Joyful Prayer

[0:00] So, Philippians chapter 1, Paul's letter to the Philippians, chapter 1, and we're reading from the beginning. Let us hear the word of God.

[0:18] Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

[0:32] I thank my God in all remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine, for you all making my prayer with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

[0:45] And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all because I hold you in my heart.

[0:59] For you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and the defence and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you with all the affection of Christ Jesus.

[1:11] And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

[1:35] And so on, may the Lord bless that reading of his own holy word. Now it's often said that you should never judge a book by its cover.

[1:48] And of course that's because you can never go on face value. The exterior of a book can be very different to the interior of a book. The cover can be very different to the contents.

[2:02] And that's certainly true of the Bible. The cover on most Bibles, like this one, it's black. But we would all say that the contents of the Bible is anything but black. Because as we all know, the Bible is full of light, it's full of direction, it's full of help, and it's full of hope.

[2:19] You should never judge a book by its cover. Now I say this because in order to prepare for our study in Paul's letter to the Philippians, I bought a commentary on Philippians.

[2:30] And I have to say, it has the best front cover that I've ever seen. Because on the front cover, instead of this nice picture to look at, you're given the promise of the book.

[2:42] And you can see there's lots and lots of writing on it. And what the promise of the book says, it says to the reader, This is for you to read, gazing at the joy of gospel faith. This is for you to feed, helping you meditate on God's word day by day.

[2:57] This is for you to lead, equipping you to teach the Bible to others. This is Philippians for you. And you know, it's a great promise.

[3:07] And having read some of the book, it's true to its promise. But you know, I was thinking that although we should never judge a book by its cover, we should judge Paul's letter to the Philippians by this cover.

[3:22] We should judge Paul's letter to the Philippians by this cover. Because the promise of Paul's letter to the Philippians, I want to say that it's the same promise that's written on the front of this commentary.

[3:33] This is for you to read, gazing at the joy of gospel faith. This is for you to feed, helping you meditate on God's word day by day.

[3:47] Philippians is for you to lead, equipping you to teach the Bible to others. This is Philippians for you. And you know, that's what I'd like us to see as we begin our study in this letter.

[4:00] That Philippians, the letter of Philippians, it's all about having joy in the gospel. And this letter, it's for us to read, feed, and lead.

[4:13] The letter is for us to read, feed, and lead. Now last week we set this letter in its context. And we reminded ourselves of how Paul came to know the Philippians.

[4:25] And we considered the providence of Philippi. How Paul ended up in Philippi. He ended up in Philippi because of a division. A division with Barnabas and Adrin.

[4:36] The man who called him over to Macedonia. And then we also considered the people in Philippi. And that Philippi was a wealthy place. But it's also a worldly place.

[4:48] And then we considered the purpose for Philippi. That living in a wealthy and a worldly place, there are many temptations to try and find joy in all these things. And sadly, the Christian church in Philippi was not immune.

[5:02] And only ten years after planting the church in Philippi, Paul wrote this letter to remind the Philippians and to remind us that through lasting Christian joy, it doesn't come from wealth or from the world.

[5:18] Because through lasting Christian joy can only be found in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And as we said, the letter to the Philippians, it's all about having joy in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[5:33] And as one who planted the church in Philippi, you could say that Paul, he felt responsible for the spiritual welfare of this congregation. In fact, you could say that as a minister of God's word, Paul had such a deep love and a deep affection for the Philippians.

[5:54] Which is why he wrote this letter. To teach them and to encourage them in their faith. And you know, that's what we see in the opening verses of this chapter. Paul gives to us an insight into his pastor's heart.

[6:08] And he gives us an insight into the love that he had towards the Philippians. And in these opening verses, Paul reminds the Philippians of three things.

[6:19] So three headings this evening. Gospel partnership, good progress, and genuine prayer. Paul reminds the Philippians of three things. Gospel partnership, good progress, and genuine prayer.

[6:35] So if we look first of all at gospel partnership. Gospel partnership. Look again at verse three. Paul says, And so as Paul writes this letter to the Philippians.

[7:00] He is imprisoned in Rome. Chained to a Roman soldier. And he's nearly 800 miles away. And yet Paul begins this letter by expressing to this congregation his pastor's heart.

[7:15] And Paul says that he has a thankful heart. Paul is thankful to God for the Philippians. And for their Christian witness. But what's remarkable is that having planted the church in Philippi just 10 years earlier.

[7:30] Paul never forgot the people of Philippi. And I'm sure the Philippians never forgot Paul either. Because his preaching changed their life.

[7:41] And you know when you read the opening verses of this letter. You can see very clearly that it's a letter filled with love and emotion. Paul is in prison. He's awaiting death.

[7:52] He has this death sentence upon his life. And yet he has this deep love and compassion towards the people in Philippi. There's this special pastoral bond you could say.

[8:04] Between him as the minister. And them as his congregation. And there's no doubt that from Paul's words here. That he loved the Philippians.

[8:15] And that wherever he went preaching the gospel. He never forgot them. He always remembered them. And I'm sure they always remembered him. And they remembered him because it was Paul who spoke to them about their soul.

[8:29] It was Paul who introduced them to Jesus. It was Paul who preached to them. And discipled them. And loved them with the gospel. And because of this there was this ever increasing pastoral bond.

[8:43] Between both pastor and congregation. And you know speaking from a personal experience. There's nothing like the pastoral bond. There's nothing like the pastoral bond. Between a pastor and a congregation.

[8:56] To love the people that the Lord has given to you. And to pray for them. And visit them. And speak to them about their soul. And their need of Jesus. There's nothing like it.

[9:08] And you know thinking about the situation in Philippi. I'm sure that Lydia loved the pastor who spoke to her about her soul. And introduced her to Jesus.

[9:19] I'm sure the same was true of the demon possessed girl. Who was freed from her bondage. I'm sure the local jailer could also say that. It was Paul who spoke to me.

[9:30] And told me not to harm myself. But to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And I would be saved. And you know there was this indescribable love. Between both pastor and congregation.

[9:42] And it's because he loved the Philippians. That Paul says he's continually praying for them. He says in verse 3. I thank my God in all remembrance of you.

[9:53] Always in every prayer of mine for you all. Making my prayer with joy. And you know what's so beautiful about these words. Is that Paul says it wasn't a burden.

[10:05] To pray for the Philippians. It wasn't a hassle. It didn't cause them stress. Or worry. No Paul says to the Philippians. It's a joy to pray for you.

[10:16] It's a joy to bring you to the throne of grace. It's a joy to take you to the Lord in prayer. It's a joy to intercede on your behalf. And you know we'll see later on in verses 9 to 11.

[10:29] We'll see what Paul prays for. For the Philippians. But what's so beautiful here is that. Paul prays for the Philippians. And he prays for their situation. And for their circumstances.

[10:40] And he prays for them with joy. Despite his situation. And his circumstances. Because. Say if you read this letter.

[10:52] Without knowing its context. You would never think that Paul is in prison. You would never think that he's chained to a soldier. You'd never think that he's waiting to be put to death. You'd never think that Paul is on death row.

[11:05] As he writes this letter. And yet Paul says that it's a joy. To pray for this congregation in Philippi. Because. And he says it's a joy. Because he's not looking at his own circumstances.

[11:17] He's looking to his saviour. And we'll see that as we go through this letter. He says. For to me to live is Christ. To die is gain. And you know. Paul is a great example of what it means.

[11:29] To have this. Through Christian joy. Because through Christian joy. It's not dependent upon our circumstances. Through Christian joy. It's a deep confidence.

[11:41] That regardless of circumstances. You are continually looking. To the saviour. One commentator put it like this. He said.

[11:51] It doesn't matter what. Difficulty. Pain. Disappointment. Failure. Rejection. Or challenge that you face. Your true Christian joy remains. Because your eternal well-being.

[12:04] Is established by God's grace. In salvation. And that's the joy that flooded Paul's heart. He sat in a prison in Rome.

[12:16] Writing this letter. And Paul. He's thankful. And he's joyful. That he's just able to pray for the Philippians. But you know. He's also thankful that he's able to share this joy with the Philippians.

[12:30] In verse 5. Paul says that he's thankful to God for their gospel partnership. Paul rejoices because of his partnership in the gospel with the Philippians.

[12:40] And this word that he uses in verse 5. This word partnership. It means to share. Or to have fellowship. And Paul he's so thankful to God that he's able to have fellowship with the Philippians.

[12:55] But when they had fellowship with one another. It wasn't a fellowship where you're talking about the finer points of theology. And getting nowhere. No for Paul.

[13:07] Partnership in the gospel. Fellowship in the gospel. It was all about sharing your Christian joy in the gospel. He's talking about the joy that they had in their salvation.

[13:20] That they're having fellowship. Because of their joy in the gospel. They're sharing about how the gospel was shaping their lives. They shared with their pastor about the things that were affecting them.

[13:33] And challenging their Christianity on a day to day basis. They discussed openly and honestly about their worries. Their doubts. Their struggles. Their temptations. That was their fellowship with one another.

[13:47] And they had fellowship also with their pastor. And because they shared with Paul. And opened up to him. And let him into their homes. And into their families. And into their hearts.

[13:59] Their love for one another had deepened. And their joy in the Lord increased. And you know my friend. That's what gospel partnership is all about.

[14:11] That's what true Christian fellowship is. It's about sharing our joy in the Lord. And sharing our joy in his salvation.

[14:22] And he thanks them for their gospel partnership. And so that's the first thing Paul speaks about. He speaks about gospel partnership. Then he speaks about good progress.

[14:34] Good progress. Look at verse 6. He says. And I am sure of this. That he who began a good work in you. Will bring it to completion.

[14:46] At the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all. Because I hold you in my heart. For you are all partakers with me of grace. Both in my imprisonment.

[14:57] And in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness. How I yearn for you. With all the affection. Of Christ Jesus. And so as Paul continues.

[15:10] In the opening verses of his letter. He gives to us. Further expressions of his pastor's heart. And his. And the love. And the care. And the compassion that he has.

[15:21] Towards the congregation. In Philippi. And you know Paul's language. It's so gentle. So compassionate. So loving. He uses phrases like.

[15:32] I hold you in my heart. I hold you dear to my heart. He's saying. You're precious to me. But more than that. He says in verse 8. I yearn for you all.

[15:43] With the affection. Of Christ Jesus. If you're using the organized version. You'll see that it says. I long after you. In the bowels of Jesus Christ.

[15:55] And that's a literal. Translation of the word. Affection. It's the word. Bowels. Or intestines. Which is a very graphic. Expression of love. Because what Paul is saying.

[16:07] Is that. He says that he's full of love. And affection. Towards the Philippians. And he says. He loves them so much. And he cares for them. So deeply. And he has such a genuine.

[16:18] Concern for them. That he says. He's almost. Bursting with joy. And love for them. And you know. What's so lovely about all this. Is that Paul. He isn't ashamed of his feelings.

[16:29] He isn't ashamed to tell the people of Philippi. How he feels about them. He doesn't want to hide it from them. And keep them. At arm's length. And at a distance from him. No.

[16:40] Paul says. As he says in verse 7. It's right for me to feel this way about you all. Because I hold you in my heart. For you are all partakers with me of grace. Both in my imprisonment.

[16:52] And the defense and confirmation. Of the gospel. Paul has such a love. And an affection. For the congregation of Philippi. That he has them in his heart.

[17:04] And it's all because. They are partakers with him. In the gospel. Which means that they are partners. In the gospel. They're standing together.

[17:16] For the gospel. Even though they're 800 miles apart. Paul is in prison. And they are in this. Wealthy and worldly. City of Philippi. Even though they're separated.

[17:27] From one another. He says they are still standing together. In Christ. They are partakers of the gospel. They are partners. In the gospel. They're standing together.

[17:38] In Christ. And they're standing together. In the name of Christ. By the grace of Christ. For the cause of Christ. Christ. And you know. It's because of their union.

[17:49] With Christ. That Paul rejoices. Because even though he's. In a Roman prison. He says here. He's still part of the church. Of Jesus Christ.

[18:00] He's still part of the. The work of the gospel. In Philippi. He's still in the Lord's army. And he rejoices. To stand side by side.

[18:10] With these. Philippians. And you know. Paul's words here. They should be a reminder to us. That. We may be far. Away from. People geographically.

[18:21] Far away from. Missionaries. And ministers. Geographically. And they're spread across the world. But what's wonderful. And what Paul is reminding us here. Is that we have a union with Christ.

[18:33] That knows no boundaries. And it knows no restrictions. And our union with Christ. And our union with these. Other Christians. And these other ministers.

[18:43] And missionaries. It should remind us. That we're part of this. Worldwide. Church of Christ. And because we're part of it. We have a responsibility. To encourage.

[18:55] And to support others. In the work of the gospel. And that's what Paul is doing here. He smiles away. But yet he's encouraging. And supporting the Philippines.

[19:06] In the work of the gospel. And you know. It's because of. This heartfelt love. That joy. That Paul had. This heartfelt. Love and joy.

[19:17] That Paul had. For the Philippines. And because he's so thankful. For them. And their partnership. In the gospel. It's because of all this. That he says. That he has confidence.

[19:27] In them. He says in verse 6. I am sure of this. Or I am confident. In this. That he who began. A good work. In you.

[19:38] Will bring it. To completion. At the day. Of Jesus Christ. Paul is confident. That the Lord. Will finish. What he started.

[19:49] In Philippi. And you know. It's a great word. Of encouragement. To discouraged. Christians. Because as we said. Paul wanted the Philippians. To know.

[19:59] The joy of being a Christian. He wanted them. To rejoice. In their salvation. But you know. When I read these words. He who began a good work. In you.

[20:09] Will bring it on. To completion. When I read these words. I can't help. But thinking. About church. In Barvis. When you look.

[20:21] At the church. In Barvis. Tonight. It's surrounded. By scaffolding. There's scaffolding. All around. The front. And the sides. Of the church. From the ground. To the roof. And that's because.

[20:33] The church. The work on the church roof. Has begun. Well. Sort of. The work has begun. And it will go on. Until the roof is completed. And the scaffold. It will remain in place.

[20:44] Hopefully not too long. But it will remain in place. Until the work. Is done. And you know. That's what the Christian life is like. We are a work in progress.

[20:54] We are under construction. We are surrounded. By a spiritual scaffolding. And thankfully. The Lord has begun. That good work.

[21:05] In our lives. And he has promised. To finish. What he started. The Lord. Not Paul. Not any minister. But the Lord. Will continue.

[21:15] To work in our lives. Until we are complete. And you know. The language that Paul. Is actually using here. But it's expressive. Of the potter. And the clay.

[21:27] That when the Lord. Begins that good work. In the life. Of a believer. He will finish. What he starts. And you know. Let me make it personal. When the Lord.

[21:38] Took you into his hands. Like the clay. In the hands of a potter. When the Lord. First picked you up. You were so far removed. From what he had planned.

[21:49] For your life. And yet. When he found you. In all. The rawness. And very far away. From him. He drew you. To himself. And when the Lord. Began working.

[22:00] In your life. It was so personal. And so individual. To the point. That it was. Almost private. No one else knew. What was going on. In your heart. Because when the Lord.

[22:10] Was working. In your heart. Maybe through people. Or through providence. Or through. The preaching of the gospel. The Lord was speaking to you. The Lord was challenging you. And you knew. That the Lord. Was dealing with you.

[22:21] Personally. Just like a lump of clay. On the potter's wheel. But the wonder of it all. Is that. Whatever stage. You are now at. Today. The Lord is not finished.

[22:33] With you. He's not done. Working with you. He hasn't abandoned you. Because every day. The Lord is. Still cutting. He's still. Shaping.

[22:43] Still. Smoothing out. All the rough edges. Because. All the time. He has this. Design. In his mind's eye. And the Lord is creating. Something that is going to be.

[22:55] So beautiful. So magnificent. That only he can make it. Because. This is the wonderful thing. About the Lord. He is in the business. Of doing something wonderful.

[23:06] That will emerge. From his hand. And the wonder of it all. Is that. At the end of his. Creative process. We have this great promise. In the Bible. We will appear.

[23:18] And we will be like him. And you know. It's a great project. He has undertaken. You are. A great project. That from the moment. He began to work. In your life.

[23:29] Through all his. All your providences. Where this was your path. And this was. Your difficulty. And these were your tears. And this was. His plan. For your life. And yet the Lord.

[23:40] God knew. That it was not. What you chose. For yourself. That would make. The greatest impact. Upon your life. And upon your thinking. But what you didn't choose. For yourself.

[23:52] And you know my friend. When the Lord is finished. Working in your life. However he's going to work. In your life. He will produce. In you something. Remarkable.

[24:03] Because at the day. Of Christ Jesus. As Paul says. When Jesus returns. In all his glory. To call his. Beloved. People.

[24:13] Out of their graves. You have the assurance. That the Lord. Who began. That good work in you. Whenever it was. He will present you. Faultless.

[24:25] Before his glory. With exceeding. Joy. With exceeding. Joy. And you know. Paul is saying. To the Philippians.

[24:35] And he's saying. To us. That's where your joy. And that's where your confidence. Should come from. That's where your true. Christian joy.

[24:45] Should come from. Not from wealth. Not from the world. Not from religious works. But your joy. Should be in your salvation. Through Jesus Christ.

[24:56] Because you have this great promise. We have this great promise. That when the Lord begins. A good work. He will bring it on. To completion. And so in the opening verses.

[25:09] Of this letter. Paul speaks about. Gospel partnership. He speaks about. Good progress. But then lastly. He speaks about. Genuine prayer.

[25:20] Genuine prayer. He says in verse 9. And it is my prayer. That your love. May abound. More and more. God. With knowledge. And all discernment.

[25:32] So that you may approve. What is excellent. And so be pure. And blameless. For the day of Christ. Filled. With the fruit of righteousness. That comes through Jesus Christ. To the glory.

[25:44] And praise. Of God. And you know. As we've walked through. These opening verses. We've repeatedly seen. The love.

[25:54] And affection. That Paul has. For the Philippines. We've witnessed. The pastoral bond. That existed. That existed. Between Paul. And the congregation. In Philippi. Paul said to the Philippians.

[26:05] In verse 3. He said. I have you in my mind. I have you in my mind. I thank my God. In all remembrance. Of you. I have you in my mind.

[26:16] I'm always thinking about you. He says. I'm always concerned for you. I'm always thinking about. Your spiritual welfare. And your spiritual well-being. It doesn't matter. Where I go. What I'm doing. Where I'm preaching.

[26:27] You're always on my mind. But then he said. In verse 5. I have you in my heart. The pastoral bond. That goes deeper than the surface. He says. That he loves the Philippians.

[26:38] He cherishes them. He wants to take care of them. He wants to shepherd. The sheep. And take care of the lambs. He wants to feed them. And nourish them. And build them up. In their faith. So that they will.

[26:49] Stand strong. In the Lord. But you know. As Paul expresses. His pastor's heart. For the congregation. In Philippi. He not only says. I have you in my mind.

[26:59] And I have you in my heart. He also says. In these verses. Verses 9 to 11. I have you in my prayer. I have you in my prayer. And what Paul prays for.

[27:12] The congregation in Philippi. What he prays for. Is that they will love. One another. And you know. It's so fitting. With what Paul. Has been saying about.

[27:24] His love. For the Philippians. Paul has repeatedly expressed. His pastor's heart. That he's full. He's bursting with love. And care. And compassion. And affection.

[27:35] Towards his congregation. But now Paul prays. That as a congregation. And as a community. They would love. One another. He says in verse 9.

[27:46] It is my prayer. It is my. Genuine. Heartfelt prayer. That your love. May abound. More and more. And you know. Paul's prayer.

[27:58] Is that the Philippians. Love for one another. Will deepen. As their love for God. Deepens. Because the more they love God. The more they will love one another.

[28:09] The more they love God. The more they will love one another. And you know. Jesus. He affirmed this teaching. He said. When he said. That the greatest commandment.

[28:20] Is to love the Lord your God. With all your heart. All your mind. All your soul. And all your strength. So we're to love God. With our entire being. And when we do that.

[28:30] We keep the greatest commandment. And when we keep the greatest commandment. Jesus says. We're able to keep the second. Greatest commandment. Which is to love your neighbor. As yourself.

[28:41] And what Jesus taught. And what Paul is emphasizing here. Is that loving God. Will result in loving others. Loving God.

[28:52] Will result. In loving others. The more we love God. The more we will love others. It's cause and effect. But do you remember. What Jesus.

[29:03] Said to the disciples. In the upper room. He said to them. A new commandment. I give to you. That you love one another. As I have loved you.

[29:15] You love one another. As I have loved you. Which means that Jesus. Doesn't just ask us. To love our neighbor. As ourselves. Jesus asks us.

[29:27] To love our neighbor. As he loves us. Which means that. We are to love the people. In our congregation. And the people. In our community.

[29:38] Just like Jesus. Loves. Us. And Jesus. Says about his own love. Greater love. Has. No man than this.

[29:49] That a man lay down his life. For his friends. You are my friends. If you do whatsoever. I command you. And so we are to love the people. In our congregation. And in our community.

[30:01] Just like Jesus. Loves. Us. And you know. It's no wonder. Jesus went on to say. By this. All people will know. That you are my disciples.

[30:13] If you have love. For one another. So Jesus says. That the world will know. That. That. We belong to Jesus. Or we belong to him.

[30:24] If. We love our congregation. And we love our community. And we love them. With the love of Jesus. And as we all know. The love of Jesus.

[30:34] Jesus. It knows no boundaries. It has no restrictions. No preferences. Doesn't matter. The gender. Or their social status.

[30:44] Or whoever they are. The love of Jesus. Was always shown. To all people. And Paul's genuine prayer. Here for. The Philippians. Is that. They will love their congregation.

[30:57] And that they will love their community. Just like Jesus loved them. And you know. It's no wonder. When Paul reminded. The Corinthians. That faith. Hope.

[31:07] And love abide. But the greatest of them. Is love. It's no wonder. Paul stressed. That if we don't have love. What are we? We're just a sounding brass.

[31:18] A tinkling cymbal. We're just a noise. In other words. We're all talk. And no action. But Paul's prayer here.

[31:30] Is that the church. Will not be. Superficial. That they'll not present. This facade. Of loving one another. On a Sunday. And then. Being someone else. To them on a Monday.

[31:41] No. Paul's genuine. Heartfelt prayer. Is that the church. Will abound. More and more. In their love. For their congregation. And their love.

[31:51] For their community. And that our love. Will be filled. As he says himself. With the knowledge of Christ. And the discernment. Of God's wisdom.

[32:03] There will be a love. He says. That's pure. Sincere. And consistent. With our Christian character. Our Christian conduct. And our Christian conversation.

[32:15] And he says. That we are to possess. All these things. So that we may be filled. With the fruit of righteousness. Not the fruit of self-righteousness. But the fruit of righteousness. That only comes through.

[32:26] Jesus Christ. And that our lives. And that our love. For both. Congregation. And community. They would be. As Paul says. To the glory.

[32:37] And praise. Of God. My friend. It's a. This is a genuine prayer. And as one commentator said. Actually.

[32:48] From this book. Steve Lawson. He said. The greatest petition. We can bring before God. On behalf of others. Is that their love. For him. And for others.

[33:00] Would deepen. Because when the love. Of the brethren. Grows. The church. Is most. Like heaven. And it becomes. Attractive.

[33:12] To the world. And you know. It's a great challenge. But it should also. Be our prayer. That we would love. One another.

[33:22] We would love the people. In our congregation. And we would love the people. In our community. And we would love them. Like Jesus. Loved us.

[33:34] And we need not be reminded. That Jesus loved us. And gave himself. For us. And so as their pastor.

[33:45] Paul. Reminded the Philippians. In these opening verses. Of three things. Gospel partnership. Good progress. And genuine prayer.

[33:57] And may the Lord bless. These thoughts to us. Let us pray. O Lord. Our gracious God. We give thanks to thee. For thy word.

[34:08] That thy word. Is so precious. To us. That we would. Describe it as. Yea more than gold. Yea much. Fine gold. And Lord. Help us.

[34:19] We pray. To. To sift it out. And to be refined. By it. To know how beautiful. Thy word is. And how it conforms us. And shapes us. More and more.

[34:30] Into the image. Of thy dear son. And we pray. That as we look. Into the mirror. Of thy word. This evening. That we would see. Jesus in it. But that we would see. The desire. To be more like him.

[34:41] That we would possess. That desire. To love. Our congregation. And to love. Our community. With the love. That Jesus has for us. Help us Lord.

[34:51] We pray. To be faithful. Help us. To be consistent witnesses. Help us. To serve thee Lord. In every way. That we can. For thy glory. And for thy praise. To give everything.

[35:02] To thee. And to be like. The psalmist. Who said. That it is not unto us Lord. Not to us. But do thou glory take. All continue with us Lord. We pray.

[35:13] Bless the family. That meets this evening. As we meet with them. Around thy word. We pray that thy word. Would be a comfort. To them. To remind them. And you. Of the hope. That we have.

[35:24] In and through thy son. Jesus. Continue with us. Then we pray. Take away our iniquity. And receive us graciously. For Jesus sake. Amen. We're going to bring our service.

[35:39] To a conclusion. By singing the words of. Psalm 106. Psalm 106. It's page 378. In the Scottish Psalter.

[35:54] We're singing from the beginning. Down. To the verse marked five. Psalm 106. From the beginning. Give praise and thanks unto the Lord.

[36:04] For bountiful is he. His tender mercy doth endure. Unto eternity. God's mighty works. God's mighty works. Who can express. Or show forth all his praise. Blessed are they that judgment keep.

[36:16] And justly do always. Down to the verse marked five. Of Psalm 106. To God's praise. God's praise. Amen. Amen. Amen. Give praise and thanks unto the Lord.

[36:32] For bountiful is he. His tender mercy. His tender mercy doth endure.

[36:45] God's tender mercy. And justly do always. The Lord. God's mighty works. God's mighty works. God's mighty works.

[36:58] Who can express. Or show forth all his praise. Blessed are they, God, judgment ye unjustly do always.

[37:23] Remember me, Lord, with that love which the to thine dost bear.

[37:39] With thy salvation, O my God, to this city draw near.

[37:54] God, I thy chosen's good may see, and in their joy rejoice.

[38:10] And with thine inheritance triumph with cheerful voice.

[38:27] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forevermore. Amen.