WEBVTT

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 We're going to begin by singing in Psalm 9, as we begin our worship. Psalm number 9,

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 and that's on page 208, the tune is Argyle. We're singing verses 1 to 9.

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 Lord, thee I'll praise with all my heart, thy wonders all proclaim. In thee, most high,

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 I'll greatly joy and sing unto thy name. When back my foes were turned, they fell and perished

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 at thy sight, for thou maintain'st my right and cause on throne sat judging right. Verses 1 to 9,

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 in Psalm number 9, Lord, thee I'll praise with all my heart. Please stand if you're able to.

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 Lord, thee I'll praise with all my heart, thy wonders all proclaim.

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 Lord, thee I'll praise with all my heart, thy name. When back my foes were turned, they fell and

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 and perished at thy sight. When back my foes were turned, they fell and perished at thy sight.

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 Lord, thee I'll praise with all my heart, thy name. When back my foes were turned, they fell and perished at thy sight.

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 For thou may take thy light and cause on throne sat judging right.

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 The heathen love renewed in us, the wicked overgrown.

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 Thou hast to doubt there in such way,

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 In heaven or beyond.

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 O heavenly love, destruction, O heavenly love, destruction, O heavenly love, destruction,

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 O heavenly love, destruction, O heavenly love, earth, and earth.

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 By the heart, thy name.

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 The heaven and earth.

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 Thou hast to doubt there in such way,

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 And there in such way,

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 In heaven or heaven,

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 Thou hast to doubt,

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 In heaven or heaven,

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 Thou hast to doubt there in such way,

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 O challenger for any love,

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 for judgment set his throne,

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 in righteousness to judge the world,

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 justice to give each one.

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 God also will a refugee for those that are oppressed,

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 a refugee shall be in times of trouble to discuss.

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 Let's all unite now in prayer.

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 Let's call upon the Lord in prayer.

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 Let's call upon the Lord in prayer.

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 Gracious and eternal God, as we gather once more in your presence,

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 we give thanks for the encouragement these words have given us,

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 that you always prove to be a refuge to your people,

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 and that you remain to be the God who is constant, who endures forevermore,

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 who deals justly with all the circumstances that we find ourselves in,

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 and especially with us in all our circumstances,

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 as indeed everybody else in the creation.

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 And we give thanks, Lord, tonight that we gather before you as the God who is sovereign and wise

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 and all-powerful and loving in his loving kindness continues to remember us as your people.

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 Lord, we thank you for every opportunity we have to gather together in your name,

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 for every way in which we find encouragement mutually with each other,

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 to bring before the Lord our concerns in prayer,

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 to sing his praises and to hear his word.

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 And we thank you tonight that we form part of a great number throughout the world,

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 and that we indeed, O Lord, also are conjoined with those who are already in heaven,

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 for their praise of you, their worship of you,

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 is essentially the same as that we have for ourselves,

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 although theirs is perfect, while ours is still flawed.

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 We thank you that they sing your praises as the God of redemption, as we do here,

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 that they are conscious of you as the God whose worthiness

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 far exceeds our ability to contemplate in its entirety,

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 and we thank you tonight, Lord, that as you are worthy of our worship,

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 so we are pleased to render to you this sacrifice of praise.

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 All power and glory belongs to you.

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 There is none else who has the rights that you have to be praised,

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 and there is none else to be worshipped but the Lord God.

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 Lord, we give thanks that you have impressed upon us

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 these aspects of your own being as they are revealed in your word,

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 your own sovereignty and holiness and love and affection and commitment to your people.

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 Indeed, everything, Lord, that you have revealed in your word about yourself,

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 we know is entirely true.

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 And we ask tonight for grace to receive the teaching of your word about you and about ourselves.

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 Help us also to read the events of our own lives and our own time in the light of your word.

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 Help us, Lord, to once again appreciate that the principles that apply to each generation of the world

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 as it goes on in its course until you return,

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 that they are all opposite and all relevant to our age also.

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 And we thank you tonight, O Lord, for every way in which you deal with us,

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 different to what we deserve.

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 We give thanks that you are the God who forgives sin,

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 who receives repentant sinners to yourself,

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 who establishes them, Lord, in your family.

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 For it is one thing for us to consider that our sin is forgiven,

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 that our guilt is no longer held against us.

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 But it is a step further for us to admire the fact of your adoption,

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 that you receive your people, those whom you save, into your own spiritual family,

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 and that you continue to provide for them in that regard as their Father in heaven.

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 Bless us, Lord, we pray every announcement of the gospel.

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 Help us to appreciate that through the preaching of the gospel you have promised great things,

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 that it is through hearing of your word that faith comes.

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 And we pray that our faith tonight will be strengthened as we meet together here in your name.

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 Bless us, Lord, we pray, in all that we engage in as a congregation.

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 Bless us in all our efforts to make your name known in our community.

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 Bless us in all the activities that we engage in,

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 that we seek, Lord, to be a means of furthering the gospel,

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 of furthering our own knowledge of you.

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 And to that end, bless, we pray,

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 all the activities and the services that we anticipate on this coming week.

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 We pray that they be blessed to us in all ages.

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 We pray again for our children.

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 We ask for them, O Lord, that you would establish them further in your ways and in the way of following you.

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 And help them, Lord, we pray, as we pray for them to be characterized in their own lives by the fear of God,

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 by respect for you and by faith and trust in you.

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 Lord, bless to them the teaching they receive in their homes,

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 in Sunday school and Bible class and in tweenies and in other ways.

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 And we thank you for all who give so willingly of their time to teach our young people.

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 We thank you for all our youth leaders and pray that you would bless them, O Lord,

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 as they commit themselves so willingly and diligently to this work.

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 And we ask that you bless all who contribute to the well-being of the congregation in different ways.

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 We thank you for the variety of gifts that we represent,

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 acknowledging that they are by your appointment,

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 by your blessing, by your own arrangement and wisdom.

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 We pray that by your grace we might be able to use our individual gifts

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 in conjunction with one another,

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 so that we will, as we should,

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 function as a congregation of your people

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 in holding forth your word as the word of life.

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 We pray your blessing, Lord,

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 tonight on all whom we know who belong to us

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 as a congregation who has special needs at this time,

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 especially in your providence,

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 as we find many in the congregation who are ill at this time.

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 Bless them, Lord.

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 We pray at home or in hospital or in hospice.

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 Grant your blessing to them, Lord,

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 as they wait for further developments.

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 And bless those, we pray,

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 who are recovering from treatment,

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 from surgery of various kinds.

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 Bless those who are ill with mental health issues as well.

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 We commit them, Lord, to you and ask us,

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 we pray for them,

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 that you would help them in these situations

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 in which they find themselves in their minds,

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 that you would grant to them, Lord,

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 a sense of assurance in knowing yourself.

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 We pray, too, for those who mourn loved ones,

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 those who have lost loved ones in recent days

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 and in times gone by.

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 We pray that your blessing, Lord,

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 will comfort them and establish them

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 in the knowledge of your ways

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 and in the grace that is able to upbind

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 their own broken hearts.

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 We pray, too, for those who are nearing death,

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 who are seriously or even terminally ill.

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 We ask, O Lord, for your blessing

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 to prepare them as we all must be prepared

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 to take that great step out of time

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 and into eternity.

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 We pray that you would furnish them

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 with the necessary grace, O Lord,

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 that that journey may be taken in peace

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 and to the everlasting rest

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 of the Lord and of his kingdom.

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 We pray for our world at this time, Lord,

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 and the various ways in which turmoil

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 and anxiety and distress

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 is found in so many places.

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 And we pray especially tonight

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 for those, Lord, who are beset with war

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 and with the tragedies of war

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 and the difficulties

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 and the deprivations that war brings.

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 We think of the situation in the Middle East

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 and we commit that to you

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 and ask, O God,

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 that you would bring about a means of peace,

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 a means by which people will be established

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 not in hatred for each other

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 but in the ways of peace and of righteousness.

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 Remember the Jewish people.

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 We know that while all the peoples of the world

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 to some extent have the gospel set before them,

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 whether they be Islamic or Jewish or otherwise,

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 Lord, we pray especially for them as a people

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 for so many of your promises

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 are bound up with them and in them.

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 And we pray at this time

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 that even the troubles that they experience

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 as a nation, Lord,

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 that by your blessing

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 they might prove to be a means

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 by which they come to recognize their Messiah

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 in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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 And we ask for all who are active

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 in mission toward them

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 that you would be pleased

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 to bless their efforts.

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 Bless all the agencies, Lord,

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 that we know of

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 who stand for the principles

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 and the values of the gospel

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 and of those moral values

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 that emanate from it.

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 Remember the Christian Institute.

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 Remember Christian Concern.

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 Remember the work of Road to Recovery

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 here locally

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 and in other places in the country.

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 Remember Safe Families.

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 Remember every other similar agency, Lord,

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 that seeks to do good to those around us,

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 to those who are in need.

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 And to be pleased, we pray,

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 to bless all who are engaged in that work.

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 And so continue with us now

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 as we wait upon you here.

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 And as we, Lord,

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 seek to set these things before you in prayer,

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 we confess our sins,

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 we confess our unworthiness,

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 we confess our need,

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 we confess, O Lord,

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 that once again we need to know

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 the assurance of our sin forgiven

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 and to continue in a repentant frame of spirit

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 throughout all our days.

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 Hear us, we pray,

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 for Jesus' sake.

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 Amen.

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 Now we're going to praise God once again,

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 this time in Psalm 57.

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 This time it's in the Sing Psalm,

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 Psalm 57.

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 That's on page 74 to Tune Selma.

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 And we're singing verses 1 to 5.

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 Have mercy on me, Lord,

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 to you my soul holds fast.

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 Your covering wings will shelter me

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 until the dangers pass.

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 I cry to God most high,

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 to God who answers me,

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 for he fulfills his purposes

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 for me most perfectly.

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 Psalm 57 and verses 1 to 5.

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 To God's praise.

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 Amen.

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 Have mercy on me, Lord,

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 to you my soul holds fast.

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 Your covering wings will shelter me

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 until the dangers pass.

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 I cry to God most high,

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 to God who answers me,

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 for he loses his purposes,

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 for me most perfectly.

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 He sends his help from heaven

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 and saves me from the heart.

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 I cry to God most high,

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 to you my life,

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 for senses to come above.

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 I live with savage peace,

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 I dwell with thy own strong,

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 with men whose keep with piercing words

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 a sharp sword is their tongue.

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 above the highest end,

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 O God exalted be,

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 and over, holy and below,

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 display your majesty.

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 Now let's turn to read from God's word

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 in the book of Acts,

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 Acts of the Apostles,

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 in chapter 12.

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 And let's read down through

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 the whole of the chapter.

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 Acts chapter 12.

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 About that time,

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 Herod the king laid violent hands

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 on some who belonged to the church.

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 He killed James,

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 the brother of John,

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 with the sword.

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 And when he saw that it pleased the Jews,

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 he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

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 This was during the days of unleavened bread.

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 And when he had seized him,

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 he put him in prison,

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 delivering him over to four squads of soldiers

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 to guard him,

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 intending after the Passover

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 to bring him out to the people.

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 So Peter was kept in prison,

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 but earnest prayer for him

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 was made to God by the church.

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 Now when Herod was about to bring him out,

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 on that very night,

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 Peter was sleeping between two soldiers,

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 bound with two chains,

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 and sentries before the door

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 were guarding the prison.

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 And behold,

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 an angel of the Lord stood next to him,

00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:52.280
 and a light shone in the cell.

00:18:53.120 --> 00:18:54.580
 He struck Peter on the side

00:18:54.580 --> 00:18:55.500
 and woke him, saying,

00:18:55.960 --> 00:18:56.800
 Get up quickly.

00:18:57.560 --> 00:18:59.640
 And the chains fell off his hands.

00:19:00.420 --> 00:19:01.640
 And the angel said to him,

00:19:02.060 --> 00:19:04.340
 Dress yourself and put on your sandals.

00:19:04.860 --> 00:19:05.840
 And he did so.

00:19:06.580 --> 00:19:07.380
 And he said to him,

00:19:07.700 --> 00:19:08.880
 Wrap your cloak around you

00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:09.880
 and follow me.

00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:12.160
 And he went out and followed him.

00:19:12.540 --> 00:19:13.380
 He did not know

00:19:13.380 --> 00:19:15.240
 what was being done by the angel,

00:19:15.240 --> 00:19:17.519
 that what was being done by the angel was real,

00:19:18.080 --> 00:19:19.780
 but thought he was seeing a vision.

00:19:20.759 --> 00:19:22.299
 When they had passed the first

00:19:22.299 --> 00:19:23.700
 and the second guard,

00:19:24.119 --> 00:19:25.579
 they came to the iron gate

00:19:25.579 --> 00:19:26.660
 leading into the city.

00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:29.559
 It opened for them of its own accord.

00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:31.059
 And they went out

00:19:31.059 --> 00:19:32.480
 and went along one street,

00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:34.879
 and immediately the angel left him.

00:19:35.700 --> 00:19:37.200
 Now when Peter came to himself,

00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:37.740
 he said,

00:19:38.420 --> 00:19:40.119
 Now I am sure that the Lord

00:19:40.119 --> 00:19:41.059
 has sent his angel

00:19:41.059 --> 00:19:41.899
 and rescued me

00:19:41.899 --> 00:19:43.460
 from the hand of Herod

00:19:43.460 --> 00:19:45.460
 and from all that the Jewish people

00:19:45.460 --> 00:19:46.240
 were expecting.

00:19:47.220 --> 00:19:48.500
 When he realized this,

00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:50.180
 he went to the house of Mary,

00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:51.299
 the mother of John,

00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:53.200
 whose other name was Mark,

00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:55.319
 where many were gathered together

00:19:55.319 --> 00:19:56.380
 and were praying.

00:19:57.200 --> 00:19:58.579
 And when he knocked at the door

00:19:58.579 --> 00:19:59.259
 of the gateway,

00:19:59.880 --> 00:20:01.539
 a servant girl named Rhoda

00:20:01.539 --> 00:20:02.440
 came to answer.

00:20:03.660 --> 00:20:04.920
 Recognizing Peter's voice,

00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:06.180
 in her joy,

00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:07.880
 she did not open the gate,

00:20:08.120 --> 00:20:09.480
 but ran in and reported

00:20:09.480 --> 00:20:11.720
 that Peter was standing at the gate.

00:20:11.720 --> 00:20:13.420
 They said to her,

00:20:13.740 --> 00:20:15.339
 You are out of your mind.

00:20:16.180 --> 00:20:17.400
 But she kept insisting

00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:18.180
 that it was so,

00:20:18.660 --> 00:20:19.720
 and they kept saying,

00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:20.920
 It is his angel.

00:20:21.900 --> 00:20:23.360
 But Peter continued knocking,

00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:24.299
 and when they opened,

00:20:24.839 --> 00:20:26.500
 they saw him and were amazed.

00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:28.519
 But motioning to them

00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:29.799
 with his hand to be silent,

00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:31.539
 he described to them

00:20:31.539 --> 00:20:32.220
 how the Lord

00:20:32.220 --> 00:20:33.799
 had brought him out of the prison.

00:20:34.740 --> 00:20:35.480
 And he said,

00:20:35.779 --> 00:20:37.160
 Tell these things to James

00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:38.059
 and to the brothers.

00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:39.799
 Then he departed

00:20:39.799 --> 00:20:41.240
 and went to another place.

00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:43.600
 Now when day came,

00:20:44.140 --> 00:20:45.579
 there was no little disturbance

00:20:45.579 --> 00:20:46.620
 among the soldiers

00:20:46.620 --> 00:20:48.519
 over what had become of Peter.

00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:51.100
 And after Herod searched for him

00:20:51.100 --> 00:20:52.460
 and did not find him,

00:20:53.000 --> 00:20:54.400
 he examined the sentries

00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:55.960
 and ordered that they

00:20:55.960 --> 00:20:57.019
 be put to death.

00:20:57.960 --> 00:20:58.700
 Then he went down

00:20:58.700 --> 00:21:00.140
 from Judea to Caesarea

00:21:00.140 --> 00:21:02.160
 and spent time there.

00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:04.420
 Now Herod was angry

00:21:04.420 --> 00:21:06.779
 with the people of Tyre and Sidon,

00:21:07.220 --> 00:21:08.259
 and they came to him

00:21:08.259 --> 00:21:09.140
 with one accord,

00:21:09.140 --> 00:21:10.680
 and having persuaded

00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:12.300
 Blastus the king's chamberlain,

00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:13.240
 they asked for peace

00:21:13.240 --> 00:21:14.780
 because their country

00:21:14.780 --> 00:21:16.360
 depended on the king's country

00:21:16.360 --> 00:21:16.960
 for food.

00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:19.300
 On an appointed day,

00:21:19.700 --> 00:21:21.800
 Herod put on his royal robes,

00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:23.960
 took his seat upon the throne,

00:21:24.500 --> 00:21:26.440
 and delivered an oration to them.

00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:28.460
 And the people were shouting,

00:21:28.460 --> 00:21:30.480
 the voice of a God

00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:31.819
 and not of a man.

00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:33.400
 Immediately

00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:35.160
 an angel of the Lord

00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:36.000
 struck him down

00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:38.319
 because he did not give glory,

00:21:38.660 --> 00:21:39.400
 God the glory,

00:21:40.019 --> 00:21:41.860
 and he was eaten by worms

00:21:41.860 --> 00:21:43.200
 and breathed his last.

00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:45.160
 But the word of God

00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:45.720
 increased

00:21:45.720 --> 00:21:47.220
 and multiplied.

00:21:48.299 --> 00:21:49.259
 And Barnabas and Saul

00:21:49.259 --> 00:21:50.440
 returned from Jerusalem

00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:51.940
 when they had completed

00:21:51.940 --> 00:21:52.799
 their service,

00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:54.579
 bringing with them John,

00:21:54.579 --> 00:21:56.099
 whose other name

00:21:56.099 --> 00:21:57.399
 was Mark.

00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:00.099
 May the Lord again bless to us

00:22:00.099 --> 00:22:01.859
 reading this portion

00:22:01.859 --> 00:22:02.759
 of his word.

00:22:03.679 --> 00:22:04.679
 Before we turn to

00:22:04.679 --> 00:22:06.439
 some aspects of this passage,

00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:07.399
 let's sing again,

00:22:08.179 --> 00:22:09.939
 singing Psalm 142,

00:22:10.699 --> 00:22:12.199
 142,

00:22:12.919 --> 00:22:15.639
 that's on page 186,

00:22:16.500 --> 00:22:17.339
 singing to a tune,

00:22:17.500 --> 00:22:17.879
 Finart.

00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:22.220
 I cry for mercy to the Lord,

00:22:22.820 --> 00:22:25.000
 to him I lift my voice in prayer.

00:22:25.740 --> 00:22:27.560
 Before the Lord I bring my plea,

00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:29.960
 to him my trouble I declare.

00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:33.060
 Each time my spirit faints in me,

00:22:33.560 --> 00:22:35.400
 you are the one who knows my way.

00:22:36.080 --> 00:22:37.920
 For in the path on which I walk,

00:22:38.560 --> 00:22:41.220
 a hidden snare for me they lay.

00:22:41.300 --> 00:22:42.940
 Singing on to the end of the Psalms,

00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:43.940
 Psalm 142,

00:22:44.420 --> 00:22:47.040
 I cry for mercy to the Lord.

00:22:47.880 --> 00:23:02.320
 I cry for mercy to the Lord,

00:23:02.740 --> 00:23:11.560
 to him I lift my voice in prayer.

00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:19.559
 Before the Lord I bring my plea,

00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:28.559
 to him my trouble I declare.

00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:35.559
 Each time I sit,

00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:38.559
 it hints in me,

00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:48.559
 You are the one who knows my way.

00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:57.819
 For in the path on which I walk,

00:23:58.299 --> 00:24:06.559
 a hidden snare for me they lay.

00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:16.379
 To my right and landing note,

00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:24.559
 There is not one God sent for me.

00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:26.559
 I love no refuge,

00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:30.559
 I love no refuge,

00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:38.559
 No one cares for me in my adversity.

00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:40.559
 I cry for mercy to the Lord.

00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:45.559
 I cry for mercy to the Lord,

00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:53.559
 I cry aloud to you, O Lord.

00:24:53.559 --> 00:25:01.559
 You are my hiding place in sight.

00:25:01.559 --> 00:25:10.559
 You are the one sustaining me.

00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:20.559
 You keep me in the land of life.

00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:28.559
 Lord, listen to my guide for help,

00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:38.559
 For I am an extra strategy.

00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:47.559
 Save me from those who seek my life,

00:25:47.559 --> 00:25:57.559
 Because they are too strong for me.

00:25:57.559 --> 00:26:05.559
 So that I may give thanks to you,

00:26:05.559 --> 00:26:14.559
 From prison's darkness set me free,

00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:23.559
 The righteous men will gather round,

00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:32.559
 Because you've shown your love to me.

00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:37.559
 Well, let's turn for a short time to Acts chapter 12.

00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:39.559
 Acts chapter 12,

00:26:39.559 --> 00:26:42.559
 Particularly the words of verse 12,

00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:44.559
 Though we can read verse 5 as well.

00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:48.559
 So we'll read verse 5 and then verse 12.

00:26:48.559 --> 00:26:51.559
 So Peter was kept in prison,

00:26:51.559 --> 00:26:55.559
 But earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

00:26:55.559 --> 00:26:57.559
 In verse 12,

00:26:57.559 --> 00:26:58.559
 When he realized this,

00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:00.559
 He went to the house of Mary,

00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:01.559
 The mother of John,

00:27:01.559 --> 00:27:03.559
 Whose other name was Mark,

00:27:03.559 --> 00:27:05.559
 Where many were gathered together

00:27:05.559 --> 00:27:08.559
 And were praying.

00:27:09.559 --> 00:27:10.559
 You recall last time,

00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:13.559
 As we continued this short series of studies

00:27:13.559 --> 00:27:14.559
 On the gathered church

00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:17.559
 And certain aspects of what is

00:27:17.559 --> 00:27:19.559
 True about the church,

00:27:19.559 --> 00:27:21.559
 As gathered together in the name of Christ.

00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:24.559
 We saw last time how important it is

00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:28.559
 That our gathering is in order to listen

00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:29.559
 To the voice of God.

00:27:29.559 --> 00:27:31.559
 One aspect among many,

00:27:31.559 --> 00:27:33.559
 But an important one nonetheless,

00:27:33.559 --> 00:27:35.559
 As we saw last time.

00:27:35.559 --> 00:27:38.559
 That we are gathered to listen to the voice of God

00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:40.559
 Speaking to us from his word,

00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:43.559
 Through the blessing of the Holy Spirit we trust,

00:27:43.559 --> 00:27:46.559
 So that we hear the voice of God

00:27:46.559 --> 00:27:49.559
 Preeminently not the voice of any human being,

00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:51.559
 Though that of course is the means,

00:27:51.559 --> 00:27:53.559
 The conveyance of the Bible's teaching.

00:27:53.559 --> 00:27:57.559
 But there are other aspects of our gathering together

00:27:57.559 --> 00:27:58.559
 In God's name,

00:27:58.559 --> 00:28:00.559
 Such as we are this evening,

00:28:00.559 --> 00:28:02.559
 That are important and mentioned for us frequently

00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:03.559
 In the scriptures.

00:28:03.559 --> 00:28:05.559
 There are two especially,

00:28:05.559 --> 00:28:09.559
 And that these two are prayer and praise.

00:28:09.559 --> 00:28:12.559
 And we are going to look at these in turn,

00:28:12.559 --> 00:28:13.559
 Looking at tonight,

00:28:13.559 --> 00:28:16.559
 The importance of the church gathered together

00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:18.559
 For prayer or in prayer.

00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:21.559
 And we are looking at this chapter especially

00:28:21.559 --> 00:28:23.559
 As the context in which we are seeing

00:28:23.559 --> 00:28:25.559
 The church at prayer.

00:28:25.559 --> 00:28:27.559
 That will be our first point.

00:28:27.559 --> 00:28:30.559
 The church at prayer and the circumstances

00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:33.559
 In which we find the church there together praying.

00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:37.559
 And then secondly we will look at a couple of the benefits

00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:40.559
 That come to us from gathering together

00:28:40.559 --> 00:28:43.559
 For prayer and in prayer as God's people,

00:28:43.559 --> 00:28:45.559
 As God's church.

00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:47.559
 Now it is significant here,

00:28:47.559 --> 00:28:50.559
 The church at prayer is significant in the chapter

00:28:50.559 --> 00:28:53.559
 Twice here you find in these verses

00:28:53.559 --> 00:28:55.559
 We have mentioned verses 5 and 12

00:28:55.559 --> 00:28:59.559
 That it is the church that is mentioned as praying.

00:28:59.559 --> 00:29:01.559
 It is not just individuals,

00:29:01.559 --> 00:29:04.559
 Obviously the church is comprised of individuals,

00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:07.559
 But the emphasis here is very firmly

00:29:07.559 --> 00:29:10.559
 On the church as the church.

00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:13.559
 Gathered together for prayer.

00:29:13.559 --> 00:29:16.559
 And that is important in the context of Acts especially

00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:18.559
 You will find it elsewhere in the Bible

00:29:18.559 --> 00:29:20.559
 But Acts as you know

00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:22.559
 Is the book that tells us about the development

00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:25.559
 Of the early New Testament church.

00:29:25.559 --> 00:29:27.559
 The spreading out of the gospel

00:29:27.559 --> 00:29:30.559
 Beyond Jerusalem into the regions around

00:29:30.559 --> 00:29:32.559
 And eventually really into the world

00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:34.559
 Into the Gentile world.

00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:37.559
 And in the difficulties that were faced

00:29:37.559 --> 00:29:39.559
 By the church at that time

00:29:39.559 --> 00:29:44.559
 It was so important that prayer was emphasized

00:29:44.559 --> 00:29:48.559
 As an essential element in the church's gatherings

00:29:48.559 --> 00:29:51.559
 And that prayer is seen in these passages

00:29:51.559 --> 00:29:52.559
 This one and others

00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:56.559
 To be a feature of the church gathered together.

00:29:56.559 --> 00:29:59.559
 It wasn't enough that they would go home

00:29:59.559 --> 00:30:01.559
 And pray in their own homes

00:30:01.559 --> 00:30:03.559
 As they undoubtedly did.

00:30:03.559 --> 00:30:06.559
 It was important that the church as it was seen

00:30:06.559 --> 00:30:08.559
 And living as the church of God

00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:12.559
 That it was a church engaged in prayer.

00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:15.559
 The gospel message met as it did here

00:30:15.559 --> 00:30:17.559
 With much opposition, with persecution

00:30:17.559 --> 00:30:19.559
 As we will see in a moment.

00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:23.559
 But that was all the more a context for prayer

00:30:23.559 --> 00:30:24.559
 For the church at prayer

00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:27.559
 To actually engage in prayer

00:30:27.559 --> 00:30:29.559
 As they sought to present the gospel

00:30:29.559 --> 00:30:31.559
 And reach out with the gospel

00:30:31.559 --> 00:30:33.559
 To the world around them.

00:30:33.559 --> 00:30:35.559
 And you can see this elsewhere

00:30:35.559 --> 00:30:37.559
 In the book of Acts as well

00:30:37.559 --> 00:30:40.559
 That prayer was so important to the church

00:30:40.559 --> 00:30:42.559
 Chapter 2, verse 42

00:30:42.559 --> 00:30:45.559
 Chapter 4 from verse 24 onwards

00:30:45.559 --> 00:30:48.559
 Chapter 6, verses 1 to 6

00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:51.559
 The election of what came to be known as deacons

00:30:51.559 --> 00:30:54.559
 Chapter 13, verses 1 to 3

00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:56.559
 The appointment of those who were going to mission

00:30:56.559 --> 00:30:58.559
 To go into a specific mission

00:30:58.559 --> 00:31:01.559
 All of these activities and situations

00:31:01.559 --> 00:31:05.559
 Were times not just for individuals to pray

00:31:05.559 --> 00:31:09.559
 But for the church to be together in prayer

00:31:09.559 --> 00:31:12.559
 The gathered church at prayer

00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:14.559
 Now of course here we have a specific context

00:31:14.559 --> 00:31:16.559
 As one of persecution

00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:20.559
 Here is Herod exercising his authority

00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:23.559
 And first of all causing James

00:31:23.559 --> 00:31:26.559
 The brother of John to be put to death

00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:28.559
 To be killed with the sword

00:31:28.559 --> 00:31:30.559
 And then he set his sights on Peter also

00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:32.559
 He was the next in line to be killed

00:31:32.559 --> 00:31:34.559
 But meantime he just couldn't go through

00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:35.559
 With it immediately

00:31:35.559 --> 00:31:37.559
 It was a time of unleavened bread

00:31:37.559 --> 00:31:40.559
 So instead of killing him on the spot

00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:41.559
 Or putting him to death

00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:43.559
 He put him into prison

00:31:43.559 --> 00:31:46.559
 Caused him to be guarded in prison

00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:49.559
 And this of course is part of the context

00:31:49.559 --> 00:31:51.559
 Of the book of Acts

00:31:51.559 --> 00:31:53.559
 That indeed all the way back into

00:31:53.559 --> 00:31:56.559
 The time of Jesus himself as well

00:31:56.559 --> 00:31:58.559
 That the figure of Jesus

00:31:58.559 --> 00:31:59.559
 The teaching of Jesus

00:31:59.559 --> 00:32:01.559
 The authority of Jesus

00:32:01.559 --> 00:32:03.559
 The way that Jesus was attracting so many

00:32:03.559 --> 00:32:04.559
 To follow him

00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:06.559
 For the state

00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:07.559
 That was a great challenge

00:32:07.559 --> 00:32:09.559
 And here now in the days of the apostles

00:32:09.559 --> 00:32:11.559
 The political world of the day

00:32:11.559 --> 00:32:14.559
 Sees the church as a great threat

00:32:14.559 --> 00:32:16.559
 A threat to its authority

00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:18.559
 A threat to its hold on people

00:32:18.559 --> 00:32:21.559
 And along with that you have

00:32:21.559 --> 00:32:24.559
 An obvious spiritual hatred

00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:26.559
 For the king of the church

00:32:26.559 --> 00:32:28.559
 As he is presented in the gospel

00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:32.559
 It is that spiritual hatred of the heart

00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:34.559
 That really comes to the fore

00:32:34.559 --> 00:32:35.559
 As much as anything political

00:32:35.559 --> 00:32:37.559
 And you can translate that

00:32:37.559 --> 00:32:39.559
 Into the world in which you and I

00:32:39.559 --> 00:32:40.559
 Are living today

00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:42.559
 Because that same threat

00:32:42.559 --> 00:32:45.559
 Or at least is perceived as a threat

00:32:45.559 --> 00:32:46.559
 By the state

00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:47.559
 When the state becomes

00:32:47.559 --> 00:32:50.559
 The controlling factor over people's lives

00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:53.559
 And we are not against actually

00:32:53.559 --> 00:32:54.559
 Complying with the state

00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:56.559
 When that is biblical to do so

00:32:56.559 --> 00:32:57.559
 The powers that be

00:32:57.559 --> 00:32:59.559
 As Paul says in Romans 13

00:32:59.559 --> 00:33:00.559
 Are ordained of God

00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:02.559
 And we have to give due place

00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:04.559
 To the state

00:33:04.559 --> 00:33:05.559
 To those powers that God

00:33:05.559 --> 00:33:08.559
 In the civil and political world

00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:09.559
 Has appointed

00:33:09.559 --> 00:33:11.559
 But then the state

00:33:11.559 --> 00:33:12.559
 Very often steps out of line

00:33:12.559 --> 00:33:13.559
 It is not true to God

00:33:13.559 --> 00:33:15.559
 Sometimes it is a persecuting state

00:33:15.559 --> 00:33:17.559
 Sometimes it comes to express

00:33:17.559 --> 00:33:19.559
 It is hated for the church

00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:20.559
 And for the gospel

00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:21.559
 And for what the church stands for

00:33:21.559 --> 00:33:23.559
 Even to the extent

00:33:23.559 --> 00:33:24.559
 Sometimes of persecution

00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:27.559
 And you will find it very difficult

00:33:27.559 --> 00:33:30.559
 In our own context today

00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:31.559
 As a nation

00:33:31.559 --> 00:33:32.559
 In some places at least

00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:34.559
 To actually stand out rightly

00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:35.559
 For the gospel

00:33:35.559 --> 00:33:36.559
 It is going to meet

00:33:36.559 --> 00:33:37.559
 Not just with hostility

00:33:37.559 --> 00:33:38.559
 But what really

00:33:38.559 --> 00:33:40.559
 Amount to persecution

00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:42.559
 And some people

00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:44.559
 Have ended up being imprisoned

00:33:44.559 --> 00:33:45.559
 And some people find

00:33:45.559 --> 00:33:46.559
 That even authorities

00:33:46.559 --> 00:33:49.559
 Like the powers of law and order

00:33:49.559 --> 00:33:51.559
 And the police service

00:33:51.559 --> 00:33:52.559
 Sometimes overstep the mark

00:33:52.559 --> 00:33:54.559
 And actually cause

00:33:54.559 --> 00:33:55.559
 That kind of difficulty

00:33:55.559 --> 00:33:57.559
 For people who are simply

00:33:57.559 --> 00:33:58.559
 Being through

00:33:58.559 --> 00:33:59.559
 Without in any way

00:33:59.559 --> 00:34:00.559
 Being violent

00:34:00.559 --> 00:34:02.559
 Or seeking to press

00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:04.559
 People into decisions

00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:05.559
 They don't want to take

00:34:05.559 --> 00:34:06.559
 Still it is the gospel

00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:07.559
 It is Jesus

00:34:07.559 --> 00:34:08.559
 It is the voice of God

00:34:08.559 --> 00:34:10.559
 It is the church

00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:13.559
 Presenting the claims of Christ

00:34:13.559 --> 00:34:15.559
 And the world does not like that

00:34:15.559 --> 00:34:16.559
 And never will

00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:18.559
 As long as it is the world

00:34:18.559 --> 00:34:21.559
 And there are of course

00:34:21.559 --> 00:34:22.559
 Thousands throughout the world

00:34:22.559 --> 00:34:24.559
 Today in prison

00:34:24.559 --> 00:34:25.559
 Because they are Christians

00:34:25.559 --> 00:34:28.559
 Because they are true to Jesus

00:34:28.559 --> 00:34:29.559
 Because they want

00:34:29.559 --> 00:34:31.559
 The message of Christ proclaimed

00:34:31.559 --> 00:34:32.559
 Because they are concerned

00:34:32.559 --> 00:34:33.559
 That people will come

00:34:33.559 --> 00:34:35.559
 To know him for themselves

00:34:35.559 --> 00:34:37.559
 That they will come to have him

00:34:37.559 --> 00:34:39.559
 As their saviour too

00:34:39.559 --> 00:34:40.559
 And that of course

00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:42.559
 Is met with great hostility

00:34:42.559 --> 00:34:46.559
 Especially as a secularist view

00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:50.559
 Of life increases in our own nation as well

00:34:50.559 --> 00:34:52.559
 Well that is in a sense by the way

00:34:52.559 --> 00:34:53.559
 But that is the world

00:34:53.559 --> 00:34:54.559
 That is the context

00:34:54.559 --> 00:34:57.559
 In which you find this chapter set

00:34:57.559 --> 00:34:58.559
 And these incidents

00:34:58.559 --> 00:35:00.559
 But you see here in verse 5

00:35:00.559 --> 00:35:02.559
 Peter was kept in prison

00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:04.559
 But earnest prayer for him

00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:06.559
 Was made to God by the church

00:35:06.559 --> 00:35:09.559
 The church made it its business

00:35:09.559 --> 00:35:11.559
 And exercised its privilege

00:35:11.559 --> 00:35:12.559
 To pray to God

00:35:12.559 --> 00:35:14.559
 You see the contrast very clearly

00:35:14.559 --> 00:35:15.559
 In that verse

00:35:15.559 --> 00:35:17.559
 Peter was kept in prison

00:35:17.559 --> 00:35:19.559
 The state had the power

00:35:19.559 --> 00:35:21.559
 Of closing the gates of the prison

00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:23.559
 Of keeping Peter imprisoned

00:35:23.559 --> 00:35:25.559
 Of actually shutting him up

00:35:25.559 --> 00:35:27.559
 So he couldn't speak publicly at all

00:35:27.559 --> 00:35:29.559
 So the prison was closed

00:35:29.559 --> 00:35:30.559
 The gates were shut

00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:32.559
 It was firmly held fast

00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:34.559
 But the gates of heaven were open

00:35:34.559 --> 00:35:37.559
 And the church knew

00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:39.559
 That the gates of heaven were open

00:35:39.559 --> 00:35:40.559
 And how did the church exercise

00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:41.559
 Its knowledge

00:35:41.559 --> 00:35:43.559
 Of knowing that the gates of heaven

00:35:43.559 --> 00:35:44.559
 Were open

00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:45.559
 By praying

00:35:45.559 --> 00:35:47.559
 By coming to exercise

00:35:47.559 --> 00:35:49.559
 Their right and their privilege of prayer

00:35:50.559 --> 00:35:52.559
 They gathered together

00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:54.559
 For earnest prayer

00:35:54.559 --> 00:35:55.559
 Specifically for Peter

00:35:55.559 --> 00:35:57.559
 At that point

00:35:57.559 --> 00:36:00.559
 That is what the church did

00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:01.559
 That is what the whole

00:36:01.559 --> 00:36:03.559
 Of the church at the time did

00:36:03.559 --> 00:36:06.559
 And so you find the same in verse 12

00:36:06.559 --> 00:36:07.559
 When Peter had

00:36:07.559 --> 00:36:10.559
 By the agency of the angel

00:36:10.559 --> 00:36:12.559
 Come to be released from prison

00:36:12.559 --> 00:36:14.559
 He went to the house of Mary

00:36:14.559 --> 00:36:16.559
 The mother of John

00:36:16.559 --> 00:36:18.559
 Whose other name was marked

00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:19.559
 And then notice

00:36:19.559 --> 00:36:21.559
 Where many were gathered together

00:36:21.559 --> 00:36:23.559
 And were praying

00:36:23.559 --> 00:36:26.559
 Where many were gathered together

00:36:26.559 --> 00:36:28.559
 And were praying

00:36:28.559 --> 00:36:31.559
 It's obvious from the way it's put there

00:36:31.559 --> 00:36:32.559
 That that meeting

00:36:32.559 --> 00:36:34.559
 That that meeting was specifically for prayer

00:36:34.559 --> 00:36:36.559
 That that gathering was for prayer

00:36:36.559 --> 00:36:37.559
 For Peter particularly

00:36:37.559 --> 00:36:40.559
 But I'm sure they prayed for other things as well

00:36:40.559 --> 00:36:42.559
 But it's a meeting specifically for prayer

00:36:42.559 --> 00:36:44.559
 They were gathered together

00:36:44.559 --> 00:36:45.559
 And were praying

00:36:45.559 --> 00:36:46.559
 They were in the act of praying

00:36:46.559 --> 00:36:48.559
 They were busy praying

00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:50.559
 They were praying together as a church

00:36:50.559 --> 00:36:51.559
 As a people

00:36:51.559 --> 00:36:52.559
 Collectively

00:36:52.559 --> 00:36:53.559
 They were praying

00:36:53.559 --> 00:36:54.559
 They were praying

00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:55.559
 They were praying

00:36:55.559 --> 00:36:58.559
 They were praying

00:36:58.559 --> 00:36:59.559
 I remember one of my

00:36:59.559 --> 00:37:03.559
 Most wonderful experiences

00:37:03.559 --> 00:37:05.559
 Was in Korea

00:37:05.559 --> 00:37:07.559
 At the time of attending

00:37:07.559 --> 00:37:10.559
 An early morning prayer meeting

00:37:10.559 --> 00:37:15.559
 And that early morning prayer meeting

00:37:15.559 --> 00:37:16.559
 Is a prayer meeting

00:37:16.559 --> 00:37:17.559
 They have every single day

00:37:17.559 --> 00:37:22.559
 In the congregations in Seoul in Korea

00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:26.559
 And the congregation that we went to

00:37:26.559 --> 00:37:28.559
 Had something like 90 or 100 people

00:37:28.559 --> 00:37:29.559
 If I remember rightly

00:37:29.559 --> 00:37:32.559
 That had gathered at that time in the morning

00:37:32.559 --> 00:37:34.559
 At half past five in the morning

00:37:34.559 --> 00:37:35.559
 It was still dark

00:37:35.559 --> 00:37:37.559
 And they all gathered in the church there

00:37:37.559 --> 00:37:38.559
 And the pastor led them

00:37:38.559 --> 00:37:39.559
 For the opening prayer

00:37:39.559 --> 00:37:41.559
 Then he knelt down himself

00:37:41.559 --> 00:37:42.559
 Behind a lectern

00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:44.559
 Or a pulspot at the beginning

00:37:44.559 --> 00:37:45.559
 At the one end of the church

00:37:45.559 --> 00:37:46.559
 And as he knelt down

00:37:46.559 --> 00:37:47.559
 All the lights in the church

00:37:47.559 --> 00:37:49.559
 Were then switched off

00:37:49.559 --> 00:37:50.559
 And prayer started

00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:51.559
 And everybody prayed

00:37:51.559 --> 00:37:52.559
 Where they were

00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:53.559
 It seemed strange to us

00:37:53.559 --> 00:37:54.559
 Who were there

00:37:54.559 --> 00:37:55.559
 Because we don't normally pray

00:37:55.559 --> 00:37:57.559
 Where everybody prays at the same time

00:37:57.559 --> 00:37:59.559
 And for a start

00:37:59.559 --> 00:38:01.559
 It sounds a little bit disorganized

00:38:01.559 --> 00:38:03.559
 But actually you get used to it

00:38:03.559 --> 00:38:04.559
 And what really strikes you

00:38:04.559 --> 00:38:06.559
 Is the fervency of the prayer

00:38:06.559 --> 00:38:08.559
 That's going on around you

00:38:08.559 --> 00:38:09.559
 And we of course ourselves

00:38:09.559 --> 00:38:11.559
 Attempted to be engaged in prayer as well

00:38:11.559 --> 00:38:13.559
 And prayed for various things

00:38:13.559 --> 00:38:14.559
 Before the Lord

00:38:14.559 --> 00:38:15.559
 But the remarkable thing is

00:38:15.559 --> 00:38:17.559
 That at that time in the morning

00:38:17.559 --> 00:38:18.559
 These people had a burden

00:38:18.559 --> 00:38:20.559
 To gather together for prayer

00:38:20.559 --> 00:38:21.559
 It was their practice

00:38:21.559 --> 00:38:22.559
 It was their custom

00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:24.559
 It was the church in prayer

00:38:24.559 --> 00:38:25.559
 And that's all that went on

00:38:25.559 --> 00:38:27.559
 For that whole hour

00:38:27.559 --> 00:38:28.559
 Or however long it was

00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:30.559
 When people finished prayer

00:38:30.559 --> 00:38:31.559
 Their own prayer

00:38:31.559 --> 00:38:33.559
 They went out quietly

00:38:33.559 --> 00:38:35.559
 But the meeting carried on

00:38:35.559 --> 00:38:36.559
 Until the last person

00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:37.559
 Finished praying

00:38:37.559 --> 00:38:44.559
 If we set a prayer meeting

00:38:44.559 --> 00:38:47.559
 For 5.30 in the morning

00:38:47.559 --> 00:38:49.559
 From tomorrow onwards

00:38:49.559 --> 00:38:51.559
 Would you and I

00:38:51.559 --> 00:38:53.559
 Be burdened enough to attend?

00:38:53.559 --> 00:38:56.559
 Would we come to that meeting

00:38:56.559 --> 00:38:57.559
 That meeting

00:38:57.559 --> 00:38:58.559
 That regularly?

00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:00.559
 There's a question

00:39:00.559 --> 00:39:03.559
 But this church here

00:39:03.559 --> 00:39:04.559
 In the days of the apostles

00:39:04.559 --> 00:39:06.559
 They were gathered together

00:39:06.559 --> 00:39:07.559
 And were praying

00:39:07.559 --> 00:39:09.559
 And it appears from

00:39:09.559 --> 00:39:11.559
 All that you read in this chapter of Acts

00:39:11.559 --> 00:39:12.559
 That this was not something

00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:13.559
 They did every month

00:39:13.559 --> 00:39:15.559
 And it wasn't even something

00:39:15.559 --> 00:39:16.559
 That they did with regard

00:39:16.559 --> 00:39:17.559
 To a specific need

00:39:17.559 --> 00:39:19.559
 Such as the imprisonment of Peter

00:39:19.559 --> 00:39:20.559
 It was something

00:39:20.559 --> 00:39:21.559
 That regularly

00:39:21.559 --> 00:39:23.559
 They engaged in

00:39:23.559 --> 00:39:25.559
 As time went on

00:39:25.559 --> 00:39:26.559
 Week by week

00:39:26.559 --> 00:39:27.559
 Day by day

00:39:27.559 --> 00:39:31.559
 And that's the kind of thing

00:39:31.559 --> 00:39:32.559
 We must attend to ourselves

00:39:32.559 --> 00:39:35.559
 I'm absolutely persuaded

00:39:35.559 --> 00:39:37.559
 That it's a mark

00:39:37.559 --> 00:39:39.559
 Of the health of any church

00:39:39.559 --> 00:39:41.559
 As to how frequently

00:39:41.559 --> 00:39:43.559
 They come together to pray

00:39:43.559 --> 00:39:44.559
 Not just how frequently

00:39:44.559 --> 00:39:46.559
 People pray in their own homes

00:39:46.559 --> 00:39:47.559
 Or individually

00:39:47.559 --> 00:39:49.559
 As I hope we all do

00:39:49.559 --> 00:39:50.559
 But how often

00:39:50.559 --> 00:39:51.559
 And how much

00:39:51.559 --> 00:39:54.559
 Do we come together to pray?

00:39:54.559 --> 00:39:55.559
 We have meetings

00:39:55.559 --> 00:39:57.559
 Specifically for prayer

00:39:57.559 --> 00:39:59.559
 Set on the first Monday

00:39:59.559 --> 00:40:00.559
 Of each month

00:40:00.559 --> 00:40:02.559
 We have one each Saturday

00:40:02.559 --> 00:40:04.559
 On a weekly basis

00:40:06.559 --> 00:40:08.559
 But we need to actually attend

00:40:08.559 --> 00:40:11.559
 To how many attend

00:40:11.559 --> 00:40:13.559
 Why we don't have so many attending

00:40:13.559 --> 00:40:14.559
 As we should

00:40:14.559 --> 00:40:16.559
 Why is there just a few

00:40:16.559 --> 00:40:18.559
 Out of the membership

00:40:18.559 --> 00:40:19.559
 Of the church

00:40:19.559 --> 00:40:22.559
 That you have less than 20 people

00:40:22.559 --> 00:40:23.559
 At a monthly prayer meeting

00:40:23.559 --> 00:40:24.559
 Even when it's conveniently

00:40:24.559 --> 00:40:25.559
 Held on Zoom?

00:40:27.559 --> 00:40:29.559
 Is it because it's not the right time

00:40:29.559 --> 00:40:30.559
 For most people?

00:40:30.559 --> 00:40:32.559
 Is it because the time

00:40:32.559 --> 00:40:33.559
 Isn't just suitable?

00:40:34.559 --> 00:40:36.559
 Or is it that we don't have

00:40:37.559 --> 00:40:38.559
 In our hearts

00:40:38.559 --> 00:40:39.559
 A sufficient burden

00:40:39.559 --> 00:40:40.559
 To be together

00:40:40.559 --> 00:40:41.559
 To pray?

00:40:41.559 --> 00:40:42.559
 To pray

00:40:42.559 --> 00:40:44.559
 I'm putting that as a challenge

00:40:44.559 --> 00:40:45.559
 To myself

00:40:45.559 --> 00:40:46.559
 But it's a challenge

00:40:46.559 --> 00:40:47.559
 To us as a congregation

00:40:47.559 --> 00:40:48.559
 Isn't it?

00:40:48.559 --> 00:40:50.559
 That we really need

00:40:50.559 --> 00:40:51.559
 To focus

00:40:51.559 --> 00:40:53.559
 More than we're doing

00:40:53.559 --> 00:40:55.559
 On being gathered together

00:40:55.559 --> 00:40:56.559
 Specifically to pray

00:40:56.559 --> 00:40:58.559
 I know that our Wednesday meeting

00:40:58.559 --> 00:41:00.559
 Has a limited time for prayer

00:41:00.559 --> 00:41:01.559
 Because there's also

00:41:01.559 --> 00:41:02.559
 Bible exposition

00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:03.559
 Which in its own right

00:41:03.559 --> 00:41:04.559
 Is important

00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:06.559
 But the meetings we have

00:41:06.559 --> 00:41:08.559
 Specifically for prayer only

00:41:08.559 --> 00:41:09.559
 And for people to be together

00:41:09.559 --> 00:41:10.559
 To pray

00:41:10.559 --> 00:41:11.559
 To pray

00:41:11.559 --> 00:41:12.559
 Whether it's in person

00:41:12.559 --> 00:41:13.559
 Or by means of Zoom

00:41:13.559 --> 00:41:14.559
 Or whatever

00:41:14.559 --> 00:41:16.559
 The point I'm making is

00:41:16.559 --> 00:41:17.559
 This friends

00:41:17.559 --> 00:41:19.559
 We will not go very far

00:41:19.559 --> 00:41:21.559
 Unless we have this desire

00:41:21.559 --> 00:41:22.559
 This burden

00:41:22.559 --> 00:41:24.559
 To be gathered together

00:41:24.559 --> 00:41:25.559
 To pray

00:41:25.559 --> 00:41:28.559
 To pray as a people

00:41:28.559 --> 00:41:30.559
 To pray congregationally

00:41:30.559 --> 00:41:31.559
 To pray

00:41:31.559 --> 00:41:33.559
 With corporate prayer

00:41:33.559 --> 00:41:35.559
 As much as we do

00:41:35.559 --> 00:41:37.559
 In gathered prayer

00:41:37.559 --> 00:41:40.559
 In individual prayer as well

00:41:40.559 --> 00:41:42.559
 So there's something

00:41:42.559 --> 00:41:45.559
 To consider from this passage tonight

00:41:45.559 --> 00:41:48.559
 Where is my own desire

00:41:48.559 --> 00:41:51.559
 In relation to what I find

00:41:51.559 --> 00:41:52.559
 In this passage

00:41:52.559 --> 00:41:54.559
 Of this church

00:41:54.559 --> 00:41:55.559
 In the days of the apostles

00:41:55.559 --> 00:41:56.559
 The days of the apostles

00:41:56.559 --> 00:41:59.559
 Actually burdened to be together

00:41:59.559 --> 00:42:01.559
 Specifically to pray

00:42:01.559 --> 00:42:04.559
 The more we do that

00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:07.559
 And it's not a matter of just doing it

00:42:07.559 --> 00:42:08.559
 For its own sake

00:42:08.559 --> 00:42:10.559
 We have to pray that the Lord

00:42:10.559 --> 00:42:12.559
 Will give us the burden to be there

00:42:12.559 --> 00:42:14.559
 We have to pray that the Lord

00:42:14.559 --> 00:42:15.559
 Will impress upon us

00:42:15.559 --> 00:42:18.559
 How important a feature that is

00:42:18.559 --> 00:42:20.559
 Of the life of the church

00:42:20.559 --> 00:42:25.559
 It's basic to our spiritual health

00:42:25.559 --> 00:42:28.559
 It's basic to our growth

00:42:28.559 --> 00:42:29.559
 As a congregation

00:42:29.559 --> 00:42:31.559
 Growth not just numerically

00:42:31.559 --> 00:42:33.559
 But especially growth spiritually

00:42:33.559 --> 00:42:35.559
 And as we'll see later

00:42:35.559 --> 00:42:37.559
 That's such an important issue

00:42:37.559 --> 00:42:39.559
 In the book of Acts itself

00:42:39.559 --> 00:42:41.559
 So there's the first thing

00:42:41.559 --> 00:42:42.559
 The church at prayer

00:42:42.559 --> 00:42:45.559
 Is it a specific situation?

00:42:45.559 --> 00:42:46.559
 Yes

00:42:46.559 --> 00:42:49.559
 It's specific to the needs of that time

00:42:49.559 --> 00:42:51.559
 But all of that impresses upon us

00:42:51.559 --> 00:42:53.559
 How much we ourselves should

00:42:53.559 --> 00:42:55.559
 Have this as a principle

00:42:55.559 --> 00:42:56.559
 And as a practice

00:42:56.559 --> 00:42:58.559
 That as a church

00:42:58.559 --> 00:42:59.559
 We come together

00:42:59.559 --> 00:43:01.559
 Not just to praise the Lord

00:43:01.559 --> 00:43:02.559
 In singing

00:43:02.559 --> 00:43:03.559
 Not just to hear and listen

00:43:03.559 --> 00:43:04.559
 To the voice of God

00:43:04.559 --> 00:43:06.559
 But also specifically

00:43:06.559 --> 00:43:07.559
 To pray to Him

00:43:08.559 --> 00:43:10.559
 To let our voice be heard in heaven

00:43:11.559 --> 00:43:14.559
 And to come to place before the Lord

00:43:14.559 --> 00:43:15.559
 As is our privilege

00:43:16.559 --> 00:43:18.559
 The things the Lord lays on our hearts

00:43:18.559 --> 00:43:20.559
 To pray for

00:43:20.559 --> 00:43:22.559
 To put before Him

00:43:24.559 --> 00:43:25.559
 The church at prayer then

00:43:25.559 --> 00:43:26.559
 So what are the benefits

00:43:26.559 --> 00:43:30.559
 Of the church being gathered together for prayer?

00:43:30.559 --> 00:43:32.559
 Well I'm going to mention two

00:43:32.559 --> 00:43:34.559
 That are more than that as well

00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:35.559
 First of all

00:43:35.559 --> 00:43:39.559
 It contributes to our unity in the faith

00:43:40.559 --> 00:43:43.559
 It contributes to our unity in the faith

00:43:43.559 --> 00:43:45.559
 We read in Ephesians chapter 4

00:43:45.559 --> 00:43:47.559
 From the beginning of the chapter

00:43:47.559 --> 00:43:49.559
 Again there's Paul as a prisoner of the Lord

00:43:49.559 --> 00:43:51.559
 And saying

00:43:51.559 --> 00:43:53.559
 Bear with one another in love

00:43:53.559 --> 00:43:56.559
 Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit

00:43:56.559 --> 00:43:57.559
 In the bond of peace

00:43:57.559 --> 00:43:58.559
 And so on

00:43:59.559 --> 00:44:02.559
 He says there to maintain the unity of the Spirit

00:44:03.559 --> 00:44:06.559
 The Spirit of God creates the unity that God's people enjoy

00:44:06.559 --> 00:44:12.559
 But we are charged to maintain to look after that unity

00:44:12.559 --> 00:44:16.559
 The unity that the Spirit creates

00:44:16.559 --> 00:44:21.559
 The unity certainly that we are dependent on the Spirit for the maintaining of

00:44:22.559 --> 00:44:24.559
 But it's not without prayer

00:44:24.559 --> 00:44:28.559
 And one of the beauties of prayer is that we urge the Lord

00:44:28.559 --> 00:44:29.559
 We pray to the Lord

00:44:29.559 --> 00:44:31.559
 To maintain that unity

00:44:31.559 --> 00:44:33.559
 To bless us as a people

00:44:33.559 --> 00:44:35.559
 As a corporate body of people

00:44:35.559 --> 00:44:38.559
 As witnesses to Christ in the world

00:44:39.559 --> 00:44:42.559
 So you see as we come together to pray

00:44:42.559 --> 00:44:43.559
 Yes we pray

00:44:43.559 --> 00:44:45.559
 As I keep saying individually

00:44:45.559 --> 00:44:47.559
 At home that's a great privilege for us as well

00:44:48.559 --> 00:44:52.559
 We pray at times when we are gathered virtually

00:44:52.559 --> 00:44:56.559
 And I know that that's a means by which people are able to

00:44:57.559 --> 00:45:00.559
 Take part in meetings that they can't otherwise physically be at

00:45:01.559 --> 00:45:03.559
 For good reason and of course we accept that

00:45:04.559 --> 00:45:09.559
 But wherever we can and whenever we can be gathered together physically for prayer

00:45:10.559 --> 00:45:12.559
 Here is one great advantage of it

00:45:12.559 --> 00:45:15.559
 That it actually contributes to our unity in the faith

00:45:15.559 --> 00:45:17.559
 Because there is where we pray together

00:45:17.559 --> 00:45:18.559
 As we pray together

00:45:18.559 --> 00:45:19.559
 What are we praying for?

00:45:19.559 --> 00:45:20.559
 We're praying for growth

00:45:20.559 --> 00:45:23.559
 We're praying for others besides ourselves

00:45:23.559 --> 00:45:27.559
 We're praying together for specific needs of the church

00:45:27.559 --> 00:45:28.559
 Or of the congregation

00:45:28.559 --> 00:45:30.559
 We're praying for the advance of the gospel

00:45:30.559 --> 00:45:32.559
 We're praying for the church at large

00:45:32.559 --> 00:45:35.559
 We're praying for the congregation in its settings

00:45:35.559 --> 00:45:38.559
 We're praying in confession of our sins

00:45:38.559 --> 00:45:39.559
 We're listening to others

00:45:39.559 --> 00:45:42.559
 And joining with them as they confess their sins

00:45:42.559 --> 00:45:45.559
 And we confess our individual sins to God

00:45:45.559 --> 00:45:47.559
 We pray for our children

00:45:47.559 --> 00:45:50.559
 We pray for the blessing of God on our children

00:45:50.559 --> 00:45:52.559
 We pray as we collectively gather together

00:45:52.559 --> 00:45:55.559
 It's a wonderful thing to hear together of people

00:45:55.559 --> 00:45:58.559
 Actually engage together in prayer

00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:01.559
 Even if it's just one person that's actually speaking

00:46:02.559 --> 00:46:06.559
 We're collectively engaged in our minds along with that

00:46:06.559 --> 00:46:09.559
 And setting out our desires and putting out amen to that

00:46:09.559 --> 00:46:11.559
 We're praying for the nation

00:46:11.559 --> 00:46:16.559
 We pray for all the things God lays upon our hearts

00:46:16.559 --> 00:46:19.559
 What a great privilege it is for us

00:46:19.559 --> 00:46:23.559
 To gather together specifically to pray

00:46:24.559 --> 00:46:27.559
 To be able, as God has enabled us

00:46:27.559 --> 00:46:30.559
 To give that time

00:46:30.559 --> 00:46:31.559
 To give that time

00:46:31.559 --> 00:46:33.559
 And it's

00:46:33.559 --> 00:46:35.559
 Amongst all our other burdens

00:46:35.559 --> 00:46:40.559
 Amongst all our other duties in the world

00:46:41.559 --> 00:46:42.559
 It's not

00:46:43.559 --> 00:46:46.559
 A large portion of our time

00:46:47.559 --> 00:46:50.559
 That we are to give to prayer collectively

00:46:51.559 --> 00:46:53.559
 It's only an hour

00:46:53.559 --> 00:46:54.559
 Or at the most

00:46:54.559 --> 00:46:56.559
 Or at the most two hours a week

00:46:57.559 --> 00:46:58.559
 Or at the beginning of each month

00:47:00.559 --> 00:47:02.559
 Where is that in relation to

00:47:03.559 --> 00:47:04.559
 The time we give to other things

00:47:05.559 --> 00:47:08.559
 Even things other than our necessary duties

00:47:08.559 --> 00:47:09.559
 And family or whatever

00:47:10.559 --> 00:47:14.559
 Maybe a good exercise for myself

00:47:15.559 --> 00:47:16.559
 And for yourselves

00:47:17.559 --> 00:47:18.559
 To draw up a little sheet

00:47:19.559 --> 00:47:21.559
 And put down in that sheet

00:47:21.559 --> 00:47:24.559
 The number of hours we spend doing certain things

00:47:25.559 --> 00:47:27.559
 Whether it's actually watching television

00:47:27.559 --> 00:47:28.559
 Being on Facebook

00:47:29.559 --> 00:47:30.559
 But put a column there

00:47:31.559 --> 00:47:33.559
 As to the number of hours we spend

00:47:34.559 --> 00:47:35.559
 In a month let's say

00:47:36.559 --> 00:47:37.559
 In collective prayer

00:47:38.559 --> 00:47:40.559
 That will be quite revealing I'm sure

00:47:41.559 --> 00:47:42.559
 And quite challenging as well

00:47:43.559 --> 00:47:44.559
 Well what we're saying is that

00:47:45.559 --> 00:47:46.559
 That collecting

00:47:47.559 --> 00:47:48.559
 Collective prayer

00:47:48.559 --> 00:47:50.559
 The gathered church

00:47:50.559 --> 00:47:51.559
 As it gathers to pray

00:47:52.559 --> 00:47:53.559
 Is such an important feature

00:47:54.559 --> 00:47:55.559
 In its health

00:47:56.559 --> 00:47:58.559
 In its witness to God

00:47:59.559 --> 00:48:03.559
 And in our building of one another up

00:48:04.559 --> 00:48:06.559
 Collectively in the faith that is in Christ

00:48:07.559 --> 00:48:08.559
 Now the issues

00:48:09.559 --> 00:48:11.559
 The issues that are most emphasized in the Bible

00:48:12.559 --> 00:48:14.559
 And especially in the New Testament

00:48:14.559 --> 00:48:16.559
 The issues that are specified

00:48:17.559 --> 00:48:18.559
 Most or most specified

00:48:19.559 --> 00:48:20.559
 As issues for prayer

00:48:21.559 --> 00:48:22.559
 Are actually spiritual

00:48:23.559 --> 00:48:24.559
 Not material

00:48:25.559 --> 00:48:26.559
 You look at Paul's epistles

00:48:27.559 --> 00:48:29.559
 Look at the glimpses he gives us

00:48:30.559 --> 00:48:31.559
 In these passages in some of his epistles

00:48:32.559 --> 00:48:35.559
 That tell us about what he was praying for

00:48:36.559 --> 00:48:37.559
 And he's revealing to these churches

00:48:38.559 --> 00:48:39.559
 And whether it's Ephesus or Colossae

00:48:40.559 --> 00:48:42.559
 Of the kind of things that he was praying for

00:48:42.559 --> 00:48:44.559
 Again let's just think of Ephesians

00:48:45.559 --> 00:48:46.559
 In chapter 3

00:48:47.559 --> 00:48:48.559
 And from verse 14 onwards there

00:48:49.559 --> 00:48:50.559
 Where he says this

00:48:50.559 --> 00:48:51.559
 For this reason

00:48:52.559 --> 00:48:53.559
 I bow my knees before the Father

00:48:54.559 --> 00:48:56.559
 From whom every family in heaven and on earth is named

00:48:57.559 --> 00:48:59.559
 That according to the riches of his glory

00:49:00.559 --> 00:49:02.559
 And then he goes on to specify what he's praying for

00:49:03.559 --> 00:49:05.559
 That he may grant you to be strengthened with power

00:49:06.559 --> 00:49:08.559
 Through his spirit in your inner being

00:49:08.559 --> 00:49:11.559
 So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith

00:49:12.559 --> 00:49:14.559
 And that you being rooted and grounded in love

00:49:15.559 --> 00:49:18.559
 May have strength to comprehend with all the saints

00:49:19.559 --> 00:49:21.559
 What is the breadth and length and depth and height

00:49:22.559 --> 00:49:23.559
 And to know the love of Christ

00:49:24.559 --> 00:49:25.559
 That surpasses knowledge

00:49:26.559 --> 00:49:28.559
 That you may be filled with all the fullness of God

00:49:29.559 --> 00:49:31.559
 You see the things he's praying for

00:49:31.559 --> 00:49:32.559
 He's praying for

00:49:32.559 --> 00:49:34.559
 He's praying for the church's strengthening

00:49:35.559 --> 00:49:38.559
 For the church's growth in their appreciation of the love of Christ

00:49:39.559 --> 00:49:41.559
 And all the way through

00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:43.559
 He tells us these spiritual things

00:49:44.559 --> 00:49:46.559
 That he sets before God in prayer

00:49:47.559 --> 00:49:49.559
 And is now revealing to the church

00:49:50.559 --> 00:49:51.559
 This is what I'm praying for

00:49:52.559 --> 00:49:53.559
 And he's saying this is what you yourselves

00:49:54.559 --> 00:49:56.559
 Are actually to be committed to as well

00:49:56.559 --> 00:50:00.559
 So it contributes to our unity in the faith

00:50:01.559 --> 00:50:04.559
 But secondly, the benefits of gathering together

00:50:05.559 --> 00:50:07.559
 Connects us with God at work

00:50:08.559 --> 00:50:11.559
 It connects us with God at work

00:50:12.559 --> 00:50:15.559
 Because God answers prayer

00:50:16.559 --> 00:50:17.559
 Now just in passing

00:50:18.559 --> 00:50:19.559
 I want to mention verse 15 there

00:50:20.559 --> 00:50:21.559
 It's interesting there, it's quite revealing

00:50:21.559 --> 00:50:24.559
 That when news was brought to the meeting

00:50:25.559 --> 00:50:27.559
 That Peter had actually been released from prison

00:50:28.559 --> 00:50:30.559
 They told Rhoda, you're out of your mind

00:50:31.559 --> 00:50:32.559
 No, that's not possible, he's in prison

00:50:33.559 --> 00:50:34.559
 No way he's getting out of prison

00:50:35.559 --> 00:50:36.559
 Just now, how could he possibly have gotten out?

00:50:37.559 --> 00:50:40.559
 Of course, they were praying for one thing

00:50:41.559 --> 00:50:42.559
 They were praying for Peter

00:50:43.559 --> 00:50:44.559
 And yet when it came to the point of his release

00:50:45.559 --> 00:50:46.559
 They weren't prepared to believe it

00:50:47.559 --> 00:50:48.559
 That it was true

00:50:48.559 --> 00:50:51.559
 And it reminds us that we are to pray expectantly

00:50:52.559 --> 00:50:53.559
 As God enables us

00:50:54.559 --> 00:50:55.559
 That we're not to pray certain things

00:50:56.559 --> 00:50:57.559
 Leave them with God

00:50:58.559 --> 00:51:00.559
 And then not exercise our minds believingly

00:51:01.559 --> 00:51:02.559
 Or expectantly

00:51:03.559 --> 00:51:04.559
 He was a church at prayer

00:51:05.559 --> 00:51:06.559
 And yet, even in the days of the apostles

00:51:07.559 --> 00:51:08.559
 They weren't prepared to accept

00:51:09.559 --> 00:51:10.559
 That their prayers had been answered

00:51:10.559 --> 00:51:11.559
 Or answered that quickly

00:51:12.559 --> 00:51:13.559
 That's in the passing

00:51:13.559 --> 00:51:14.559
 But it's important

00:51:15.559 --> 00:51:16.559
 But what is it that follows from their prayer?

00:51:16.559 --> 00:51:18.559
 How did God answer the church at prayer?

00:51:19.559 --> 00:51:20.559
 Well, in two things

00:51:20.559 --> 00:51:21.559
 First of all, in Peter's release

00:51:22.559 --> 00:51:23.559
 And then secondly, in the death of Herod

00:51:24.559 --> 00:51:27.559
 The man who had actually organized

00:51:28.559 --> 00:51:29.559
 And in his authority

00:51:30.559 --> 00:51:33.559
 Had taken pleasure in putting James to death

00:51:34.559 --> 00:51:35.559
 And Peter in prison

00:51:36.559 --> 00:51:37.559
 As you go through the chapter

00:51:38.559 --> 00:51:39.559
 As we read through it

00:51:40.559 --> 00:51:41.559
 All of a sudden he died

00:51:41.559 --> 00:51:44.559
 Just as he was in the midst of

00:51:45.559 --> 00:51:46.559
 A great oration

00:51:47.559 --> 00:51:48.559
 And in his pomposity

00:51:49.559 --> 00:51:50.559
 And in the regal splendor of his gowns

00:51:51.559 --> 00:51:53.559
 As he spoke there to the people

00:51:54.559 --> 00:51:56.559
 He was struck down by an angel of God

00:51:57.559 --> 00:51:59.559
 And he was eaten of what I'm saying

00:52:00.559 --> 00:52:01.559
 Some internal

00:52:02.559 --> 00:52:03.559
 Condition

00:52:04.559 --> 00:52:06.559
 Which led very quickly to his death

00:52:07.559 --> 00:52:08.559
 Here he was

00:52:08.559 --> 00:52:09.559
 The voice of a God

00:52:09.559 --> 00:52:10.559
 And not of a man

00:52:11.559 --> 00:52:12.559
 And this is going on as the church

00:52:12.559 --> 00:52:13.559
 Was praying for their situation

00:52:14.559 --> 00:52:15.559
 And praying for Peter

00:52:15.559 --> 00:52:16.559
 And praying for themselves

00:52:17.559 --> 00:52:18.559
 And all of a sudden

00:52:18.559 --> 00:52:19.559
 The person who was most instrumental

00:52:20.559 --> 00:52:21.559
 In putting Peter in prison

00:52:21.559 --> 00:52:22.559
 Is dead

00:52:23.559 --> 00:52:24.559
 Is part of God's answer

00:52:25.559 --> 00:52:26.559
 They didn't pray that

00:52:27.559 --> 00:52:28.559
 Herod would just fall down dead

00:52:29.559 --> 00:52:31.559
 Doesn't appear to be the case anyway

00:52:31.559 --> 00:52:32.559
 Some of them might have wished that

00:52:33.559 --> 00:52:34.559
 But in any case

00:52:34.559 --> 00:52:35.559
 That's the result

00:52:35.559 --> 00:52:36.559
 That's how God

00:52:36.559 --> 00:52:37.559
 In his wisdom

00:52:38.559 --> 00:52:39.559
 Answered their prayers

00:52:40.559 --> 00:52:41.559
 And Peter was free

00:52:42.559 --> 00:52:43.559
 And Herod is dead

00:52:44.559 --> 00:52:45.559
 And both of these

00:52:46.559 --> 00:52:47.559
 As elements in answer to prayer

00:52:48.559 --> 00:52:49.559
 Fit the purpose of God

00:52:49.559 --> 00:52:50.559
 And what is the purpose of God?

00:52:51.559 --> 00:52:52.559
 Well it's in verse 24

00:52:53.559 --> 00:52:54.559
 But the word of God

00:52:55.559 --> 00:52:56.559
 Increased and multiplied

00:52:57.559 --> 00:52:58.559
 You see the contrast

00:52:59.559 --> 00:53:00.559
 That word but

00:53:01.559 --> 00:53:02.559
 You find it there in verse 5

00:53:02.559 --> 00:53:03.559
 Peter was kept in prison

00:53:03.559 --> 00:53:04.559
 But

00:53:05.559 --> 00:53:06.559
 Ernest prayer was made by the church

00:53:07.559 --> 00:53:08.559
 Here is

00:53:09.559 --> 00:53:10.559
 Herod's threatening

00:53:11.559 --> 00:53:12.559
 But the word of the Lord

00:53:13.559 --> 00:53:14.559
 Increased and multiplied

00:53:15.559 --> 00:53:16.559
 That was God's purpose

00:53:17.559 --> 00:53:18.559
 That is actually what happened

00:53:19.559 --> 00:53:21.559
 And many revivals in the history of the church

00:53:22.559 --> 00:53:23.559
 Have come about

00:53:24.559 --> 00:53:25.559
 Through times of persecution

00:53:26.559 --> 00:53:28.559
 That were accompanied by or involved

00:53:28.559 --> 00:53:29.559
 The church turning to prayer

00:53:29.559 --> 00:53:30.559
 The church turning to prayer

00:53:31.559 --> 00:53:32.559
 The church turning to prayer

00:53:33.559 --> 00:53:34.559
 People gathering together for prayer

00:53:35.559 --> 00:53:36.559
 One of the greatest

00:53:37.559 --> 00:53:38.559
 Tragedies or events

00:53:39.559 --> 00:53:40.559
 In the church in our own nation

00:53:41.559 --> 00:53:42.559
 Took place in 1662

00:53:43.559 --> 00:53:44.559
 What's known as the Great Ejection

00:53:45.559 --> 00:53:47.559
 When nearly 2,000 Puritan preachers

00:53:48.559 --> 00:53:49.559
 Were ejected from their congregations

00:53:50.559 --> 00:53:52.559
 Because they weren't prepared to sign up

00:53:53.559 --> 00:53:54.559
 To what was called the Act of Uniformity

00:53:55.559 --> 00:53:57.559
 Where they would have to comply with the state

00:53:58.559 --> 00:54:00.559
 In terms of what was set out in the Book of Common Prayer

00:54:01.559 --> 00:54:02.559
 And other things that accompanied that

00:54:03.559 --> 00:54:04.559
 Well, I don't need to go into detail

00:54:05.559 --> 00:54:06.559
 But that's what they were

00:54:07.559 --> 00:54:08.559
 The state trying to force them to do that

00:54:09.559 --> 00:54:10.559
 They said, no, we can't do that

00:54:11.559 --> 00:54:12.559
 So they were ejected from their congregations

00:54:13.559 --> 00:54:17.559
 But you see that led to a great volume of prayer

00:54:18.559 --> 00:54:21.559
 And it didn't just happen that immediately God answered these prayers

00:54:21.559 --> 00:54:24.559
 But many take the view that the revival

00:54:25.559 --> 00:54:27.559
 The evangelical revival that broke out

00:54:28.559 --> 00:54:30.559
 Especially in the 1730s to 1740

00:54:31.559 --> 00:54:32.559
 Not just in this country

00:54:33.559 --> 00:54:34.559
 But also in North America as well

00:54:35.559 --> 00:54:36.559
 The Great Awakening as it was called

00:54:37.559 --> 00:54:38.559
 Out of the view that that itself

00:54:39.559 --> 00:54:40.559
 Was an answer to the church at prayer

00:54:41.559 --> 00:54:44.559
 And the church at prayer following a time of persecution

00:54:45.559 --> 00:54:50.559
 God hears his praying people

00:54:51.559 --> 00:54:54.559
 Worldly persecution

00:54:55.559 --> 00:54:57.559
 Cannot prevent the gospel's advance

00:54:58.559 --> 00:55:00.559
 When it's in the mind of God to advance it

00:55:01.559 --> 00:55:03.559
 Nothing is going to actually interfere with that

00:55:04.559 --> 00:55:05.559
 Nothing is going to prevent that

00:55:06.559 --> 00:55:07.559
 What happened here

00:55:08.559 --> 00:55:09.559
 The word of God increased and multiplied

00:55:10.559 --> 00:55:13.559
 You see, that's the very thing that Herod was trying to prevent

00:55:14.559 --> 00:55:17.559
 That's what he was trying to stand against

00:55:17.559 --> 00:55:18.559
 By putting James to death

00:55:18.559 --> 00:55:20.559
 And putting Peter in prison

00:55:21.559 --> 00:55:22.559
 There was Herod exercising authority

00:55:23.559 --> 00:55:24.559
 And saying pretty much that

00:55:25.559 --> 00:55:28.559
 I'm not going to allow this message, this gospel

00:55:29.559 --> 00:55:32.559
 These people to interfere with my reign, with my authority

00:55:33.559 --> 00:55:36.559
 With the state's power, with the secular state's power

00:55:37.559 --> 00:55:39.559
 This is gone

00:55:40.559 --> 00:55:41.559
 Herod's gone

00:55:41.559 --> 00:55:43.559
 God's listened to his people

00:55:44.559 --> 00:55:47.559
 The very thing that Herod tried to prevent

00:55:48.559 --> 00:55:50.559
 Is the very thing that happened

00:55:51.559 --> 00:55:52.559
 In the providence of God

00:55:53.559 --> 00:55:57.559
 The word of God increased and multiplied

00:55:57.559 --> 00:56:00.559
 Not only was Herod

00:56:01.559 --> 00:56:02.559
 And those who helped him

00:56:02.559 --> 00:56:04.559
 Unable to prevent it happening

00:56:05.559 --> 00:56:06.559
 But it was just the opposite

00:56:07.559 --> 00:56:08.559
 Of what he was trying to do

00:56:09.559 --> 00:56:10.559
 He was trying to stamp out the influence of the word of God

00:56:11.559 --> 00:56:12.559
 And of the apostles and of the church

00:56:13.559 --> 00:56:14.559
 That advance

00:56:15.559 --> 00:56:16.559
 And it didn't just fail

00:56:17.559 --> 00:56:18.559
 It actually led to an increase

00:56:19.559 --> 00:56:20.559
 In the word

00:56:21.559 --> 00:56:22.559
 Multiplying

00:56:22.559 --> 00:56:23.559
 Throughout these regions

00:56:28.559 --> 00:56:29.559
 But it didn't happen

00:56:30.559 --> 00:56:32.559
 Without the church gathered for prayer

00:56:33.559 --> 00:56:35.559
 And that's the point that I want to finish on

00:56:36.559 --> 00:56:37.559
 That's the point we've been laboring

00:56:38.559 --> 00:56:39.559
 All the way through our study tonight

00:56:40.559 --> 00:56:42.559
 Everything that happened here

00:56:43.559 --> 00:56:44.559
 The word of God increasing

00:56:45.559 --> 00:56:46.559
 The demise of Herod

00:56:47.559 --> 00:56:48.559
 None of that happened

00:56:49.559 --> 00:56:50.559
 Without the church at prayer

00:56:50.559 --> 00:56:53.559
 And the lesson for us is that

00:56:54.559 --> 00:56:55.559
 When the church is collectively

00:56:56.559 --> 00:56:59.559
 And wholeheartedly engaged in prayer

00:57:00.559 --> 00:57:01.559
 Things happen

00:57:02.559 --> 00:57:04.559
 Because God hears that volume of prayer

00:57:05.559 --> 00:57:06.559
 God hears every individual prayer

00:57:07.559 --> 00:57:08.559
 That's sincerely offered to him

00:57:09.559 --> 00:57:10.559
 Thanks be to God

00:57:11.559 --> 00:57:12.559
 But here and elsewhere in the Bible

00:57:13.559 --> 00:57:15.559
 The church gathered to pray

00:57:16.559 --> 00:57:17.559
 Is something that is emphasized

00:57:18.559 --> 00:57:19.559
 Something that's significant

00:57:20.559 --> 00:57:23.559
 Something that has historically led

00:57:24.559 --> 00:57:25.559
 By God's blessing to results

00:57:26.559 --> 00:57:27.559
 To further blessing

00:57:28.559 --> 00:57:29.559
 To the gospel's increase

00:57:30.559 --> 00:57:32.559
 To God's church being strengthened

00:57:33.559 --> 00:57:37.559
 Friends, I need not tell you that

00:57:38.559 --> 00:57:40.559
 The days in which we are living

00:57:41.559 --> 00:57:43.559
 Are perilous times for the gospel

00:57:44.559 --> 00:57:47.559
 There are so many things that

00:57:47.559 --> 00:57:49.559
 Are being brought out as threats

00:57:49.559 --> 00:57:50.559
 To the gospel's advance

00:57:50.559 --> 00:57:54.559
 And yes, we need to go home

00:57:54.559 --> 00:57:56.559
 And pray about that individually

00:57:56.559 --> 00:57:58.559
 We need to be doing that all the time

00:57:59.559 --> 00:58:01.559
 But the more the church sees the threat

00:58:02.559 --> 00:58:03.559
 Of the world to the gospel

00:58:04.559 --> 00:58:06.559
 The more the church sees the world

00:58:07.559 --> 00:58:08.559
 The state seeking to clamp down

00:58:09.559 --> 00:58:10.559
 And indeed to bring the gospel

00:58:11.559 --> 00:58:12.559
 To nullify its effects

00:58:12.559 --> 00:58:14.559
 The more you and I should be persuaded

00:58:14.559 --> 00:58:16.559
 We need to get together to pray

00:58:16.559 --> 00:58:19.559
 We need to be like the church

00:58:19.559 --> 00:58:21.559
 In the book of Acts

00:58:22.559 --> 00:58:25.559
 That actually come realizing that God

00:58:25.559 --> 00:58:27.559
 Hears his people as they pray

00:58:28.559 --> 00:58:31.559
 And expectantly set our concerns

00:58:32.559 --> 00:58:35.559
 Our prayers, our desires before God

00:58:35.559 --> 00:58:38.559
 As the church at prayer

00:58:39.559 --> 00:58:42.559
 The church engaged in prayer

00:58:43.559 --> 00:58:45.559
 You know, prayer is

00:58:46.559 --> 00:58:48.559
 Surely one of our greatest privileges

00:58:51.559 --> 00:58:53.559
 And being collectively gathered together to pray

00:58:54.559 --> 00:58:56.559
 Is a privilege along with that

00:58:57.559 --> 00:58:59.559
 It's our privilege to come individually

00:59:00.559 --> 00:59:01.559
 And speak to God

00:59:01.559 --> 00:59:04.559
 It's our privilege to be together

00:59:04.559 --> 00:59:06.559
 To share together

00:59:07.559 --> 00:59:08.559
 To hear together

00:59:09.559 --> 00:59:10.559
 To have all of that

00:59:11.559 --> 00:59:14.559
 Those features of gathered prayer

00:59:15.559 --> 00:59:18.559
 What a great privilege that is

00:59:19.559 --> 00:59:21.559
 When the world is concerned

00:59:22.559 --> 00:59:25.559
 To be together so often

00:59:26.559 --> 00:59:27.559
 For worldly purposes

00:59:27.559 --> 00:59:30.559
 When today you would have had

00:59:31.559 --> 00:59:32.559
 Thousands of people

00:59:33.559 --> 00:59:34.559
 Gathering together

00:59:35.559 --> 00:59:36.559
 At different sporting events

00:59:37.559 --> 00:59:38.559
 I'm not decrying sporting events

00:59:39.559 --> 00:59:40.559
 Though we would rather

00:59:40.559 --> 00:59:41.559
 They were not on the Lord's Day

00:59:42.559 --> 00:59:44.559
 But there's the commitment of the world

00:59:45.559 --> 00:59:46.559
 To following their agenda

00:59:47.559 --> 00:59:49.559
 Where is ours

00:59:50.559 --> 00:59:52.559
 For the agenda of the gospel

00:59:53.559 --> 00:59:56.559
 For the church's proclamation

00:59:57.559 --> 00:59:58.559
 For the truth

00:59:58.559 --> 01:00:00.559
 For God's name to be glorified

01:00:01.559 --> 01:00:05.559
 For ourselves as a church

01:00:06.559 --> 01:00:07.559
 To be strengthened

01:00:08.559 --> 01:00:09.559
 By the grace of God

01:00:10.559 --> 01:00:13.559
 Well, may God bless these thoughts

01:00:14.559 --> 01:00:15.559
 On his word to us

01:00:16.559 --> 01:00:18.559
 Let's conclude by singing again

01:00:19.559 --> 01:00:20.559
 In Psalm 57

01:00:21.559 --> 01:00:23.559
 I'd given verses 1 to 3

01:00:23.559 --> 01:00:24.559
 Which is a mistake really

01:00:24.559 --> 01:00:25.559
 It's Psalm 57

01:00:26.559 --> 01:00:27.559
 But the final verses

01:00:27.559 --> 01:00:28.559
 I'm sorry

01:00:28.559 --> 01:00:29.559
 If that complicates things

01:00:29.559 --> 01:00:30.559
 For the presenter

01:00:30.559 --> 01:00:31.559
 It's the same

01:00:31.559 --> 01:00:32.559
 The same psalm

01:00:32.559 --> 01:00:33.559
 So it'll fit the tune that he's chosen

01:00:33.559 --> 01:00:34.559
 The tune is Martyrdom

01:00:35.559 --> 01:00:36.559
 But if we sing from verse 5

01:00:37.559 --> 01:00:39.559
 Sorry, from verse 7

01:00:39.559 --> 01:00:40.559
 Verse 7

01:00:40.559 --> 01:00:44.559
 My heart is fixed

01:00:45.559 --> 01:00:46.559
 My heart is fixed

01:00:46.559 --> 01:00:47.559
 My heart is fixed

01:00:47.559 --> 01:00:48.559
 O God

01:00:48.559 --> 01:00:49.559
 I'll sing and praise

01:00:49.559 --> 01:00:50.559
 My glory wake

01:00:50.559 --> 01:00:51.559
 Wake, wake, psaltery heart

01:00:51.559 --> 01:00:52.559
 Myself I'll early raise

01:00:53.559 --> 01:00:54.559
 I'll praise thee among the people

01:00:54.559 --> 01:00:55.559
 Lord

01:00:55.559 --> 01:00:56.559
 Among nations sing will I

01:00:57.559 --> 01:00:58.559
 For great to heaven

01:00:59.559 --> 01:01:00.559
 Thy mercy is

01:01:00.559 --> 01:01:02.559
 Thy truth is to the sky

01:01:02.559 --> 01:01:03.559
 O Lord

01:01:03.559 --> 01:01:04.559
 Exalted be thy name

01:01:04.559 --> 01:01:07.559
 Above the heavens to stand

01:01:07.559 --> 01:01:10.559
 Do thou thy glory far advance

01:01:10.559 --> 01:01:13.559
 Above both sea and land

01:01:14.559 --> 01:01:16.559
 These verses 7 to the end of the psalm

01:01:16.559 --> 01:01:17.559
 To God's praise

01:01:17.559 --> 01:01:26.559
 My heart is fixed

01:01:26.559 --> 01:01:30.559
 My heart is fixed

01:01:30.559 --> 01:01:33.559
 O God

01:01:33.559 --> 01:01:38.559
 I'll sing and praise

01:01:38.559 --> 01:01:43.559
 My glory wake

01:01:43.559 --> 01:01:45.559
 With saundry heart

01:01:45.559 --> 01:01:48.559
 With saundry heart

01:01:48.559 --> 01:01:54.559
 Myself I'll early raise

01:01:54.559 --> 01:01:58.559
 I'll praise thee among the people Lord

01:01:58.559 --> 01:02:00.559
 My nations sing will I

01:02:00.559 --> 01:02:03.559
 My nations sing will I

01:02:03.559 --> 01:02:20.559
 For great to heaven

01:02:20.559 --> 01:02:24.559
 Thy mercy is

01:02:24.559 --> 01:02:28.559
 Thy truth is to the sky

01:02:28.559 --> 01:02:33.559
 O Lord

01:02:33.559 --> 01:02:38.559
 Exalted be thy name

01:02:38.559 --> 01:02:43.559
 O Lord exalted be thy name

01:02:43.559 --> 01:02:48.559
 Above the heavens to stand

01:02:49.559 --> 01:02:50.559
 To love thy glory far

01:02:50.559 --> 01:03:00.559
 To love thy glory far advance

01:03:01.559 --> 01:03:09.559
 Above both sea and land

01:03:10.559 --> 01:03:13.559
 I'll go to the main door after the benediction

01:03:13.559 --> 01:03:15.559
 Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ

01:03:15.559 --> 01:03:17.559
 The love of God the Father

01:03:17.559 --> 01:03:19.559
 And the communion of the Holy Spirit

01:03:19.559 --> 01:03:21.559
 Be with you now and evermore

01:03:21.559 --> 01:03:22.559
 Amen