Well, let's return to Paul's letter to the Philippians.
!
Let's bow in prayer before we turn to the word.
Father in heaven, we ask and pray this evening that you would bless us and encourage us in the truth this night.
Lord, it's a great privilege that we have to be able to open the Bible in front of us.
And we need the light of your presence to guide us into what we need to see here.
We dare not, Lord, progress, in fact, without that light.
And so may the Spirit guide us to the things of truth.
And may we find blessing and joy in what we discover.
And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
You know, if there was two themes that you would say flow out of the letter to the Philippians,
we've kind of touched on them both in all the different parts of the letter that we've read tonight.
The obvious one is Paul's joy when he thinks about the church in Philippi.
And in some ways, that's very often a rebuke to us because when we, I think, so often think about the church on earth,
very often we think about all of the problems, we think about all of the things that make it difficult.
And joy is maybe rarely the first word that would spring to mind when we think about the church.
But for Paul, joy was one of the great reasons for, or one of the great things of his thought and state
when he was reflecting on the church and thought of them.
Connected to that is the reason for Paul's joy.
And that again runs through this letter really clearly.
It's not as clear in English actually when you're reading it, but if you're reading it in Greek,
you would see it immediately because the same word crops up time and again,
although it's translated in three different ways in the passages we've read.
And that is the fellowship of the church.
The partnership of the church.
The way in which the church share together in some experiences.
And my thinking tonight is to reflect a little bit on this.
The way in which God has ordained for the church to have an experience of partnership or fellowship in its life.
And this theology, it runs actually throughout the whole of the Bible.
It goes back to the very beginning to creation when God created Adam.
Adam, he said it's not good for Adam to be alone.
And he created a partner for him.
Someone who would be alongside him.
And who would fulfill a...
In fact, I'm not even hesitant to say it, but it's a divine purpose.
It is a purpose of God's own character that the wife that has provided for Adam is there to correspond to him
and to work with him and to serve together in their lives as a whole.
And that design for fellowship and the core of what it means to be human
is actually reflective of the character and nature of God himself.
God is...
You know, the God we worship is not a...
Is not a monad.
It's not the same God as Islam worships.
The God of Islam is alone.
There is only one God.
He has no son.
He has his prophets.
He has his servants.
He has creatures that do his bidding.
But in Islam, God is not three persons.
And our God is three persons.
From before the foundation of the world, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
have entered into a partnership for the work of salvation.
They've entered into a partnership and a sharing in the work of the atonement.
They work in partnership in the work of creation.
They've worked in partnership in the work of revelation.
There is even a partnership of the Trinity in the way in which we pray
as followers of Jesus Christ.
And so this partnership, this sharing of work together,
is reflective of the character of God himself.
And it's so dangerous for us if we get into a habit of thinking about the Christian life
where we can cut ourselves off or put ourselves into positions
where we are isolated and alone.
We need partnership.
And we need that at a deep level, as we'll see,
in some of the ways in which this works out.
Obviously, there's a great danger as well.
Human partnerships are abused.
Human partnerships have been abused from the very beginning.
This morning, we were thinking about Noah.
It is interesting.
Just after the story of Noah comes the story of the Tower of Babel
where a group of humans come together and they say,
let us build a tower that we can bring God down to us.
And there is a great wickedness in the scheme of the people of Babel.
And God confounds that scheme and brings a judgment upon them
of dividing up the people into languages and groups
that scatter over the face of the earth.
And so sometimes human sin takes the good things that God has made
and corrupts them and pollutes them for our own purposes.
So Paul uses this idea of partnership, as I say, three times in the letter to the Philippians.
The first of these, we've read it just this moment, in fact, in verse 5 of chapter 1,
where Paul says that,
because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
I have been able to pray with joy.
Because of your partnership in the gospel,
I have been able to pray with joy.
The reason for Paul's joy is because they've participated with him
in some of the work of the gospel.
The work of the gospel is itself that profound work of God himself,
the bringing of good news into the experience of men and women in this world.
And Paul says that you have partnered with me in that work.
It's been a missionary endeavor
that goes on in the life and the experience of the church.
And Paul says of the Philippians,
it's been my experience of you that this has been the case since the very beginning.
Now, the beginning of the story of the Philippians is in the book of Acts.
And you can read there about how in the book of Acts,
Paul went on the Jewish Sabbath to a riverside outside the city
to a place where a group of mostly women were meeting for prayer.
And there he met, among others, Lydia,
whose heart God opened with the gospel.
And from that day forward, Paul has said,
the character of the Philippian church has been one that has shared in,
shouldered with him, this work of the gospel.
So this is a church where from the very beginning of their story
and consistently right the way through it,
they've had a very clear purpose.
They've had a clear sense of their identity.
They've bought into the idea that they are makers of disciples,
that they are engaged in the work of bringing the good news
into the lives of men and women,
and they have been blessed and are continuing to be a blessing
in this great work.
That's one of these things that we should think about
for ourselves, isn't it?
As we think about our identity as a congregation,
as we think about what we are about,
what we're for,
as we think about it in terms of our families,
because I hope that we would aspire to have families
as part of the life of our congregation,
what are our families for?
What are our homes for?
What are our resources for?
What has God blessed us with in our lives
that we can use for his glory?
And how do we do this?
And the answer of it ought to come back
to this idea of partnership in the gospel.
That is the good news of Jesus.
The good spiel.
The good story that's there to be told.
And that is the story of Jesus.
Of the Redeemer's coming.
Of his life in this world.
His ministry.
But culminating, as Paul talks about,
in that trajectory that takes him to the cross.
Where he empties himself.
Taking on the form of a servant
and subjects himself even to the point of death itself.
That is the good news tonight.
That is there for each one of us.
That is the good news that we are invited into.
When Calvin wrote about this in this passage,
he says,
We know how rare an excellence it is
to follow God immediately upon his calling us
and also to persevere steadily unto the end.
For many are slow and backward to obey,
while there are still more that fall short
through fickleness or inconsistency.
And Paul says,
Here is a church in Philippi
that has not been inconsistent.
Here is a church in Philippi
that has not been fickle
in its support and unwavering care
for the lost around about them.
This is a church that remembers what it's for.
And sadly, in the New Testament,
it's pretty clear that that's not always the case.
It's possible for churches to lose sight of that
somewhere along the way,
to stray from that calling.
But Paul is reminded of the Philippians,
of their partnership in the gospel
since the day of Lydia's conversion.
And so we should be bold
when we think about what we want as a church,
especially as we move towards calling a pastor
and how foundational that will be
to the life of this church.
It's so important in the character of the church that we have.
What do we want?
A pastor who will lead us in the word
and who will lead us in the work of the gospel,
who will create and spurn on, as Paul did,
a partnership in the gospel
in our midst as a church.
And our prayer, maybe just now as well,
as we think about that forthcoming vacancy meeting
and as we think about the process that has to be followed,
our prayer should be for a pastor
who himself will be committed to that work of the gospel
and who will see it flourish in this place.
So there is that first element of this partnership,
that they are partners in the work of the gospel.
But then if you turn over the page
to Philippians chapter two, verse one,
and we read there, so if there is any encouragement in Christ,
any comfort from love,
any participation in the spirit,
any affection and sympathy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind,
having the same love,
being in full accord and of one mind.
So Paul is saying there
that there are certain things
that flow from the work of the gospel.
Flowing from the work of the gospel,
there is an encouragement in Christ,
that is a comfort from love,
the love of God that is shown to us in Christ Jesus,
that is a participation.
That same word is used for participation there.
So in chapter one,
he's talked about their partnership in the gospel.
Now he talks about their participation in the spirit,
and it's the same word in Greek.
So there is this working of God
in the lives of these Christians in Philippi,
which leads to Paul having a completed joy
as they express a unity
and a commitment and a love towards one another
that overflows from their experience of the gospel.
And again, the notion here is that Paul is rejoicing.
He says, complete my joy.
So there is an experience of joy already.
And Paul is saying he wants that experience of joy
that he's already had
when he thinks about the Philippian church.
He wants that to just overflow and grow
as he remembers them
and as he hears about them
and as he hears of the work of God among them.
And he says, this comes from the Holy Spirit.
This is the work of God, the Spirit,
in our lives.
And the result of it is that the church in Philippi
will have this thing he calls a one-mindedness,
that they would share a sense of duty
and purpose and direction.
But more than that,
that they would share a sense of love
and compassion for one another,
that they would minister to one another
out of their needs
and in their times of sorrow and sadness,
that they would experience this overflow
of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
It's an astonishing thing.
And he says, this thing,
this one-mindedness,
is in fact the mind of Christ.
So he says, I want you to have this humility
that counts others more significant than yourselves.
Let each one of you look not only on his own interests,
but on the interests of others.
Have this mind among yourselves,
which is yours in Christ Jesus.
And so the character of the church in Philippi,
Paul is saying,
is one that comes about
because they are conformed to the likeness of Jesus.
So the roughness,
if you can think of it this way,
the roughness of their character,
perhaps it's their short-temperedness,
perhaps it's their,
maybe it's times of greed,
of self-centeredness,
of wanting things their own way,
of insisting on their desires.
And sometimes these desires
might not be wrong things,
but insisting on them nonetheless.
And Paul says,
what he wants them to change to
is away from that way of thinking
about their lives
and their purpose in this world
to thinking like Christ.
So he wants them to think like Jesus,
who he goes on to explain
in this really profound passage
about the self-emptying of Jesus,
the way he takes on the form of a servant
and empties himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death
and suffering in this world.
And he says,
that's the mind I want you to have.
I want you to have a mind
that is like Christ
and that you are willing to suffer loss
for the good and the blessing
of your brothers and sisters.
I don't want you to insist on your own way.
I want you to serve them.
And the prime example he uses of that
is Jesus,
who left the throne room of heaven
and came into this world
and who took on himself
the form of a servant.
He didn't come as a prince in a palace.
He didn't come as a king ruling armies.
He didn't come as a mighty general
exerting his will
and forcing people to conform to his way.
He came as the Messiah.
Messiah,
who laid down his life for others,
who poured himself out
in ministry and in care
for the lost people around him
and the profound needs
that he saw in their lives
and ultimately gave his life
as a sacrifice for many
at the cross.
And Paul says,
a church
that is characterized
by partnership,
a church that is characterized
by this Greek word
koinonia,
is a church that has
the mind of Christ
where people outdo themselves,
one another,
to minister to the needs
of those around them.
And what's fascinating
is Paul says,
you can't do that yourself.
I want us to stop
and think about that
just now for a moment.
We can't do that ourselves.
There is no amount
of exertion
that we can have,
there is no amount
of effort
that we can put in
that is going to change
our fundamental character.
The truth is,
if you are not
a loving person,
you will never be
a loving person.
And no amount
of hypnosis
and no amount
of self-help
and no amount
of therapy
is going to change that.
The world's tools
do not change
the essential character
of sinners.
But someone does.
And that's why Paul says,
I want you to have
this participation,
this partnership
with the Holy Spirit.
His prayer
for the Philippian church
is that they will move
as the Spirit
leads them.
That they'll go on
as the Spirit
carries them
and takes them forward.
There are wonderful illustrations
of this once
from John Piper.
He was preaching
and he was saying
this participation
in the Holy Spirit
is like two
military jets.
You see them
at air shows
where you maybe see
the red arrows
or formation flying
they call it.
And it's truly remarkable
because the precision
with which these
hypersonic jets move
is just incredible
to watch.
One of the jets
turns this way
and the other one
turns as well
and they move
in parallel
to one another
and stay in formation.
And it's remarkable
watching it.
The amount of precision
and the amount
of synchronization
that goes into it.
It's the same thing
as synchronized swimming
in the Olympics
where you see a team
of athletes
performing
these intricate maneuvers
in a pool of water
which would terrify me
to do by myself.
And yet they're there
doing these things
in absolute precision.
Maybe half a dozen
of them at once.
Information
in a pool of water.
And when Paul
talks about
partnership
in the Spirit
that's what he's
talking about.
He's talking about
us aligning ourselves
to the guidance
and the direction
and the lead
of the Holy Spirit
who is saying
this is the way
in which we will go.
And that involves
obviously as Jesus
had in his life
that surrender
to the will
of the Father.
It's that
Gethsemane experience
experience
where Jesus
for our salvation
looks into the cup
that is before him
and says
nevertheless
Father not my will
but yours be done.
And Paul's saying
that same character
that same desire
needs to be ours
daily
as we think
about what we're for.
As we think
about who we're for.
As we think
about how we live
and how we love
and what we're about.
that we surrender
daily
to the leading
of the Holy Spirit
and where that takes us
is that place
where we minister
lovingly
and sacrificially
and fully
to those around us.
Particularly
our brothers and sisters
in Christ.
and so it's
difficult for us
because so often
actually
in our experience
the drive
the desire
of our lives
is to do
almost the exact
opposite.
It's really been
the case
since COVID
and the pandemic
did so much
fundamental damage
to the character
of our communities
to the character
of volunteering.
It eroded
things away
and we're having
slowly to rebuild
these things
now a few years
on.
But we need
more of it.
We need the Holy Spirit
to enable us
to come away
from our glorious
isolation
and to reintegrate
into proper
fellowship
and life together.
For us to
stir up
true service
without fear
in one another's
lives
and to seek
to minister
the grace of God
in Christ Jesus
and the work
of the gospel.
And so there is
to be this
participation
this partnership
in the Holy Spirit.
There's a few
things that flow
from this.
Just some
quick theological
ideas that are
really important
for us to grasp.
If ever
somebody's asking
you to say
well you know
what do you mean
the Holy Spirit
is a person?
Why is God
a triune person?
Why is God
a trinity?
This is one of
the places
where we go to.
We can be assured
the Holy Spirit
is a person.
You don't have
a partnership
with a force.
You don't have
a partnership
with an energy
field.
You have
a partnership
with a person.
And so where
Paul says
if there's any
participation
in the Spirit
what he's talking
about is
the Spirit
as a person
interacting with us.
So we can be sure
that the Spirit
is a person
here.
But equally
that there's a Spirit
as a person
as someone
we can offend.
As Paul says
elsewhere in fact
it's possible
to grieve
the Spirit
because we don't
want to work
with him
because we resist
his call upon
our lives
because we want
to go in a
different direction
and we say
enough of it
we don't want you.
And it's possible
to grieve
the Spirit
and when we do
that sometimes
we will discover
that for a season
he might leave
us alone.
The Spirit
might say
well fine
you do your own
thing for a while
and we'll see
how you get on.
There's lessons
for us
to learn
when that happens.
There is this
partnership as well
where we work
together
with the Holy Spirit
where the Spirit
is the one leading
but we are following
clearly.
It's like we were
thinking this morning
about Noah
when God showed him
and told him
how to build the ark.
Moses is at pains
to tell us
Noah did all
that the Lord
commanded him.
When Noah was told
to put the animals
into the ark
and prepare for the flood
Noah did all the things
that the Lord
commanded him.
When Noah himself
had to take his family
into the ark
and wait for God
to close the door
Noah did all
that God commanded him.
When it came time
for Noah to come
out of the ark
Noah did all
that God commanded him.
Our lives
need to be
characterized
by that listening
to the voice
of the Lord
and the Holy Spirit
guiding and directing us
and it applies
to all of us
as a church.
The final point
is in verse 10
of chapter 3
the third time
Paul uses the same word
is when he's talking
about his own salvation
and his experience
of suffering
and he says
in verse 10
I'll read it
maybe just a wee bit
before that
for Christ's sake
I have suffered
the loss of all things
and count them
as rubbish
in order that
I may gain Christ
and be found in him
not having a righteousness
of my own
that comes from the law
but that which comes
through faith in Christ
the righteousness
from God
that depends on faith
that I may know him
and the power
of his resurrection
and may share
his sufferings
that I may go
into partnership
with his sufferings
that I would have
koinonia
in his suffering
becoming like him
in his death
and that by any means
possible
I may attain
the resurrection
of the dead
Paul there
in chapter 3
he gives this wonderful
statement of how
justification works
of how our salvation
effectively works
our salvation
is that which makes us
in God's eyes
and in God's presence
righteous
acceptable to him
our sin
covered holy
and that happens
because we receive
the righteousness
of Jesus
we're clothed
in the righteousness
of Christ
but Paul
says as well
that there's
something else
going on here
something deep
and mysterious
in that God
hasn't left us
at that point
there's a work
that goes on
that as we go on
as believers
there's a continual
progress
of that work
of our sanctification
of our being made
more and more
like Christ Jesus
and the truth
of it is
that there is
no gain
without pain
in the Christian
life
the mystery
is that there
is no glory
without the road
of the cross
without us
being taken
to that place
where Jesus
himself
was taken to
and so when
Paul talks
about the Christian
somehow participating
in the death
of Jesus
he's talking
about two
separate things
in fact
there is a sense
in which we
participate in the
death of Jesus
for our salvation
at the cross
the old person
with its sin
and its guilt
is put to death
our sin
is dealt
with there
it's completed
the work
of salvation
is done
but there is
also an experience
of an ongoing
progress
in the Christian
life
where we are
coming time
and again
to the death
of Jesus
and where we
need to experience
in our own
bodies
the ongoing
work of
dying
anew
putting to death
the sin
that is within
us
ensuring that
it is dealt
with
in Christ
and so here
Paul is talking
about that
second thing
that participation
that goes on
in the way
we think
about our
lives
the way
that we
go on
thinking
about what
happens
with us
daily
and that's
why
for the
Christian
that participation
in the
gospel
is not just
a one-off
thing
that happens
at the
beginning
of your
Christian
life
sometimes
that's
the way
we think
we get
swept into
thinking
about
conversion
has been
something
that happened
in the
past
and that's
what it
belongs
and then
after that
we're just
going on
as Christians
and we're
walking
and we're
learning
and we're
growing
and so on
but actually
what we need
is the cross
that was there
at the beginning
every day
in our
experience
that we keep
coming back
to and examining
the death
of Jesus
and learning
from what
Christ has
done
in order to
put to death
the sin
that is within
us
in order to
keep being
refreshed
in this
work and
progress
of redemption
in our
lives
and in order
to bring
about the
fullness
of the
restored
image
of God
in order
for us
to attain
full
Christ
likeness
as Paul
says
in order
that I
may
become
somehow
worthy
or attain
the resurrection
of the dead
in order
that I can
become like
Christ
in his
victory
and in the
glorification
that was his
when he rose
from the dead
and has
ascended up
into heaven
to be with
the father
in order
that I may
experience
the fullness
of the new
life of God
in me
I need to
keep coming
back to
and experiencing
the suffering
along the way
and this is a
strange thing
about God's
providence
in our
lives
that working
and flying
in tandem
with the
Holy Spirit
often takes
us
into places
of
suffering
the places
where the
cost of
discipleship
is laid
bare
and very
clear to
us
where it
is not
cheap
grace
that we
are called
to
but we
are called
to something
costly
we're called
to something
extreme
we're called
to lay
down our
lives
in the
pursuit
of the
righteousness
and the
glory
of Jesus
remember how
Jesus himself
did not
count equality
with God
something to
be grasped
it's not
something to
hold on to
for Jesus
rather he
empties
himself
and taking
the form
of a
servant
and becoming
obedient to
death
for us as
Christians
that is a
pathway that
will take us
into costly
places
it's a pathway
that will lead
us to places
of suffering
and sorrow
and anguish
sometimes it
will be
places
of
psychological
sorrow
where we
have to
wrestle
with our
own sinful
selves
and our
own sinful
thoughts
where in
fact the
desires of
our hearts
are the
things that
are so
wrong
and there
has to be
surgery done
to cut
these things
away
there's a
suffering
associated
with that
that as
Christians
as we
put to
death
the sin
that is
within us
there is a
pain
a suffering
of that
process
of putting
sin to
death
but equally
there's an
external
root of
suffering
as well
where we
have to
give up
the comfort
that we
take for
granted
where we
have to
sacrifice
the comforts
that we
think we're
entitled
to
the things
that we
think to
ourselves
we have
earned
and say
that's
mine
and we
would want
to grasp
it and
hold it
tight
and say
no Lord
you can
take other
things away
from me
but not
this
not my
comfortable
job
not my
comfortable
home
not my
easy life
not my
early
retirement
but rather
I can
press on
in the
costly
path of
obedience
because there
is a
greater
prize
there is
that
partnership
with
Jesus
where we
are conformed
to be like
him
and where
we gain
everything
there is a
prize
to be won
and without
fellowship
without this
partnership
without this
experience
of togetherness
with Christ
himself
the glories
that we
would long
for
will never
be attained
and so
we need
Jesus
we need
to come
with Christ
as we
go on
in this
pathway
of obedience
to him
to the
prize
and the
goal
of that
upward
calling
in him
Philippians
is a
letter
all about
fellowship
and strangely
it's a
letter of
fellowship
that leads
to joy
remember
Paul's
prayer right
at the
beginning
I am
filled
with joy
when I
think about
you
because of
your
partnership
in the
gospel
and then
he says
remember
because of
that
partnership
in the
gospel
you have
an
opportunity
for
partnership
in the
Holy
Spirit
and he
says
that
partnership
in the
Holy
Spirit
will lead
perhaps
to the
partnership
with
Christ
and his
suffering
but the
final outcome
of that
which is
implied
is the
full
blessings
of that
partnership
with
Christ
in glory
where we
will be
with him
for all
eternity
we rejoice
therefore
in a
God
who gives
us
all
things
and who
will supply
every need
of yours
according to
his riches
in glory
in Christ
Jesus
to God
our
Father
be glory
forever
and ever
Amen
let's
pray
Heavenly
Father
we
would bow
before you
just now
and we
thank you
that
there is
a salvation
to be
had
that there
is a
partnership
in the
gospel
that we
can know
and experience
for ourselves
and I pray
for anyone
here tonight
who does
not yet
know that
in its
fullness
those here
who don't
know Jesus
as their
saviour
have not
settled
in faith
in him
and I
pray Lord
that you
would open
their hearts
just now
to receive
Christ
that you
would help
them to
trust in
Jesus
and to
discover
that
partnership
in eternal
life
that is
laid out
before them
along the
way Lord
we pray
that you
would help
us to
experience
that partnership
of the
Holy Spirit
that we
would know
the Holy
Spirit's
help in
our lives
that we
would know
the Holy
Spirit's
leading
and direction
and that
we would
heed
where the
Holy Spirit
leads us
because that
is indeed
the path
of blessing
in the life
of the
Christian
and ultimately
Lord if that
leads us
to places
of suffering
we pray
that we
would not
despair
in it
but that
we would
know
that this
suffering
that we
endure
is a
partnership
in the
sufferings
of Jesus
it is
indeed as
Paul says
elsewhere
it is
making up
what is
lacking
in the
sufferings
of Christ
for the
salvation
of this
world
and so
Lord may
we
through all
that we
endure
show forth
the glorious
riches of
our God
and show
that he
is worthy
of our
trust
even when
times of
despair
may come
to us
help us
encourage us
on the road
enable us
to be a
blessing
and we
ask this
all in
Jesus name
Amen
and we're
going to sing
in conclusion
in the
Scottish
Psalter
Psalm
133
this is
page 424
in the
psalm book
page 424
this is a
psalm that
expresses the
same joy
that Paul
had as he
thought about
the fellowship
of the
Philippian
church
behold
so see
look and
see
this is
worth
noting
how good
a thing
it is
and how
becoming
well
together
such as
brethren
are
in unity
to dwell
like precious
ointment
on the
head
that down
the
beard
did
flow
even
Aaron's
beard
and to
the
skirts
did
of his
garments
go
it's
that
sense
of
anointing
is really
the Holy
Spirit's
work
it's the
spirit
that
anoints us
and enables
us and equips
us for
work in
God's
service
and that
flows out
of this
partnership
that we
have
with
Christ
and with
the Holy
Spirit
and this
partnership
in the
work of
the gospel
that we're
called to
and so
as Herman's
Jew
the Jew
that doth
on Zion
hills
descend
for there
the blessing
God commands
life
that shall
never end
the promise
of everlasting
life is one
that is bound
up in the
unity of God's
people with
their Messiah
with their
Savior Christ
he is the
one who
will water
in the new
heavens and
the new
earth will
water
the tree
of life
and the
fruit of
that tree
will be
the means
by which
we have
an experience
that everlasting
life as well
and so the
blessing of
God is that
Jew that
flows from
Mount Zion
itself
it's a
wonderful
picture in
the psalm
of the
blessings of
unity
overflowing
in the
life of
the church
so behold
how good
a thing
it is
and how
becoming
well
let's stand
and sing
the whole
psalm
together
such
shall
unity
to dwell
like precious
ointment
on the head
that down the
bearded
flow
he
made
your spirit
and to
the church
did all
his garments
go
as
her
most
do
the
junta
of
Zion
on hills
be
said
for
there
the
blessing
God
commands
life
that
shall
never
end
the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
the love of God the Father
and the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit
be with each one of us now and always
Amen
a
Thank you.