Well, let's turn again to God's
Word in that portion that we read, Colossians 1, and I want
to speak from the words that we have here in verse 10. Colossians
1, verse 10, that he might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing,
being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge
of God. Colossians 1, and verse 10 the
theme then is that of walking worthy that she might walk worthy
of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good
work and increasing in the knowledge of God. This is of course a part
of that prayer that Paul is making for the Colossians in verse 9
he says for this cause we also since the day we heard it do
not cease to pray for you but observe the the order of his
praying for them there must first of all be that experimental knowledge
that spiritual understanding before ever they can walk those
things out in a godly walk. And so at the end of verse 9
we have the first part of his prayer, his desire that they
might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding. and when we take account of the
context we are reminded of what that spiritual understanding
entails. Look at the words that we have
at the beginning of the ninth verse for this cause, indicating
of course that it's because of those things that he's been saying
in the previous verses that he is brought to make this particular
prayer for the The opening words then in verse 9 clearly refer
us back to the opening part of the chapter. And what has he
spoken of there? Well, after his typical words of greeting,
in verse 3 he speaks of giving thanks to God. To God, the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, he says, since
we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you
have to all the saints for the hope which is laid up for you
in heaven where have you heard before in the words of the truth
of the gospel these are the things in that he has in mind as he
comes to write these words at the beginning of this ninth verse
for this course It's because of what he has been made aware
of with regards to their faith, their faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Not only that, but also the love
that they have towards all believers, their love to all the saints. And John tells us we know that
we've passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. Here is a faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ that clearly works by love, as they have faith in Christ,
so they have love towards the brethren, but then also he can
speak of that hope that they have with regards to heaven itself. The hope which is laid up for
you in heaven. These are those things that have
been communicated to them by and through the gospel. Paul
himself had never been to Colossa, he was not the one who had gone
there to minister. That's evident from what he goes
on to say in chapter 2. I would that ye knew what great
conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as
many as have not seen my face in the flesh. He had not been
there, but clearly something of his ministry had reached onto
them. in the Acts of the Apostles we
know that on his third missionary journey he spent a considerable
amount of time at Ephesus. In fact he was there for a period
of two years. In the 19th chapter of the Acts
we read of him disputing in the school of Tyrannus there in verse 9 of Acts 19,
when divers were hardened and believed not, that spake evil
of that way, that is the Christian way, the way of Christ. Disciples
were often referred to as those of the way, and here they were
opposing Paul and Silas in their ministry they
spake evil of that way before the multitude and so we're told
our Paul departed from them and separated disciples disputing
daily in the school of one Tyrannus and this continued by the space
of two years so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the
word of the Lord Jesus both Jews and Greeks and it would appear
it was during that period Colossae being there in Asia Minor that
the word of the gospel also reached on to the Colossians although
Paul never personally traveled to that particular city. Yet the gospel reach them. He speaks here does he not in
verse six of that gospel which is come unto you as it is in
all the world and bringeth forth fruit as it does also in you
since the day ye heard of it and knew the grace of God in
truth. It was this man Apatros who communicated
to Paul something of what was happening amongst the Colossians. And so in verses 7 and 8 he says
he also learned of Epaphras, our dear fellow servant who is
for you a faithful minister of Christ who also declared unto
us your love in the Spirit. Here then are those things that
Paul is mindful of as he comes to his prayer in the ninth verse. For this cause, he says, we also,
since the day we heard of it, do not cease to pray for you,
and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of
his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that ye might
walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. And so, first of
all, as we turn to our text tonight, the words of verse 10, I want
to say something further with regards to the basis of their
walking worthily. To walk worthily, one must first
of all have some knowledge of what the will of the Lord is,
what the will of God is. And that's what Paul is praying
about here in verse 9. his desire that he might be filled
with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. What is this will of God then
that he has in mind as he comes to pray to God on their account
as he addresses himself to them in this particular epistle and
assures them of his prayers for them? What is it that he wants
them to understand by this desire that he has that they should
be filled with the knowledge of God's will? Well, God's will,
of course, here is clearly something that is revealed. We know that
the secret things belong unto the Lord our God, that the things
which are revealed belong unto us and to our children. And God
has, of course, revealed himself and revealed his will here in
the Holy Scriptures. And so God's will is something
that can be known and something that can be understood. Otherwise
this particular prayer of Paul is rather meaningless. They can
come to the knowledge of God's will, he says, in all wisdom
and spiritual understanding. What is the will of God in Scripture? Well, we see that will, as it
is revealed, in the law of God. Isn't that law that God spoke
at Mount Sinai a revelation of the will of God? We know it's
a revelation of God. It was God himself who spoke
all those words. It was God himself who declared
himself, made himself known to the children of Israel. and in
giving those commandments he was expressing to them something
of his will. A psalmist in Psalm 40 can say,
I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy law is within my
heart. And there of course we have the
classical parallelism that is so peculiar to the Poetry of
the Psalms, Hebrew poetry is marked by those parallel statements
where a particular truth is declared and then it's repeated in a slightly
different fashion. And so a certain emphasis is
laid upon it. And there in Psalm 40 and verse
8 we have those parallel statements. I delight to do thy will. Oh, my God, is answered by the
next clause, Yea, thy law is within my heart. And so you see
quite clearly there that God's will is equivalent to his law, that she might be filled with
the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. The law is a revelation of God's
will. However, We must of course beware
of any legal spirit here. We see quite clearly that the
context in which Paul is speaking in this first chapter of Colossians
is very much the context of the gospel. That revelation that
God has given in the person of his only begotten son, that final
revelation that he has spoken of in the opening verses of the
Hebrew epistle. that God in these last days has
spoken unto us by his Son. Here then we see that God's will
ultimately is to be discovered in the Gospel, in the person
and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And see how Paul goes
on to speak of Christ so plain in the ensuing part of this chapter. He speaks of him in verse 15
as the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. He speaks of the person of the
Saviour, but he also goes on to speak of the work that the
Saviour came to accomplish. Verse 19, He pleased the Father
that in him should all fullness dwell. and having made peace
through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things
unto himself, by him I say, whether they be things in earth or things
in heaven, and you that were some time alienated and enemies
in your mind by wicked works, now hath he reconciled in the
body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable
and unreprovable in his sight. Here is the great purpose of
the gospel then that men might be presented to God as those
who are holy, unblameable, unreprovable. Those, in a sense, who are the
keepers of the law of God. And that's Lord, of course, he's
honored and magnified ultimately in what the Lord Jesus Christ
has accomplished. In chapter 2 and verse 3 he says,
Of Christ in whom I hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge. Doesn't that answer to what he
is saying here at the end of this 9th verse in chapter 1?
The knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Where do we really discover the
will of God? We discover it when we come to
consider the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. His
desire is that they should be filled with all knowledge and wisdom and
spiritual understanding and all these things are treasured up
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ himself in his high priestly
prayer says that this is life eternal, that they might know
thee the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. This is life eternal. Even the
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is what his prayer is
concerning, that they should have this knowledge. We're thinking
of the base issue, sir. of their going on to walk worthy. What is that? Walk rooted and
grounded in. There must be this knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, Paul to the Corinthians
can say, of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto
us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
that he that glorieth must glory in the Lord. There can be no
glorying in self. He's not directing them to do
something of themselves in their own strength, of their own ability.
He's not calling them to look to the Lord for any righteousness.
They must be looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. And here we see
how Paul would constantly seek this for them, pray this for
them, that they might have this experimental knowledge of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He says that he does not cease
to pray. For this cause we also, since
the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to desire. that she might be filled with
the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. He is constantly seeking God,
pleading with God, committing them to God, expressing this
desire towards them that they might have such a saving knowledge
of Christ. They might be blessed with such
an experience of that grace of God in the person and work of
the Lord Jesus Christ. this is first and then there
follows the word that we have in the text that you might walk
worthy that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing
being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge
of God so this knowledge is something that increases It is that that
is clearly ongoing. Paul is not ceasing to pray. He wants them to grow in grace
and in the knowledge of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is the expression that we
have at the beginning of the text, and that you might walk
worthy. It's an expression, of course, that Paul uses on other
occasions. He uses it in the letter to the
Ephesians, when it comes to the practical parts of that particular
letter in the opening words of Ephesians chapter 4. I therefore,
the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy, the
same expression, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering,
forbearing one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one Body and
one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling,
one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all,
who is above all and through all and in you all." With these
words he introduces in that aspect of the Ephesian epistle that
is really the more practical part. This is his pattern in
so many of the epistles, is it not? He sets out doctrine in
the opening part of these letters. So here in Ephesians the first
three chapters are the doctrinal part of the epistle. And then
after that, in chapters 4, 5 and 6, the second part, we see the
implication of these doctrines. If they really have experienced
that effectual call of God, the word that the authorised version
uses here in verse 1 of chapter 4 is the vocation, the calling,
worthy of the calling, that is the effectual call, The calling wherewith ye are
called, there's an emphasis, vocation and called are really
from the same root. It's that sovereign call of God,
whereby the sinner is made willing in the day of Christ's power.
Now, if this has been their experience, if they really have come to believe
those great doctrines that he has set before them in the previous
part of the epistle, then it will be evident in the way in
which they conduct themselves. They will walk in a worthy manner. Now, what is that worthy way
of walking? How does the Christian walk?
Well, the Christian, of course, walks by faith and not by sight. Isn't that the mark of the Christian?
We often refer to Christians as believers. It is that grace
of faith that is so paramount in the life of the Christian.
He walks by faith. We know that without faith it
is impossible to please God. Not that there is anything efficacious
in the grace itself, in the grace of faith. No, faith is very much
a self-denying grace. Faith is that that is looking
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is that that is trusting
in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why without faith it's
impossible to please God. For he that cometh to him must
believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of all that diligently
seek him. Again Paul writing in Romans
14 tells us quite plainly that whatsoever is not of faith is
sin. How vital this is. But how there
is a connection between faith and works and that of course
as I'm sure you're aware is brought out very plainly when in Ephesians
chapter 2 At verse 8 following, Paul speaks
of that grace of faith. By grace he has saved, he says,
through faith. And that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. It is so clear then that this
grace of faith is not work. when we walk by faith we're not
those who are looking to anything that we do of ourselves not looking
to our own works in the way in which we're walking not of works
lest any man should boast but then he continues we are his
workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them Those who
have this faith then, who are truly believing in the Lord Jesus
Christ, will endeavour to walk worthy of that vocation wherewith
they are called, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto
all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing
in the knowledge of God. Now, what are these good works?
Well, the good works are not to be confused with the tree,
nor are they to be confused with the sap that comes up through
the trunk into the branches of the tree. But the good works
are evidently that fruit. And that fruit, of course, indicates
to us something of the nature of the tree. It's by the fruit.
that we know what sort of a tree it is. Is it a pear tree? Is it an apple tree? It is the
fruit that will ultimately show us what sort of tree it is and
will also indicate to us something of the health of that tree. The
Lord Jesus says, by their fruits ye shall know them. And here
is Paul's concern in this opening chapter of Colossians,
that the gospel is to be seen to be fruitful. Oh, it's fruitful
in conversions, as he says in verse 6, which is common to you
as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit. There is
that fruit of conversion, souls being saved, sinners being converted
to the Lord Jesus Christ. But surely we can also understand
that fruit as something that is really the same as what he
is speaking of here in verse 10. It bringeth forth fruit,
the gospel, as it doth also in you, he says, that ye might walk
worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good
work. Here is the mark then that they
are those who have truly received the gospel. There is that fruit. Now, a few weeks ago we were
looking at that prayer for fruitfulness that the Apostle makes for the
Philippians in the opening chapter of that particular epistle. There
at verse 9 he says, This I pray, that your love may abound yet
more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, that ye may
approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without
offence till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits
of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and
praise of God." There he reminds them quite plainly that that's
fruit that he is praying for in them, the fruits of righteousness,
that all of this is by Jesus Christ. How important are the
prepositions in the epistles, how much doctrine and theology
is is to be found in these little words. It's all by Jesus Christ,
it's not of themselves. It's by Christ. What does Christ
say concerning the vine and the branches in John chapter 15 and
verse 5? Without me, he says, ye can do
nothing. I am the vine, ye are the branches.
Without me, ye can do nothing. And this is why Paul prays. He
prays for the Philippians, that they might be fruitful, and he
is praying here also for the Colossians, that they might be
fruitful. That it might be evident that that Gospel that has come
to them is truly the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, because
it brings forth fruit. Lives are changed, and sinners
are truly converted to Jesus Christ. There is in them that
great work of God the Holy Ghost. Where the Spirit of the Lord
is, there will be that fruit, even the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5 verse 22, the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance, Against such there is no Lord,
and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the
affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let
us walk in the Spirit. This is that walking worthy,
you see. It is walking in the Spirit. If we live in the Spirit, let
us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain
glory, provoking one another, envying one another. All this
is that Paul is desirous in for these Colossians, that there
might be that blessed fruit of the Spirit, being fruitful in
every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. We see here how the conjunction
links these two together. Every good work and increasing
in the knowledge of God. The knowledge of God is linked
to good works. The knowledge of God is not barren
if we are those who really know the Lord, and as is a saving
knowledge of the Lord. an experimental knowledge of
the Lord, there will be that evidence. So, these things all
come together, there's doctrine, there's experience, there's practice,
and we're not to separate these things. Because the scripture
doesn't separate these things. We write to contend for the pure
doctrine of the Word of God. But we want more than an intellectual
understanding, we need to have an experience of those doctrines.
We need that that is spoken of, as we said, as the very basis
here in verse 9, being filled with the knowledge of His will,
in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, having such a knowledge of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, it's in Him that all
these things are laid up, in whom are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. If we have that experimental
knowledge, that saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, We
will be those who are walking worthy. There will be those fruits
of good works. But we've considered something
of the basis of the walking worthy. We've sought to consider something
of what this walking worthy is. And finally this evening, let
me say something with regards to how we're enabled to do this.
And so in verse 11, what does the apostles say, strengthened
with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience
and long-suffering with joyfulness. In other words there's no innate
strength or ability in ourselves. It's no good looking to ourselves
if we're going to walk worthy. We haven't got the strength We
have to be always looking to the Lord, and what he says here,
you see, strengthened, is in fact a present participle, literally
being strengthened, continually, moment by moment. That's the
force of what he is saying in the opening words of this 11th
verse. They are constantly, continually
being strengthened with all might. Strengthened, you see, empowered
by the might of God. Strengthened with all might according
to His glorious power. It's the power of God that must
be constantly demonstrated in the lives of these Christians
who are seeking to walk worthy. Or we cannot do it of ourselves.
We have to be living that life of faith. We have to be ever,
always looking to the Lord. to enable us, to help us, and
observe here what end Paul has in view. It's unto all patience
and long-suffering with joyfulness. Let us run with patience. Those
words of Hebrews chapter 12, we're to run with patience, the
race that he set before us. How do we run with patience?
The word patience, of course, has that idea of endurance. Let
us run with endurance. It's not the beginning. It's
seeing the course through. It's running to the end of the
race. He that shall endure to the end,
says Christ, the same shall be saved. How do we run with patience? How do we run with endurance? It's looking on to Jesus. That's
what Paul goes on to say there in Hebrews 12, let us run with
patience the race that he set before us, looking on to Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was
set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and he sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him
who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest
ye be weary and faint in your minds. All we have to look to
Him. And we have to look to His blessed
pattern and example. But we don't just look to Him
as a pattern. We look to Him who is that One who has all power.
It's all according to His glorious power. We need that power of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And what does it mean to look?
It means to pray. It means to wait upon Him. the
patient waiting for Christ. There is to be patience then,
but then also here he speaks of long-suffering. Unto all patience
and long-suffering, waiting patiently, we must endure long. They that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings
as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk
and not fight. How we have to wait then, wait
upon the Lord. They shall not be ashamed, he
says, that wait upon me. Let us be those then who would
wait upon him in our prayers. And as we've said many times,
such waiting is not some passive thing, Where there is that real
waiting is there not much holy activity in the soul? There's
the activity of faith and hope. Or there's that longing and yearning
and seeking and calling and crying. The soul is all activity where
there is such a waiting upon God. They shall not be ashamed
he says. Therefore will the Lord wait that he might be merciful. God waits to be merciful and
so we do not wait upon him in vain or if we wait patiently
then we will see that there is that need for us to be enduring
long but as we endure long so we increasingly look longingly
towards him and then ultimately here We see that there is joy
unto all patients and long-suffering with joyfulness, with joyfulness. Surely to enjoy joyfully is beyond
our natural strength. We recognize that to enjoy joyfully
how we need the grace of God. The joy of the Lord is your strength
says Nehemiah to those Hebrews who returned with him from the
captivity the joy of the Lord is your strength and isn't this
also the case with us it's that joy of the Lord that is so encouraging
to us as we seek to walk in all the ways of the Lord as we wait
upon him that she might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing,
being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge
of God. May the Lord be pleased to bless
this word to us for his namesake. Now before we use the remainder
of our time for prayer, It is seen that in 1003, really to
paraphrase parts of the 119th Psalm, 1003, the tune Southwell,
239, O that the Lord would guide my ways to keep his statutes
still, O that my God would grant me grace to know and do his will. 1003. All that the Lord would guide
my ways, to keep His statutes still. All that my God would
grant me grace, to know and do His will. O send thy Spirit down to right
thy law upon my heart, nor let my tongue indulge his seat, for
act the liar's part. From vanity turn off my eyes,
let no corrupt desire, no covetous desires arise within this soul
of mine. Order my footsteps by Thy word,
and make my heart sincere. Let sin have no dominion, Lord,
but keep my conscience clear. Make me to walk in thy commands,
Tis a delightful road. Nor let my head or heart or hands
Offend against my God. May the Lord help us now in prayer. Let's remember the ministry of
the coming Lord's Day. Martin's due to minister here
in the morning, 11 o'clock, and then Andrew at 6.30, having previously
been ministering morning and afternoon at Ripley. I'm due
to preach at Hedgend morning and afternoon. and then we're
to be in Northern Ireland for a wedding on Monday so we're
going to have to fly out late on Sunday evening, that's why
I'm not going to be here Sunday evening, but her brother Cliff
Parsons will conduct the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. So let's remember these arrangements
in our prayers and then we return on Tuesday from the trip to Northern
Ireland. So it's only just a couple of
days that we're there. It's Annette's niece's wedding
on the Monday. But we would value your prayer
as we have that journey sadly on the Lord's Day evening. Several are sick. Do we have
any news of Betty Matronola? I spoke to her today. She is
back? Yes, she's back. She's still getting the symptoms. Right. She's hoping to be out
Sunday. Right. But she did go off on
the holiday with the girls up to Scotland. Well, let's continue
to remember her. I'm sure you do remember her
in prayer. And then the three passing girls
have all gone down with this sickness bug. So let's remember
Anna and Chloe and Phoebe. Good to see Richard back with
us. But I understand you had to go to the hospital today,
Ruth. You went with Aisha to take little Eve. And what's the
news? She's fine. Good. No complication. It was to do with a flicky hip. Yeah, but it's OK. It was just
a check-up, I suppose. Is there anything I've forgotten
to mention? I'm sure there is. Your sister. I wasn't sure whether
that was public knowledge, but Jill's sister, you remember earlier
this year, was diagnosed with cancer and had a kidney removed
and there seems to be some growths in the lung now really, that's
the problem isn't it? It's showing up on the scan,
yes. It's not something that will be curable but they may
be able to keep it under control for a while with chemo. She's
not going to have treatment at the moment is she? She feels
well at the moment. It's not a situation that will
be cured soon. No. She might possibly have a
few years. So let's remember Jill's sister. And that she might... Spiritual,
yeah, yeah. Yes, that's the great thing,
isn't it, that she's ready. And she's certainly not, as far
as we know, she's not ready at the moment. But these things
can be sanctified by the Lord to her soul's good. And her name
is Pam, isn't it? Pam, yeah. And remember her husband and
the family, of course, at this time. It's devastating news,
really, having had that operation earlier in the year. This is
the first check-up and then this. Now, are there any other matters?
Is there anything else that we should be aware of? I haven't heard. I haven't heard anything. He had his operation a couple
of weeks ago, didn't he? As far as we know. No, I've not heard
anything. Well, would you lead us please,
Martin? Gracious God, we do come before
Thee in Jesus' name. We do come to seek Thy face,
Lord. There is an imperative in prayer,
even as we consider those matters set before us, how, Lord, the
believer must be urgent in prayer. And we thank Thee again for Thy
words that we have heard this night, that setting before us,
that need to walk worthy before Thee. and all that is implied
in that Lord and particularly in the wicked world that we live
Lord where around us those have no idea of what this means at
all so many in a sense walk in an unworthy and evil manner and
our society is quite prepared to call much evil good in the
wicked day that we live that we must be different and that
may not be easy for us at times but that is our calling and we
thank thee Lord for that reminder that it is by thy grace we can't
do this as we have considered in our own strength oh lord that
thou wilt come in and help us grant thy grace grant us that
knowledge of thy word grant us that understanding how we should
live and walk before Thee and before men, that we should please
Thee. We should be a side lord of our
faith, we should be so different so many live to please themselves,
to please men, and help us to walk so that we might please
Thee first. It's easy to say this, Lord,
help give us grace so that we might do it. Grant us, we pray,
a deeper knowledge of Thee and of word of thy truth, Lord, that
it might indeed be that life to us, that bread of life that
feeds us, that we might be truly given a hunger and thirst for
it, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, as we have just sung, that we
might love thy word, that we might know that working of thy
spirit graciously in our hearts, opening these truths up, revealing
them to our souls, making them precious to us, we do ask, as
we thank you for thy great mercy to us as sinners, for we are
sinners each one, alas, for sin, we see it, we feel it, never,
as it were, goes away from us, that we thank thee that there
is newness of life in our Lord Jesus Christ, there is grace
there is hope there is truth and we do thank thee for that
and there is deliverance from sin as we are commanded that
we should not let sin reign over us so the born again will is
granted by thy grace thy grace that ability to say no to temptation
and yes to the will of God And so we thank Thee. We think of
needs. Spoken of this evening, Lord,
there are always many needs. Each of us, in a sense, are here
before Thee with needs. They may not be spoken publicly,
but we feel them. We seek Thy face, help us each
one. Remember those we have spoken
of, even this evening. I think of Jill's sister, she
has no knowledge of these. She and her husband have some
interest in alternative kinds of philosophies that is of no
hope to them. We thank you that she is calm
at the moment and we pray that it will be an opening for thy
word, for thy truth. And we pray that thou will prove
thy great grace and hand in this. We thank you thou has preserved
us far through a serious operation and we know that sometimes these
nodes can be controlled and kept for many years. We do bring this
matter to Thee that Thou wilt appear in all of this for good. We'll let Michael rid out, we
pray Thy good, and with him, we'll keep him, remember him,
his family, raise him up. We do pray our gracious Lord
and our God, we do think of Little Eve, we do pray that all will
turn well for her, Lord, into the future. We thank Thee for
her, remember her, and I share, Lord. May Thy good blessing on
the three as a family. Gracious God. Thank Thee for
families, in a sense, held in low esteem in our day. Much is
said about family, but reality is that most of it is a lie.
But we thank Thee. Thy word sets before us the truth.
What is a true family? What it is? that thou dost bless
what is a true marriage it has thy favour upon it and we thank
thee for that this is that right way we pray we might be led in
it we know all these other alternatives are evil and will come to nothing
there is no good thing in any of them they will be harmful
to society morally and spiritually physically we pray that thou
thy truth might show forth in all of these things So we asked,
look with great kindness, we do think of our sister Betty,
we think of this very severe trial she's known this last year,
and now the impact of medication and the news that this could
be a very long term illness, she may never lose it. We pray
for her. Lord, we know that she'll be
thinking of us this evening, not able to come out in the evening,
but we trust we shall see her on the Lord's Day and that she
might be much encouraged by returning, Lord, to the chapel here and
to the worship. We thank you for her sisters,
our daughters, her family, for the care they've shown for her
while she's been away and the time they've made for her. We
do trust that it's been a refreshment and a blessing so we pray help
us Lord as we continue in prayer Lord that we might know thy leading
we might know an urgency by thy grace and thy faith Lord we might
see our prayers heard and answered according to thy glorious will
we ask in Jesus name Amen. Fifth please O Lord, our God, our Father in
heaven, we thank Thee for Thy Word, we thank Thee for the precious
doctrine of Holy Scripture, we do thank Thee, O Lord, for Thy
working in our hearts, and we thank Thee for the gracious experience
of the doctrines of Thy Holy Word. O Lord, we pray that Thou
grant us grace to walk worthy of the gospel Lord we pray for
those to so work in us to will and to do according to thy good
pleasure oh that our wills might be conformed to thy will and
Lord we do pray that we might increase with the knowledge of
thee oh Lord we pray for those to help us then to draw near
to thee help us in all our prayers not this night only but in the
closet in the secret place and each day we pray oh lord that
we might be enabled to work out our salvation with fear and trembling
may we ever look to Jesus we would plead to him and lord we
pray that we might know that true and living faith that unites
us to the land and we pray that we might be a fruitful people
in every good way O Lord, may we glorify Thee. This is our
chief desire Thou knowest. O Lord, it is our grief when
we fall short of Thy glory and when we do those things which
are contrary to Thy holy will. Do forgive, we pray Thee, every
sin and do uphold us by Thy grace. And Lord, we pray Thee, we might
be kept by thy power through faith unto salvation ready to
be revealed in the last time and we would pray for one another
we pray that thou wouldst uphold us each, help us each bring us
through our various trials and temptations and difficulties
we pray O Lord for Jill and for Martin at this time as they think
about whether they should travel to Australia if it be thy will.
May Jill's sister, Bahamah Lord,
be brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus and
we pray for thou as manifest thyself to her could it please
thee. We pray that it might please thee to open a door of opportunity
for Jill to speak with her sister and we do pray for her but thou
hast opened her heart oh lord only thou canst do these things
for salvation is of the lord and we pray that she might be
brought to think upon her latter end that she might yet be brought
to seek thee while thou mayst be found and to call upon thee
while thou art near and lord we pray for others who are sick
we pray for Mrs. Kinderman for Colin Dawson for
Hilary Risbridge and we think of all these dear souls who are
so sick even nigh unto death we do pray that thou be with
them and Lord if it be thy will do heal do remember them for
good then we pray thee as we commend them to thee we do pray
that thou hast helped in the preaching arrangements this coming
Lord's Day to help our pastor in all his labours and we pray
that thou wouldst remember Martin at Hegend or rather here at Salem to help
him in preaching here and give us ears to hear and do bless
the ministry of the word in this place and do help Andrew in all
his preaching engagements too and Lord we pray that thou wouldst
help at Ripley to bless that church and that cause of Christ
and may it please thee to add to the churches such as should
be saved and do help Andrew in preaching here also. O Lord we
do pray again for Mrs. Butterfield that she might be
found amongst us once again May it please thee to bring her through
her trial, and to deliver her, and to heal her. O Lord, hear
us in these our prayers, forgive all that we ask and miss, and
help us, Lord, to truly seek to do thy will in all things.
For we ask these things in the name of our Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ. Andrew, please. O Lord, when you come before me
this evening, being gracious in giving us even many natural