FBC Morning Worship Service

Faith Baptist Church

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Good morning. You see on this Lord's Day so thankful to the Lord for allowing us to gather together and to serve him and to worship him to learn of him and Grow in our love for him

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Which could should then translate into the way we live for him All this takes place on the

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Lord's Day as we gather and we open up his word and we open up our hearts to that word let me just highlight a couple things in your bulletin if I may one of course is the lunchtime after the morning service

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Followed by the one o 'clock afternoon services service we've resumed these last week and Going to do it working our way through a

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Salter a little bit singing some psalms together. So we're reading the psalm and then singing the songs and The most of them let's say we're doing six of them this afternoon and four of them

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I think are familiar tunes to us that we would recognize And a couple that we'll be learning.

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So it's all you know It's all very helpful in our Growing in our praising of the Lord and our understanding of the

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Psalms and our use of the Psalms So I encourage you to be back at one o 'clock for that afternoon service together

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And then I want to also mention if you didn't get this that Starting last

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Sunday. We're live -streaming the Sunday school adult Sunday school lesson as well and I guess we actually started that two weeks ago and Those were live -streaming them at 930

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Or 935 I guess it actually starts but then those recordings are kept

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So you can go go to the church website and you can find those Sunday school lessons. They're there To review at your convenience.

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So if you can't make it to Sunday school some week you can catch that if you want to review what you heard and Sunday school lesson, you can always go back and review them just like in the the messages that You hear in the live -streaming as well

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And then the last thing I just want to emphasize is on March 20th the men are we're planning to have a men's breakfast in the morning and That will be here at the church and there's a sign -up sheet on the foyer table or a four -year bulletin board and Sign up for that.

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Have a good time of fellowship together As we begin our worship service

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Psalm 87 verses 1 to 3 Say this says his foundation is in the holy mountains

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The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob Glorious things are spoken of thee

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Oh City of God so when you came in today you I hope you picked up there's a song sheet there and the one song first song

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I'm going to sing today is that hymn glorious things of thee are spoken and we have that in our hymnal, but this

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This handout is in a different key. It's a little easier to sing and There's an additional stanza that fourth stanza is not in our hymnal and we wanted to emphasize that stanzas

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So Jim's going to come and lead us in the first second and last stanzas of that hymn Jim Thank you pastor again.

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It's in your handout glorious things of thee are spoken verses 1 2 & 4

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Let's stand together, please and sing together Glorious things of thee are spoken

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Zion city of our God He whose word cannot be broken formed thee for his own abode on the rock of ages

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Fails from age to age Remain standing please for prayer

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Kevin. Would you lead us, please? Let us pray Lord we just thank you and praise you that we can join in your house today

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Thank you for your goodness this past week For the love of Christ in our hearts.

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I pray Lord that your spirit would move Through the message here help us to praise and worship you in our lives and be thankful So Lord have your your way today

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Lord the Spirit just come over us and lead us In a closer walk with you

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Lord change our hearts and our minds Lord in Jesus name. We pray. Amen. You may be seated

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So in the back of your bulletins our psalm reading for the day is psalm 6 and You'll notice

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Asking to read this psalm responsibly It's been a long time since we've done that been about a year since we've done that but the way this works is you see the

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Type on every other verse is in the bold and those those verses

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The congregation reads so I'll begin reading in verse 1 and the congregation Responds in verse 2 and so forth and don't don't be shy just be you know

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This is like you're singing. Okay, but this is a psalm reading. All right, so psalm 6.

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Let's read it. Oh Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastened me and I hot displeasure

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My soul is also sore vexed, but thou O Lord how long?

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For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee. Thanks Mine eye is consumed because of grief it waxeth old because of all mine enemies

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The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my prayer But all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed let them return and be ashamed suddenly

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May the Lord add his blessing to the reading of his word And so we have read the psalm together and now last

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Sunday afternoon We discovered this psalm to sing psalm 6 again

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The tune is familiar on the back side of that handout you received is Is this hymn and so let's sing it together

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Jim Lord rebuke me not in anger as in Psalm 6, but sing all three verses together

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Bones in their distress How my soul is greatly

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Shaken tell my Lord ask you say

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Sing to me your mercy song In the tomb

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I cannot thank you in the grave How can

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I praise I? My eyes are swelling

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I dissolve my bed with tears For my foe is near me dwelling

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And has filled my heart with fear

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Flee from me oh man of evil Let the wicked now depart

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For the Lord has heard my weeping and the anguish of my heart

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He receives my Supplication when

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I call his name Then my

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Well, I said that was a familiar tune to us

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I it's familiar to everyone who sang it last Sunday afternoon and It's probably familiar to many of you too.

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I mentioned when we sang that last Sunday that that I cannot think of the other song that goes with that tune and Down at the bottom on the right -hand side of the of the sheet it tells you that the name of the tune the tune name it's called pleading

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Savior and So what you what you can actually do is you can go to Google and you can type in pleading

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Savior Him tune and it gives you all the Hymns, well, you it's

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I think it does gives you the hymns that that tune is attached to and I still didn't find it So I'm at a loss.

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I Hope I discover what that is sometime soon Anyways, we pray together today Our missionary of the week is

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Dwayne Ott and he serves and he and cinchi his wife serve in Malaysia Planting a church in the city of Kluang.

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I want to pray for Dwayne in that ministry We also want to pray for Mark Barilla missionary

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Mark and Rachel serving in Cameroon Mark and his daughter are gonna be flying

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Back to the States on Friday. His dad is in the intensive care unit apparently with kovat and pneumonia but we want to pray for his father as well as for the burillas and travel and Mentioned in Sunday school today.

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I want to pray for Bob and Jerry Bob is now in hospice care and want to pray for God's sustaining grace for him and especially for Jerry glad Jerry could be with us today and I know she's

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Experiencing your love and your care today and will do so continually as we pray for them in these days and then

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I Debated on how much to say about this whole mess in our

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In our Congress this past week the House of Representatives passing this Equality Act, which is a misnomer

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It's not it's not an act that is going to Improve equality it's going to create greater division and restriction of freedom, especially freedom of religion freedom of of the faith it is an act that It's an act that promotes

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Immorality and distortion of thinking And we've been hearing for the last year follow the science follow the science follow the science and yet This is an act that absolutely snubs its nose at science as well as creation so there's so so much that can be said about this, but one of the

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One of the problems is that it is not simply a snubbing the nose at science it is a shaking its fist in the face of God and What God has created and how he has made man and woman and what he intends for a human flourishing

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It's going in the very opposite direction Many of you probably saw the The statement of Jerry Nadler one of the representatives he says what any he said quote what any religious tradition describes as God's will is no concern of this

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Congress and how far removed that is from our founding fathers who were very concerned about the will of the

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Almighty and They they may have not been in agreement on what that will was but they were at least concerned about what the will of the

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Creator was and it's established that in the very Bill of Rights and so forth as I was

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Mulling over this not only that act that house the House of Representatives has passed and by the way

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And again you if you've been here any length of time have been here 18 plus years now and very rarely make a hullabaloo about anything political and Encourage the writing of senators or congressmen or whatever.

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I know there's a place for that but our the Senate is supposed to take up this measure and to vote on that act and we can pray that it is defeated in the

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Senate and we can take action ourselves and contacting our senators about defeating that but Regardless the very fact that it is presented in in Congress and the desire on the part of so many in office official offices including the very top the very president of our

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United States the fact that he would support that and so many are as well as the expansion of abortion even re

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Recommitting funding from our government to promote abortion in foreign countries, which is a insane idea

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But nevertheless these things that are again a snub of God's clear directives in the word.

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I Was meditating on that and this morning. I was reading in Psalm 28 and I came across this

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Says because they do not regard the works of the Lord or the work of his hands

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He will tear them down and build them up. No more. I would be

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I Would be very fearful if I were a member of Congress or sitting in the

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White House and was promoting the very things that defy The works of the

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Lord and the work of his hands The Lord says he will tear them down and build them up no more

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But the psalm goes on to say the Lord is the strength of his people He is the saving refuge of his anointed

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Oh Save your people and bless your heritage Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

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So listen, no matter what Congress decides no matter what? Laws are enacted no matter what the

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President of the United States signs into law that defies the work of God and and shakes its fist at the works of God and snubs them all

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The Lord is the strength of his people He is the saving refuge of his anointed we can pray to the

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Lord. Oh Lord Save your people and bless your heritage be our shepherd and carry us forever

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Let's pray. And so our father we do pray today to that very end we pray

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That you would save your people and you would bless your heritage father, there are so many that are actively and endeavoring to Cancel your people and to cancel your hair that our heritage

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Who are wanting to deny? Your role as shepherd That will carry us but Lord you are the strength of your people you are the saving refuge of your anointed ones and We trust in you.

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We count upon you and we are confident that no matter what? Those in office and in power in our nation would do in defiance of you you will nevertheless care for your own and Father we are also aware of the fact that eventually sooner or later

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Those who do not regard your works and your work the work of your hands

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Eventually one way or another you will tear them down and you will build them up no more father, we do not desire the destruction of Any one or anything we desire the conversion we desire

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Repentance we desire revival But father we also decry

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This these efforts these flagrant efforts to defy you father we pray

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Accomplish your purpose even in this even if it means

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The tearing down to build up no more We commit this to you.

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Oh Lord And father we also commit to you the work of your servants

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Duane and since she ought serving in Malaysia And we thank you for their faithfulness and for their efforts in this country that doesn't even know the degree of religious freedom that we enjoy and yet they are able to Strategically share the gospel and endeavoring to plant a church in Kluang I pray that you would bless those efforts and that you would bring forth much fruit in that endeavor

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We pray for Mark and Rachel Barilla for their families serving in Cameroon Pray, especially for Mark and Kelsey as they travel to the

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States on Friday. We pray for journeying mercies we pray for Mark's father that you would be merciful gracious to him and Grant healing if that would be in your will for his life

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We also commit to your care our Our friend and loved one Bob Klein and pray for your grace to be his portion

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I pray that you would sustain him in these days of his life and whatever

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These days ahead hold for him. I pray that he would continue to find a rest and peace and comfort in your care and in his knowledge of you and his

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Confidence that to be absent from the body is to be present for the Lord So regardless of what the days hold in the in the coming weeks that he has much to look forward to I Pray also for Jerry that you would be of comfort and strength to her encourage her and give her the physical and emotional and mental stamina

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Through these days we pray Lord, I continue to pray that you would meet with us in this service

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Speak to us through your word and we ask these things in Jesus name. Amen okay on that let's turn to page number five hundred forty one and Sing another praise unto the

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Lord. Let's all stand together We're gonna sing all four verses Lord speak to me number 541

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Lord teach me Lord that I may teach the precious things the dust and bark

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And wing my words that they may reach the head and depths of many a heart

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Oh fill me with thy fullness

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Lord until my very last breath Oh Please be seated

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We turn your Bibles to Acts chapter 2 for scripture reading today Acts chapter 2 you want to read together verses 37 through the end of the chapter

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Acts chapter 2 Follow along in your copy of scriptures. I read beginning in verse 37 actually,

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I will start with verse 36. Our focus will be verses 37 to 47 Peter says therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same

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Jesus whom you have crucified both Lord and Christ Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto

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Peter and to the rest of the Apostles men and brethren What shall we do? Then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of The Holy Ghost for the promises unto you and to your children and to all that are far off Even as many as the

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Lord our God shall call And with many other words they testify and exhort saying save yourselves from this untoward generation

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Then they that gladly received his word were baptized in the same day that were added unto them about 3 ,000 souls and they continued steadfastly in the

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Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers and fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the

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Apostles and all that believed were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted to parted them to all men as every man had need and They continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house

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Did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favor with all the people and The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved

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May the Lord again at his blessing to the reading of his word a brief prayer, please

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So our father as we contemplate this historical event at the birth of the church the founding of This building that Jesus said he would build

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I pray that you would teach us Help us to learn What is the basic character of that church that Jesus is building we pray in Jesus name.

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Amen I've read articles about Various megachurches in our country and you've all you've all come across megachurches

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Maybe some of you have attended one or more and in your history but this article was talking about all of the add -ons to these churches, you know, like Church has has a coffee shop and has a fitness center

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Some churches have daycare centers athletic centers Many of these most of these megachurches would have, you know state -of -the -art staging capability and lighting

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Effects and so on and so forth some of even some of them even do things like the the fogging, you know

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To to to create some kind of an effect and professional level bands and orchestras and so forth

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Well needless to say this passage that we just read the church in its infancy didn't know anything about Any of that stuff not in the least

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But it was definitely It was definitely the kind of church if you're if you've been converted if you know

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Christ is your Savior It is definitely the kind of church this that we're reading of in Acts 2

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That you would want to be a part of that. You would want to join It's the kind of church that Faith Baptist needs to be the kind that we read about here in this passage so what does comprise the basic character of The church that Christ is building in a community and we're not talking about The universal church that the church that encompasses every believer that's ever

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Trusted Christ from the beginning to the end and all ages and everywhere. We're not talking about the universal church we're talking about the local church what comprises the basic character of The church that Christ is building in a community

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So from this passage, let me suggest five qualities five Basic and fundamental qualities of a local church

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The first is that the church is made up of people made up of people

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That seems to be a nonsensical thing to say But it is important to get this point that the church is not a building.

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It's not a facility The church is a people and we we see this in our passage when it says in verse 41

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Then they that gladly received his word were baptized talking about people people became a part of this church and and And what they were added in the end of verse 47 says the

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Lord added to the church Daily such as should be such people as should be saved who were these people who were these people?

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you go back to verses 5 in this chapter 2 verses 5 through 13 and We won't read all that but what we discover in reviewing it is that these were people

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That were religious people verse 5 says there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews devout men religious devoted Religious people out of every nation under heaven.

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They were religious people they were also curious people verse 8 they hear they heard the

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The Apostles they heard these people speaking in these foreign languages as The Spirit of God came upon them and they started speaking.

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They were speaking in foreign languages. And so verse 8 says these people ask how do we hear every man in our own language in which we were born and In verse 12, they were all amazed and were in doubt saying to one another.

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What does this mean? So these were religious people who were curious people but verse 13 also shows us that some of them were rather critical and Skeptical others were mocking and said these men are full of new wine

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But when you get down to verse 41 after Peter preaches his sermon and they want to know what do we need to do in?

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order to be saved He answers their question and it says they

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That received his word were baptized and so forth these people their people their religious curious skeptical some critical but lost

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People the church is comprised of people not programs not ministries not buildings but people

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Secondly the church is made up of people Who meet two basic spiritual requirements?

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This is brought out in verse 41 One of those requirements is those basic spiritual requirements.

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Is that they willingly receive the gospel? It willingly received the gospel

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First part of the verse says they that gladly Received his word were baptized they willingly received the gospel.

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What is it? They received they received his word Whose word Peter's word?

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What word what he just preached and what did he preach? He preached the truth about Jesus We see this back in verse 36 that we started with on our reading.

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What was that truth about Jesus that they Willingly received they received the truth that Jesus is the

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Christ he is the Lord the Messiah They had to come to believe this you see

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And this is important for us to remember that these very religious Jewish people they were looking for their

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Messiah But up to this point they did not think that Jesus was the Messiah. They didn't think that he was the

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Lord But Peter preaches this word he preaches the truth about Christ and they had to come to receive the truth

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About Jesus that he is the Lord Christ the Lord Messiah They need to receive more than that though They also needed to receive the truth that they were guilty of sin in fact in verse 36

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Peter points out their guilt and he's very pointed He said he said

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Noah surely that God has made this Jesus whom you have crucified

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You have crucified Now now think about that This is on the day of Pentecost.

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It's weeks after the crucifixion and the resurrection and It is very likely that the majority of those who are listening to Peter as he preaches weren't even

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Well, probably weren't even there in Jerusalem on the day of the crucifixion

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Many of them probably were because of the the pilgrim feasts and so forth and religiously trying to keep up those feasts

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But they did not they did not take up the nails that pierced his hands and his feet

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They didn't take the spear and thrust it into his side but Peter makes a point that They are culpable

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That we are culpable as sinners in need of the grace of God in salvation

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We are culpable of our sin and they needed to accept that guilt

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We need to accept our guilt If we're going to meet that one of the basic spiritual requirements that make up the people of the church then he accepted their guilt and then

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They not only accepted the truth of Jesus and accepted the the fact of their guilt, but they repented

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The verse 38 Peter said to them repent repent and be baptized

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Repent have a change of mind about that affects a change of life Turn from what you were turn from what you thought turn from what you believed

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To a new way of thinking a new way of believing a new way of living repent turn

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They needed to repent and they needed to call upon the Lord as their Savior Back in verse 21 in the middle of his sermon

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Peter is applying the prophecy of Joel to this situation of the the speaking in tongues of those foreign languages and Verse 21.

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He says it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved so these individuals who were to comprise the church are people who met this basic spiritual requirement of Willingly receiving the gospel

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Have you? Have you come to that place? Where you? Accepted the truth about Jesus where you accepted your own guilt your own personal guilt your sin

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That put Jesus on the cross Have you repented of your sin?

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Have you placed your faith and trust upon Jesus calling upon him as your Savior?

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It is only those who have done so who can comprise The local church and by the way, notice that there is no there is no point here.

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There is no place for an unregenerate church membership It is not the church's place to just Allow anybody to join that church that wants to join that church only those who are regenerated

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Who have been regenerated by the Spirit of God who have received the gospel of Christ can be a part of the church so one of those basic requirements is they willingly receive the gospel a

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Second basic spiritual requirement is that they willingly testify of that repentant faith verse 41 goes on to say

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They that gladly received his word were baptized. They were baptized

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This is a public testimony of their repentant faith in Jesus Christ as their

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Lord and in that public testimony, they are Expressing publicly that they are dead to their former life dead to it

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My old religion. It's old. I'm turning from it my old way of thinking my old way of living

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I'm dead to that they are placed into the bar under the water as Christ was placed in the grave to say

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I'm dead to my old way of life But then being brought up out of the water they express publicly a

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Commitment to a new life. I am now raised to walk in newness of life to walk after the

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Lord Jesus Christ By the way, I found it interesting that maybe you've heard of this and heard of this statistic but Archaeology in archaeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered

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Dozens of What we might call baptismal pools they were they were used by the

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Jews for ritual cleansing, but they were sufficiently large and Insufficient number that when we read here about 3 ,000 people being

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Receiving the word and being baptized in that day that time that that was not a problem

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There were plenty of places for them to have been baptized now one thing again to note the membership of the local body is for those who have been regenerated

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But I also want you to note how that membership in the local body is a given

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It's a given These who received the word were baptized and they were added on that day

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They were baptized and they were added to them that comprised that local church now

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Here's the reason I point that out Because there can be and maybe is and part of many in these days some misunderstanding about about Being converted and then being baptized and yet having no connection with a local church

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And a guy called me or not call me. He texted me emailed me About a year and a half ago and he said to me

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And he's somebody who's who's been here in our church years ago, but he said to me

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I have a friend who just got saved and Wants to be baptized

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And I said, well, that's wonderful. Praise the Lord glad to hear that and he said will you baptize this person?

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and I said, well, I'd be glad to meet with this individual and you know talk to them about their about their conversion testimony and And so forth and it was like well what you know, like why why do you need to do that?

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Isn't this enough? And I said well, there's also the matter that the person

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Who I'm going to baptize is also going to become a member of faith Baptist Church And he's a great exception to that well,

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I don't know that this person would want to be a member of your church and My response was well, then

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I will not baptize that person What do you mean? Why not? Well, because if you look at the scriptures, what what is what is the pattern?

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They were saved and baptized and added to the church so there's no there's no place of somebody professing faith in Christ and then say, you know baptize me in your baptistry and then

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I'll Maybe see you again someday. Maybe not. I Will see neither here nor there

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And I responded in that way and the guy wrote back. So what about what about?

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What a what about the Ethiopian eunuch out in the wilderness, you know He was baptized and out right out there in the wilderness and you know

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It tried to explain that this is the beginning of the age There wasn't even a church in Ethiopia for him to become a part of he wanted to publicly testify though That was a different situation altogether

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And that is not the norm in the New Testament and the epistles and following you discover that people are saved

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Baptized and they become a part of that local assembly So the church is made up of people people who meet these two basic spiritual requirements they receive the gospel and they testify of repentant faith and then thirdly

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They are people Who make basic spiritual commitments? basic spiritual commitments

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This comes out in verse 42 and there is if you will an umbrella Commitment an overarching commitment.

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Look at this in verse 42 says they continued steadfastly

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They continued steadfastly and they continued steadfastly in some different things

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But that continuing steadfastly is like an umbrella. It's an it's an overarching commitment it is a commitment to faithfulness a commitment to faithfulness

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That continuing steadfastly could be translated literally they continually devoted themselves to these things faithfulness

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Faithfulness in what area they were faithfully committed to learning? to learning

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They continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine What is that Apostles doctrine?

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Well, I think it could be described simply as Everything Jesus taught them

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Everything Jesus taught them you remember back in Luke chapter 24 In Luke 24 verses 44 and 45 after the resurrection

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We read in verse 44 Jesus said to them these are the words which I spake to you while I was yet with you

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That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the

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Psalms concerning me so Jesus is going to Open up for them an understanding of the

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Old Testament scriptures Verse 45 goes on to say then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures

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So Jesus took him to seminary Took him to seminary where they learned

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How to understand and interpret and to teach and communicate the

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Old Testament scriptures and what they meant What what was the Apostles doctrine that they were faithfully committed themselves to learning a

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Christ? illuminated Old Testament And I think more than that back in Acts 1 verse 3

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Jesus had that three years of public ministry where he was teaching them and you know this is where we have the accounts of the parables and the you know, his prophetic teaching and all the rest of that, but after the resurrection and before the ascension

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Verse 3 says he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proves being seen of them 40 days and Speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God so so Jesus taught the

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Apostles how to understand the Old Testament and the application and the

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Connection between all that was written in the Old Testament Concerning him and what that has to do with the kingdom of God in other words

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Jesus taught them everything they needed to pass on So that we 2 ,000 years later

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Could know Christ Could know God's will could know

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God's Word this commitment to learning is

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Still necessary today But listen, for example to some of Paul's exhortations to his protege

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Timothy and then also to Titus in 1st Timothy 4 verse 6 He says to Timothy if you put these put these things before the brothers

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You will be a good servant of Christ Jesus being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine

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You have followed what's what's Paul telling Timothy he needs to do He needs to take this truth this doctrine these words that he's been trained in He needs to take that and communicate it to his church in Ephesus Verse 12 verse 11.

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He says command and teach these things in verse 13 He says until I come devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture to exhortation

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To teaching in verse 16. He tells Timothy keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching persist in this for by doing so you will save both yourself and your hearers and In his second letter to Timothy in chapter 4 verses 1 & 2

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Paul tells Timothy He tells him I charge you in the presence of God and of the

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Lord Jesus Christ Who is to judge the living and the dead and by his appearing in his kingdom preach the word?

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be ready in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with complete patience and teaching and To Titus in chapter 1 verse 9.

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He tells Titus that the the elders that are to be appointed in each of the churches in Crete He says that he must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught

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So that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to repute to rebuke those who contradict it

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So so what was going on in Acts 2 verse 42 with these? These early church believers these first 3 ,000 souls that that came to Christ on that day of Pentecost as they faithfully devoted themselves to learning

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Still is required. It's necessary of the church of the 21st century

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God's people need to be faithfully devoting themselves to learning

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This is the foundation The reason why it is so important,

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I believe for the church to him to embrace a diet of expository preaching and teaching through the

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Bible and not the the whim of the

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Flighty fancy of the preacher. We need to be faithfully devoted to learning

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They were also faithfully devoted to fellowship back in our text in Acts 2 verse 42 they continued steadfastly in the

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Apostles doctrine and fellowship and fellowship that word fellowship

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Some some of you would would recognize the Greek word. It's the word koinonia and It means simply sharing sharing

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In his study Bible John MacArthur has a note on this and he says this This is you know, he says reflecting our partnership with Christ our sharing of him

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Believers are to be partners with and share in the lives of other believers.

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This is what fellowship is Partnering with and sharing in the life of other believers so now now think about that though if that's what is involved in fellowship partnering with and sharing in the lives of other believers

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Can that really happen? when When believers are not committed to a local church body

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When you know, they they, you know, they're kind of like Smorgasbord Christians, you know go to this church one

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Sunday go to this church another Sunday come to church this week Maybe come to church next week or not, you know

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Just kind of take it or leave it Depending on how I feel when I get up in the morning and so on and so over then

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I come and I sit and I Listen and I go is that fellowship is that partnering with?

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fellow believers I Don't think so. I don't think so It means to share what

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God is doing in our lives with others It means to share what

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God is teaching us even how God is trying us testing us how he is comforting and Encouraging us because in those ways as we share in as we fellowship

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We minister to one another Faithfully committed to learning faithfully committed to fellowship.

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They were also faithfully committed to the ordinances the breaking of bread verse 42 says

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It's pretty much universally agreed among among the commentators that this is a reference to the

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Lord's table Why should we be committed to the commemorating together publicly the

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Lord's table well turn with me to 1st Corinthians chapter 11 1st

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Corinthians chapter 11 and Notice Paul's teaching on the

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Lord's table the Lord's Supper his One of his major points would be that this is not simply an empty religious ritual

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It's not something you can simply take it or leave it and danks No, it makes no big difference if you happen to miss communion

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Sunday, if you will Look at what look what he says in verses 26 through 29 He says for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup

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You do show the Lord's death you communicate you preach you're sharing forth the

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Lord's death and you're doing this till he come Wherefore he goes on to say Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the

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Lord in an unworthy manner Shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

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So you got to take this seriously he says but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup for he that eateth and Drinketh in an unworthy manner eateth and drinketh damnation or judgment to himself not discerning the

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Lord's body Now, why is it that that God's people who comprise a good local church?

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Will be faithfully committed to the ordinance of the Lord's Supper of communion the

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Lord's table. However, you want to describe it. Why? because Because it allows it affords opportunity for regular reflection on the work of Christ Showing the

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Lord's death there is there is grace and value to reflect on What Christ has done for me in giving his body to be broken and his blood to be shed

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It also affords a very practical way in which we can engage in introspection regarding our own walk

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Tomorrow is the Lord's Supper. We could say today next Sunday is the Lord's Supper so Saturday night

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It might be profitable to take a few minutes before you drift off to sleep and say tomorrow is the

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Lord's Supper Will I be partaking of the Lord's table in a worthy manner?

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Am I engaged in? practicing ongoing sin, well,

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I Will I be going to the Lord's table in the right frame of mind in the right frame of spirit?

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and Then it allows us to regularly Anticipate to think about to realize. Hey, the

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Lord's coming again. We're we're planning We're planning to have the

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Lord's table next Sunday It may not happen The Lord may come

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Even so come Lord Jesus, right? but when we do gather together next Sunday Lord willing and You walk in the door and those little elements or the little cups there and by the way

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Full confession. I don't like those. I'm sure you probably don't either those I've seen so many criticisms of those little wafers.

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It tastes like Paper I mean, it's just it's nasty stuff. He is putting in it just dissolves.

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I get that. I understand that I'm not I'm not partaking of that because of the flavor.

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I'm not partaking of it because it appeals to my palate I'm I'm partaking of that because it reminds me of the

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Lord's body and As hard as it might be to get that little tab off and you know drink that little bit of juice

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As inconvenient as that little convenient thing might happen to be it reminds me of my

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Savior's blood but only temporarily I'm only gonna do that until he comes until he comes you see and and and engaging in this and being faithfully committed to the ordinance of the

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Lord's table Allows for these regular these regular activities of reflection and introspection and anticipation

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And then they were faithfully committed to prayer In our text in Acts 2 42.

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The word is literally the prayers. There's a definite article in front of that They were committed to the prayers the prayers the regular times of prayer now again admittedly for this

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Jewish congregation that looked differently from what it might for us Gentiles and 2 ,000 years later there were

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Scheduled daily times of prayer and they would meet at the temple for some of these times of prayer In fact in the next chapter next verse.

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Well, not the next verse next chapter first verse Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer

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Why did they do that? Because the believers were faithfully committed to the prayers to the regular times of prayer for us it might mean being committed to the

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Prayer time in our worship services to the regular meetings of prayer like the

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Wednesday night times of prayer and the men's prayer breakfast and so forth and then the the and I intend to Reinstate next

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Lord's Day at 915 in the morning before Sunday school the men's prayer meeting where you know everybody wants to get together meet in a room and you know in a circle and take a few minutes to pray for the

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Lord's Day and The preaching of the word to regular times of prayer Committed to the prayers

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But just to the faithful practice of prayer as well, I believe Because if you skim through the book of Acts or do a search in your

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Bible software if you have that For the word prayer or praying in the book of Acts, you'll find it page after page

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People made an emphasis on prayer So the church talking about the basic character of the church

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The church is made up of people who meet basic spiritual requirements Who make basic spiritual commitments and then exhibit basic spiritual qualities

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Basic spiritual qualities verses 43 through 47. What are those qualities?

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Well, one of them is a profound reverence for God See this in verse 3 fear came upon every soul

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Fear came upon every soul Not not the servile fear not the kind of fear that Jerry Nadler ought to have

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After his comments about being totally unconcerned about the will of God No, not not the servile kind of fear where we're constantly looking over our shoulders

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Waiting for God in his divine baseball bat to whack us one but rather an awe of God a respect of God a

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Wonder and reverence for God. It's it's a kind of response that you see

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Reflected in Psalm 8 and verses 3 and 4. I think we're gonna sing this this afternoon

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Where the psalmist writes when I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained

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He's out there looking at the sky at night Did you see the moon rise last night?

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Wasn't it fantastic? Wasn't it awe Inspiring the psalmist says when

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I look and I see these things the moon and the stars which you have ordained What am I?

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What is man that you are mindful of me the son of man that you visit him?

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This is fear. This is the fear of God. This is a reverence. This is an awe of God What am

01:00:15

I that you? Would take thought of me and develop a profound reverence for God and Then in the exhibit in these spiritual qualities a healthy respect for God's servants

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I see this at the end of verse 43 where it says fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the

01:00:40

Apostles and The and the idea is this Why did the Apostles why were the

01:00:46

Apostles granted the ability to do these signs and wonders Well, I think for the same reason that Jesus was back in verse 22

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Peter says you men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved by God Among you how how is

01:01:08

Christ? validated Before them by the miracles and wonders and signs, which

01:01:15

God did in the midst of them All right. So so what's going on here? Is that God also gave the ability of performing signs and wonders

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Through these Apostles for the same reason so that their authority might be understood

01:01:31

It might be recognized. It might be accepted and they might be listened to They would have a that there would be a healthy respect for these men who functioned as Apostles and so what does that have to do with the 21st century?

01:01:45

There aren't any Apostles anymore and there is there is no apostolic succession absolutely and yet first Thessalonians 5 verses 12 and 13

01:01:56

Paul writing to the church at Thessalonica. He's not talking about Apostles, but he says this he says we ask you brothers to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the

01:02:07

Lord and admonish you and to esteem them and very highly in love because of the work so this is still something that that the people who comprise

01:02:19

The church that Christ is building in a local community they will have a healthy respect for God's servants and Then another quality that comes out in this passage in verses 44 through 46 is that there will be a genuine relationship encouraged among God's people genuine relationship

01:02:43

One that is a relationships that are so strong That that the people share with one another sharing their resources

01:02:53

Verses 45 all that believed were together and they had all things common They sold possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every head every man had need

01:03:02

By the way, this is not talking about communism You go on in the path and in the book of Acts and you see people had their possessions

01:03:11

They had possessions they had homes and so on and so forth. Well, this is talking about is seeing a need in the congregation and Seeing that I have the ability to meet that need even if it means selling some of my stuff that I don't need anymore

01:03:27

So that I can supply the need of this person that I will gladly do it This was their mindset the sharing of resources, which also indicates by the way, doesn't it a compassionate mindset

01:03:40

Sharing the resources sharing their time good verse 46 Verse 46 says and they continuing daily with one accord in the temple

01:03:55

Sharing their time together gathering together Gathering together as God's people

01:04:04

Gathering together in sharing their time. I Think that's an important emphasis to make in these days of COVID restrictions and all the rest of that Not long ago

01:04:20

Alistair Begg who is the preacher and the he's a pastor at Parkside Church in outside of Cleveland also has the truth for life radio ministry and YouTube and all that stuff, you know broadcasting their services after kovat hit

01:04:38

They started broadcasting or live -streaming their Sunday service from Parkside on the truth for life

01:04:47

Website But he recently stopped doing that and here's here's why he said that here's why he stopped doing it

01:04:53

He says this he said my concern is with those who are forsaking their local gathering for the comfortable option of the spiritual equivalent of door dash and uber eats

01:05:04

These unusual days provide us with an opportunity to examine what we understand and believe about the local church

01:05:11

The English word church translates the Greek word ecclesia, which means the called -out together

01:05:18

He said goes on to say sometimes in our communion service We remind ourselves of the wonder of having been given new life in Jesus and having been made members of God's family

01:05:27

We sing we're the people of God called by his name called from the dark and delivered from shame

01:05:33

One holy race Saints everyone because of the blood of Christ the Son None of our natural families are perfect But they are where we belong and where we should want to be

01:05:47

Zoom calls with my son daughter -in -law and new grandson are fine, but a poor substitute for being in each other's company

01:05:54

We should feel the same way about our church families We have yet to see what things will look like when everything returns to normal will there be a risk will there be a resurgence of commitment to the gathering of God's people or Will the kovat habits have taken hold?

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he exhorts moms and dads must take the lead and seeing that their children are learning the importance of our gatherings by resisting the temptation to drift into a settled pattern of individualized religion

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We would be well he says to remember the words from Hebrews 10 24 and 25 Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works not neglecting to meet together as the habit of some

01:06:39

But encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day Approaching the church is to gather it is to gather and in so doing that that Encourages a genuine relationship as the gathered church shares resources

01:06:57

It shares time and it shares its purpose they gathered daily in with one accord with one accord and They also shared table

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See this as we continue they continued breaking bread from house to house

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People gathered together God's people that made up this church They gathered together in their different homes and and they shared meals together

01:07:26

They spent time together They engaged in genuine relationship with one another and then another

01:07:36

Another spiritual quality that comes out in verses 46 and 47 is is it expressing a joyful reflection of God's grace a

01:07:47

Joyful reflection of God's grace See this in verse 46 the end of the verse

01:07:53

They did eat their food with gladness and singleness of heart praising

01:07:59

God and Having favor with a people praising

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God gladness intense joy exuberant joy

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It's on the basis of this that a few years ago and I did this series on the church's faith

01:08:19

Baptist values vision and vocation one of the aspects of the vision

01:08:25

That we should have for our church. Is it to be a positive ministry and I put it this way we aim to gather with enthusiastic expectation to serve with Enthusiastic participation and to join together in enthusiastic

01:08:45

Identification why that emphasis on? Enthusiastic and positive because these people that began the church in the very founding of the church they exhibited this quality of Joyfulness joyfully reflecting the grace of God in their lives the basic Character of the church.

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It's made up number one made up of people number two meets basic These people meet basic spiritual requirements number three

01:09:20

They make basic spiritual commitments number four they exhibit basic spiritual qualities and lastly here in verse 46 and verse 47 they seek to foster a spiritual impact

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Says they were having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved

01:09:48

Seek to foster a spiritual impact. How so? by possessing a certain attractiveness

01:09:57

Not a now listen not a watering down of truth

01:10:03

So that it will be acceptable and liked by everybody no but having a demeanor having a having a way of life

01:10:14

That is in itself attractive We can and must hold the truth, but we don't have to be grouches and Gripey and we don't have to be the kind of people that are always angry and expressing hostility

01:10:36

Who's attracted to that Who finds that to be a favorable?

01:10:42

demeanor nobody yet Here are these folks in Jerusalem who are encountering people who were actively crucifying

01:10:53

Christ and hated him and yet The believers that were added to the church

01:11:00

They they had to admit Those are good people They were good people.

01:11:06

They had an attractive quality about them and then that church ends up being an attractive appropriate destination for the converted

01:11:16

The Lord added to that church daily such as should be saved

01:11:23

All right. Now look, here's the thing There can be all kinds of things that a church can do

01:11:30

Some of them may be fine But these are basic and essential

01:11:37

The members of an axe to church they meet basic spiritual requirements they make spiritual commitments

01:11:45

They exhibit spiritual qualities. They seek to foster a spiritual impact

01:11:54

Wouldn't you want to be a part of a church like that? If you're a member of this church

01:12:00

One thing for us each to consider and ask ourselves as I'm Is is this am

01:12:07

I am I helping my local church? Be that kind of a church the kind of a church where?

01:12:14

Followers of Jesus would want to join our

01:12:20

Father and our God May we ponder this? May we think on this? Maybe some here today who?

01:12:28

Who who need to become? People of God meeting those two basic spiritual requirements

01:12:37

They need to put their faith and trust in Jesus as their Savior. Oh Lord. I pray work in their hearts even now

01:12:45

Bring to their mind who Jesus is bring to their mind their own guilt And their sin of which they need to repent and turn to him for salvation and may they do so even today

01:12:56

Father the others need to follow the Lord and believers baptism

01:13:03

Made a profession of faith Said they are following Christ Need to make that public commitment public testimony

01:13:12

Father I pray I pray that we who are members of this local church

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Would be the kind of people that comprise the kind of church That followers of Jesus would want to join

01:13:27

May we be that church? We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

01:13:34

Just take your hymnals and turn to number 369 369

01:13:49

I want to sing the first and the last stanzas of living for Jesus 369 verses 1 and 4 first and last stanzas.

01:13:59

Let's stand together as we sing. Shall we? Three sixty nine living for Jesus a life that is true

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Striving to please him in all that I do

01:14:33

Yielding Allegiance And free

01:14:42

Is the pathway Blessing for me.

01:14:49

Oh Jesus Lord and Savior I give myself

01:14:55

In thine atonement

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This give thyself for me I own no other master my heart

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Shall be thy throne My life I give henceforth to live

01:15:20

Oh Christ for thee alone And the last living for Jesus through earth's little

01:15:34

My dearest treasure the light of his smile

01:15:45

The lost ones he died to redeem

01:15:52

Bring the weary to find rest in him.

01:16:01

Oh Jesus Lord and Savior I give myself to thee for thou in thine atonement

01:16:14

I sell for me. I own no other master my

01:16:22

Shall be thy throne My life

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I give henceforth to live. Oh Christ for thee

01:16:35

Alone And I hope you'll be able to stay and fellowship with It's over some lunch together and then join again at one o 'clock for the afternoon service

01:16:50

And now may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all

01:16:56

So that he may establish your hearts blameless and holiness before our

01:17:01

God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints and It is in Christ's name we pray.