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[0:00] unto my prayer attend from the utmost corner of the land my cry to thee i'll send what time my heart is overwhelmed and in perplexity do thou me lead unto the rock that higher is than i for thou hast for my refuge been a shelter by thy power and for defense against my force thou hast been a strong tower within thy tabernacle i forever will abide and under covert of thy wings with confidence me hide for thou the vows that i did make o lord my god didst hear thou hast given me the heritage of those thy name that fear a life prolonged for many days thou to the king shalt give like many generations be the years which he shall live here in god's presence his abode forevermore shall have or do thou truth and mercy both prepared it may him save so and so will i perpetually sing praise unto thy name that having made my vows i may each day perform the same we're going to sing from psalm 61 from the beginning to verse 6 so god give here unto my cry unto my prayer attend o god give here unto my cry unto my prayer attend o god give here unto my cry unto my prayer attend o god give here unto my prayer attend o god give here unto my prayer attend o god give here unto my prayer attend o god give here unto my prayer attend

[3:51] Yes, behind. For now the bow is not guided me.

[4:06] O Lord, my God is here. Thou hath give me the heavy day.

[4:23] O Lord, I am a dear. And I go long for many years.

[4:41] Thou through the King shall give. Thou many generations be.

[4:58] The years which we are in. Let us join together in prayer.

[5:11] Gracious and ever-blessed God, we give thanks for this opportunity to meet in your name, to sit under the word that you have given to us.

[5:29] The scriptures of the Old and the New Testament, which we are reminded of, that the only rule to direct us, how we may glorify and enjoy you.

[5:48] And we bless you and thank you that the word that you have given to us speaks to us of life without end.

[5:59] It speaks to us of how that life is to be secured, where it is to be found, and through whom it becomes ours.

[6:12] We give thanks that you have given to us.

[6:25] Salvation is entirely of your provision. It is not something that we can secure by our own endeavours. It is not something that we can attain to by being what we are not, or seeking to become.

[6:43] What we would anticipate as an improvement on our current standing. That's the way we approached you in so many different ways, different occasions.

[7:00] We thought that we could ascend, as it were, a ladder, a stairway to heaven, and secure their salvation as a result of our own striving.

[7:18] But you showed us how futile these endeavours were, and you proved to us the extent of our sinfulness. You revealed to us the darkness of our own heart, and we confess that that is something that you are unveiling day by day.

[7:38] Sometimes we think that we are improving, that we are becoming better day by day. And yet each day, and yet each day, exposes to us the nature of sin, and the pervasiveness of it, and how it affects our thinking.

[8:02] It affects our speaking, it affects our walk in this world. And we are too often easily distracted in thinking that we can forsake the path of obedience temporarily, and secure that path again at our own will.

[8:30] And yet, we often have to discover for ourselves the foolishness that has overtaken us when these thoughts come to fruition in our hearts.

[8:44] Help us then to recognize our total dependence upon the God of heaven, and your Son Jesus Christ, and your Spirit for leading us by the hand even in the simplest of truths.

[9:02] As we gather in your name this evening, we pray for a sense of your presence. We pray for instruction. We pray for guidance.

[9:13] We pray for light. We give thanks for the promise that all these things are available to us. We pray for your blessing upon your word preached here from Sunday to Sunday, from weekday to weekday.

[9:30] What is preached in the various congregations of our islands, and in the communities that we seek to serve.

[9:42] We pray for our presbytery and the congregations that form our presbytery. We pray for our prayers, and we pray for our prayers, and we pray for our prayers.

[10:19] upon a servant who will minister to them and his willingness to accept their call to them. We pray that that would prosper, and that in time you would see fit to settle the various vacant congregations throughout our island and beyond.

[10:43] we pray for your own call to come to others who may as yet have not realised that they have a ministry to carry out unless you give that to them and unless you reinforce that conviction within their hearts they may not close in with the desire to serve God in this way and we pray Lord that we would be convinced in our own mind that this is the only thing that can secure successful pastorates the convicting of God by your spirit that reminds us that you are the one who not only calls but equips and equips us to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ and we give thanks for those who have closed in with that conviction and followed after it and we pray for missionaries of the cross thankful for them that we are saddened by so few in comparison with the many that once said the Lord throughout many different countries but we give thanks that even these countries that were once supplied by missionaries from our own are now sending missionaries to other countries even our own and it speaks volumes about the desperate spiritual plight of our nation a nation that has shipwrecked the faith and have abandoned the truths and the teachings of our past generation we pray for a reversal of fortunes and a power from on high equipping men to go out with that word and to do so with with conviction with with the God of heaven empowering so hear our prayers on behalf of the ministry of the gospel throughout the world we pray for our congregation here and we pray for those who form part of it the membership those who adhere to the principles of our denomination and who diligently sit under the gospel with expectation that the gospel will turn them to christ and we pray that that would be true of them that they would genuinely desire to know christ as their lord and their savior and submit to him we pray for those who are indifferent to the existence of the gospel within the community and it is evidence evidence by those who do not attend god's house but to see food to to distance themselves from the day of opportunity and the day of privilege may you turn them to yourself they are no different to many of us and we acknowledge that to the god who knows your lord and we understand our people in the world and we've understood where where you found ourselves in in days gone by we were we were as blind and as deaf and as as lacking in praise for the god who is god over all until you turned us to yourself so we pray that for us and ask lord that you would visit every home and household and remember them in accordance with need. We pray for temperal needs also. We pray for your blessing on those who are

[14:45] unwell, those who are members in our congregation here who are housebound or hospitalized, some confined to care homes, some who are direly ill. And we pray, Lord, that you would remember them according to their need. For your own people we give thanks that they are in your hands in a way that others aren't.

[15:11] And we ask that you would minister to them in the depth of their being. They would always be conscious of the presence of Christ and the encircling of the everlasting hour and sustaining them even in their darkest hours.

[15:31] Remember the grieving and the sorrowful and we ask that you would remember even those within our neighbouring community who are under the shadow of death at the present.

[15:42] We are so often reminded of our own weakness and our own existence in this world. We are so time-bound, so convinced of our permanence here in this world because we dispute in our heart of hearts the actual fragility of our humanity.

[16:09] And yet it is there for us all to see. And we pray for light to enable us to make haste and prepare for the day that we will be changed from this world into the next.

[16:25] Pour out your spirit upon us and to that end remember the nation that we are part of in this troubled time and we pray for these cities and towns that are rising up against civil authority and whatever it is that they believe that they are doing the wickedness that they are intent on committing is inexcusable and we pray for your power to be an exercise suppressing their intent and ministering to those who have suffered greatly by reason of man's inhumanity to man.

[17:12] We ask Lord that you would remember men and women who have no place to turn because they have lived their lives without God and without hope in the world and now in their time of need they know not where to turn may they turn to yourself remember the nations of the earth especially the parts of the world that are engaged in conflict and suffering as a consequence overturn the power of wickedness and were good in what seems to be a dark and seemingly impossible situation whether it is in the Middle East or in the European continent we pray Lord that you would watch over your people in such places hear our prayers on their behalf and magnify the name of God in that midst watch over us now the short time that we're together creating us a clean heart give us a receptive responsive heart that we may hear what God the Lord does speak because you speak peace to our souls have mercy upon us in Jesus name

[18:33] Amen we're going to sing now from Psalm 111 from the beginning of the Psalm Psalm 111 verses 1 to 6 praise ye the Lord with my whole heart I will God's praise declare where the assemblies of the just and congregations are the whole works of the Lord our God are great above all measure sought out they are of every one that does their pleasure his work most honourable is most glorious and pure and whose intainted righteousness forever doth endure his works most wonderful he have made to be thought upon the Lord is gracious and he is full of compassion giveth meat unto all those that truly do him fear and evermore his covenant he in his mind will bear he did the power of his works and to his people show when he the heathen's heritage upon them did bestow and so on these verses psalm 111 from the beginning praise ye the Lord with my whole heart

[19:55] I will God's praise declare praise ye the Lord with my own heart I will God praise he praise where he assemblies with all the just and congregate his heart the whole works of the Lord our God and in the of all measure so doubt they are of every one that does they take pleasure his word goes on and he

[21:30] His unkinded righteousness forever of an anchor.

[21:45] His words most wonderful he hath made to be hung upon.

[22:04] The Lord is gracious and he is poor Lord of all.

[22:21] He gave many unto our Lord.

[22:33] Not truly do he give. And evermore is the man he in his mind.

[22:56] He did the power of his word.

[23:09] Unto his give us hope. When he the heathens air.

[23:27] Upon them yet below. We are going to hear God's word now in Paul's epistle to the Galatians chapter 6.

[23:45] Paul's epistle to the Galatians chapter 6. We will read the whole chapter. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

[24:08] Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

[24:20] But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.

[24:32] Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be ye not deceived. God is not mocked.

[24:43] For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. But he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.

[24:59] And let us not be weary in well-doing. For in due season we shall reap if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

[25:15] Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised, only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

[25:32] For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised, that they make glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, saving the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.

[25:54] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

[26:09] From henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

[26:24] Amen. Amen. And may the Lord add his blessing to a reading of his word. to his name be the praise. We're going to sing now from Psalm 112.

[26:38] Psalm 112. Again, the first six stanzas. Praise ye the Lord.

[27:14] And so on.

[27:44] Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. The man is blessed that fears the Lord aright. Praise ye the Lord.

[28:00] Sync Rome by earth.

[28:15] seits, và v olha globe, bow your Lord. ángual- graduándoeld.

[28:31] His heel and all strength, the world, shall be the earth, the horn.

[28:49] O come, bright and blessed shall be the generation.

[29:05] Riches and wealth shall never be within His heart is no.

[29:24] And His hands-caunted righteousness endure forevermore.

[29:43] Unto Thee, O my light of Christ, though He in my presence be.

[30:02] O come, bright and blessed shall be.

[30:20] I good night does His favor show. I'm not to other men.

[30:39] Heal with discretion, His heart is where God comes to the end.

[30:56] Surely it is no day in me that never shall end.

[31:13] The righteous man's memorial shall ever ask Him.

[31:31] Let us turn to Galatians chapter 6. We can read again at verse 6, reading down to verse 10.

[31:48] Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived, God is not mocked.

[31:58] For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. But he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.

[32:14] And let us not be weary in well-doing. For in due season we shall reap if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

[32:30] And so on. While we're coming to the end of our study of this epistle, Paul is coming to the end of the letter that he himself has written.

[32:56] And when we approach the end, bearing in mind what we have learned prior to this, it may seem that the thoughts that Paul is expressing seem to be random thoughts.

[33:13] That there is a lack of cohesiveness, or a connective strand running through what he has to say in this last chapter.

[33:27] And yet, there is one dominant thought. And that thought that dominates Paul's thinking is the thought of sowing and reaping.

[33:45] He is using this analogy to bring home to the reader the thought that they are, and we are, accountable to God for how we respond to his word.

[34:06] The words that we're looking at this evening are Paul's final warning to the church in Galatia.

[34:20] And he is bringing together the reason why this thought should be something that fills their minds and fills their hearts with a sense of foreboding in many respects for some, but a realization that they are all going to meet with their God.

[34:58] Those of you who were here in the morning will remember that our topic was on the beginnings of God's self-revelation in Genesis.

[35:13] How God revealed himself to us as a people that he created. And in the teachings that we glean from the book of Genesis, we are reminded from what he has to say of the uniqueness that mankind has within that created order.

[35:43] And what makes mankind unique is that man is created in the image of God. And when I was preparing this morning's service, or the sermon for this morning, I was thinking about the image of God in man.

[36:08] And it's not a... It gives itself too much thought, and there are many discussions that fix upon it.

[36:21] And I was reading something that the late Old MacLeod had written in one of his books, when he's talking about the theology that surrounds the Godhead.

[36:36] And as usual, he has something that is very thought-provoking to say about the passion of God, or the passion of the Godhead, and the relationship of the passions within the Godhead, and how that impacts upon the image of God in man.

[37:05] When you understand who God is, and what is true about God, and then you relate that to the fact that God tells us that man was created in God's image, then you have to marry the two thoughts together.

[37:22] If God is like this, and man is like God, in what sense do we see that likeness come to expression?

[37:37] And the way Dr MacLeod went with his thinking was this, he said, Man is made in the image of the withness, the togetherness, the socialness of God himself.

[37:56] And he quoted from a verse that's in that passage that we looked at, it is not good for man to be alone. We're used enough to hearing that verse quoted in Genesis 2, in the setting of a wedding service.

[38:16] It is not good for man to be alone. But God, he says, lives in and is blessed in relationships.

[38:28] He is blessed in the togetherness of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If he made us in his image, then we too are made for relationship.

[38:41] The human tragedy is that while we can avoid all the pain in life by avoiding relationships, in following that safe and lonely road, we also avoid all the joys in life.

[38:59] the fear of getting hurt, the emphasis on individualistic and solitude and reluctance to commit ourselves to others, a violation of our nature as image bearers of God.

[39:19] I thought that was an intriguing statement. At the heart of who God is, there is this understanding that within the Trinity there is that fellowship, that communion, which we can't understand, but it's there.

[39:46] And if the image of God contains that, then it is inevitable that the man that was created in his image would be created to experience that and to enjoy that.

[40:04] Now, why do I link that morning service or that thought from this morning to what Paul is teaching here?

[40:16] Well, the reason is that the emphasis that Paul is bringing to bear upon the church in Galatia is the necessity of living together as believers in Christ Jesus and to remember that anything that threatens the communion and fellowship of that communion of that church is something that is to be to be considered as a threat to the church, a threat to what the church exists for.

[40:59] So, if you bear that in mind, if we look at these verses and we're just going to work our way through these verses, we're not going to divide it up other than the way the verses themselves divide themselves.

[41:17] In verse 6, he says, Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. The word communicate there is a word that suggests to us dialogue, that suggests to us some form of verbal interaction, some communication.

[41:46] But that's not the essential meaning of this word. The verse has to do with the role of the preacher of the gospel who has brought the good news of Jesus Christ to them.

[42:09] And whoever that person is or whoever they are, they are to respect and appreciate those that brought that message of good news to them.

[42:25] The preachers and teachers. And most of the commentators insist that what Paul is here at this point doing is reminding them of the obligation that they are under to support the gospel ministry.

[42:42] Now it's not an obvious verse to go to when we think of this word communicate. It is slightly ambiguous in the sense in which it is used here.

[43:04] But we know from the scripture that there is an obligation placed upon the church of Christ to sustain the ministry that brought the church into being.

[43:21] Jesus himself teaches that the labourer is worthy of his meat. He is worthy of his hire.

[43:33] Now he's not saying that in order to receive anything from anyone because the Bible clearly teaches to us that there was none as self-denying as the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[43:53] Foxes have holes the fowls of the air have nests but the son of man has no place wherein to lay his head. This was what was true true of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[44:09] But it is clear from Paul's teaching elsewhere that this is essentially what must be considered in chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians 2 Corinthians If we have sown unto you spiritual things it is a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things.

[44:35] If others be partakers of this power over you are not we rather nevertheless we have not used this power but suffer all things lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

[44:47] Do you not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel and so on it's not a single verse but many verses within the scripture in the Old and the New Testament that remind us of this principle and the word communicate here as Paul uses is to share all the good things with the one who teaches it that's the translation that we have in some of the more modern translations to share things all the good things with the ones who teach us now that's always been a

[45:49] Presbyterian principle but it is not upheld by all the churches and it is of course open to abuse and because it is open to abuse it is always the case that people would question it and John Stott suggests two examples where these abuses one on the part of the person who proclaims the gospel in order to benefit from it materially that person is not in it for the glory of God they are there to advance themselves and to benefit from it materially and it's always been the case that the church has had its share of those who abuse the system at the other end of the spectrum is the thought that congregations who know the dependence on the goodwill of the congregation to support gospel ministry they manipulate their support in order to to exert power over the preacher and to have for themselves the kind of ministry that they choose to have there's different ways in which you can discover that from the history of the church in our own

[47:47] Presbyterian and our own Reformed tradition there was the practice where those who had the power to appoint two pulpits were those who possessed the wealth and because they possessed the wealth they could insert into pulpits those that were suitable to their needs it wasn't that they wanted to hear the gospel it wasn't that they wanted to hear an evangelical gospel they wanted just someone that would do their bidding and we see that in the history of the free church let alone any other church but I don't want to spend any more time on that simply to state that Paul at this point and it seems strange that at this point he wants to make this statement concerning the ministry but his statement is made because he wants them to understand that there is fruit to be born for the

[49:11] Lord and there are consequences to all our actions as I said the theme is of sowing and reaping and what we sow is what we reap and he expands on that thought even as he begins with it there in the kind of ministry that they are supportive of or deny support too that in that very action that action is itself one that will result in consequences it will be either fruitful or unfruitful you remind yourself of this that there will be a day coming throughout the whole land where congregations of different descriptions who have seen foot to appoint pastors of their own choosing and by that

[50:29] I mean of their own particular slant in what they want to hear the kind of gospel that they would like to be under the kind of message that they are comfortable with and to forbid those into their pulpit who would preach the gospel who would present them with the consequences of believing in Christ and that to the saving of their soul that it is not just something that will occur there and then the day will come when every individual in such congregations will answer to God for the choices that they have made for the preachers that they have chosen for the preachers that they have become there is an emphasis from the gospel or the message that is proclaimed that it doesn't just end there it will be something for which they will give account to

[51:36] God and that's why he says in verse 7 be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap you know and I know that when we engage in the husbandry of any description when we engage on any crafting activity we can purchase the best seed for the best crop and we can expect the best fruit from the best seed but somehow or other there are those who would purchase the cheapest option and expect the best outcome as somebody who had sheep

[52:37] I would go to the sales in October and you would see there people purchasing their breeding stock whether they were sheep or rams and yet every man would believe that if they could get a cheap option then at the end of the season when lambs were due the it would be a good deal that they would get without having spent the most to get the best option the best result that doesn't work you understand it doesn't work in in in crafting terms it doesn't work in farming terms why then do people expect it to work in spiritual terms why do people expect that when they put so little into their spiritual lives that they are going to be amply rewarded with great spiritual blessing whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap and when you treat the word of

[53:58] God like that when you treat the message of God's word like that what you are doing is mocking the God whose word it is you are despising his grace because God's grace is what is behind the preaching of the word and the provision of gospel ministry fail to comprehend that and the cost that comes with belittling it or disrespecting it is failure to understand that God himself is the one that you are disrespecting and mocking and God says through his servant the apostle God will not be mocked what we do by way of service cannot be anything other than the best service we can give it shouldn't be slipshod it shouldn't be substandard in whichever way we are able to present it to the

[55:09] Lord and then he further emphasizes that he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting he has already in chapter 5 separated out for us what spiritual life is all about and what the life of the flesh is all about he tells us exactly what is meant where we spend our time or our pennies reveals where our heart is flesh and spirit he has already expounded and it is not necessary that we go into it in any great depth but what we are generous towards as individuals these are the things that will ultimately prove where we are at with regard to our relationship with

[56:19] God we can be at times generous financially to God but at the same time be stingy with regard to our heart service to provide to God meager resources that are ours to give as he has endowed us with and yet we do not exhaust these resources as we should we are happy to toss to the Lord the littlest of our attention or affection or our industry in the things of God and we expect God to say well done you've done well you've done your best well God knows what our best is

[57:20] God knows what our industry really amounts to there is an eye upon our heart that knows where our heart truly lies Paul brings two ends in view corruption and life everlasting so two different two poles corruption and life everlasting and that is it couldn't be any more stark they shall reap corruption those who flows so to the flesh those for whom personal advancement is important those for whom their time is important things that matter to them rather things that matter to

[58:29] God that's a sowing to the flesh and that results in the reaping of corruption the preacher and teacher John Stott writes to sow to the flesh is to pander to it to cuss it to cuddle and stroke it instead of crucifying it to sow to the spirit is to set our minds on the things of God on things that are above not on the things that are on earth we are required to be disciplined we are required to cultivate good habits we are required to avoid the things that are in danger of decimating our true spirituality and every one of us is capable of analysis of contemplation of reflecting on where we truly are with regard to this and then

[59:40] Paul moves on to verse 9 let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not again same theme a sowing and a reaping what does he mean by well doing what are we expected to achieve or accomplish should any one of us weary in doing good surely not to do well there are times when being a Christian is a hardship it is a trial it is something that tests us it is something that vexes us because it's difficult it's not something that we expected to have to encounter because of the challenges it has introduced into our daily lives to live as a

[60:51] Christian every moment of every day is not always easy and this is why Paul challenges us let us not be weary in well doing don't get tired of being what you should be don't be tired of being what you could be don't be tired of doing the things that you are expected to be doing if I ask a Christian how are you in your prayer life and I look them in the eye and I ask them how are you in your prayer life where are you in your prayer life are your prayers constant are your prayers energetic are your prayers earnest are your prayers focused are your prayers waiting expectantly on the things that

[61:53] God has promised and you're persevering until the promises are realised don't be surprised if I don't ask you the question because I would be embarrassed not for your sake but for my own because my prayers are not what they should be sometimes we are required to pray for things that we should be praying for promises that we are invited to lay hold of and we are encouraged to petition the heavens so that these promises come to fruition and yet because we pray beginning earnestly beginning industriously beginning with vigour beginning with great strength because they're not answered because they're not as we see it heard we tired we feel that we're wasting our breath that's why the word of

[63:13] God tells us men ought always to pray and not to faint we ought to pray and not to faint we're told that because there is always the danger that we will weary that we will tire we will run out of sap and energy and answered prayer is in many respects a temptation there's a story told about two people who were travelling a long time ago on a liner and one of them was some kind of superstar perhaps some time some kind of somebody who was famous somebody that was well known and when the ship came into dock there was a huge gathering there waiting to welcome this special whatever they had accomplished whatever they had achieved modern day paparazzi were there all kinds of people celebrating who they were and waiting for them to disembark but along with them on the same boat was somebody who had been years away serving the Lord as a missionary and the person looked and there was nobody there to welcome them back nobody there to herald their arrival nobody there to say welcome or well done and it was a disheartening experience it was as if a knife had been plunged into their heart when they compared themselves to the person who was being applauded and lauded and yet as they looked and as they felt their despondency it was as if a voice from heaven had spoken to them and the voice said you're not there yet you're not there yet and that's the way sometimes we want

[65:42] God's God's approval here and now but this word tells us that those who sow to the spirit shall reap life everlasting the time for that is not yet if we are in this world but it will come for those who are God's people remember Paul was somebody who had to endure much trials many trials in his life and yet he says remember in 1 Corinthians 15 therefore my beloved brethren be ye steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord we may think we may fear we may believe even that what we are doing is not really prosperous that it's not benefiting me or you or anybody else what Paul is saying we are to continue doing what we have been given to do well doing is doing what is beautiful that's the way some have translated doing what is beautiful beautiful in my eyes in your eyes no in the eyes of the

[67:23] Lord and nothing is more beautiful than encouraging others to continue on the road encouraging others to hold up their heads when they are in danger of going down how many people do you know as a child of God who have faltering feet their feet are barely clearing the ground because the road is so difficult is it not a privilege for us to encourage such when we encounter them to but it's not we don't do it because we're expecting to be thanked we're not doing it because this is something that we want a reward for but we can understand that the reward is there someone put it like this and the time has gone to love or to follow

[68:32] Jesus means to love expecting nothing in return to give even though they never say thanks to forgive even though they may not forgive you in return to come early stay late and invest everything you've got yet even then nobody notices nobody notices sometimes your good deeds nobody notices that's what you may think but it's not nobody there is one who notices all good and bad and there is one who will not overlook what he sees and he will not forget and that's the point that Paul is making there is a harvest there is something that is beyond the world in which we live which so often seems to suggest that it's not worth it well may God encourage us to think on these things let us pray oh Lord help us to remind ourselves of our failings of flawed character our weakness in areas where we should be strong to remind ourselves that there is help for us that there is grace to help in time of need in every situation in life that you are encouraging your people to look to Christ to wait upon Christ and to minister to those who are his in ways that we are unable to do watch over us each one and grant to us a sense that there are still others who would wish to be one with your people through the grace that is in him here is in his name amen and closing psalm is psalm 65 psalm 65 psalm 65 and we're going to sing from verse 9 to the end psalm 65 from verse 9 to the end the earth thou visitest watering it thou make'st it rich to grow with

[71:18] God's full flood thou corn prepared when thou provis'd it so her rigs thou waterest plenteously her furrows settlest with showers thou dost her mollify her spring by thee is blessed so thou the year most liberally dost with thy goodness crown all thy paths abundantly on us drop fatness down they drop upon the pastures wide that do in deserts lie the little hills on every side rejoice right pleasantly with flocks the pastures clothed be the veils with corn are glad and now they shout and sing to thee for thou hast made them glad psalm 65 from verse 9 the earth thou visitest watering it thou makest it reach to grow the earth thou visitest watering it thou makes it rich to grow when mower's morn's morn's went morn's prendsus morn's morn's morn's

[72:52] And nanny of e s mine morn's morn's morn's энer decades where slow inglés 저희 mollivine and spring by His press so thou dost hear whose peace led Bái because As with thy goodness ground, and all thy hands upon thee, on earth's strong heartless down, they draw upon the pasture white, a new in desert night, the hidden heavens on every side, with the waters bright, and various days, and with globs that �er, nor thee, that oohs with hope that high,

[74:41] I know that in truth I'll sing to thee For love has been and done May grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit rest and abide with you all now and always. Amen.