Turn to Romans chapter 12, of
course. Romans chapter 12. I'll read down through verse
eight. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed
to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God. For I say, through the grace
given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly,
according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have
not the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ,
and everyone members one of another. Now here's what I want to concentrate
on, the next three verses. Have ye did gifts differing according
to the grace that is given to us? Whether prophecy, let us
prophesy according to the proportion of faith. Or ministry, let us
wait upon our ministry. Or he that teacheth, on teaching. Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation. He that giveth, let him do it
with simplicity. He that ruleth, with diligence. He that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. Now I will add this, I'm sure
that the Spirit of God did not move Paul to give us, I say this
over and over again, this list here as an exhaustive list. There's a lot more that Paul
could have said concerning this. But the Spirit was pleased to
give us these seven things, these seven gifts, if you will, and
define some of them. Now, I wanna give you a title
that's a little different than what I've probably ever done
before. And the title is going to be Latin, but the phrase,
this title, this phrase, many of you probably have heard it
before. My title is this, modus operandi. Any gift, or I might
say gifts, because we have no reason to believe, let me put
note, we know that the book tells us God gives us Gift, at least
a gift to profit with all. But that doesn't mean that everyone
has only one gift. So any gift or gifts that we
have as individual members of the one body of Christ, our abilities,
now listen to this, our abilities or our talents never determine
the actual gift. This is where religion not only,
you've heard Paul or Joe or myself talk about religion getting the
cart before the horse. They don't do that here. They
leave the horse off and they think to pull the cart on their
own. Let me say it again. Our abilities or our talents
never determine the actual gift. God's grace dictates the gift. You see it? God, when he saves
someone, is not up there and says, oh, there's a great speaker,
I can use him. You understand what I'm saying?
Or there's a very caring person, I can use them. It never, I said,
never works that way. But yet in religion, you see
people become so excited when a great singer gets born again. You understand? Well, look at
what a great gift now he could be to the church. No, God gives
the gifts. Look at the phrase, I'll use
it several times. Having then gifts, differing
according to the grace that is given unto us. Do you see it?
God's not depending or using our abilities or talents. They're
worth nothing. They're worth nothing. Now, we
may have some abilities, we may have some talents, and they may
be used amongst men and be beneficial to men, but this is not the work
of God. This is just the flesh, and some flesh may act a little
bit better than other fleshy talents. So again, our abilities
or talents never determine the actual gift. God's grace dictates
the gift. We see that in the first part
of verse six. In other words, God never compliments
our talents with his gifts. Our talents or our abilities
mean nothing. Remember, he called Moses. Moses
was gonna have to go to Pharaoh and talk to Pharaoh, and Moses
says, I can't speak well. He didn't even give him the ability
to speak well, did he? He gave him Aaron a gift, didn't
he? You see, God always works opposite
of the way our fallen human minds think it ought to be done. So
again, God never compliments our talents with his gifts. Our
ability does not exist, you hear me? Our ability does not exist,
and our only true talent is hell-bent against God. Chapter five, Paul's
already told our brothers and sisters at Rome this, and he's
telling us this today as well. Look at chapter five, verse six. For when we were yet without
strength. So Jack, he didn't say, he didn't
even choose and say, okay, that one, right over there's some
great strength. I'll choose that strength and I'll use that strength.
We had no strength, you see it? Somebody says, why do you constantly
affirm our inability so that we just, God help us to quit
bragging about ourselves. And not only that, but to quit
thinking that way about ourselves. But we still always do. And oh
God help us to at least don't put it in action. Don't put it
in action. Consider these thoughts from
our text. And I basically just have three, but I'll deal with
the third one at far more length. God gives gifts based only upon
his wise design for the one body of Christ. Again, having then
gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us. The gift comes by grace. It's
never something that's in us intrinsically. It just does not
exist. First Corinthians 12, turn there.
Paul gives us a little more detail about that. And I think last
week, or maybe the week before, I spoke of chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians
in a little more detail, but I wanna go back to the first
part of this. 1 Corinthians 12, now concerning spiritual gifts.
So he's talking about the same thing. Brethren, I would not
have you ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles,
carried away unto these dumb idols, even as you were led.
Wherefore, I give you to understand that no man speaketh by the Spirit
of God, calleth Jesus a curse, and that no man can say that
Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Do you see it? So,
man does not naturally acknowledge and see and believe and love
that Jesus is Lord. They may believe he came into
the world. They may believe he died on a cross, but they cannot,
we cannot by nature, acknowledge him as what? L-O-R-D. And I'm always reminded of that.
And I know I've told you that probably here lately a lot, but.
Ralph Barnard was preaching at the one meeting and they got
up and sang, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. And then Ralph got up
to preach right after that song. And he said, we just sang this
song, Jesus saves. He said, it ain't so. And Henry
said, people's mouths dropped open. He said, it's the Lord
Jesus that saves. But let's go on. Now look, no
man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there
are diversities of gifts. by the same spirit. There are
differences of administrations, and that means to, now, we think
of administration as people who rule over you, the administration. This means to serve another.
That's what it means here. There are different kinds of
service to one another. but the same Lord. And there
are diversities of operations. That means efficient effectiveness. That's what the word, you could
describe it that way. There are diversities of efficient
effectiveness, but it is the same God which worketh all in
all. Now that's important. Because
remember, these gifts are not added on to our talents or abilities.
They are totally above and beyond our abilities and talents. They
don't complement our talents and abilities. They are the gift
God designed, okay? But the same God which worketh
all in all. But the manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every man to profit with all. No personal
glory, because it's what? The manifestation of the Spirit
is given. If somebody gives you a gift,
do you brag about how you deserve the gift? It's not a gift, is
it? You earned it, but this is nothing
about merit. Everything that we have from
God, that God uses in this world to bless his people, it's not
of us. And that's why this reward system,
well, we're saved by grace, but then God rewards us according
to our works. We best hope God don't reward us according to
our works, because our works are shot full of hail. And the
holiness never sanctifies our profanity. but our profanity
can always affect even the holiness. We're shot full of sin, so that
we have to cry out again, even our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags in God's sight. There's not a just man upon the
face of the earth that doeth good. and sinneth not. Now there are some men upon the
earth that do good, but even when they do good, they're doing
what too? Sinning at the same time. And that's the meaning
of that verse. So again, number one, God gives
gifts based only upon his sovereign design. Now let's go on. Now
let's look at it. For to one is given the spirit
of the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the
same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, to another
gifts of healing by the same spirit, to another the working
of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits,
to another diverse kinds of tongues or languages. To another, the
interpretation of tongues. But look, but all these worketh
that one and the self-same spirit dividing to every man severally,
or that is individually, as he will. So I do not stand before you
this morning as an able man and a man with great talent, but
I do stand here this morning as a man who's been given a gift
of God. And you sit there as men and
women who've been given a gift or even gifts from God. Number two, God's gifts are never
for individual, I've already said it, but never for individual
personal glory. Let me read it once again. Having
then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to
us. You don't, we don't brag about God's grace. For by grace
are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It
is the gift of God, that's the salvation, the faith, and the
grace. All three are the gift of God.
Not of human effort, not of works, not of human ability, not of
human talent. It's all the grace of God. It's
all the grace of God. And even our works, God had to
foreordain them for us. Why, because we'd have never
performed them, Ellen. If God, most people think our works is
just a list that's out there in the Bible, and then we're
supposed to start doing them. God had to ordain that we walk
in the good works that we do walk in. And truly, it can be
said, he works in us both to will and
to do. We don't come up with the will,
and then he helps that will. No, he works in us both to will
and to do of his good pleasure. So every time I thought I did
a good thing, it wasn't a good thing for me, even if God used
it in spite of me. But it may be that when I think,
man, I just failed miserably, but maybe you did. But God's
in control of this thing. And he may use even our miserable
failures, Jack, to help somebody else. to help somebody else. That's encouraging to me. It
don't make me wanna go out and fail. I want to do better. I want to do more, but I know
without Him, we can do what? N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Nothing. I can't even breathe
without Him. Why would I think with my mind
and my will I could come up with what all honors God? All right,
number three, this is what I wanna deal with. Before I say it, there's
that phrase Paul uses. Look at your calling, you see
what you really are. We see some of what we really
are, don't we? We don't see it all. Why does he say that? Why
did God do things the way he did? That no flesh should glory
in his presence. Number three, this is what I
wanna deal with in more detail. Every gift of God has a modus
operandi. In other words, God designed
every gift a particular way of him accomplishing its design. Now again, someone will read
it. Having then gifts according to the grace that is given to
us, that in and of itself stifles any personal glory. That in and
of itself lets us know we're not the one coming up or accomplishing
the modus operandi. It is God working in us both
to will and to do of his good pleasure. Even though it don't
say it right there in those verses, Jack, it's taught right there
in those verses. God's the one that gets all the
glory for this. So every gift of God has a modus operandi,
that is a God-designed, God-designed rather, a particular way of Him
accomplishing its design. Let's consider the seven Paul
mentions here. One, if a person has the gift of prophecy. Now
I know, when you use the word prophecy, especially in our day,
what does most people think? The book of the Revelation, future
events. And it certainly includes that.
And I can tell you this, when it comes to the book of the Revelation
and future events, I don't have much gift there. Some men do,
but I just do not. I just have to confess. I don't
see God giving me, I read the book of the Revelation and I
say, God teach me Christ. And that's about all I can say.
God teach me Christ. But to proclaim or to set forth,
prophecy is what I'm doing right now. I am prophesying. I am preaching
forth the word of God, whether it's about things in the past,
things in the present, or things in the future, okay? So prophecy
means to proclaim forth, not just foretelling future events.
It means this, to preach Christ. Because no matter what kind of
prophesying you're doing, if you're not preaching Christ,
if he's not the theme and the sum and the substance, it is
of no value. As a matter of fact, it may even
be damning to the soul. Prophecy, three things concerning
prophecy. One, God must do the sending.
If a man has an ability, an ability, it's a God-given ability. You see what I'm saying? It's
not an intrinsic ability. But how can they preach except
they be sent? Now, that's in the context of
preaching what? The gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ,
because there's a lot of preaching out there. But they're not preaching
Christ. So God didn't send them. God
didn't send them. So in other words, for me and
you, be careful who you listen to preaching. So that's first
of all. God must do the sending. Second,
not every message is God honoring. Paul makes that clear. There
are some who preach another gospel. But it's not just another. It's
an actual perversion. Perversion, that's a strong word,
perversion of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And thirdly, scripture
alone dictates the true message. You see what I'm saying? If somebody
says, well, God showed me this. If he didn't show you this right
out of this book, then it ain't worth having. You remember the
illustration Peter gave, and you can find it, I'm not gonna
read it for sake of time, 2 Peter chapter one, and mainly verses
15 through 21. Paul reminded those people he
was writing to, and we're being reminded of it today, that he
said, myself and James and John went up into a mountain, and
we seen, and I'm adding a little bit here, we went up into a mountain,
and we seen Christ transfigured. We've seen him as he really is,
okay? And even the Father spoke from
heaven. And then he makes this amazing,
but we have a more sure word of prophecy. More sure than that,
Jack? Yeah, it's this book right here. That's what he went on, it's
this book right here. Somebody says, well, if I could
just go through that, I would have assurance the rest of my
life. No, you would not. You would have pride and presumption.
That's what you'd have, pride and presumption. But if God gives
you the gift to sit at this word, that says everything, doesn't
it? But this is the only way God
speaks now. He speaks to this word. He speaks to this word.
So again, scripture alone dictates God's true message. The second
thing, and it's actually three things together. It is ministry
to serve another, teaching to instruct, exhortation means to
encourage. And notice they're all kind of
put the same way. It says, Whether prophecy, let us prophesy
how? First of all, according to the portion of faith. Don't
go above and beyond the faith God gave you. Well, I'm gonna,
I'm gonna, I'm just gonna find out what that means. No, God's
got to give it to you. And especially if you're going
to, if people say they share it with somebody else, you better
make sure it's exactly what God said in his book. So whether
it be prophecy, according to the proportion of faith, or ministry,
let us wait on our ministering, or teaching, or teacheth on teaching,
or he that exhorteth on exhortation. So, ministry, teaching, exhortation,
the modus operandi on all of these is what? Patience, let
us wait on it. You see it? Let me give you,
I think, a good example of this. Turn to John chapter 16. Now I know when, when professed Christianity in
our day wants to explain some of these gifts and their modus
operandi, their manner of operation, they always want to point to
Mian or some kind of philosophical example. Let's look at a scriptural
example. John chapter 16, in my notes
say verse 12, yes. Look, now we know, remember who's
speaking here? The Lord himself. There's the
example. The Lord himself, look, I have
many things to say unto you. Well then, say them, right? Isn't that how the human mind,
well, if you got many things to say, why to speak my mind?
Yeah, and that's why probably most people get tired of listening
to you, because you speak your mind. No, I have many things
to say unto you. I have yet many things to say
unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. So if God's given you
the gift of service, or the gift of ministering, or the gift of
teaching, or the gift of exhortation, wait on it. Wait on God. Religion tells us open the doors. God says, wait on me to open
the door. Don't force the issue. There comes a time sometimes
when you have to even shake the dust off your feet. You understand
what I'm saying? Shake the dust off your feet.
All the modus operandi is patience. Understand that God gives men
and women ability to receive the benefits of whatever gift
he may have given you at his sovereign pleasure. He didn't
give you the gift of service so you could force your service
upon somebody else because I got the gift of service. He's the
giver of the gift, and he's the one who gives the recipient of
the gift the ability to take it when they need it. I mean, that's one of the problems
with this modern day so-called, I've lost the phrase now, soul
winning knight. And like I said, it was almost always, for us,
it was always on a Thursday night, like God was limited to a Thursday
night. And all we were doing, we're
forcing, forcing what we held to, what we believed upon men
and women that could care less. Could, oh, we claimed it was
service, but Ellen, we weren't serving those people. We just
made them embarrassed for a while. They sat and listened to us for
a few minutes and promises they would come to church and most
of them never, ever did. So ministry, wait. Teaching,
wait. Exhortation to encourage, wait.
Sometimes a person has to be really brought down to the lowest
before any encouragement will really help. You understand what
I'm saying? All right, number three, giving.
Giving, I don't care whether it's time or actual money, funds,
whether it's giving of your person or giving of your emotion, et
cetera. The modus operandi is what? Simplicity. You see what
he wrote there? He that giveth, let him do it
with simplicity. In other words, without hypocrisy
and not self-seeking. Do it copiously. Copious, it's
like flowing forth. And it's not about any return.
It's not about any return. Well, I wanna give, but I know,
boy, I tell you what, the religion's big on this. You'll see it on
the TV. I don't encourage you to watch it. If you'll give us
this seed money, God'll just cause the money to come rolling
into you. These people are liars. and they're
sitting back and making big fat paychecks while widows are giving
all they got, thinking God's gonna bless them. This is what?
On him that giveth, let him do it with what? No hypocrisy and
not self-seeking. You give it simply because you
desire to and you hope it benefits the recipient you do it for. You want an example of that?
All right, let's look at an example. Titus. Titus. Chapter three, this is all familiar. But put them, Titus 3.1, but
put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers,
to obey madresses, to be ready to every good work, to speak
evil of no man, to be no brawlers, don't be a scrapper, don't be
fighting, physically fighting people, but gentle, showing all
meekness unto all men, for we ourselves also were sometimes
foolish, Disobedient, deceived, serving divers, lusts and pleasures,
living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another, but,
read three little headers, but, but, but, but, but, but, but,
but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but,
but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but,
but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but,
but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but After that, the kindness
and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he
has saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing
of the Holy Ghost. There's your two parts to salvation. Especially the initial salvation
of the soul. Two parts, and even our Lord
put the new birth in what? Two parts. Had to be born from
above to first do what? Even see. and then be born of
water and the spirit to what? Enter. And this is the order.
Regeneration first, then the renewing of the Holy Ghost. And
that's what he does by the gospel. Okay, let's go on. Which he shed
on us abundantly. You see that? abundantly through
Jesus Christ, our Savior, that being justified by his grace,
we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
This is a faithful saying. And these things I will that
thou affirm constantly. That's why we just keep talking
about, Jack, salvation by grace. Salvation by grace through Jesus
Christ. Because Peter, or Paul here,
commands us to. Commands us to. This is a faithful
saying, these things thou wilt that thou affirm constantly,
and that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain,
and we think of good works here, people think of, you know, helping
some guy out with a few dollars. This means beneficial trades.
Get a job. Pay for your bills. That's what
it's talking about. That's the words in the Greek.
These things are good and profitable unto men, but avoid foolish questions. and genealogies, and contentions,
and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and
vain. So, see about the giving? How
do you do it? Hilariously. Just hilarious. Number four, ruleth. Now here's
an interesting one. He that ruleth, what does Paul
say? Let me find my spot. He that giveth may do it with
simplicity. He that ruleth with diligence. Now, this is an amazing
thing here. To rule means this, to preside
over or to take charge, but it's not as a boss. Because we think
someone who rules, you think of a king ruling over a country
or a president ruling over a government, your boss at work who rules over
you. But that word can be used that way, but it's not always
used that way. And it's to be done. This ruling,
first of all, is to preside over or to take charge. This ruling
is this. Here's a person God gave responsibility
to. It's not about your position.
It's not about you being over anybody else. It's God gave you
a responsibility to serve other people. In the scripture, even
our Lord taught that. Any man will be great among you.
I'm paraphrasing. What do you mean? Become their
servant. There's the great, right? Become their servant. To preside
over. But it means with diligence. In other words, to do it with
dispatch. No sloth. Not wishy-washy. Not back and forth. The modus
operandi is what? Diligence. Now you wanna see
that? Turn to Luke chapter two. Luke chapter two. Now what I'm,
I'm not trying to, I'm not intending to preach this message so that
if you are persuaded I have this certain gift and here's the way
I kind of better start looking at everything because don't do
all that. You'll just confound yourself. You'll just confound
yourself. What I'm talking about, what I'm trying to point out
is God gave all of us a gift. But he give it to us. And he's
gonna see that the modus operandi is accomplished by him. It's
not up to us to figure it out anymore, Jack, than it was up
to us to decide which gift we wanted. He gave the gift, and
he'll equip you to do the gift. Okay, that's what I'm trying
to point out here. And I think that's what Paul's
saying in this letter to the church at Robe, because he only
speaks of a few things. Just consider this. God's got
a way he works out all his gifts. He gives them sovereignly, and
he enables the person by the gift. by the gift to accomplish
his purpose in the way he purposed it. Don't try to figure it out,
it just is what it is. Okay, it is what it is. So, Ruleth,
here's one. Look at it, Luke chapter two,
and this is interesting. We'll be beginning in verse 40,
so we'll have a little bit of context. And the child grew,
now that child is Jesus. The child is Jesus, Jesus of
Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled
with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. Now his parents
went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
And when he was 12 years old, so here's Jesus at his house,
he's 12 years old. He, in human terms, is no boss
over anybody. After this account, we will see
that he returned to his parish, look at verse 51, I'll jump ahead.
And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject
unto them. So it ain't about him being the
boss, but he was ruling. Now let's look at what it says.
And when he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem after
the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the
days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem,
and Joseph and his mother knew it not. But they, supposing him
to have been in the company, went a day's journey, and they
sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. So it was a
lot of people, kind of like a big train of folk were along. They
just supposed that Jesus was in the company of all their kinfolk.
So after a day they hadn't seen him, they went looking for him.
And when they found him not, They turned back again to Jerusalem,
seeking him. And it came to pass that after
three days, now how would you feel if your child was missing
for three days? In this day and age, you'd probably
be livid. You know what I'm saying? Look, and it came to pass that
after three days, they found him in the temple. sitting in
the midst of the doctors. Now, not medical doctors, religious
doctors, okay? Scripture doctors, these men
who are well-learned in the Bible, okay, in the Old Testament. Now
look, both hearing them and asking them questions. He wasn't preaching to them.
He didn't start preaching until he was about 30 years old. But let me tell you, brothers
and sisters, he's still ruling. God gave him a responsibility,
and he's doing exactly what the Father sent him to do. That's
ruling, and he's doing it with what? Diligence, dispatch. He knew what Joseph and Mary
were gonna discover within one day. He wasn't there. They have
to travel all the way back from wherever, however far they've
made it in a day's journey, go all the way back a day, and then
three days before they even find him. But he did not mention this
to the Indians. Now folks, I'm hanging behind
for a while. Huh? Did he? Now look, look. In verse 47, and all that heard
him were astonished at his understanding. and answers. Notice he asked
the questions first before he ever gave the answers, because
answers are useless if you don't know the question. Everybody
in the world today that names the name of Jesus has all the
answers. Sadly, they don't even know the
questions. Hmm? Look, and when they saw
him, they were amazed. And his mother said unto him,
son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and
I have sought thee sorrowing, and I'm sure she meant it. Huh? Look, and he said unto them,
how is it that ye sought me? Wished ye not that I must be
about my father's business? Joseph's not my daddy. He was
reminding her of that at 12 years old, but he's not being deceitful
or rebellious. He's reminding Mary who knew.
This boy's different. This boy's different. Wished
you not that I must be about my father's business. There's
ruling with diligence. Okay, and they understood not
the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them,
and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. But his mother
kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in
wisdom, and stature, and in favor with God and man. All right, last. What's the modus
operandi of this ruling? Remember, Just do it, just speedily. Don't dilly dally around. Don't
say, well, well, I just kinda, kinda, I don't know. Just do
it. God give you something to do? Do it. All right, showing
mercy. To show mercy means this. I will
try to put it in modern day language. Not giving tit for tat. Well,
I'll do this for them if they do this for me. No, mercy is
to do what? To have compassion on someone
and do it hilariously. cheerfully, gladly, even if no
reciprocation comes back from the object of mercy. What's the
modus operandi? Turn to Micah. Micah. And I probably should have marked
that one. Y'all may have to help me find that one. I'm gonna give
you, okay, Micah. About three or four books back
from the last book in the Old Testament, Micah chapter seven. Showing mercy. Do it how? With
cheerfulness. Cheerfulness. Now here's the
modus operandi. Micah 7 and verse 18. Let me
find it. Micah 7, verse 18. Who is a God
like unto thee? that pardoneth iniquity, and
passeth by transgression of the remnant of his heritage, he retaineth
not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. You see, God is not forced to
show mercy. He delights in showing mercy, and he does it toward
transgressors, not toward good folk, not toward folks jacked
at least put a first leg up, but to people who are laden with
iniquity. Because he delighteth in mercy,
he will turn again. He will have compassion upon
us. He will subdue our iniquities. Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad
it ain't left up to us to subdue our iniquities? He will subdue
our iniquities and thou will cast all their sins into the
depths of the sea. Thou will perform the truth to
Jacob. and the mercy to Abraham, which
thou has sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. Oh, brothers and sisters, if
we could only emulate that in a small way, we'd help one another. Heavenly Father, Lord, we realize
this. The men standing here in this
place are nothing but clay pots. And we realize that any benefit,
any instruction, any help, any encouragement, any warning is
all from your sovereign hand through the person of your son.
It's in his name we pray, amen.