Well, thank you so much, Peter, and to the guys in the band for leading us thus far.
Are we well? Yes, good. Well, can I encourage you to turn to the little book of Titus?
A little trick for you if you're struggling to find it, this New Testament letter is the last of the five consecutive T's in the New Testament.
One Tim, two Tim, one Thess, two Thess, one Tim, two Tim, and then our little friend Titus at the end there.
That's for free. It's not even in my notes. But there you go. That's how I remember these little things.
And Titus is where we'll be for the next little while.
This little book that I hope at the end of our few weeks in this letter will become not only just a friend and an acquaintance,
but actually will become a good companion as we continue to travel on as a church community.
So would you turn to Titus and let's pray and let's ask that God would be so gracious to us this evening as we come to his word.
Let's pray together.
Oh, dear Father, we're so aware, Lord, as we come here this evening that our view of you, our grasp of you is so small.
Our view of your son is so small.
Our view of your spirit is so small.
And so, dear Father, it's simply our prayer as we come to your word this evening, as we gather as your people together,
that you would, by your spirit, as your word is preached this evening,
would you make yourself big in our sight?
So, Father, would we leave this place this evening just with a greater understanding, appreciation and affection for who you are?
And so that is our prayer, Lord, that you be so gracious and kind to us.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Well, I thought we'd begin just by a little bit of fun.
I'm always up for fun.
I thought we'd begin by a bit of fun.
Let's see how many different countries are represented here tonight.
There is a point to this.
You'll see.
Just shout them out.
How many different countries have we got represented here tonight?
Italy?
Britain?
Scotland?
Okay.
Anyone else?
Northern Ireland?
Germany?
Here's a question for you.
Simona and Luca.
How do people perceive Italians?
What do they say about Italians?
Pizza.
Okay.
Germans?
Okay.
I would think of hardworking.
I would think of.
What do you think?
Put your hands up if you're Scottish.
How do you think people perceive us?
Okay.
Hold that thought.
It was a rhetorical question.
Should have made it clearer.
Hold that thought.
How do you think people perceive Scottish people?
I was reading an article this week by a team at Cambridge University who did some research
about the different reputations that people, different people groups in Britain have.
Okay.
So I'm doing a bit of research into this.
This is what the research said.
Cambridge University.
Our survey found that Londoners were regarded as being uncooperative, quarrelsome and irritable.
People in the east of England were found to be the most conscientious but were more likely
to be set in their ways.
The Welsh tend to be more open.
But our survey found that they were the shyest and they were the least emotionally stable.
The Scots have long enjoyed a reputation for being grumpy, aloof and doer.
There's a good Scottish word for you, doer.
But our new study suggests that they are actually the most friendly people in Britain.
Can I get an amen?
Amen.
This is what people, I don't know if that's true or not, but this is apparently how we're
perceived by the outside world.
There's Scottish people on the Royal Mile.
Look at them.
Beautiful.
Here's what I want you to do this evening.
I want us to do this evening.
I want to take us from thinking about the people of our island and how they are perceived.
And I want us to travel back to the first century and introduce you to a people from
another island.
So we're going back this evening to the island of Crete.
This letter of Titus written by Paul to Titus, to a man and to a church who are living on
this island of Crete.
This large island just off the coast of Greece.
And let me introduce you to some of the locals on this island.
Name for the locals?
Cretans.
Reputation of the locals?
Well, these people are infamous for their lack of ethics, for their lying, and for their
absolute greed.
In fact, one of the Greek words for being a liar, the word kretizo, literally to be a
cretin.
Now, just to give you a flavour of the distaste for this people, let me read to you, this
is what I found in my research this week, a few of the sayings about these people that
outsiders looking in had about them.
This is Plutarch, the Greek biographer.
He always joked about the fact that on Crete, there were no wild animals with four legs, but
that was more than made up for the fact that there were tons of wild animals with two legs
living on the island.
Pauli Bias, the Greek historian, made the following comments about the Cretans.
He said,
So we have that today in our culture, don't we?
We hate money cheats.
We think about in the world of sports, when somebody signs for another team because they
got offered more money.
We hate them, don't we?
But in this culture, Cretans, that kind of behaviour is lauded.
It's praised.
Everybody wants to reach the top, accumulate more stuff.
This is the people who are on this island.
And here's the wonderful news for us to comprehend this evening from this letter, is that the gospel
has reached Crete.
And it hasn't just reached Crete, it has taken root in Crete.
And God, through his gospel, has birthed a church on this island.
Now, if we were ranking people in terms of who was likely and least likely to become Christians,
where the gospel was going to have impact and not have impact,
this island would be very low on our rankings.
Now, isn't that not a wonderful lesson for us straight off the bat?
As we think about our nation, as we think about our city, as we think even just about our area,
what do we so often think?
That this is hard soil.
But is this not encouraging?
This is what encouraged me this week.
That this tells us that the gospel is unstoppable.
That the gospel is powerful.
And it can break the hardest of soils.
And it can melt even the hardest of hearts.
And God's word, as it goes forth,
it will accomplish the purposes that he intends for it.
That is encouraging.
Now, let me just tell you that the two main parties to this letter,
Paul and Titus,
the apostle and his co-worker,
traveling companion and protégé.
Now, whenever it is exactly that they were on Crete,
whether it was during the events recorded in the book of Acts,
whether it was after those events,
whatever conclusion you come to,
the gospel has taken root on Crete.
And through this message being preached,
God has saved men and women to himself.
He has lifted them out of the darkness
and he's put them into his glorious kingdom of light.
And he's created this community of Christians on this island of Crete.
Now, you can imagine that these Christians are gathering in each other's homes to worship
and to fellowship with one another and to encourage one another.
These are most likely house church gatherings that are on this island.
And I think we can probably assume from the letter
that this is a young church.
It's a really young church.
In fact, some commentators would place this church as not even being a year old.
These are new Christians.
This is an inexperienced church.
This is a church who are trying to find their feet.
Just picture what that is like.
I remember a little girl when she was learning to walk last year.
It was an absolute joy to watch her do it, but it was messy.
She would go for it and she would kind of stumble
and she would bang her head and she's trying to work out limbs.
Do you know, she's just trying to work this thing out.
It's kind of like that when we first become Christians.
Isn't it?
We're trying to figure this thing out.
How the gospel has flipped our lives upside down.
Trying to work out, I mean, what is it about our old lives
that Jesus calls us to leave behind in pursuit of him?
My old lifestyles.
My old habits.
My old ambitions.
What is it that he calls me to say no to in order to follow him?
We're trying to work out the contours of the Christian life.
That I see the world differently now.
I see it through the God lens.
I'm trying to discern what is false and what is true in this life.
Trying to grapple with what it means to live as part of this new family of God,
the church that God has grafted me into.
All of a sudden, before, I've got nothing in common with these people.
Now, all of a sudden, I've got the most important thing in my life in common with these people.
Just trying to figure it out.
So the challenge is that these new Christians are probably facing on this island.
So we can begin to appreciate, can't we, the pressures that this church are facing.
Pressures that they're facing.
I think two main sources of pressures.
Firstly, internal pressures.
Now, imagine it.
Just picture it.
You're in that home group setting.
And you look at one another across the room.
You think, well, what do we do now?
What do we do now?
What do we stand for?
How do we behave as a community?
How do we work together?
How do we help one another?
And into the mix, I think you've got false teachers in this letter.
We learn a lot about them who are trying to infiltrate this church.
Who are trying to spin lies.
Who are trying to cause these Christians to deviate their course from following the Lord Jesus Christ.
And I think particularly in this letter, if you've got it there, chapter 1 and verse 10.
There's a Jewish flavor to this false teaching.
What are they telling you?
Well, I know Paul said this.
I know he said that.
But you know, crazy Uncle Paul, it's a bit more like this.
Did he tell you not to do that?
No, you kind of need to do that.
He said you can do that.
No, you definitely can't do that.
So you begin to see, can't you, these internal pressures that are facing these new Christians.
Internal pressures, and I can certainly picture external pressures as well in this island.
Can't imagine that's an easy place to live for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Just imagine it.
One day you're living just like everyone else on that island.
You're living for the same things.
You're chasing the same dreams.
You're acting exactly the same as everybody else.
And then you hear that the gospel and that the Spirit awakens you.
All of a sudden that you're alive.
Why?
You see life differently now.
God has transferred you from the kingdom of darkness,
and he's placed you into his kingdom of light.
You were dead, and by his grace, he has made you alive.
And he's called you to live differently.
So don't be a cheat.
Be honest.
Don't lie.
Speak the truth.
Don't be lazy.
Work hard.
And so you can imagine if you live out your transformed life,
in this culture with these people,
you're going to stand out a mile.
You're going to stand out a mile.
I mean, check Holy Harry over there.
Can you believe that he shares his money and his stuff
with these new friends of his?
Can you believe that?
We're off.
We'll spend our money on ourselves.
Thank you very much.
I mean, check Jesus freak Jenny over there as well.
Can you believe that when the boss leaves work,
she still works?
She doesn't slack like everybody else?
We're away as well.
Internal pressures, external pressures facing this church.
And you begin to see,
even just at the outset of this letter,
how applicable this is for us.
Actually, we face pressures, don't we,
every day as we live our lives as Christians in this world?
Well, I think this letter has got so much to teach us.
So much to teach us.
We face the same kind of pressures.
And I think that takes us to the purpose of this letter.
Or to put it another way,
addressing the why question.
So it was a great question to ask ourselves
when we're trying to grapple with the meaning of a text,
the why question.
Why?
And this is the thing here.
Why is Paul writing these things to this man
at this particular time?
Well, here is Paul.
We're going to get to the bottom of this question.
Here is Paul.
And for one reason or another,
he's no longer on Crete.
He's no longer on Crete.
And he's writing this letter to Titus,
whom he has instructed to remain on Crete.
And to do what while he's remaining on Crete?
Well, if you check it out there,
chapter 1 and verse 5.
Paul instructs Titus to put in order
what was left unfinished.
Do you see that?
So he's saying that there's still work to be done on Crete.
And Paul instructs Titus in this letter
to finish the work.
Finish the work by standing for the truth.
And by silencing those who would speak against the truth.
And by modelling for the people
what a godly life looks like.
And by appointing leaders who will lead this church well.
That's what he's got to do.
That's what Titus has got to do.
But I think, just I've been convinced
the more that I've got to get under the skin of this letter,
that actually there's a bigger purpose
that Paul has in mind.
More holistic purpose.
What does Paul want to see happen
in this young church?
Well, he wants Titus to give himself to the task
of seeing this church grow.
Grow.
He wants it to grow well.
He wants it to grow up.
He wants it to grow deep.
And he wants it to grow out.
Paul wants this young church to grow.
I think there's two particular aspects to this growing.
And just as we look at a brief introduction to this letter,
let me just outline what I think are the two big aspects
of growing that Paul outlines in this letter.
So he wants them to be growing.
And he wants them to be growing
in their knowing.
And he wants them to be growing in their showing.
Growing in their knowing
and growing in their showing.
Knowing what it is they believe.
And showing how what they believe
makes a radical difference
to the way that they live their lives.
Individually and as a community.
He wants them to be growing
in their knowing and their showing.
And I think he sums it up in that phrase
that we get right at the beginning of verse 1.
And I think this is the big idea of this letter
and Paul's beating heart for this church.
What does he write?
Their knowledge of the truth
that leads to godliness.
Their knowledge of the truth
that leads to godliness.
He wants them to grow.
And in terms of their knowing,
how does he want them to grow?
Well, here's three quick words for you.
Just as we introduce ourselves,
familiarize ourselves with this letter.
He wants them to grow,
first of all,
in their delighting.
Now, I don't know if you
read the BBC website often.
I was on there on Friday morning.
And I don't know if you saw
the story about the elderly couple,
Joan and Ken,
who were getting married down in Gloucester.
Did anyone see that?
You saw that?
Brilliant.
So I'm not making a...
Amazing story about how this couple met.
Ken,
homeless,
smelly clothes,
unemployed,
raking his way through bins
to get meals for the day.
Nothing attractive about him.
Joan sees him,
has compassion on him,
befriends him,
cares for him,
tends for him,
loves him.
20 years later,
they're due to get married.
I'm reading that thinking,
that's pretty cool.
But I'm reading it
and I'm thinking,
what a beautiful example,
picture of the Gospel.
What a beautiful picture
of the Gospel.
And this is what Paul outlines
for Titus
at Titus chapter 3.
We've got it there,
look at it there.
What does he write?
He wants to look at Titus' head
around the beauty
of the Gospel.
That God saved us, Titus.
He saved us.
Not because of the righteous things
that we did,
not because we looked good
in his sight,
not because we were living
good lives.
On the contrary,
we were ugly.
But he saved us,
not because of the things
done by us,
but he saved us
because of his mercy
and his love
and his incredible grace.
And he put his spirit in us.
And he adopted us
as his sons and his daughters.
So that we are no longer orphans.
We are adopted
and we are co-heirs
with Christ.
And we have the hope
of eternal life
where one day
we,
as part of the church,
will meet our husband,
Jesus Christ.
That's what he says.
Titus,
you've got to delight
in that message.
The Gospel really is
the ultimate
rags-to-riches story.
Now,
Martin Lloyd-Jones,
famous Welsh preacher,
he used to say
that the only thing
that humiliated him
to the dust
and caused him
to fall on his knees
in worship
was when he contemplated
the cross of Jesus Christ.
Nothing else
will humble us
apart from that,
that we were not worthy.
But nothing else
will cause our spirits
to delight
in the fact that God
outrageously loved us
in Christ
and he forgave us,
not cheaply,
costly.
And that we are adopted
as his children.
And that we have
a glorious future
ahead of us.
And Paul writes
to this community
and says,
you have to be a community
who delight in that message.
That you don't just
know that message,
but you know that message
and you love that message.
It's a great point
to stop
and to ask ourselves
individually
and corporately,
friends,
do we delight
in that message?
Do we delight
in the gospel?
Would people
looking into
this church community,
would people
looking into our lives,
would they say
that we delight
in the gospel?
And what are we
going to do,
really practically,
what are we going
to do this week
to cultivate
that delight
in the gospel?
Paul wants them
to grow
in their delighting
and Paul wants them
to grow secondly
in their discerning.
as you grow
in your understanding
of the gospel,
this is what he's saying
to this community,
you've got to see
that it's too good
to be tampered with.
Too good to be tampered with.
You've got to know it well
so that you can discern
when others are seeking
to distort it
and twist it
and rob it
of both its beauty
and its power.
And you've got to be able
to discern
what a life of godliness
looks like.
Look at verse 11
of chapter 2
if you've got it there.
What will the grace
of God do
in their lives
as God transforms
them by his spirit?
What will it do?
It will teach them
to say
no.
Now not in our little girl
at the minute
she loves the word no,
she's two terrible twos,
no, no, no, no, no
to everything.
It's not that kind of no.
It's a no
that is choosing
to say no
to self
and to sin
and to say yes
to the things
of Jesus Christ.
They've got to discern
what a life
of worship
to him
looks like.
What will they say no to?
Look what it says,
to ungodliness
and worldly passions.
So the things
of their former
way of life,
the things not pleasing
to God,
not honouring to him,
not worthy of him
and not fitting
for their new life
and their status.
And how are they
going to grow
in their discerning?
Well they'll grow
in their discerning
by learning.
Grow in their discerning
by learning.
Learning what?
Learning the truth.
In my university summers
I worked a couple
of summers
at one of the banks,
one in the city centre
in Glasgow,
one in the city centre
in Aberdeen.
And he used to train you
as to how to spot
a fake note.
The only way
to spot a fake note,
the best way
to spot a fake note
is to be so in touch
with the real note.
Just get the feel
of the real note,
you'll be able
to feel a fake note.
It's kind of the same
here, isn't it?
How are we to grow
in discerning?
How are we to grow
in separating
the false
from the true
by being so in touch
with the truth?
So in touch
with the truth
that we know
our Bibles,
that we come
before God
and say,
God,
would you teach us
the truth?
Get familiar
with the touch
of the truth.
Theologian
J.I. Packer
puts it like this,
if I were the devil,
one of my first aims
would be
to stop Christians
from digging
into their Bibles.
Paul wants
this church
to grow
in their discerning.
And lastly,
in terms of their
knowing,
he wants them
to grow
in terms
of their
discipling.
That yes,
they are individual
sheep,
but they are not
to live as individual
sheep.
They are to live
as part of a flock.
And not just
a flock,
but live as part
of a family.
And they are to
help each other
to grow
in godliness.
And you'll see
a beautiful picture
of this
chapter 2.
A beautiful picture
of what he wants
the community
life of this church
to look like.
And it's brilliant.
Look at it here.
What does he say?
Older women
seasoned saints
teach the younger
women.
Older men,
you seasoned saints,
you teach the younger
men.
And this isn't
sit around
the family
dinner table
and play a monopoly
and play in happy
families.
What this is,
is Paul desiring
a compelling
community.
A community
that cares
for one another.
A community
that loves
one another.
A community
that takes seriously
looking out
for one another.
And a community
that passes
stuff on.
Passes stuff on.
Speaks the word
to one another.
Experiences,
knowledge,
understanding,
awareness,
advice,
helping one another
to grow in the
faith.
Isn't that a
wonderful picture
of what meaningful
and intentional
discipleship looks
like?
Corporately.
It's brilliant,
isn't it?
It's brilliant.
And just as we're
passing,
let me ask you,
as we're at this
point,
just think about
your own life
for a minute.
Who's speaking
into your life?
In the church
context,
who's speaking
into your life?
Maybe you want
to pray this
week that God
would put
somebody in
your heart
that you
could speak
into their
life.
Whose life
are you
speaking into?
Is there
someone in
this church
family who
could play
that role
in your
life?
Paul wants
this Christian
community to
grow in their
knowing,
in their
delighting,
in their
discerning,
in their
discipling,
and he
wants them
to grow
as well
in their
showing.
So firstly,
look at this,
he wants them
to grow
in their
witnessing.
You've got it
there again,
chapter 2,
verse 9,
Paul addressing
those in the
church who
would be
slaves,
that is,
servants
underneath a
master.
And what
does he
say?
He says
that he
wants them
to live
their lives
in such
a way
that you
make the
gospel
attractive.
So you
live your
lives in
such a way
that you
make it
look good.
You've got
an ESV
there,
it says
he wants
them to
adorn the
gospel.
That's a
great word,
adorn.
And he's
talking much
less about
wearing clothes.
This is not
about Christian
Dior.
This is about
displaying Christian
character.
This is what
he's saying,
you've got to
make the
gospel look
good.
In fact,
character is
what Paul tells
Titus in this
letter to
look for
when appointing
leaders for
this church,
appointing
elders.
That they
are men
of good
and of
growing and
of genuine
and of
godly
character.
That their
insides are
the same as
their outsides.
That they're
the same in
private as
they are in
public.
That's what
he wants
for the
elders of
the church.
But he
also wants
it for
the whole
church.
That people
would look
at them
and as
they adorn
the gospel,
as people
look at
them from
the outside,
they would
question and
think,
why is it
that they
look so
good?
Why is it
that they
look so
good?
Why do
they act
differently?
And not
with a big
question mark
above them,
asking it
because I
want that
for my
life as
well.
What is
it about
their life
that I
don't have?
Paul wants
them to grow
in their
witnessing.
Secondly,
he wants
them to grow
in their
working.
big emphasis
in this
letter on
God's
people living
productive
and living
fruitful
lives for
the glory
of God.
Maybe note
them down
and check
them out
later.
Chapter
2,
verse 14.
Chapter
3,
verse 8.
Chapter
3,
verse 14.
Work
hard.
People,
commit
yourselves.
Be zealous
for good
works.
And in
this letter
he criticizes
the false
teachers.
Chapter
1,
verse 16.
For not
living
productive
and fruitful
lives.
In fact,
their lives
are inconsistent.
They are
claiming one
thing with
their mouths
and they're
displaying another
with their
actions and
character.
There's an
inconsistency to
the false
teachers and
that's how
you'll be
able to
spot them.
Grow in
your working.
And thirdly,
and lastly,
and very
much linked
to the
first two,
Paul wants
them to
grow in
their
waiting.
Waiting
for the
return of
their
glorious
Lord and
Saviour
Jesus
Christ.
Chapter
2,
verse 30.
He wants
them to
live in
eager
anticipation
of the
day when
their
master will
come back.
And this
isn't a
passive
waiting.
This is
very much
an active
thing.
He wants
them to
wait well.
And his
servants in
the present
age, what
are they to
do?
Well, they're
to work for
him, they're
to live for
him, they're
to pursue
more of
him, and
they're just
to love
him outrageously.
Now, I must
say this week
in my own
life, my own
heart, I think
this is where
I was most
massively
convicted.
That how
often the
return of my
Lord and
that glorious
day when he
will return,
like we were
singing in that
first song,
how often does
that just never
cross my
radar?
It never
comes into my
thought life,
and oh
Father, would
you forgive me
that that is
true?
And would
you help me
live an eager
expectation of
the day that
you will
return to
make all
things new?
How often I
just get bogged
down with the
stuff down
here?
Did I plan my
diary two years
in advance?
What a vanity
that the Lord
could take me
home to glory
tomorrow.
D.A.
Carson, he
put it like
this.
He said,
a billion years
or so into
eternity, the
number of toys
we accumulated
for ourselves
during this
life will not
seem too
terribly important.
And do you
see, just as we
pull a few of
these threads
together this
evening, do you
see how radically
different this
community is going
to be from its
surrounding community?
on Crete, an
island full of
people renowned
for lying and
for being lazy,
what does Paul
tell them to do?
Devote themselves
to the truth and
devote themselves to
working hard.
Radically different
from the surrounding
world.
This is why Paul
left Titus on
Crete, to help
this church grow.
That is what he's
got to work hard
to do.
Now listen, we
started by joking
about what
reputations
different people
have.
And I wonder
just as I was
finishing this this
week, I wonder
what reputation
we have.
I wonder what
reputation the
church in
Edinburgh has.
The church in
St. Andrews, the
church in Glasgow,
the church in
Aberdeen, the
church in Britain,
the church in
Europe, the
church in the
world.
What reputation
do we have?
As outsiders,
they look in and
do they see this
community?
Well, here's
something that
encouraged me this
week.
It was an
article I read
that was taken
from the St.
Andrews University
student newspaper
which is called
The Stand.
And one of the
new students to
St. Andrews
University, he
wrote into The
Stand and he
gave his thoughts
on how he
perceived the
Christian community
as he lived his
life on campus.
Now there's a bit
more to it on the
screen but that's
the kind of gist
of it.
But let me read
this to you.
It's fantastic.
So this is great.
This is what he's
perceiving right in
front of him.
He says this,
Growing up I
thought Christianity
was always
something for
older people.
It was for
teachers in
primary school,
for distant
aunts halfway
across the globe
or your
friends'
parents who
always brought
the largest
pumpkin to
harvest day.
People my
age meanwhile
weren't going
to listen to
any old type
of authority
especially the
authority of a
dusty old book.
We were too
young, we were
too forward
thinking.
In short
Christianity just
wasn't cool
enough for us.
In St.
Andrews however
young Christians
abide.
Maybe it's the
traditional aspect
of the university,
maybe it's the
town's illustrious
history as the
religious capital
of Scotland.
Whatever the
reason, and get
this, it is
impossible not to
notice that
Christianity is
thriving in this
town.
It is often
said that you
can never find
a Christian
here who you
cannot like.
And despite
having had
several bad
experiences from
a Church of
England school,
I have to
agree that
every single
Christian I
have met here
has been
lovely.
Isn't that a
great thing?
As people
perceive this
Christian community
in action,
it might have
been the
student community
there, but as
people perceive
this Christian
community, it's
our heart for
our community
that something
like that would
be said of
us.
That people in
this community
would be glad
that we were
here, and if
we ever left,
they would be
gutted.
And I guess
that's, and just
to finish off,
that's my prayer
for us as we
journey through
this letter
together.
And let me
finish by just
asking you to
embrace the
prayer.
You know, I
wonder if you
pray for our
church here at
Brunsfield.
I wonder if
you pray for
individuals here
at Brunsfield,
and I wonder if
you do, I wonder
what you pray
for them.
Well, it's my
prayer as we
journey through
this little letter
of Titus that
what we encounter
here in God's
word is he
teaches us by
his spirit that
these things would
become our prayer
for our community.
And that we
would go further
than just praying
for our own
superficial needs,
but actually we
would pray for
one another that
we would grow.
Grow individually
and grow corporately
in terms of our
knowing and our
showing.
That we would be
a community that
by God's grace
and by his
spirit, it
grows.
And I thought
it would just be
a great way to
end as we
respond just to
this little
introduction to
this letter
this evening,
to pray together.
So what I
thought would be
great for us to
do is just
maybe can I
ask three people
to pray?
Just open time
of prayer
together.
Pray for three
things for our
church family here
as we journey
through this
letter.
Firstly, if
somebody wants
to pray for
our growing,
and then secondly,
if somebody wants
to pray for our
knowing,
and then lastly,
if somebody wants
to pray for our
showing,
and then I'll
close our prayer
time together.
But remember,
just big loud
voices, let's
encourage one
another with this,
and let's just
respond to what
we've heard this
evening, and
let's just commit
ourselves over
this next little
while, and over
this, or our
lifetime as a
church together.
Let's just commit
it to the Lord.
So why don't we
do that now, and
let's pray together.
Father, I ask the
Lord that I might
grow in faith and
love and every
grace, might more
of his salvation
know, and seek
more earnestly his
face.
Our dear Father,
we would thank you
for those lyrics
that we have of
John Newton.
Lord, just a
passion to see
himself and to
see your church
grow.
And so, Father, we
ask that you would
help us to do that
this week.
Lord, help us to
grow in our
showing and in our
knowing, and Lord,
that we might just
live fruitful and
productive lives for
your glory.
And so it's through
your Son's precious
and worthy name that
we pray.
Amen.