woman here, then came she and worshipped him saying, Lord, help me. And he answered her. He answered her. Oh woman, great is thy faith. That great faith was shown by her perseverance. That she kept pressing on in spite of all the things that seemed to be against her and the obstacles that came in the way, she still pressed on.

You know, we need that grace, don't we? Like the apostle says in Hebrews chapter 12, let us lay aside every way and the sin that does so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. How? You say how? Looking unto Jesus. It's the only way you can run this race. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame thereof, and is now set down at the right hand of the majesty on high.

Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. That's a wonderful mark of grace. Lord help me and it's an act of divine worship in prayer, Lord help me. It just comes so low doesn't it, in the encouragement to poor needy sinners to approach unto the Lord and to pray unto the Lord

and We read in the prophecy of Malachi chapter 3 and verse 16, that they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, now listen to this, and that thought upon his name. Just look there, how low the Holy Spirit comes. encouraging poor sinners to come and them that thought upon his name. Do you think upon his name? Do you think upon his name? Does your mind, as it were, go in perhaps very similar to what this dear woman did, Lord help me? and you think upon his name.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower, and the righteous runneth into it. That's a tower of defense, a refuge for sinners the gospel makes known. It is found in the merits of Jesus alone. The weary, the tempted, the burdened by sin, were never exempted from entering therein.

Book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. What a wonderful thing that the Holy Spirit comes so low to those that think upon his name. And then there's something else here, very precious. And they shall be mine. Who? Those that think upon his name. those that fear the Lord. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my jewels. In other words, they are the Lord's precious jewels. In that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. You see, my beloved friends, the blessed spirit of truth has left these sacred scriptures for the Lord's little children, the Lord's little ones. This woman was one of the Lord's little ones. She was one of the most unlikely characters. And yet the Lord, in her desperate condition, had brought her to pray.

revealed unto her, there's no doubt my beloved friends, because as we've already quoted from Romans, faith cometh by hearing. There's no doubt she'd heard of the fame of this wonderful person, Jesus Christ, that made the deaf to hear, the blind to see. She heard. And it raised up in her heart a hope that this man could help her daughter in her desperate condition.

So we don't know how far she had to travel, it doesn't really particularly say. Behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coast and cried unto him saying have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. And he answered her, not a word.

You know, as we go on in this chapter, it says, and great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, and blind, and dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet, and he healed them, insomuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to walk. Behold, the lame to walk, and the blind to see. and they glorified the God of Israel. They glorified the God of Israel.

And then we have here also the wonderful compassion and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. We've often pointed out to you how that Christ fulfilled the law in all of his life, in all his walk, in all his conduct, in his spirit. The disciples said send her away but he didn't. He didn't.

But here we read in verse 32 then Jesus called his disciples unto him and said I have compassion on the multitude. This is love. Love is a fulfilling of the law. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. That's the fulfilling the law. This is what Jesus did. He did it every day of his life.

I do love that language that Joseph Hart uses in that hymn on Gethsemane. Speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ, he says, full of love to man's lost race. He still is. We worship the same Jesus, full of love, full of kindness, full of compassion, full of love. He is. And he still receives poor sinners, just he received this dear woman.

I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away fasting lest they faint in the way. I will not send them away fasting. See the love, the kindness, the compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The disciples, they said, when should we have so much bread in the wilderness? There was 4,000 men plus women and children. We can understand the disciples. However, can we do that? As to feel so great a multitude. And then he asked, how many loaves have you? And they answered, seven and a few little fishes.

And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground and took the seven loaves and the fishes and gave thanks and break them and gave to his disciples and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat and were filled. And they took up of the broken meat that was left, seven baskets full. and they that did eat were four thousand men beside women and children.

You see the love, the kindness, the compassion of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It's that lovely hymn, isn't there? A friend there is, your voice is joy, his saints that bless his name, his love, his kindness, his compassion, And he did that every day of his life.

Just remember, Jesus said, I come not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. And that's exactly what he did in his holy life. He loved his neighbor as himself. He did. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind. The Lord Jesus speaks this of the law, and thy neighbour as thyself.

You know, when we see the wonderful life of our Lord Jesus Christ, doesn't it make us feel how short we come? How short we come. When we see the love and the kindness and the

The Apostle, when he writes to the Philippians, he says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Which was also in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes we see these people, godly people, that actually live like this. Mr Ramsbottom's sister at Ripley, Ruth Hayes, or Sandylands as she was. She was a woman that was renowned in the village. If anyone was in trouble, she'd be there. If anyone was in need, she'd be there. She didn't wait for anyone to ask her, she just went along. And she was always interested in what everyone else was doing. And if anyone was in need, she'd go and help them.

You see, it's a wonderful example of a Christian life. Of the way that each one of us should be to our neighbours. Just like Jesus was, we should love our neighbours. We should be kind and gracious and compassionate to our neighbours, to all those around us. They may not live the life that we want them to live. They may not do the things that we want them to live, but that's between them and the Lord. We are to have compassion on them. We are to show kindness and love. Just like Jesus did.

Jesus is our example. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet made himself of no reputation. That's the mind of Christ. Made himself of no reputation. took upon Him the form of a servant, though He's Lord of all, though He's King of kings, though He's the mighty God, the everlasting Father, yet He took on Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of sinful man. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, of things in earth, of things beneath the earth. You see, highly exalted. He's exalted far above all principality and power, and every name that is named.

I do love that beautiful portion of God's word in the the first chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, where the Apostle so beautifully speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ, exalted far above all principality and power. So we read in Ephesians chapter one, verse 17, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. eyes of your understand being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe according to the work and of his mighty power which he wrought in christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And I put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.

Then came she and worshipped him saying, Lord help me.

May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn number 930. The tune is Mount Pleasant 191.

As round the pool Bethesda named

The sick and wounded lay,

And went from thence, though sorely maimed,

Restored to health away.

Hymn 930, Tune Mount Pleasant, 191.

Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each, both now and forevermore. Amen.