Edify One Another

[0:00] It's often a negative, a destructive world, a dog-eat-dog world. You could say it's a rat race where even the rats don't win.

[0:11] Christ.

[0:31] And we want to share it. We want to share that message of life of hope. And the question is for every one of you here this morning, are you in the business of construction or demolition?

[0:50] Demolition. Now just to illustrate this, forgive my levity this morning, but we need to get on the construction site.

[1:00] Amen. Alright? And this is, we need to get on the construction site and get ready to do some constructing. Amen. Amen? We can be in the construction business or we can be in the demolition business.

[1:13] Now I'll tell you what I mean in a minute. So are you in that construction business, the business of lifting people, of edifying, of lifting, of building up, of building people, or in the business of demolition?

[1:26] Now sometimes things need to be demolished and pulled down. As we know, the word says we should pull down strongholds and demolish those things that are against God. But God's people, every one of you, of us, needs to be in the business of lifting up people, of edifying people, not of tearing people down.

[1:49] 1 Thessalonians 5.11 it says, Wherefore comfort yourselves together. 1 Thessalonians 5.11, Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another.

[2:02] Edify one another. Build one another up, even as you also do. And Romans 14, if you flick there, we'll turn to there too. The question is, are you a lifter or a leaner?

[2:16] Some people just lean and they don't lift people, they just load people down. Are you a lifter or a leaner? Are you building up or pulling down?

[2:27] Romans 14.19 it says, Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

[2:38] Follow after the things that make for peace. Follow after the things that make for edifying one another. Chase after these things. Chase after this. It's got a sense of chase it.

[2:50] Race after it. Pursue it. Run after it. Strive for it. Strive for things which make for peace. Strive for things wherewith one may edify another.

[3:00] There's a mutual benefit here. Edify one another as we saw in that first one. In Hebrews 3 it talks about, Take him, brethren. From verse 12 to 13.

[3:12] It talks about, Exhort one another. Exhort one another. While it is today. Exhort, edify, build. These are the kind of words, the Bible words, that he gives to you, in his word, for you.

[3:27] To build up each other in the faith. It's a command. He says, Exhort. He says, Edify one another. It's a command. It's not optional.

[3:38] It's something that you must do. That he instructs us to do. Every one of us. Edify one another. It's about building up. About strengthening. It means to, this word edify, it means to uplift others.

[3:52] To upbuild. To uphold. To nurture. To inspire. To help others grow. To improve. To instruct. It's when you make a deliberate act.

[4:02] You say, I'm going to build up my brother. I'm going to build up my sister. To invest your life in people. To invest your time, your energy, your devotion, your care.

[4:14] To take the time, to care, to nourish, to consider, to invest your life. It talks about spiritual growth.

[4:25] That's what God wants for his church. Ask yourself, today, how can I edify another? How can I edify someone today? How can I be a builder?

[4:36] A builder. A builder needs some things. One of the things a builder needs is, a blueprint. A blueprint. To see how to lay out that, building, that he or she, is taking a part in, making, in constructing, in building.

[4:54] A blueprint. Now, brothers and sisters, God's blueprint, for God's people, for God's church, for you and me, is his word. The blueprint. We're going to refer to the blueprint.

[5:06] God's plan for his church. What is God's ultimate aim? What does he want for his church? He says, I will build my church. How can we pie apart together, in that building, in that construction?

[5:20] We want to build straight, and strong, square, and sure, and true. 1 Peter 2, verse 5, it tells you, as living stones, as lively stones, he says, you have built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer, up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God, by Jesus Christ.

[5:42] He wants you and I, to be a, spiritual house, to be, living stones. How can we be that? How can we do that? An obvious one, here, is, two words, a simple way, you can start, at least, to get in your mind, how can I edify, one another, is, be there.

[6:04] Be there. Fellowship. Attend the meetings. Edify, and be edified. If you miss the meeting, you can't edify, one another. You can't obey God.

[6:17] You can watch, songs of praise, on your TV, but you can't edify, one another, by watching that. You know, as much as, some of it might be okay. Or whoever else, is on the telly, or on the radio, or sitting at home.

[6:30] You can't edify, one another, if you stay home. Fellowship. When God's, folk get together, it's meant to be, a construction zone. It's meant to be, a building site, a construction site.

[6:43] And building sites, can be messy places. You ask folk, that work in the, construction industry. You know, the builders, they just throw it, all over the place, don't they? And mind you, the councils make the type, to put it in one spot, nowadays.

[6:55] But, construction sites, are messy places. And it's like that, in the church sometimes, as we are part of the work, of construction, that it's messy sometimes. And, if you want to build up, and strengthen your fellow believers, you need to be there.

[7:11] Be there. When church is on, be there. Turn up. At least turn up. Grab your safety vest, and your construction hat, and get on the construction site. Amen? Get on the construction site.

[7:22] Get on the building site, and be a builder. Be a builder. You can't be a builder, unless you're down there, at the construction site. Get down there, brother and sister. Go with purpose to church.

[7:34] Go with purpose to fellowship. To build up. To build up. Build up yourself. Build up one another. And as you build up another, you will be built up yourself. Go with the purpose, on being constructive.

[7:48] When the church meets together, we're meant to be, construction workers. Brickies laborers. To worship one another. To build into the lives of other people.

[7:59] To help people build themselves up, in their holy faith. To build up. And as we worship God, and praise Him, that's just one aspect of church.

[8:09] The other aspect is that, we're here to build up one another. To strengthen each other. 1 Corinthians 14, it says, How is it then, brethren, when you come together, let every one of you, have a psalm, have a doctrine, have a tongue, have a revelation, have an interpretation.

[8:27] Let all things be done unto, edifying. Let everything that is done, be done to the building up. So, church, is meant to be a place, where we've all got a part to play.

[8:39] Something to do. When we link together, we come with a deliberate intention, to invest ourselves, in edifying another. And that our purpose should be, that others will mature, and grow.

[8:52] When you come, participate. Participate. Every one of you. Find a place. Find something. Find anything you can do, to bless, to encourage, to lift another, to appreciate others.

[9:05] Take the blueprint, God's plan for His church, and obey, what it says, to be that building place, to be that living stone, to play your part, in edifying, in the building up, of the body of Christ.

[9:20] In Ephesians 4, 11, the twilight talks about, and God gave some, apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors, and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying, of the body of Christ.

[9:35] And some people think, of those five different, offices, that they're the ones, who do the building up, the edifying. But no, it's the five, the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, who are to, perfect the saints, for the work of the ministry.

[9:53] And the context, the intention of the, phrase here, is that it's the saints, that do the work, of the ministry. It's the saints, that do the work, of the edifying, of the body of Christ, the maturing of the body.

[10:06] Ephesians 4, 16, likewise talks about, the body, it says, from whom, talking of Christ, from whom, the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted by that, which every joint supplier, according to the effectual working, in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself, in love.

[10:25] Notice that word, edifying again, of body, of building up, of maturing, it talks about every joint, it talks about every part, it talks about, a building up, of everybody, in biblical truth, in working of every part.

[10:40] So firstly, builders this morning, get the blueprint, and obey the word of God. Get the blueprint, follow the blueprint. And secondly, get the building materials.

[10:52] Now I've got some bricks here, that illustrate some, truths that I want to, bring to you today. And I know sometimes, you remember a sermon, after someone does some crazy things.

[11:04] And I, I've heard of some crazy pricks, that talk about, turning the world upside down, and he stood on his head. And I've got to be careful, if I invite him to preach, because he hits up, some crazy antics.

[11:15] But, you know, brother and sister, it's sometimes crazy things, that help you remember. And I'm certainly not meaning, to be flippant, or eccentric about this, but to picture it, to get it, to lock it in.

[11:27] Yes. Because I know, I need help. Now this is only a two point sermon, this morning, but I'm on the second point, and there's five points to it. So, I know, I've heard it said, that preachers should, instead of having the traditional, three point sermon, they should, they're lucky, if they get through one point, that people can remember.

[11:46] You know, sometimes a sermon, should just be a one point sermon, instead of three, it's hard enough. But you've only got five things, to lock into your mind today, as God helps you to remember it, if he wants you to remember it.

[11:58] There's some necessary building materials, we looked at the blueprint, let's look at the building materials, some building blocks, some building blocks, that God wants, for you to be a builder, for you to be an edifier, of others, in Christ.

[12:12] And the first one is, words. Words, hopefully got the wrong one. Words that build, words that build. It says, in Acts 20, verse 32, and now brethren, I command you, to God, and to the word, of his grace, which is able, to build you up, and to give you, an inheritance, among all them, which are sanctified.

[12:36] Talked about the blueprint, the word of God. Build on the word. Build on the word, brothers and sisters, build your life, on the word, help others, to build their life, on the word. As we start a youth group, as we have a Sunday school, that the word, would be that foundation stone.

[12:50] That the word of God, would be the foundation, for our church, for our fellowship, for our faith, and for our lives, and that others, can be built. This book, this book, builds people.

[13:01] Amen? It says, this word, the word of his grace, is able to build you up. If you're feeling like, you're flagging, maybe you need, a bit of a, heart start, to get the word, and have a feed on this.

[13:16] The word of God, is able to build you up. It builds people. It's able to make a man, out of you. It's able to make a woman, out of you. The word of his grace, is able to build you up.

[13:28] And you can edify others too. As, as was said earlier, something God put on, someone's heart, while they were about there, day by day, and they brought it to church. Maybe you can do that too.

[13:39] You may not be behind this, block of wood, to do it, but you might, in the fellowship time, around the tea, and the cuppa time, share a word, in season, a word out of season.

[13:50] Encourage another, with the word of God. Share a scripture verse, with another. Come and bring a word, bring a doctrine, bring a psalm. The word of God, the book of God, the godly principles, that help build lives.

[14:04] The word of God. And, you can look at Ephesians 4, 29, about words again too. Let no corrupt communication, proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good, for the use of edifying, or building up, that it may minister grace, unto the hearers.

[14:22] The word, again, of grace. The words of grace. Think of the words, that come out of your mouth. We know the word, says, set a guard over my mouth, set a watch, a watch, a century, to guard what comes out, of what I say.

[14:39] Have we a gracious heart, when we speak, do we have gracious words, kind words, words that minister grace, to the hearers, that you can minister, the grace of God to people, by what you say.

[14:52] Will we watch our words? We must. Watch what we say. Are they mean spirited words? Hurtful words? Do they tear people to shreds?

[15:03] And wound people? It's been said, that it takes, four, positive statements, to overcome, the effect of one, negative statement. Negative words, hurtful words, do damage.

[15:18] We know the saying goes, words will never hurt me, but they do hurt people. And people bear wounds, and injuries, from things said, from what people have hurt them, by what they've said.

[15:31] Hateful and hurtful things. Maybe offhanded remarks, that they thought nothing of, but that person remembers those things, those phrases, those names, those things said. And, there's people today, they don't think, what they say.

[15:46] They don't care, what comes out of their lips. What people say, they don't care, who they hurt, by what they say. We are told to tell the truth, but to speak the truth, in love.

[15:57] Love. Love. Love. Our words must minister, grace to the hearers. So be sensitive, friends, sister, brother today, be sensitive to the words you speak, let they be words that build up, and encourage.

[16:11] Someone said, that encouragement, is like, peanut paste. The more you spread it, around, the better things stick together. You know, use encouragement, use words that will encourage, that will build up, those words that will be, glue, that will join them to God, to the things of God, to the truth of God.

[16:30] Words that are kind, and forgiving, constructive, and encouraging. Words that build. Words. Think of your words, think of the word of God. Do you have the word of God?

[16:40] Do you have words, that are gracious words, words of grace. Secondly, love. Love that builds. The love that builds. 1 Corinthians 8, verse 1, it says, Now as touching things, offered unto idols, we know that, we all have knowledge.

[16:56] Knowledge puffers up, but charity, or love, edifies. Love, edifies. Love, fills up.

[17:07] Love. We can all have knowledge, and knowledge is, good, it's not a bad thing, but sometimes we can go around, with our knowledge, with our, wisdom, of human, thinking, and we can, disregard another, who is still a precious soul, a loved one, of the Lord, your brother, your sister, love.

[17:36] God wants us to abound in love, to have a love, that's abounding, that's abundant, to not be puffed up, that our knowledge elevates us so high, that we consider others lesser than us, God hates that.

[17:52] Whatever you do, do it in love. Have a love that, puts you, to think of others, more than yourself. As it says in Philippians, that, you consider the interests of others, above your own.

[18:08] Put others first. Bear you one another's burdens, as it says in Galatians 6, verse 2, when's the last time, you bought someone else's burden? Sometimes, we're so, worried about the big, have a sack, on our own back, the big rucksack, that we're carrying around.

[18:24] What about another? Bear, bear ye, one another's burdens. The spoke, you carry some heavier loads, than you, that need that word. They need that love. Help, with one another's burdens.

[18:37] Listen to people, lift their spirit. Be sensitive to their needs, to show your care, to extend a hand. Instead of being selfish, let us learn to love.

[18:48] 1 Peter 4, 8, it talks about, and above all things, having fervent charity. Fervent charity. The love that we should have, should be fervent love.

[18:58] Love that's earnest, that's intense, that's real. Among yourselves, fervent love. For charity covers the multitude of sins. Let's be that kind of church, that's a warm church.

[19:10] It's a warm church, where, there's a, a temperature, a climate, of love, of warm. And, that it's a loving, scriptural church, in action, every day.

[19:22] There's power, in that encouragement, in that love, in that hope, in that grace, where we can edify people, edify people, with your way of life, with your, nature, with your, selflessness, with your kindness.

[19:36] Romans 15, it says, we then are strong, ought to bear the infirmities, of the week, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us, please his neighbour, for his good, to edification.

[19:50] Please your neighbour, the one sat next to you today, the one, you rub shoulders with, this week ahead. Please your neighbour, do good, to them. Love. Another building block, for your, week ahead, is, gifts.

[20:09] Gifts. Think of the gifts, that God has called you, with, the gifts and callings, the equippings, the enablings, he's given you, your talents, your abilities. Think of those gifts, that you can employ, for God's grace, in Ephesians 4.16, it says, of that, as I've referred to, the whole body, fitly joined, every joint, supplying, every part, working, increasing, edifying itself, in love.

[20:35] There's a joint participation, there's a sense, where you bring something, you have something, to share, to give, to do, to be, you are gifted, God has gifted you, and he wants you to use, your gifts and talents, we call and command it to be, builders, every member of the body, to share, to be gifted, to be employing, those talents, those abilities, every joint, supplying, every one, edifying itself, in love.

[21:02] The Bible model is, for church, participation, by all, for edification, of all. That every one of you, has a participation, that there might be, a joint, a mutual, edification.

[21:18] Ephesians 2, talks about, that we're no more, strangers and citizens, we're of the household of God, we're built upon the foundation, of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself, then the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building, fitly, bring together, groweth unto a holy temple, in the Lord, in whom also you are, build it together, for an habitation of God, through the spirit.

[21:41] We're built it together, God's put us, in a unity, in a union, in a meeting together, in love. As we fit it together, that word, in the Greek, is kind of, relation to, the word, Lego.

[21:53] I'm meant to bring some Lego blocks, to kind of, picture this again, that we're like Lego blocks, building together, that fitly, joining together. It's as those Lego blocks, are joined together, they make that, construction, they make that building.

[22:08] It's, a single Lego block, is not much good, on its own. But as we, as God's people, are those living stones, those lively stones, God puts us together, like Lego blocks, he joins us together, he fitly, he joins us together, as we're told, in Ephesians 2, there, to construct something, to make something, to be something, to be a church, that can impact, our community, to be fitly framed, as a dwelling place, for God.

[22:35] Now, people today, it takes little, effort, for you, to pull something apart, and to destroy things. Now, in my younger days, I, I was, acquainted with a man, my dad, who, used to smash things to bits, and he moved into houses, and he used to demolish walls, and pull them down, and it seemed like, it didn't take that long, that, oh, my, mind you, some of these walls, didn't mean to that, it took a bit of time, but yeah, just push them over, and bang, the wall's gone.

[23:05] But you see how long, it's taken to build, this place over here, it takes a long time, to build something, it takes a short time, to destroy, to demolish something, very little intelligence, and effort, to destroy something, but it takes something, out of you, to build up, it's going to take application, it's going to take energy, it's going to take, your investing, yourself, to build up another, and maybe as you, I know, those that have worked, with younger ones, with young people, with children, you wonder, am I making an impact, is it sinking in, you think that as a parent, with your own kids, is anything going in there, or is it just in, one ear, and out the other, and just of late, we've made some contacts, it's an old, youth contacts, and we sent, some 150 letters, and we got one response, and I think, the ratio, of 150 to one, but it's that one, that was a blessing, to hear from, it's that one, that I wonder, yes, there's still something there, there's still, something that, we invested that time, that energy, those resources, that love, that faith, that devotion, that time, and commitment, of ourselves, our blood, sweat, and tears, that there is, and that might be the ratio, 150 to one, in terms of the, payoff, in eternity, but won't it be worth it all, for that one, for that one, out of 150,

[24:29] God willing, that as you invest, in people, you may not see, huge results, you may not see, them coming in droves, to trust Christ, yet, some, will be impacted, some, that you edify, you can, draw to Christ, through your example, as you're building up, others for their benefit, and for your own too, as you do it, because in giving, edifying, you're edifying, yourself too, and we think, even worldly organisations, recognise this principle, like Weight Watchers, like Alcoholics Anonymous, as people help each other, they help themselves, and that's what church is about, we're a company, of sinners, while saints, by his grace, but we help one another, and we grow, whereby soon, as you teach, as you exhort, you'll be encouraged, you'll be lifted, as you feed others, you'll be fed, and if you choose, to miss fellowship, you lessen your opportunities, to edify one another, to obey God, every time, you miss fellowship, you're missing out, on that opportunity, to edify another, you're depriving a brother, a sister, of the edifying, you could give, or receive, think of that, love, love one another, edify one another, another building block, but one more after this, is encouragement, encouragement that builds, think of the encouragement, that you can give, to another, in 1 Thessalonians 5, 11 it says, wherefore, comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, edify one another, even as you also do, comfort, or encourage, it's got the sense, this Greek word, of come alongside, to help, come alongside, it's got the idea, of taking someone, alongside of you, to accompany them, to bring them with you, to bring them along with you, to place an arm around them, figuratively, to comfort, to cheer, to encourage them, in the way, to take them in the way, with you, edifying, means encouraging, and it's promoted, when we put our arms, around another, when we encourage, one another, think of the encouragement, are you using the building block, of encouragement, as you consider the others, about you, are you an encourager, or are you a discourager, are you living in a selfish, self-centered, self-motivated world, that you can't think, of the others, that are about you, think of them, think of what you can give, how you can bless, how you can encourage, to edify, to encourage, one in Hebrews 10, talks about, the, fellowshiping, says don't, forsake the assembling, it says the purpose, is to provoke, unto love, and to good works, we want to provoke people, we want to encourage them, we want to exhort them, another one, is prayer, another building block, another building block, that builds, that you can build people with, that you can be built by, is prayer, we know in Jude 1, it says, but ye beloved, building up yourselves, in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves, in the love of God, praying for, looking for the mercy of, our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life, prayer, prayer is a building block, that we need, that you need, and Papyrus was commended, in Colossians 4, it says of him, that he was always laboring, fervently, for you in prayers, always laboring, fervently for you, in prayers, is your prayer, a labor, is your prayer, a labor, is your prayer, a fervent thing, or is it something, that you don't really, take much attention to,

[28:15] God's people, his gathering place, is to be a house of prayer, somewhere where we can, pray together, and build up one another, spiritual prayer, prayer empowered, by the Holy Spirit, we build each other up, through prayer, I know it's been, said today, of the thankfulness, people have, for being prayed for, I know I'm thankful, especially, thankful, for those that pray for me, because I need prayer, we all do, to pray for someone, to pray for another, is incredibly building, it's incredibly uplifting, and reassuring, how often do you pray, for other people, it's a question, we can all consider, to pray specifically, God uses your prayers, to build up other people, to encourage, we call, brothers and sisters, to edify one another, there's a picture, of the geese, flying in a V formation, as those geese fly, it's a thing of beauty, it's an amazing sight, to see a flock of geese, flying in that V formation, as they join, as one unit, and at certain intervals, the bird that leads, who breaks the force, of the wind, will drop off, and fly at the tail, of the group, and it's the same with, as we know, in the cycling, as we've seen, the tour down under, someone breaks the wind, the force of the wind, and takes, more energy, and then they drop back, and someone else, takes the turn, as the lead rider, and the reason, for this V formation, with the geese, is that, they're more efficient, when they're flying, in that way, when they're flying, in that formation, rather than just, being bunched up, 60% less effort, is required, as the geese, fly this way, and it's been discovered, that the reason, for this, is that as they, flap their wings, the uplift of air, is felt most, by those at the rear, at the back of the group, so the geese, take turns, uplifting one another, uplifting one another, by working together, they've travelled huge distances, friends, how about you, as Christians, as God's people, think about, how can I, uplift another, how can I uplift, how can I build up, how can I edify, by prayer, by love, by encouragement,

[30:38] I ask you today, will you be, a destroyer, or a builder, are you part, the demolition team, or part, of the construction team, there's enough, tearing down, in the world, around us, than for us, to be tearing, ourselves, I know, it's been said, of a church, in the word, where they bite, and devour, one another, you know, they didn't have enough, breakfast to eat, so they come to church, and start chewing, into each other, you know, that's not how, church should be, we're here to bless, to encourage, to lift up, here's a little poem, it says, I saw them, tearing a building down, a gang of men, in a dusty town, what a mighty, hear ho, and a lusty yell, then swung, a beam, and the side wall, fell, I asked the foreman, if these men, were as skilled, as the men, he'd hire, if he were to build, he laughed, and said, oh no, indeed, common labour, is all I need, for these men, can wreck, in a day or two, what builders, have taken, years to do,

[31:39] I asked myself, as I went my way, what kind of role, am I to play, am I the builder, who builds with care, measuring life, by the ruins square, or am I the wrecker, who walks the town, content with the role, of tearing down, now it looks like, some illusion, there's a freemasonry, but that aside, we have to be builders, to build our lives, to build one another, to not wreck people, to not tear down, but to be part, of the builders, to be part, of the building team, we're not praising, three nations, for sure, but be a builder, not a wrecker, be a builder, be a stepping stone, not a stumbling stone, consider others weakness, as you edify, as you learn, to love people, maybe love people, you may not really like, of your own wishes, but love the people, that God, has blessed you with, to be, those that you gather with, to love them, with Christ's love, to not come with pride, and with, with, one upmanship, but to come with that love, that care, that mutual consideration, because James 2, talks about, an instance where, it was an assembly, a worship service, and one came in, finely dressed, the other in rags, and,

[32:57] James made the point there, to show favouritism, is not acceptable, while discernment, between right and wrong, is commended, that kind of, discrimination, that putting down, of someone, is not, to be commended, because we all, need to love, one another, as precious souls, for whom Christ died, to love one another, to exhort, to edify one another, to be that influence, to be that blessing, are you a blessing, think about your life, God told Abraham, in Genesis 12, he says, I will make of thee, a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing, God told Abraham, thou shalt be a blessing, I will bless thee, thou shalt be a blessing, God has blessed you, think of how, God has blessed you, Ian, you're so blessed, you're so blessed, you're a millionaire, in God's terminology, in God's economy, this man is, is so wealthy, today, he's got staggering wealth, beyond compare, a cattle on a thousand hills, his father, it's just amazing, the, the, the, the, very wealthy people, here today, relatives of royalty, sons and daughters, of the king of kings, and the lord of lords, blessed people,

[34:24] God has blessed you people, today, God has blessed you saints, are you going to be a blessing, he's blessed you to be a blessing, just like, he blessed Abraham, to be a blessing, he's blessed you to bless people, to inspire people, to encourage people, to motivate people, to do God's will, to find God's truth, and we have to have that bond, that bond of love, of encouragement, of brotherliness, of sister, and brother, to have that duty, to one another, to help each other to grow, to help each other, to learn, there's one crazy chap, in Bermuda, I'm told, he gets up at 3.40am, every morning, and he goes to a roundabout, in a city, until 10 o'clock, in the morning, he's there waving, to every passer boy, and shouting, God bless you, I love you, and they think, what a nutcase, but, he's been doing this, every day, for 20 years, and the people, on this island, of Bermuda, apparently, they appreciate, appreciate it so much, that they've created, a life size bronze statue, of this man, for when he dies, so that the tradition, can carry on, are you a blesser, are you a builder, are you an edifier today, you know, you don't have to go, and carry on like that, but, but you can be a blesser, you can be a builder, you can be an edifier, and it's so easy, instead, to destroy, then to build, let's take stock,

[35:50] God has not caught us, to that easy path, of destroying things, but of building things, of building people, of being an edifier, and friends, just let me close, with one, short quote, General Booth, the founder of the Salvos, as we know, he spread the gospel, over much the world, he organised street meetings, open air evangelism, much outreach, was undertaken, to his leadership, and with the passing of years, General Booth, he became an invalid, his eyesight failed, and one year, he was in such bad health, that he was unable, to attend the convention, in London, and someone suggested, that General Booth, at least send a telegram, send a message, send a, something, for the opening, of the convention, and Booth, agreed to do so, and thousands of delegates, met to stay, and the moderator, announced that General Booth, had not been able, to attend, because of his health, and gloom, and pessimism, swept across the place, and the little light, dispelled, some of the darkness, when the moderator, announced that General Booth, had sent a message, to be read, at the opening, of the first session, and he opened the message, and it said, dear delegates, at the,

[37:06] Salvation Army Convention, others, signed General Booth, others, the word, one word, others, now, I've heard a, a sermon, that really inspired me, one day, called Others, and, this man quoted this, poem, Others, Lord let me live, from day to day, in such a self, forgetful way, that even when, I kneel to pray, my prayer shall be, for others, others, Lord, yes, others, let this, my motto be, help me, to live, for others, that I, may live, like thee, and I searched, and found, a full poem, for this, so I'll read that, just to close, Others, help me, in all the work I do, to ever be, sincere and true, and know that, for you, must, needs be done, for others, let self, be crucified, and slain, and very deep, and all in vain, may efforts be, to rise again, unless, to live for, others, and when my work, on earth is done, and my new work, in heavens begun, may I forget, the crown I won, while thinking, still, of, others, others,

[38:30] Lord, yes, others, let this, my motto be, help me, to live for others, that I may live, like thee, edify, one another, it's about others, let's not live, a selfish kind of Christianity, let's live, a selfless, Christianity, and edify, one another, let us, Thank you.