The Grace of Waiting: Dying to Self to Live in Christ

• The Sovereignty of God [00:36:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that God's sovereignty is absolute ('black and white'), not partial, and that all good works are manifestations of His design and power, not human accomplishment.
• Sanctification as a Process [00:39:53 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the misconception of instant perfection with the biblical reality of gradual sanctification, using the analogy of Christ's slow death on the cross to illustrate the 'dying to self' process.
• Faith and Doubt [00:30:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the disciples' fear and lack of faith despite Jesus' promises, drawing a parallel to modern believers who often doubt God's promises and take His blessings for granted.
• Pentecost and the Holy Spirit [00:29:55 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains the liturgical timing of 'Waiting Sunday' between Ascension and Pentecost, highlighting the descent of the Holy Spirit as the fulfillment of Christ's promise.
• Sanctification and Baptism [00:40:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor debunks the idea that baptism instantly makes one perfect, explaining instead that it initiates a long-term process of spiritual shaping and conformity to God.
• Daily Spiritual Death and Resurrection [00:41:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > The speaker describes the believer's life as a daily dying to sin, flesh, and the world, and a daily rising and growing in conformity to God's image.
• Faithful Waiting and Trust [00:43:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor encourages waiting in faith for the final promise of restoration, citing the fulfillment of previous promises (Resurrection, Holy Spirit) as evidence of God's reliability.
• Stewardship of Gifts [00:44:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > The congregation is urged to use their diverse gifts (prayer, doing, funding) not for self, but for God's will, acting as instruments of His grace.
• Generosity and Giving [00:45:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor calls for cheerful, willing giving based on the biblical principle that sowing plenteously leads to reaping plenteously, rather than giving out of necessity or begrudgingly.

• Sermon Illustration [00:33:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of an acorn falling from a tree to illustrate how small, seemingly mundane things contain the potential and design for massive growth, paralleling how God's power works through believers.
• Sermon Illustration [00:34:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the invasive nature of wild mustard bushes to illustrate the parable of the mustard seed, emphasizing that small beginnings have aggressive, expansive potential by God's design.
• Sermon Illustration [00:38:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes the gradual nature of Christ's death on the cross—suffering and letting life drain little by little—as a demonstration of submission and a model for the gradual process of believers dying to self.
• Sermon Illustration [00:40:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a light switch being flipped to describe the common misconception that baptism instantly changes a person from sinner to saint, which he then corrects by describing the reality as a slow, gradual process.
• Sermon Illustration [00:43:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the timeline of biblical promises: the first promise (Resurrection) took three days, and the second (Holy Spirit) took ten days, to illustrate that while the final promise of restoration may take longer, God's timing is faithful.

• Pastoral Charge [00:45:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > To do good to all people, with specific priority given to members of the faith community.
• Pastoral Charge [00:46:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > To give offerings cheerfully and willingly, without reluctance or coercion.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:00:00] Let's take a look at some of the things that we're going to talk about today.
[00:00:30] Thank you.
[00:02:00] but you need it all Our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit.

[00:07:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:07:18] We should more perfectly love you and more worthily magnify your most holy name.
[00:07:23] Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
[00:07:26] Hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ as he says, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
[00:07:35] This is the first and the greatest of the commandments.
[00:07:38] And the second is like unto it.
[00:07:40] You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.
[00:07:44] On these two commandments hang all the law and all the prophets.
[00:07:47] Lord, have mercy upon us.
[00:07:49] Christ, have mercy upon us.
[00:07:51] Lord, have mercy upon us.
[00:07:54] O Lord God, you did first deliver your commandments from a mountain which burned with fire amid darkness and storm.
[00:08:01] We give you thanks that this law is published now unto us from Mount Zion.
[00:08:05] Through the mediation of a new and a better covenant, we humbly beseech you to put these words in our minds and to write them upon our hearts, that we may always take delight in your law,
[00:08:17] and that we may serve you in the goodness of spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[00:08:22] Please be seated.
[00:08:24] Well, good morning.

[00:08:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:08:32] There's a couple of announcements here to start us off.
[00:08:37] We have the Men's Brotherhood, a combined reference this morning.
[00:08:41] Thanks to everyone who helped.
[00:08:42] We had six churches, and 30-odd folks showed up, so that was very nice.
[00:08:49] We have a raffle that we are doing for a Blackstone Grill, and we already sold a bunch of tickets at the Men's Brotherhood.
[00:08:56] Brotherhood. But in the back you'll see a display for that and you can buy tickets and a C-mark for Angela and we're doing that for the spring missions. So we are doing a Blackstone raffle. What's the deadline? The deadline is the 30th. And it would make up for me.
[00:09:23] VBS coming up on us quickly June 1st through 5th from 6 to 8 15 in the evening be sure to register your child registration forms are right over here and so Kathy and Debbie need those things to know if somebody got an allergy or anything like that so make
[00:09:41] sure the registration forms get filled out and we put it back in Kathy or Debbie's boxes and we still are looking for anyone else to help in the kitchen or help with teaching or what have you. Make sure you see that
[00:09:52] people can't be for that. And finally, anyone who wants to participate in the Mount Pleasant Independence Day parade, the doctor got out of the parade is the 27th meeting at church traveling to the lineup lineup starts at 330 on
[00:10:06] the dot. So we'll probably be here. 315 something like that.
[00:10:10] So are there any more announcements? Robert, did you

[00:10:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:10:14] say what the raffle money was going for? Spring missions, right angela yes the it's the enr senate world missions department spring missions raffle we had a gracious donation of a 22 inch blackstone griddle and the proceeds from that will be used by
[00:10:41] the world missions department which thankfully thankfully is no longer just me administering things so praise god for that the world missions department will split that between foreign and domestic missions we'll be supporting the least of these of the carolinas and um the orphanages
[00:11:01] that the enr senate supports overseas thank you he did a much better job explaining it than i could

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:11:07] thank you very much are there any you really have to lay eyes on it yes it is in the fellowship hall yes we can go over there you can lay out on it there's also a picture of it in the

[00:11:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:11:20] we pulled it out this morning for the uh for the good breakfast well apparently it did a lot of good it did a lot of good yes yes we already raised it could be the money five dollars per

[00:11:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:11:28] ticket yes you can get five tickets for twenty dollars such a deal you should just automatically

[00:11:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:11:36] are there any more announcements well i think we've got enough children for children's service Let's have some children's service.

[00:11:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:11:46] Since we've got such a small and personalized group this morning, I am going to skip our catechism lesson for the day because they hear me going on about the catechism all the time at home.
[00:12:27] But, as everybody knows, we have in a couple of weeks coming up our Vacation Bible School program.
[00:12:35] And we are really excited about that.
[00:12:39] We're excited about having a great turnout, lots of kids for that.
[00:12:45] As last year, we raised money to support wells being dug in some of the countries in Africa through Concordia and the Mighty Men Drillers.
[00:12:59] This year, we are going to revisit that as well.
[00:13:03] and Vacation Bible School funds are going to go towards building a church in Burundi, which is a tiny little country in Central East Africa. We have a couple of churches, the NR Senate has a couple of churches
[00:13:30] in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi, and the government in Burundi does not like churches functioning that do not have buildings. There are a whole bunch of reasons for that that we can talk about a little bit later. But one of our churches
[00:13:52] in Burundi is under the threat of being shut down unless they build a building that is considered permanent construction. So that means stone or concrete or brick. And they struggling to do that. Just to put that into a little bit of perspective, the
[00:14:13] average household, not individual, household in Burundi operates on an annual income of about $180 in U.S. money. That's under, that is less than $200 a year per family. So the idea of giving money to build a church
[00:14:42] from the family is very very difficult. Of course the church in Burundi, it's called Getega in our church, was the recipient of one of our Hens for Hope initiatives and that is very very successful. Originally the pastor there
[00:14:59] had figured out how long it would take using the Hens for Oat money they're able to raise. Chickens lay eggs, they sell the eggs, the families bring the money back to the church, how long it would take to build the church. However,
[00:15:12] the government is starting to crack down on them and they don't have the time that they thought they had to build. So there is a little bit of an urgency and that's why after some discussions the VBS team has decided to support this
[00:15:31] initiative to to help build a permanent construction building for we could take up Lutheran or they could take it in our church so we're very excited about that the theme for VBS this year is Rome Paul and the underground church and we just
[00:15:51] figured if we're talking about the clandestine the underground church and building it that building a church in the name of bbs in the name of spreading the gospel was a great way to to bring that home
[00:16:05] so we're excited for the kids to get involved in that initiative and for the kids to be the hands so yes please

[00:16:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:16:31] a week or so ago a man that mentioned this and I said yes I saw it it was a picture on Facebook of that church they were having service they were sitting down and you could actually see outside
[00:16:50] they had boards and there would be like a board here and a board down here and a huge one with space right there the two were actually looking outside so that's how you know they're functioning right now it's not they have four walls but and the roof but the

[00:17:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:17:11] walls are not enclosed and that's why the government is saying you don't have a building

[00:17:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:17:17] that's actually a building so it's it's a bomb and and the uh pastor there is uh figuring out every day when they sell the eggs he's coming back and figuring out how many bricks is that
[00:17:31] buying any fruits he can buy out of that money from the eggs yes so they really are trying yes to do this and so that's why we thought this was a good way to help them so and um you know we're
[00:17:46] gonna uh like our good buddy over there miss teresa says we're gonna step out in faith that's right we're gonna try to get a thousand dollars yes and uh just so you know this is not a boker

[00:18:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:18:00] initiative. This is an initiative that we are reaching out to all of the ENR churches in North America to help support.
[00:18:09] So this is not just us as a congregation, this is us as a classist across North America that are working

[00:18:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:18:17] with us. So we may get $100 too.
[00:18:21] Last year we got over $500.
[00:18:23] So we're going to

[00:18:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:18:24] shoot. That's right.
[00:18:26] Set it high.
[00:18:29] Set it high. Very good.
[00:18:30] All right, so let's say a prayer, you guys.
[00:18:32] Blessed Lord, we give you thanks for your blessings.
[00:18:35] We give you thanks for the opportunity you have given us to come and to worship in these walls and under this roof.
[00:18:46] Help us to remember what a blessing it is and never to take these gifts, these blessings, these graces that you extend to us for granted, but help us to appreciate them and to share those blessings,
[00:18:58] to share that appreciation with the rest of the world.
[00:19:03] We pray these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
[00:19:15] That you send your Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to be an example to us and to empower us to do your will.
[00:19:59] Help us always to understand that the ministry we carry out is not our own.
[00:20:06] But the work of our hands is the work of his, is the work of your Holy Spirit, and the work that you have prepared and set before us.
[00:20:21] Help us to do it faithfully and to walk always in faith, in love, and in obedience.
[00:20:29] Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

[00:20:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:20:31] Our first lesson comes from Peter's first epistle, chapter 4, verses 7 through 11.
[00:20:47] But the end of all things is at hand. Be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
[00:20:56] And above all things, have fervent charity among yourselves.
[00:21:00] For charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
[00:21:05] Use hospitality one to another without rudging.
[00:21:08] As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
[00:21:19] If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.
[00:21:23] If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever.
[00:21:38] amen here ends the first lesson please stand for the gradual number 62. oh how i love jesus

[00:21:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:21:55] 10th chapter in the 4 to the 11 refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen he said to them go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation whoever is believed
[00:25:37] and is baptized will be saved but whoever does not believe will be condemned and these signs will accompany those who believe in my name they will drive out demons they will speak in new tongues they will pick up snakes with
[00:25:52] their hands and they drink deadly poison it will not hurt them at all they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well after the Lord Jesus Jesus had spoken to them he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand
[00:26:09] of God then the disciples went out and preached everywhere and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it the gospel of the Lord praise be to thee O Christ let us take time now to confess our faith
[00:26:54] together in the words of the Apostles Creed from the inside back cover of your I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of Heaven, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
[00:27:12] who was crucified, dead, and buried.
[00:27:21] He ascended out something that has snuck up on all of us.
[00:27:52] Normally, we're going to read next week, but Pentecost is next Sunday.
[00:28:00] Normally, it's a little bit later in June.
[00:28:02] Like I say, it snuck up on me, it snuck up on everybody.
[00:28:06] So remember, next week is Pentecost.
[00:28:09] So wear your wig if you are here and prepare for the movement of the Spirit.
[00:28:15] Today is a Sunday that is often referred to as Waiting Sunday.
[00:28:23] Sometimes it's called Lazy Day, but that's a weird translation that we'll talk about later.
[00:28:27] But it's waiting someday because it's the lapse between the ascension of Christ when the physical manifestation of God, God's presence, our Emmanuel, God with us, goes to be with the Father.
[00:28:47] And waiting for the fulfillment of his promise when the Holy Spirit, the paraclete, the breath of God descends upon us.
[00:28:57] There's a gap there.
[00:28:59] There is an interlude.
[00:29:01] Of course, we always observe, we always commemorate, we always celebrate the ascension of Christ on a Thursday.
[00:29:09] And why is that? Anybody know?
[00:29:11] Forty days, that's exactly right.
[00:29:15] Because Easter, the resurrection, is always commemorated on a Sunday.
[00:29:20] Forty days after that Sunday is always a Thursday.
[00:29:24] So the Ascension is always observed, celebrated, whatever you want to call it, on a Thursday.
[00:29:31] So a lot of churches will observe, because church on a Thursday is weird, kind of, I don't know.
[00:29:37] So a lot of churches will talk about it, observe it, the Sunday following on waiting Sunday.
[00:29:42] So that's today.
[00:29:44] Of course, we have the 40 days after the Resurrection, the Ascension into Heaven.
[00:29:50] And then we have the 50th day, this Pentecost.
[00:29:55] That's what it means.
[00:29:56] It means the 50th day.
[00:29:57] Pente, like Pentagon, you know, five-sided shake.
[00:30:00] Pentecost is 50 days after the resurrection.
[00:30:05] So we celebrate, we commemorate that descent of the Holy Spirit, the fulfillment of Christ's promise.
[00:30:16] Now, the passage that we have here from Mark, I find it fascinating because Jesus comes back and he chews out the disciples because he was like, I literally told you what was going to happen.
[00:30:32] And you were afraid.
[00:30:34] You were scared.
[00:30:35] You didn't have the faith.
[00:30:37] You didn't believe me.
[00:30:39] You were worried about it.
[00:30:41] Like you thought, do you not remember the whole, like, Peter, the water thing?
[00:30:48] Sitting in the boat, I just said, come on.
[00:30:52] Do you remember that?
[00:30:53] All the other things, like the fact that I said I was going to die and come back?
[00:31:00] Here I am.
[00:31:02] So now, we have another promise.
[00:31:05] And that is that Jesus promises that when he goes to the Father, that the paraclete, the Holy Spirit, will come.
[00:31:12] It's not in this rendering, it's not in this narrative, but it's in the other Gospels.
[00:31:18] It's in the Acts.
[00:31:20] Jesus promises, he assures his disciples that he is leaving.
[00:31:25] We actually read it last week, didn't we?
[00:31:27] But the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, is coming to rest with them, to reside with them.
[00:31:35] And he gives them, I don't know, it reads to me as a test.
[00:31:40] I told you I was coming back and you doubted.
[00:31:43] So now I'm going to leave again and see if you trust me this time.
[00:31:50] That's the way I read it.
[00:31:51] I don't know if that's the intention of Christ.
[00:31:54] Maybe it is.
[00:31:55] Maybe it's not.
[00:31:56] Maybe he did the whole little sneaky thing wrong inside of his nose thing.
[00:31:59] It's Jesus.
[00:32:00] He does that a lot.
[00:32:02] He gives people just enough leeway to let them mess up so that he can demonstrate how his redemption works.
[00:32:11] He has a history of that.
[00:32:12] If you've read the Gospels, you will probably have seen that.
[00:32:16] He sets people up to prove his point over and over again.
[00:32:24] We have this promise of the Holy Spirit.
[00:32:29] We have the continual promises of Jesus over and over.
[00:32:35] And so often we doubt, just like his disciples did.
[00:32:40] We doubt his promises.
[00:32:42] We doubt His power, and so much of it we take for granted.
[00:32:47] But we see His blessings, we see His mercies and His graces, we see His miracles every single day.
[00:32:57] But we're blinded to the point that we see them as being mundane.
[00:33:04] The reality is, when a tree drops a seed on the ground, There is absolutely no reason that that little ball that fell off of a tree should ever produce anything more than the little ball that fell off a tree.
[00:33:23] But the great towering oaks all over the world come from that tiny little seed, from that acorn.
[00:33:32] Everything that is necessary to build, to grow, for that tree to be successful is in that acorn.
[00:33:43] The ones that tear up our yards, the ones that squirrels dig holes for all over the place.
[00:33:50] Every one of those has the potential, it has the power, it has the design of an entire tree.
[00:34:00] Every teeny tiny little mustard seed, I know Miss Kathy, you have a necklace that has a mustard seed in it.
[00:34:07] Have you ever seen a wild mustard bush?
[00:34:10] They're not small.
[00:34:12] In fact, they're pretty aggressively invasive.
[00:34:16] But we have the parable.
[00:34:18] Again, these are the words of Christ himself as he tells us that that tiny little seed has the potential, it has the power because God designed it to.
[00:34:31] The epistle that Robert read this morning from 1 Peter, it reminds us that the power to do the things that we do are not our own.
[00:34:48] The words that we speak, the words of encouragement, the words of faith, the words of conviction that come from our mouths are not our words.
[00:35:01] but they are a power that is given to us by the power of Christ.
[00:35:07] The actions that we do, the good works that we carry out, they are not works of our hands but they are the manifestation of the love that Christ, that God, that the Holy Spirit drives us to.
[00:35:28] Whenever, whenever we feed the hungry, it's not me, it's not you it is Christ working through us when we build churches or dig wells for the relief of our brothers and sisters around the world
[00:35:50] it is not my accomplishment or yours it is an accomplishment of Christ it is a work of His glory it is a work of His design whenever we speak Wherever we go, whatever we do, it is a manifestation of God's grace.
[00:36:15] It is a manifestation of God's design.
[00:36:19] That's one of the things that as we get further into the Heidelberg Catechism, we will grow deeper in understanding the sovereignty of God.
[00:36:32] God either is sovereign or He is not.
[00:36:38] One cannot be somewhat sovereign any more than someone can be somewhat pregnant or somewhat dead or somewhat human or somewhat this or somewhat something else.
[00:36:53] It either is or it isn't.
[00:36:54] There are many things in this world that are gray, but the sovereignty of God is black and white.
[00:37:02] The reality of God is black and white.
[00:37:04] It either is or it is not.
[00:37:07] Either God spoke, and it all happened, or God is nothing at all.
[00:37:19] Either Christ's sacrifice paid for your sins.
[00:37:29] There is no gray area.
[00:37:30] There is no in-between.
[00:37:34] Everything that is the work of Christ, everything that is the work of His body, is by His power, by His hand, by His word, and for His glory.
[00:37:46] When we submit ourselves to Christ, when we submit ourselves to his grace, to his mercy, to his purchase, to his blood, we do so trusting and submitting ourselves to death.
[00:38:05] We submit our hearts to die, we submit our desires, our designs, our wants, our ambitions, we submit them to the depths of the earth, knowing that they can reign no longer.
[00:38:26] Of course, we also know and we understand that that's not an instantaneous process, because death is not an instantaneous process.
[00:38:37] It's not something that happens instantly.
[00:38:41] It's something that takes time.
[00:38:42] It's gradual.
[00:38:44] Just like Christ.
[00:38:46] He was crucified and his blood was shed, but he didn't die right away.
[00:38:52] In agony, he suffered.
[00:38:56] He let the life drain from his body little by little to demonstrate that conformity, to demonstrate that submission.
[00:39:07] He submitted himself to death, both for the atonement of our sins, but as a demonstration also of his love.
[00:39:25] Whenever we are baptized, when we are marked with the covenant of grace, we are marked with the death of Christ.
[00:39:37] Our hearts are circumcised.
[00:39:42] We submit ourselves to death, to humiliation, to debasement.
[00:39:48] And it's not something that happens instantly.
[00:39:53] It is a process by which we die to ourselves.
[00:39:59] We don't go through the water of baptism and suddenly, like a switch that's been flipped, we go from sinner to saint.
[00:40:07] That's not how it works.
[00:40:08] we don't just suddenly stop sinning and become perfect Christ-like human beings if only it were so simple but what does happen is the death the burial and the resurrection of Christ takes hold and a process is initiated
[00:40:35] by which through study by faith by the power of God the Holy Spirit We are shaped, and we are conformed.
[00:40:47] Ourselves, our wills and our ambitions drain from our body.
[00:40:56] Sometimes slowly, sometimes more quickly.
[00:41:01] But it's not an instant process.
[00:41:03] It's not an instant occurrence.
[00:41:05] It is a process.
[00:41:08] Day by day, we die.
[00:41:12] And day by day, we are enrobed.
[00:41:17] We are overshadowed.
[00:41:18] We are overcome by the grace, by the beauty, by the power, by the will of Jesus Christ, our God.
[00:41:29] In the beginning, we were made perfect, immortal, without sin, without spot, without look.
[00:41:39] And Christ came into the world to restore us to that.
[00:41:48] Not our sinful desires, but His perfect desire.
[00:41:52] Not our sinful hearts, but His immaculate heart.
[00:42:00] Not our wicked wills, but His eternal, compassionate, and perfect.
[00:42:08] Day by day, we die to sin.
[00:42:13] We die to the flesh.
[00:42:15] We die to this world.
[00:42:19] And day by day, we rise.
[00:42:23] Day by day, we grow.
[00:42:27] And day by day, we are conformed to the image of God.
[00:42:36] We are given a promise in the scriptures that there will come a day that he returns to us.
[00:42:43] That that process will be, that we will be completely conformed.
[00:42:59] That we will be transformed, that we will be restored.
[00:43:09] For thousands upon thousands upon thousands upon thousands of years.
[00:43:13] who will bask in the light of His Word.
[00:43:19] Until then, we wait.
[00:43:26] We wait and trust in His promises.
[00:43:32] We trust knowing that He fulfilled His promise to come back after He was laid in the grave.
[00:43:41] We trust in the promise knowing that He said the Holy Spirit will come, and then it did.
[00:43:51] The first promise was three days.
[00:43:55] The second promise was ten days.
[00:43:59] Who knows how long this promise that we wait for will take, but it does not matter.
[00:44:06] We wait in faith.
[00:44:09] We wait in submission to Christ, trusting that the things we do, the actions we undertake, are not our own.
[00:44:21] They are the will.
[00:44:23] They are the work.
[00:44:25] of god manifest in our hands and our tongues and in our feet do the work that is set before you whatever it may be said before some are prayer warriors some are doers some are funders
[00:44:48] some are fundraisers we have our different gifts as god has given we have our abilities our talents, our blessings that God has given.
[00:45:06] We have the command to use them, not for our own right, but for His.
[00:45:15] Do so by faith with thanksgiving.
[00:45:20] Amen. I call upon you while we have time that we should do good unto all mankind, especially those who share in this household of our faith.
[00:45:40] Remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ as He says, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
[00:45:47] Remember always the words of our Lord as he says, He that sows little shall reap little.
[00:45:54] But he that sows plenteously shall reap plenteously. Let everyone give as we are disposed in our hearts, not begrudgingly or out of necessity, but remembering always that God loves us here for you.
[00:46:08] John Ant and David Crady

[00:50:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:50:28] and Sadie and Phil McCoy Dr. Daryl Maxwell Patrick and my friend Aaron

[00:50:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:50:40] Karen David, Rachel and Shelby for these and for all the others who for whatever reason we have chosen not to call their names out but you know their needs and their necessities we ask oh Lord
[00:51:07] that you would fulfill their necessities in a way that is most expedient to them according to your divine and perfect will through Jesus Christ our Lord We bless your holy name for all the blessings of this life,
[00:51:22] for the miracles, the graces, and the mercies that you bestow upon us day by day.
[00:51:28] Especially, Lord, we take time now to claim those blessings that you have laid upon us by calling them out before your divine ministry.

[00:51:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:51:37] Our church family, our first responders and service members,

[00:51:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:51:46] children and grandchildren graduating from school,

[00:51:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:51:49] our health, marriage, and love.
[00:51:56] Opportunity to serve.
[00:51:59] Our freedom.

[00:52:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:52:04] Restoration and healing.
[00:52:09] For a place to worship you in joy and in safety.
[00:52:17] O Lord, open our hearts that we should at all times and at all places see your blessings and give you praise and thanksgiving.
[00:52:28] Remembering your mercy, O Lord, your church militant throughout the whole earth.
[00:52:31] clothes her ministers with righteousness and her priests with salvation.
[00:52:36] Where she is desolate, build her up.
[00:52:38] Where she is disordered, restore her.
[00:52:41] Where she is divided, heal your church and grant unto your church prosperity, safety, unity, and peace.
[00:52:49] We commend unto you, O Lord, this particular church, this congregation here present, this pastor and these people beseeching you to accept our piety and our faith to increase towards us, your heavenly grace, so that we should abound more
[00:53:05] and more in knowledge and love until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the given Lord.
[00:53:12] We extend our prayers beyond these walls to those members of our family, our fellowship, our brothers and sisters who are bought and paid for by the blood of Christ, who are not able to worship with us today.
[00:53:29] We ask that you would protect them, that you would envelop them in your grace, in your mercy, and in your protection.
[00:53:37] That those who have wandered far away, you would call them home.
[00:53:42] Those who face distractions in the world, that you would shine your light before them.
[00:53:49] Those who suffer and are broken, those who have been hurt and blamed on the church, that they would see your love manifest in the hands and the feet, in the words and in the comfort of those who are
[00:54:06] conformed to your image and who serve you. Help us to heal. Help us to be instruments of your peace.
[00:54:17] Help us to be a light in the darkness.
[00:54:21] Not through our own power, not through our own actions, not through our own works, but through works through the light and through the grace of your son Jesus Christ may manifest in us we bless you and we praise you O Lord for your continued
[00:54:44] provision for the ministers the members and the congregations of this our evangelical reformed Senate around the world increase these congregations by the power of your Holy Spirit both in number and in depth of our commitment to
[00:55:00] your service. Today, we pray especially for the new in our church that's been formed in Homa Bay, Kenya.
[00:55:09] Provide them with the resources necessary for them to flourish and to do your will. Strengthen their faith and their leaders so that they may do what you have set before them.
[00:55:23] Enable your faithful servants to continually do your will.
[00:55:29] We pray for the rulers of all lands and all nations and for the people committed to their charge. Look with favor upon your servants, especially the President of these United States and all others in
[00:55:40] authority. So enrich them with your wisdom and your grace that under their governance we might live quiet and peaceful lives.
[00:55:50] Those who do not know the life of Christ and do not have faith in Him, those leaders who you have appointed, call them by your Holy Spirit so that they would turn to Christ and submit to His power.
[00:56:06] We pray these things through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, O Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
[00:56:16] Amen.
[00:56:18] Send forth and enlighten your truth to the ends of the earth only.
[00:56:22] Cause the glorious gospel of your grace to be proclaimed to all the nations and powerfully incline the hearts of mankind everywhere to hear and to obey the joyful sound.
[00:56:35] Amen.
[00:56:36] I invite you, who have searched your hearts and who have resolved to follow after Christ and Christian holiness, to forsake all sin and wickedness, to approach with me now into the throne of all grace and all mercy, as we make our humble confession to Almighty God.
[00:57:00] Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker of all things, judge of all men, we acknowledge and bewail our capital sins and weakness, which we from time to time once previously have committed by thought, word, and deed against thy divine majesty.
[00:57:21] We ask you by wrath and in the name of Jesus Christ, we do our best to repent and we pray for these humble students that they may remember such a graceful father.
[00:57:41] We sing in the accompanying assurance of the grace of God, which is promised to all those with hearty repentance and true faith.
[00:58:11] Come into Him.
[00:58:12] If we confess our sins, He is faithful and He is just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[00:58:20] Rest assured and believe in the promises of God that your sins have been forgiven.
[00:58:28] In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
[00:58:33] Through the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, as he calls out, saying, Come unto me, all you who travail are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.
[00:58:41] Here also, St. Paul says, This is a true saying and worthy of all men to be received, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
[00:58:51] With thanksgiving and faith in our hearts, let us turn our hearts and our voices once again to the throne of heaven as we pray the words that our Lord Jesus Christ taught us, Call on the Lord God, our Father, who art in heaven.
[00:59:06] Thy love be thy name.

[00:59:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:59:07] Thy kingdom come.
[00:59:09] Thy will be done.
[00:59:13] Give us this day our daily bread.
[00:59:16] And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
[00:59:21] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

[00:59:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:59:27] The peace of God which passes all understanding through your hearts and your minds, and the knowledge and love of God.
[00:59:41] And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost be among you and remain with you today and forever.
[00:59:50] Let us stand together and send our closing hymn, number 63, He is Exalted. Please stand.
[00:59:59] The earth have appointed the law, you have appointed your will, and by your appointment they shall stand.
[01:02:30] for all things are your servants and subject to your will.
[01:02:36] If your law was not a delight it would have perished long ago.
[01:02:42] But we, O Lord, submit to you in your greatness, in your majesty.
[01:02:50] We exalt your holy name.
[01:02:53] Amen.