All right, Isaiah chapter 65.
I would imagine that I'm not much different than most of y'all.
I watch the news. Janet tells me I ought not, but
I do. I watch the news and I see the
things that go on in this world. And I bet you're like me, that
you often ask yourself this question. Why doesn't God just put a stop
to all this? destroy this world and bring
it into it. Why doesn't he? You ever ask that question? Why
doesn't the Lord just look down upon this earth and see that
the wickedness of man is great in the earth and that every imagination
of the thoughts of his heart's only evil continue? Why ain't
God grieved in his heart to just destroy this whole wicked generation
just like he did Noah's day? You ever wonder that? There's
an answer to that question. The title of the message is the
question. Why doesn't God destroy this
earth? And there's an answer to the
question. And the answer today is the same answer that's been
ever since the fall of man. The answer is for Christ's sake.
That was the answer in Noah's day. That was the answer in Adam's
day. That was the answer in Isaiah's
day. That was the day answer in the day of the apostles. And
it's the answer now. God does not destroy this whole
creation for this reason. Christ said. Let's look here
beginning of verse eight and see if that is what the word
of God tells us. For thus saith the Lord, as the new wine is
found in the cluster and one saith, destroy it not for a blessing
is in it. So will I do for my servant's
sakes that I may not destroy them all. Now the picture Isaiah
gives us here is a farmer. He owns a vineyard. He's got
a servant that works for him. And that servant, he works in
that vineyard every day. He goes out in the vineyard and
he sees this blasted, withered vine. It's been blasted and withered
as long as this servant can remember. It never has produced any fruit.
It never has produced any grapes. And that servant thinks to himself,
That vine is a waste of time and resources. The time and resources
that belong to my master, I'm going to cut that thing down
and throw it in the fire so we don't waste any more time and
money on it. And he gets ready to cut it down, but the master
of the vineyard stops him. He said, don't cut that vine
down. I see a blessing in it. He sort of thinks, you do. I
don't. And the master said, I do. Don't
you cut it down. Just let it alone. Don't destroy
that blasted, withered vine, because later on, there's a blessing
coming from that vine. And the application here is to
the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. If anyone but God himself looks
at Adam's race, they would see nothing but deadness. they would
see a dry, blasted, withered vine that's never produced any
fruit, that's never produced any life, that's never produced
any spiritual goodness whatsoever. And we think the thing to do
is cut that vine down, throw it in the fire, burn it up, and
just destroy all of humanity. God can start over if he wants
to, but this vine is a waste of all God's blessings to him.
God just wasted resources upon it. But God says, now, you just
hold your horses. Because when God looks at Adam's
descendants, he looks at that blasted, withered vine, and you're
right, it has never produced any fruit. But God says, don't
destroy that vine. I see a blessing in it. The all-seeing
eye of God says, I see a blessing in it. And the blessing in that
vine is Christ. The whole human race is not destroyed
for Christ's sake. He's the blessing in it. I'll
show you that in verse 9. And I'll bring forth a seed out
of Jacob, and out of Judah, an inheritor of my mountains. And
mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
Now this hidden blessing in the dead vine, or the vine that looks
dead, is Christ. Christ is the root out of a dry
ground. Before Christ was born in Bethlehem,
David's lineage looked long dead. The Messiah was promised to be
the son of David, but David's lineage looked long dead. There
was just nothing left of it. We would think nothing good could
come out of this. But there was life in the root.
You and I couldn't see it, but God could. There was life in
the root. Life was coming through the seed of woman. Man is dead
in trespasses and sins, but life is coming. Life is coming in
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ who will descend from
David. He's going to come up a woman.
He's not going to have Adam's sinful seed. He's coming the
seed of a woman. This is the Savior God promised
in Genesis three, the seed of woman coming to crush the serpent's
head. The blessing is Christ. Isaiah describes him as the seed
of Jacob. Look in Genesis chapter 22. What
is this seed of Jacob? Well, Jacob's seed is the same
seed of his grandfather, Abraham. God promises him in Genesis chapter
22, beginning in verse 15. And the angel of the Lord called
unto Abraham out of heaven the second time. And he said, by
myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou has done
this thing, and it's not withheld thy son, thine only son, that
in blessing, I will bless thee. And in multiplying, I will multiply
thy seed as the stars of the heaven. As the sand which is
upon the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his
enemies, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth
be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. Now, who is
this seed? Well, that seed can't be anyone
but Christ, can it? That's the seed that is promised
here. All nations of the earth can only be blessed in Christ.
And the Apostle Paul removed all doubt in Galatians chapter
3 verse 16. He said, now to Abraham and his
seed were the promises made. And he saith not into seeds as
a many, but one seed, thy seed, which is Christ. This seed is
Christ. The hidden blessing is Christ. And it is for Christ's sake,
because of the person of Christ, that God has not destroyed this
creation from the fall of man right up to this moment. You
think about that day, that horrible, dark day when Adam fell in the
garden. I wonder what those angels thought
as they watched God create this beautiful creation, create this
beautiful garden and put man in it. Here's man. made in the
image of God. And the angels wondered at that,
didn't they? In amazement, they wondered.
And then they watched that man in open rebellion, sin against
God. I'm sure those angels thought
that's going to be the end of this. That's going to be the
end of this creation. They thought God would destroy
man because of sin. Much the same way they saw God
deal with the angels who were bowed against God. They thought
the same thing's going to happen to man. I guarantee it, Adam
thought God was going to destroy him. That's why he was hiding
in the bushes. He thought God was going to destroy
him. And rightfully so. He wasn't wrong to think that.
Because that's what Adam deserved, isn't it? What did God tell Adam?
Adam, you've got the run of this creation. You've got the run
of it all. Except for that one tree. Don't you eat it. And the
day you eat of it, you shall surely die. Adam ate the fruit. He expected God to kill him,
didn't he? But he didn't. Yes, he died spiritually, but
God did not kill him. He didn't wipe him out. Why? For Christ's sake. It was for
Christ's sake. Christ already stood as surety
for a people who would come from Adam's loins. Those people who
would descend from Adam, there was a people, not everyone, but
there was a people who would descend from Adam who were already
under the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the lamb slain from the
foundation of the world so they could not be destroyed for Christ's
sake, because of who Christ is. Christ was the blessing that
was hidden in Adam when Adam fell. God didn't destroy this
earth. He didn't destroy this creation.
He didn't wipe out Adam's whole race because there were a people
coming from Adam's loins who were already justified. from
eternity. They were justified in the blood
of Christ. Well, if they're justified, they
cannot be destroyed. And the only way you can see
that that blessing is Christ, the only way you can see that
hidden blessing is to see Christ with the eye of faith. Christ
was the blessing hidden when Adam fell. Then a few generations
later, God destroyed this earth with a flood. But when God sent
that flood, He did not destroy man on the face of the earth
did He didn't wipe out all men. Noah and his family were safe
from drowning because God put them in the ark. Now, by the
time that flood came, Adam's lineage looked just like it looks
now. It looked like a dry, blasted,
withered vine that never has produced any fruit and never
will produce any fruit. We were so vile. This creation
was so vile. God said, I'm going to destroy
it all with the flood. But there was a blessing hidden
in that flood. The blessing was Christ. God still hadn't let
people. He still had a people he put
in his son before time began, a people who are going to descend
from Noah. Those people could not die because
they were already preserved in Christ. They've been eternally
protected in Christ. There is a blessing hidden in
that flood. The blessing is Christ, but we've got to have eyes to
see that the blessing is that ark, which is a picture of Christ
saving his people from the deluge of God's wrath against our sin.
The blessing was Christ. Man was preserved in that flood
for Christ's sake. Now look at Genesis chapter 19. Then there came a day, God said
the cry of Sodom. came to him. It was the Lord
Jesus Christ, this angel who was going to go to that city
and he was going to destroy it. Genesis 19 verse 22. Now, you
know the story. Abraham interceded for them and. And wow, what a mess, what a
mess. And a lot seemed reluctant to
leave. Now God's going to destroy that
plane. He's going to destroy that city. He's going to destroy
every city in the plane. And Lot seemed reluctant to leave. So look here at Genesis 19 verse
22. This is the angel speaking to
him. Haste thee, escape thither, for I cannot do anything till
thou become thither. Lot, you've got to get out of
here because I'm going to destroy this city, but I cannot destroy
it. As long as you're in it. Because
Lot, you can't be destroyed. You look back at chapter six,
verse 16, you'll see Lot couldn't be destroyed because of God's
mercy. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand
and upon the hand of his wife and upon the hand of his two
daughters, the Lord being merciful unto him. And they brought him
forth and they set him without the city because of God's mercy. Lot could not be destroyed. Why not? I mean, is Lot really
worth all this trouble? Yeah, he was. Because there was
a blessing hidden in Lot. Christ the Savior. Lot could
not be destroyed. Lot, who never did one thing
right. When you read of Lot in the Old
Testament, you don't read of the man doing anything smart.
Everything he did was going the wrong way. It's hard to see a
blessing hidden in there, isn't it? But you know what Peter called
Lot? Peter called Lot, just Lot. Lot that justified one. The only
way Lot could be justified was in Christ. He was justified in
that blessing hidden in him so he was not destroyed for Christ's
sake. Because Christ was his Savior.
Look at Exodus chapter 32. I hope you're getting a blessing
from this. I sat in my study Monday and laughed out loud at
just the wonderful blessings of our Lord, for Christ's sake.
Exodus 32, verse seven. And Lord said unto Moses, go,
get thee down for thy people, which thou broughtest out of
the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They've turned aside
quickly out of the way which I commanded them. Moses, they
made them a molten calf. and they've worshipped it, and
they've sacrificed thereto. And they said, these be thy gods,
O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
And the Lord said unto Moses, I've seen this people, and behold,
it's a stiff-necked people. Now therefore, let me alone.
Moses, you just stand over there. You stay out of my way, that
my wrath may wax hot against them, that I may consume them. Moses, I'm going to destroy them.
And I'm going to start this thing over. I'll make of thee a great
nation. Now, we know what happened here. God did not destroy Israel, did
he? He didn't wipe them. He just didn't just wipe them
off the planet. But why not? Isn't that what
they deserve? After God delivered them with
a mighty hand, they made them a molten calf and bowed down
and worshiped it and said, this is what our God that delivered
us from Egypt. I mean, they took all the glory
away from God. They're worshiping a creature
rather than the creator. Don't they deserve to be wiped
out? Oh, absolutely they do. Then why weren't they? For Christ's
sake. It was for Christ's sake. And
when Moses interceded for the people, that's exactly what he
pled. He pled Christ for them. Lord, he said, don't destroy
the people. There's a blessing hidden in it. You can see it.
The blessing that's hidden in it is Christ the seed. Look at
verse 11. Here's Moses interceding. And Moses besought the Lord his
God and said, Lord, why did thy wrath wax hot against thy people?
Which you notice God, I don't, I don't understand this, but
I thought it was interesting. The Lord told Moses that people
that you brought up out of Egypt and when Moses intercedes for
him, he says the people which thou has brought forth out of
the land of Egypt. with great power, with a mighty
hand. Wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say, for mischief did
he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume
them from the face of the earth. Turn from thy fierce anger, repent
of this evil against thy people. Look here. Remember Abraham,
Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swearest by thy
own self, and saidest unto them, I will multiply your seed as
the stars of heaven, And all this land that I have spoken
of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.
And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto
his people. God did not destroy the people
because of the promised seed. It was for Christ's sake. That's
why they weren't destroyed. And you could go on and on and
on looking many different examples of this. But when we're sitting
watching the news and seeing the world going around us, And
we ask this question, why didn't God just destroy the whole world?
God does not destroy the wicked right now for the exact same
reason he hasn't destroyed it for the past 6,000 years. It's
for Christ's sake. There's still a people in this
creation. Maybe they're alive, maybe they're not even born yet,
but there's still a people in this creation that Christ died
for. They have not been given faith
in Christ yet. So for Christ's sake, The creation
cannot be destroyed. The father looks at that blasted,
withered vine, man on earth, and he says, don't destroy it
yet. I've got a people still hidden in it that I chose. The
son looks at it and he says, don't destroy it yet. I know
it looks bad, but don't destroy it yet. There's still a people
hidden in it that I died for. The Holy Spirit says, it looks
bad, but don't destroy it yet. there's still a people I must
call out. They're not destroyed for Christ, for the sake of the
people that Christ redeemed. When you really think about it,
that's the only reason you and me are here tonight. It's because
in the past, God did not destroy our ancestors. I get tickled
watching these. They got this thing now where
you send pluck out some hair or something, send it to somebody,
and they give you this DNA thing, you know, about your family tree.
I just get tickled about that. You better be careful. You might
not want to track that thing too awful close. Now, you might
find a Revolutionary War hero. You might find somebody that
came over on the Mayflower. I'll tell you what else I guarantee
you you'll find. You're going to find some wicked
people. You're going to find some idolaters. You're going
to find some people who sacrificed their children. You're going
to find some people who ate their children, who ate one another.
You're going to find some people that took part in ethnic cleansing
and just every wicked thing man has ever done. We're going to
find that in our family tree. Well, here's somebody in our
family tree. He worships idols. He's a wicked
man. He's an unjust man. He's a man
who openly hates God. Why didn't God just destroy him? For Christ's sake. Because there's
a child of God. Could be Francis. Could be David. Could be Gene Patterson. I don't
know. There's a child of God who's going to descend from the
loins of that wicked man. So you know what God does? He
lets that man live. God blesses him with life. He
may even let him prosper for a while. so he can raise him
a big family. So that one chosen one's gonna
come out of his loins. That man's not destroyed, not
for his sake. For Christ's sake. For the sake
of God's people. And I tell you, if you wanna
see something dead in your family tree, we don't have to look way
down there. Let's start right here. This
branch is a dead vine in itself. There's no spiritual life in
it. It never has borne any fruit. There's nothing good about it
whatsoever. But if the Father chose us, for
Christ's sake, surely, without a doubt, mercy and truth are
going to follow us all the days of our lives. We will dwell in
the house of the Lord forever. We cannot be destroyed until
that happens for Christ's sake. Christ is the blessing that's
hidden in it. Isn't that a blessing? Well, I got another question.
Who are the, I forgot to start this record, so I don't know
how long I've been preaching. We might be here midnight. Who are the people
that are protected from God's wrath in Christ's blessing? Who
are they? They're God's elect. Look back
in our text, Isaiah 65. They're God's elect, verse nine. For I will bring forth a seed
out of Jacob and out of Judah, and inherit her my mountains.
And mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell
there. This promise of life, this promise of protection in
Christ isn't to every son of Adam, is it? No, God did wipe
out many people. He has wiped out many people.
This promise is not to the whole world. It's not to every son
of Adam. This promise is made only to God's elect. God says
here, mine elect. shall inherit it. I'm going to
raise up out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains. That's Christ. Christ is the one who gets everything. First of all, because he bought
it all with his blood. Second of all, Christ is the
one who gets everything because he's the heir of God. He's the
son. The son's going to get it all.
And God's people are going to inherit it all too. Because we're
joint heirs with Christ. Because we're in Christ who's
God's elect. And the key to that here, well,
first of all, I got another question. That's who it is that's protected
in Christ a blessing. It's God's elect. God doesn't
destroy this world for Christ's sake. And those people who are
preserved in Christ are God's elect. Let's get right down to
where the rubber meets the road. All that sounds real good so
far, but this is what I want to know. Is that blessing for
me? Am I one of these who are in
Christ? How can I tell if I'm one of God's elect? How can I
tell if I am the one of these ones who's protected in Christ?
Do you know you can know the answer to that question? You
don't have to be in doubt. We can know the answer to that
question. Am I one of God's elect? Am I
in Christ? The answer to the question is
very simple. Do you have faith? Do you believe Christ? God the Holy Spirit gives faith
to everyone that Christ died for. We see the key to that here
in verse 10 at the very end of the verse. And Sharon should
be a fold of flocks in the valley of Acre, a place for the herds
to lie down in for my people that have sought me. The key
word there is sought. The only people who seek Christ
are those who are given faith in Christ. Look back at verse
one of this chapter. We looked at this last week.
I am sought of them. that ask not for me. I am found
of them that sought me not. I said, behold me, behold me
into a nation that was not called by my name. Now, by nature, we
will not see Christ. We won't do it. But everyone
that God gives faith in Christ to, they seek. They seek Christ
with all of their hearts. And everyone who seeks Christ
in faith is protected from God's wrath. Everyone who seeks Christ
in faith is protected for Christ's sake. They're justified for Christ's
sake. Their sins are forgiven for Christ's
sake because the sacrifice of Christ took them away. They're
made righteous for Christ's sake so that God has no reason to
destroy them. Look at Romans chapter nine. These are those who have sought
the Lord. They sought him in faith. Romans
9, verse 30. What should we say then? That
the Gentiles, which follow not after righteousness, have attained
to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel,
which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained
to the law of righteousness. Why not? Wherefore? Because they
sought it not by faith. but they sought it as it were
by the works of the law. If we seek Christ, if we seek
salvation, if we seek this blessing by our own works, we're not going
to find it. But if we seek Christ by faith,
we'll find it. We'll find the forgiveness of
our sin. So those who God does damn, those who God does send
to hell, they can't blame God for it. It's not God's fault.
It's not God's fault He didn't choose them. It's not God's fault
He didn't elect them. It's their fault because they refused to
believe on Christ. They rejected the only Savior.
Back in our text, verse 11, this is what Isaiah says. But ye are
they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that
prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering
under that number. Therefore will I number you to
the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter, because
when I called, you did not answer. When I spake, you did not hear,
but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I
delighted not. Everyone who God damns is going
to have to honestly say they forsook the Lord. They rejected
Him. They're going to have to, in
honesty, say, I forgot the Lord. And it means, I was just oblivious
to Him. God didn't mean anything to me.
Christ didn't mean anything to me. That's why I didn't seek
Him. They're going to have to honestly say they gave aid and
comfort to the enemies of Christ. joined with them in their rebellion
and their idolatry. They prepared a table before
them. They're going to have to say
they joined up with those who were enemies of Christ. God spoke
and they refused to hear. They chose evil instead of Christ. So when God damns them, he's
going to give them exactly what they earned. But that will never
happen to God's elect, ever. Christ said. And this blessing
is so rich, not only will God's elect be kept from destruction
in Christ, God's elect are going to be greatly blessed in Christ. They will be so greatly blessed,
they will inherit absolutely everything that God has for sin. In verse 10, when Isaiah talked
about Sharon and Achor, Sharon is a city that it's on the on
the west side of Israel. Acre is a city that's on the
east end of Israel. These two cities on the opposite
ends of history. Here's what Isaiah is saying.
You're going to inherit everything from east to west and everything
in between. You're going to inherit it all.
Look here at verse 13. Therefore, thus saith the Lord
God, behold, my servant shall eat But you should be hungry.
Behold, my servant shall drink, but you should be thirsty. Behold,
my servant shall rejoice, but you should be ashamed. Now, those
who seek Christ by faith, they're never going to go hungry. They'll
always eat Christ, the bread of life. But those who seek to
be saved by their own works, they're going hungry because
there's no bread. There's no food on the husks
of man's works. Those who seek Christ by faith,
They'll never thirst for righteousness. They're going to be made righteous
in Christ. They're going to drink Christ,
the water of life freely, and they're going to drink all they
want. They'll never thirst for it for
even a moment because out of their belly shall flow rivers
of living water. That's what our Lord said. It's
Christ in them. But those that seek to be saved
by their own works, those who seek to make them their own selves
righteous. They'll always thirst for righteousness. I've told
you this before, when we thirst, it's because our body recognizes
there's a lack of something in us. There's a lack of water in
us. Those who thirst after righteousness are always going to thirst for
it because there's no righteousness in them, because they can't produce
it by their blood. So they'll always thirst after
righteousness. Instead of being filled with righteousness, they're
filled with sin. Those that seek Christ by faith will never be
ashamed. If you're in Christ, you've got
nothing to be ashamed of because Christ took your sin away. He
took the shame of your sin. He took the guilt of your sin
and took it away by the sacrifice of himself. So God's people are
not ashamed. They rejoice in Christ. But those
who seek salvation by their own works, they're going to be found
naked. They're going to be ashamed before
God because they cannot. Man is incapable of producing
a covering for our sins. Only Christ can do that. So you
seek him by faith. You'd never be ashamed. He goes
on, verse 14. Behold, my servants shall sing
for joy of heart. You shall cry for sorrow of heart
and shall howl for vexation of spirit. Those who seek Christ
by faith. They're going to find joy in
their heart and it'll be for good reason. Their sin is gone. Their sin has been forgiven in
the blood of Christ. They've been made righteous in
Christ. They've been given eternal life in Christ. What a blessing
we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. Not just to be saved alive, not
just to be kept alive. Not just to exist, but to live,
to live in joy and singing because of who Christ is to us. It's
such a great difference. It's like the difference of being
kept alive on a life support system compared to the living,
the high life or something. I just don't know how to explain
that. But there's a great difference between just existing. God doesn't
just give his people life and they barely get by. He gives
them the riches of spiritual life so they have joy in Christ. They have so much joy, they sing
because of who Christ is. But everyone who seeks salvation
by their own words, They'll bring to themselves nothing but sorrow
of heart, because they never sought a new heart by faith.
They never sought Christ by faith. And then, look here, we can't
leave without looking at verse 15. And you shall leave your
name for a curse unto my chosen. For the Lord God shall slay thee
and call his servants by another name. Now you remember what we
are in Adam, what we look like in Adam. We're a blasted, withered,
dead vine that can't produce anything. We're God's children,
or we're Adam's children. We come from Adam's loins. We're
part of his race, and because we do, we bear Adam's name, don't
we? What a shameful name to have to bear, the name of Adam. We
go out in public and somebody sees us. What's your name? Adam. What? I can't hear you. What's
your name? Adam. Oh. Oh, now I understand why
you're ashamed to say it out loud. That's a shameful name.
But no one who seeks Christ by faith, not only will they never
perish, they'll never live with the embarrassing name of Adam
anymore. Now they bear the name of Christ. God says, I'm going to kill that
old man. I'm going to call you by a new name, by my name. The name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I quote this verse often to you,
Jeremiah 33, verse 16. This is the name wherewith she
shall be called, Jehovah Sikkim, the Lord of Hosts. That's a pretty good reason to sing
with joy, isn't it? Righteous in Christ. to no longer have
to bear my worthless, embarrassing name, but to have the Prince
of Glory say, I chose you to be my bride. You're going to
bear my name. You're going to be made what
I am. Jehovah's King, the Lord, our righteousness. Look back
a few pages at Isaiah chapter 62. We looked at this a few weeks
ago. Verse four. For thou shalt no
more be termed forsaken, neither shall thy land any more be termed
desolate, but thou shalt be called Hephzibah. You'll be called my
delight, the delight of almighty God. And thy land will be called
Beulah, married, for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land
shall be married. Oh, what a blessing to bear the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ. But anyone who seeks salvation
by their own works, by their own merit, they're gonna have
to bear their own name, aren't they? They're gonna have to bear
the shameful name of Adam, because they refuse to come to Christ.
They refuse to be joined to him and bear his name, so they're
gonna have to bear their own name. They're gonna have to bear
the shame and curse of their own sin. But not those who are
preserved in Christ. Not those who seek him in faith.
Not those who are preserved for Christ's sake. All my prayer
is this, that God be pleased to grant every one of us here
tonight faith in Christ so that we seek Him, that we seek Christ
and find everything we need in Him. Life, blessing, forgiveness
of sin. He's the blessing. He's the blessing
hidden in this world. May God be pleased to give us
faith to seek Him. Let's bow in prayer. Our Father, how we thank You
for these precious, precious promises of Your Word. And we
do only come before You in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And we beg, Father, that You would hear us for Christ's sake. We beg that You'd save our friends
and family that don't know You, our neighbors that don't know
You. We pray You'd save Christ's sake, that you'd have mercy on
us for Christ's sake, that you would continue to bless us as
we meet here from time to time, week after week after week, we
pray that you continue to bless us. Bless your word to the hearts
of your people for Christ's sake. It's all for his sake, Father.
Bless us, we pray, as we go home this evening. We pray that you
give us faith to go home looking under your darling son, the blessing
of all creation. It's in His precious name we
pray and give thanks.