If you would open up your Bibles to Colossians chapter 1 verses 3 through 8,
it's on page 1168 in your pew Bible, which is in your pew.
Now, if you're new to a Christian service like this,
what I'm about to do is I'm going to preach from the Bible.
And so I'm going to read this passage,
and then I'm going to proclaim it and explain it and apply it to our lives.
So that's what I'll be doing for the next several minutes.
Let me read Colossians 1, 3 through 8.
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.
Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,
because of the hope laid up for you in heaven,
of this you have heard before in the word of truth,
the gospel which has come to you,
as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing,
as it always does among you,
since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God and truth,
just as you learned it from Epaphras,
our beloved fellow servant.
He is a faithful minister of God on your behalf,
and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
May God bless the hearing of His word.
Now if I were to ask you this question,
if you were to describe what I just read,
in terms of darkness or brightness,
how would you describe it?
Is verses 3 through 8 dark?
Or is it bright?
And I'm guessing you all would say something like,
it's bright.
It's bright because it's full of thanksgiving to God.
And the Colossian church,
the group of Christians 20 centuries ago
who first received this,
they would have been encouraged by this.
They would have been assured by this.
But could you imagine if the Apostle Paul started off
with a little something more dark?
Like this.
Saints in Colossae, it's Paul.
You all are such a headache.
If what Epaphras told us is true,
you all can't seem to recognize a basic false teaching
that is distracting you from the centrality of Christ.
Seriously?
You all need to get your act together
because I'm starting to wonder
if you all are worth my time and suffering.
Lovesies.
T-A-P.
The Apostle Paul.
Now could you imagine if you were in the room
when this letter starting that way was first read?
If you were in that church,
I'm guessing you'd be like,
oh man.
Discouraged.
Devastated perhaps.
Doubtful even.
This is not a dark start to Colossians.
This is a bright start of thanksgiving to God.
And these verses are extraordinary
because of the thankfulness of them,
because of the brightness.
Throughout the week,
you're inundated with messages
that are not bright with thanksgiving,
but are dark with hopelessness.
And what makes this even more extraordinary
is when you realize where Paul is writing from.
He's writing from a prison in Rome.
Just feet from him is a Praetorian guard.
He's waiting on whether he is going to die or not.
And in the depths of that darkness of circumstance
comes this bright thanksgiving.
How can somebody
under these circumstances
be so thankful?
Have you heard the hymn,
Prone to Wander?
Prone to grumble.
Lord, I feel it.
Prone to grumble
against the God I love.
Brothers and sisters,
what's at the heart of thanksgiving?
What's at the heart of Christian thanksgiving?
Because I don't know about you,
but I need it.
Do you need it?
Yes and amen.
We all need it.
And in this passage,
what is going to become clear
is at the heart of the Apostle Paul's
thanksgiving in brightness
is a Christ centrality
that makes him others focused.
Christ.
And we're going to see that played out
as he gives us three reasons for his thanksgiving.
Reason number one is going to be this.
God's proofs of purchase.
Reason number two is God's global work.
And the third reason for this thankfulness
is a particular faithful servant of Jesus.
What's at the center of all
is a Christ-centered others orientation
that makes this apostle pray this way.
And I find it super compelling.
At the center of it all is Christ.
Christ.
So let's get into this.
The reason one for Paul's thanksgiving.
Why he would say,
we always thank God when we pray for you.
That's extraordinary.
Why?
Reason number one is in verses four through five.
God's proofs of purchase.
And I'm using proofs
because there's more than one proof.
The first proof of purchase
is in verse four.
We always thank God when we pray for you
since we heard of your faith
in Christ Jesus.
Faith, of course, is an active trust.
Last month I was talking about faith
as an exercise of like stepping out onto ice.
And that ice is the object of your faith.
What you're putting your faith in.
When it comes to Christianity,
we are putting our faith,
not in ourselves.
We're not putting our faith in our faith.
We're putting our faith in Christ Jesus.
And so what Paul is saying here
is he's giving thanks to God
whenever he prays for these Colossians
because of their faith in Christ Jesus.
That he's totally God, totally man.
That Jesus has hung on a cross
for six hours on a particular Friday
to bear all of God's wrath
for all who would ever believe.
Salvation is in no one else.
You know, the result of this kind of saving faith,
you read it in Colossians chapter one,
verses 13 and 14.
For those who believe,
he's delivered us from the domain of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son
in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
You get flipped by God's grace.
So the first thing that fuels Paul's thanksgiving,
the first proof here,
is their actual faith in Christ.
Now, I find it interesting
that the Apostle Paul gives thanks to God
for the Colossians' faith in Christ.
Now, don't you find that interesting?
The second proof
is found in verse four,
and of the love that you have for all the saints.
The love that Paul is talking about
is a distinct love among Christians.
It is the hallmark virtue of all Christians.
It's what we're to be known most for,
our love for one another.
It's the sticky love.
Not sticky gross, sticky good.
That Jesus commands us to in John 13.
Let me read you this.
This is the new commandment that he gives us.
A new commandment I give to you
that you love one another
just as I have loved you.
You also are to love one another.
By this, all people will know
that you are my disciples
if you have love for one another.
A sacrificial love.
A love that goes beyond stereotypes.
A love that goes beyond gender.
A love that goes beyond race.
A love that goes beyond economic background.
What baggage you got.
It's I love you the way that Christ loves me,
and that is a furious love.
And the Colossians were loving each other that way.
All the saints.
Now I find it interesting
that Paul is actually thanking God
for the way that these Colossians
are loving one another.
Don't you?
The third proof is in verse 5.
Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
What is this hope
that the Apostle Paul is writing about
from his prison cell?
Look at chapter 3, verses 1 and 2.
We don't need to speculate.
We just look in the context.
If then you have been raised with Christ,
seek the things that are above.
Huh.
Hope.
You know, up in heaven.
Where Christ is.
Seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on the things that are above,
not on the things that are on earth.
The hope that Paul is talking about
that's stored up for these Colossians
is none other than the risen and reigning Jesus Christ.
Are you following this?
Faith in Christ.
Love like Christ.
Hope in Christ.
The hope that Jesus is not just risen,
but He's reigning.
All things have been put under His feet.
And He's bringing His reign to bear
all across the world today.
He is our hope.
There's something interesting in verses 4 and 5.
There's an interesting relationship
between the Colossians' love for all the saints
and their hope that is laid up for them in heaven.
Look at the first word of verse 5.
It's the word because.
Do you know what the Apostle Paul is saying?
That this church loves all the saints
because of this hope laid up for them in heaven.
Because Jesus is risen and reigning,
they love each other furiously.
It's interesting though,
that Paul is thanking God for their hope.
He's not thanking the Colossians.
He's not thanking Colossians,
thank you so much for being so full of faith towards Jesus.
Colossians, thank you so much for your love for one another.
Thank you so much for the hope laid up for you in heaven.
Do you know why Paul is thanking God for these things that he sees,
he's heard of in the Colossians?
Because it's all God's grace.
This is all God's grace in the Colossian church.
Their faith in Christ is a result of God's grace in their life.
Their love for one another is a result of God's grace in their life.
Their hope laid up for them in heaven is God's grace to them.
Nothing they earned in their three proofs of purchase.
Do you know what a proof of purchase is?
Let me give you an example.
I walk into Piggly Wiggly.
I walk three miles to the dairy department
because they always put in the back of the room.
I grab a gallon of milk.
I walk up to the checkout aisle.
The checkout person checks me out.
And then they put an orange sticker on the milk gallon
with a smiley, piggly, wiggly face.
Do you know what I'm talking about?
Do you know what that is?
It's a proof of purchase.
So when I'm leaving the building
and someone stops me as a potential thief,
I hold up my milk jug and say,
proof of purchase!
I've never done that.
I'm being a little dramatic.
But what Paul is saying here is this.
Your love for one another,
your faith in Christ,
your hope in Jesus risen and reigning,
proofs of purchase.
You've been bought by the blood of Jesus.
That's what he's saying.
That's what he's thankful for.
And there's a beauty to it, isn't there?
They've been flipped by God's grace.
You know, when the Colossians heard this read to them
for the first time,
you know what the effect of them would be?
All glory to God.
Thank you, God, for what you're doing in our midst.
It's Godward.
It's Christ-centered.
It's others-oriented.
Now, the question that I want to ask for us right now
before we move on to the second reason for this Thanksgiving
is ask this question,
so what?
What difference does this make 20 centuries later?
Well, here's the first difference.
Does anybody have a lagging prayer life?
This will jumpstart your prayer life.
When you start praying Christ-centered,
God-thanking prayers
that are focused on others,
you know what I've been doing for the last,
several hours, last few days,
I've been thanking God.
We were down outside Chicago
for my dad's birthday yesterday,
and I've been thanking God
for the faith of my father,
for the love my dad has shown the saints,
for the hope he has
that's in heaven.
Thank you, God,
for your work of grace
and Steve Salvati.
Man, that jumpstarts your prayer life.
Christ-centered,
God-thanking,
others-oriented.
The second thing
that I just want to point out,
this,
there's a kingdom priority going on here.
I find it really interesting
what Paul chooses to focus on
in his thanksgiving
in verses 4 and 5.
He could have said this,
I give thanks to God,
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
whenever I pray for you,
for all of the speaking in tongues
you're doing,
for all the prophecies being given,
for all the healings
that have been being made.
I thank God
for all the really personal
and meaningful worship experiences
you've been having
on a Sunday morning.
He doesn't do that.
He's not denying that.
But he's prioritizing something.
Faith.
Love.
Hope.
This is the holy triad.
We see it showing up
in 1 Corinthians 13, 13.
The greatest of which is love.
Because love never ends.
I find that very instructive
in terms of
what we must be prioritizing,
what we must be valuing,
what we're looking for
when we're looking on
our brothers and sisters
and we're looking to spy
God's grace at work.
We're looking for faith in Christ.
We're looking for love
for the saints.
We're looking for hope
in the risen and reigning
and soon to be returning Jesus.
God's grace at us.
It's instructive.
It's helpful.
Now I don't know about you
but
I want to be like that.
I want to pray like that.
I want to prioritize like that.
I want to be Christ-centered
others oriented.
Do you?
Reason one,
God's proofs of purchase.
Reason two,
God's global work.
work.
In verse five,
we read this,
because of the hope
laid up for you in heaven,
of this,
it's a reference to the hope
laid up for them in heaven,
of this hope laid up for you
in heaven,
you heard before
in the word of truth
the gospel.
That word gospel,
it's a word that many of us
hear often
but back in antiquity
when that word
is being used
more generally,
it was being used
to talk about
the announcement
of any good thing.
The good news of a birth.
The good news of a military victory.
The good news of a job promotion.
The gospel.
Oh yeah,
I got gospel news.
You know,
my niece has been born.
The Christian gospel
is good news
announcing who Jesus is
and what he's done.
It's a gospel
unlike any other gospel.
There's no good news like it
because God became a man,
he lived a perfect life,
died on the cross for sinners,
was raised from the dead,
he's risen and reigning
at the right hand of God
on high
and he's one day closer
to his return
and it's all good news.
The gospel puts Jesus
at the center of everything.
The gospel of Jesus Christ.
And did you notice
that little phrase,
the word of truth?
You heard about
the risen and reigning Christ
from the word of truth,
the gospel.
That phrase,
the word of truth
and the gospel
are being used synonymously.
The word of truth
is the gospel,
the gospel is the word of truth,
but the word of truth
has a little different nuance to it.
It's like this.
Think about the word of truth,
that phrase,
as this.
God's claim on reality.
This is the way things are.
The word of truth.
God's saying,
this is what is true.
And what he's saying is true
is that Jesus Christ
is the center of everything.
Christ central.
You know,
if everything was a solar system,
Jesus Christ
is the son
of that solar system.
Everything
orbits
Jesus.
We're going to see
in a couple weeks,
he's the creator of all
and the sustainer of all.
He is the savior of all.
All things
orbit
him.
Which means this,
when someone believes
in the gospel
and they are delivered
from the domain of darkness
and transferred
into the kingdom
of the beloved son,
they are being put
in right orbit.
They are being brought
into reality.
The way things
truly are.
Christ
central.
So what we see
going on here
in verse
five
is
the apostle Paul
starts talking about
this gospel
gospel.
Now look at it
in verse six.
The gospel
which has come to you.
The which is a reference
to the gospel.
The gospel has come to you,
Colossians.
As indeed in the whole world,
it,
the gospel,
is bearing fruit
and increasing.
As it,
the gospel,
also does among you
since the day you heard
it,
the gospel,
and understood the grace
of God and truth.
Another reference
to the gospel.
Just as you learned
it,
the gospel,
verse seven,
from Epaphras,
our beloved fellow servant.
The gospel is all over the place
in five,
six,
and seven.
The gospel of Jesus Christ.
Did you notice
the global scope
going on here?
As indeed
the whole world.
God,
through the gospel
of Jesus Christ,
is seeking
to do something
throughout
all of creation,
all of fallen creation,
all the earth,
the whole world,
all people,
all time,
every place.
It's a big plan
for the fullness
of time.
It's a global work.
And did you notice
the filling effect
of the gospel?
Not only is it global
in its scope,
it's looking to fill
the world.
Which has come to you
indeed in the whole world.
It is bearing fruit
and increasing
as it also does
among you.
Whole world,
bearing fruit,
increasing,
filling the world.
I'm indebted to a
theologian named
G.K. Beal
who helped me see
over the last
about month or so
that this is an
allusion to
Genesis chapter 128.
Maybe you're
familiar with it.
Do you remember
Adam and Eve?
God says to them,
be fruitful
and multiply,
fill the earth.
Remember that?
Do you know
what's going on here?
The apostle Paul
is talking about
the spread
of the gospel
as a new creation
work.
A Jesus
centering
that bears
fruit
and multiplies
all around
the world.
He has gone
from being localized
in Colossi
to now talking,
going panorama
and talking about
the whole world.
A global work
of God
in the gospel
of Jesus Christ
resulting in
bearing fruit
and multiplying
and worshippers
being made.
The singing
of God's praises
throughout the earth.
You can see
why he's thankful
about that.
Being Christ
centered
and others
oriented.
He's so thankful
at what God
is doing
globally.
Not just
in Colossi,
globally
through the good
news of Jesus
Christ.
God's praises
to the good
world.
So,
how do we
apply this
to our lives
today?
Anybody
familiar with
C.S. Lewis?
Any familiar
with the Narnia series?
The Lion,
the Witch,
and the Wardrobe?
There are two
characters that I love.
Mr. and Mrs.
Beaver.
Man,
he's snotty.
Well,
Mr. and Mrs.
Beaver,
I think it was
from them first
that you start
hearing about
something.
It's spoken
in kind of
hushed terms.
And then you
start hearing
different characters
say it.
Do you know
Aslan's on the move?
Aslan's on the move.
Do you hear
the rumors?
Aslan's on the move
in Narnia.
Something's happening.
My cousin's
neighbor
said so.
Something's up.
And C.S. Lewis
who wrote
the Narnia series
and Aslan
in order to
point people
to Jesus,
what he's
saying is
Jesus is on the move.
What the Apostle
Paul
is saying here
in verses 5,
6,
and 7
is that
Jesus is on the move
in the first century
world.
And he's
on the move
in the
21st century
world.
In our world.
In our day.
Jesus is alive.
He's reigning.
All things are
under his feet.
He's spreading
his kingdom
today.
He's on the move
in our church.
People are being
saved.
People are being
sanctified.
They are growing
in their faith
in Christ.
In their love
for one another.
In their hope
in the risen
and reigning
Jesus.
Other churches
in Kenosha
are proclaiming
Jesus
and making
disciples.
I've got a
lunch appointment
with a brother
in just a couple
weeks.
He's part of
the Evangelical
Free Church
of America.
Our family
of churches.
And there's
a work underway
in Union Grove
to plant a church.
The gospel's
bearing fruit
and multiplying.
Jesus is on
the move.
Kenosha
Christian Academy
is a church
plant in its
second year.
And it's
seeking to make
and sustain
a gospel
witness
in our city.
Jesus is on
the move.
The gospel's
bearing fruit
and multiplying.
John and Terry
Tipman.
You saw John
up here
with me
just moments
ago.
He opened
a service.
He'll close
the service.
He and Terry
are part of a
ministry called
Family Life.
It's a ministry
of crew.
And they do
a lot of planning
for what's called
a weekend to
remember.
It's a marriage
conference.
It's held
throughout the
nation,
multiple places,
multiple times.
And we
constantly get
reports.
Constantly get
reports.
It's actually a
gospel ministry
in disguise.
Do you know
how many people
have been saved
and brought to
Jesus who got
flipped by the
grace of God
at these marriage
conferences?
Jesus is on
the move.
The gospel's
bearing fruit
and multiplying.
Paul Bandy,
Kenya,
mission partner.
He's pastoring
a church and
he's ministering
to pastors to
proclaim Christ
all throughout
Kenya and
Nairobi and
into the bush.
The gospel of
Jesus Christ is
bearing fruit
and multiplying
today.
Saji Lukos,
he preached here
just weeks ago
with reaching
Indians Ministries
International in
India, in
Nepal.
They are planting
churches and
an extraordinary
rate.
Bearing fruit,
multiplying in
all the world.
We have two
dear friends,
Jiwon and
Caitlin Rye.
They were
former members
here at Christ
the King.
He's located in
Nepal and he
has this ministry
to pastors in
the villages at
the base of
Mount Everest.
It's remarkable.
He's going to
Hong Kong in just
a couple weeks to
preach.
The gospel is
bearing fruit and
multiplying around
the world.
Today, Jesus is
on the move.
Our dear brother
Eric Tully, one
of the elders, is
going back to
Liberia this March
to equip Liberian
pastors at the
Evangelical Seminary
of West Africa.
Jesus is on the
move.
The gospel of
Jesus Christ is
bearing fruit and
multiplying around
the world.
And you know
what, gang?
This is just what
we know about.
What else is God
doing?
You're hearing
rumors.
Aslan's on the
move.
You can see why
this becomes a
reason in and of
itself for Paul to
give thanks.
Do you want your
prayer life juiced?
Start giving
thanks to God for
what he is doing
around the world.
Thank you, God,
for Saji.
Thank you so much
for Paul.
Thank you for the
Tipmans.
God, would you
prepare Eric?
God, let your
glory shine forth
in the face of
Jesus.
Doesn't that do
your heart good?
It would have
done the Colossians
heart really good
to hear what God
is doing globally.
The third reason
is God's
faithful servant.
The Apostle Paul
gives one more
reason in this
passage for
thanksgiving and it
has to do with a
guy named Epaphras.
Just as you learned
it, the gospel from
Epaphras, our beloved
fellow servant.
He's a faithful
minister of Christ on
your behalf and has
made known to us your
love in the spirit.
The gospel that came
to Colossi didn't
come through the
Apostle Paul.
It came with
Epaphras.
We don't know the
background.
We don't know how he
became a Christian.
We don't know how he
got linked up with the
Apostle Paul.
All we know is that at
some point Epaphras was
born again, God's grace
flipped him, and he
started proclaiming
Christ.
And he's like, I
got to go back to my
hometown and tell
everybody there.
So he goes back to
Colossi.
He starts proclaiming
Christ.
People start believing
in Christ.
They form a church.
There are a number of
descriptions of Epaphras
that Paul makes.
And there's no question
that Paul is commending
Epaphras to this church.
He's going to come back
in chapter 4, verse 12,
and commend him some
more.
But he's commending him
in a spirit of
thankfulness to God.
Paul's thankful for
Epaphras' ministry to
the Colossian church.
Of all the different
descriptions, I just
want to point out one.
It's the word faithful.
He's a faithful minister
of Christ on your behalf.
Faithful.
Faithfulness is
reliability.
Faithfulness is
trustworthiness of
dependability.
It is a confidence that
you have in someone
that they're going to get
it done.
And it's a faithfulness
as a minister of Christ.
They're going to be
faithful to serving
Jesus even if they're
having their fingernails
pulled out.
going to be faithful
to Jesus.
Faithfulness is a
highly valued
kingdom character
trait.
In fact, Jesus
spoke of it.
Do you remember
in Matthew 25
the parable
of the talents?
Jesus talks about
this story
of a
master
who's going
on a long journey.
He gives
different sums
of money
to three servants.
He comes back
after a long time.
He comes to
one of the servants
the first one.
He gave five talents
which was a load
of money.
And that servant
said, yeah,
I doubled it for you.
And the master
says to him,
well done,
good and
faithful servant.
You were faithful
in a little.
Now I'm going to
give you much.
Enter the joy
of your master.
Second servant,
he just gave
two talents.
He doubled it.
The master
says to him,
well done,
good and
faithful servant.
You've been faithful
with a little.
I'm going to
entrust you
with much.
Welcome.
Come on into
the joy
of your master.
That third servant,
he squandered it,
sat on it,
was sheepish
and shameful
and when the master
holds him to account,
he reprimands him
and casts him out.
Faithfulness
is a kingdom value.
Faithfulness
to Jesus.
We see it
in Colossians
chapter 1
verse 27.
To them
God chose
to make known
how great
among the Gentiles
are the riches
of the glory
of this mystery
which is Christ
in you,
the hope of glory.
It's faithfulness
to him.
He says
in 28,
him,
Jesus we proclaim
warning everyone
and teaching everyone
with all wisdom
that we may present
everyone mature
in Christ.
For this I toil
faithfully
struggling with all
his energy
that he powerfully
works within me.
Faithfulness
to Christ.
Paul
is thanking God
for this brother's
faithfulness
not just to Jesus
but to the church.
This morning
I sent a text out
to Zach
and Josiah
from 2 Corinthians
chapter 4
verses 5, 6, and 7
gets at this
faithfulness.
For what we proclaim
is not ourselves
but Jesus Christ
as Lord
with ourselves
as your servants
for Jesus' sake.
For God
who said
let light shine
out of darkness
has shown in our hearts
to give the light
of the knowledge
of the glory of God
in the face
of Jesus Christ.
A new gospel creation.
But we have this treasure
in jars of clay
to show that the
surpassing power
belongs to God
and not to us.
Faithfulness.
Do you know why
kingdom faithfulness
is highly valued?
Because God
is faithful.
Fully dependable.
Always true
to his promises.
Always true
to his character.
Have you guys heard
of Crossway Community Church?
It's about 8 miles
due west.
Crossway planted
our church
about 10 years ago
and the senior pastor
there is a man
named Mike Bullmore.
I served with Mike
for 10 years
as an associate pastor
of youth ministry
over there
for a long time.
Today is Mike's
last day
serving as the
senior pastor
of Crossway Community Church.
A couple weeks ago
there was a gathering
at Crossway
where we were
expressing our thanks
to God
for this man's
faithfulness.
He's not perfect.
He'd be the first
to admit
but faithful.
Faithfully
proclaiming Christ.
Faithfully
walking
personally
with Christ.
It's good
to be thankful
to God
for faithful
brothers and sisters.
Here's how this
applies to us.
We value
faithfulness
to Christ
in those who minister.
We value
faithfulness to God.
Faithfulness
to his word.
Faithfulness
to our
master
in King
Jesus.
So
this spring
we're going to have
a nomination process
for elders
and deacons.
Do you know
what we should be
looking for?
Faithfulness.
If we get down
the line
and we need to
hire more
staff people
do you know
what we're looking
for?
Faithfulness.
reliable.
Trustworthy.
Dependable.
Confidence
in representing
Jesus
in all things.
When you see
God's grace
at work like that
you're thankful
to God for it.
Okay.
Three reasons
for Paul's
thankfulness to God.
God's proofs
of purchase.
God's global work.
God's faithful servant.
And do you know
what they all have
in common?
A Christ
centrality.
Think of the proofs.
Faith in Christ.
Christ like love.
Hope in Christ.
Think of the global work.
Spreading the truth
of the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
Think of the faithful
servant Epaphras.
He was a faithful
minister
of Christ.
At the heart
of Paul's
thankfulness
is Christ.
Christ.
So when Christ
is central
to who you are
not only
will you grow
in your faith
not only
will you grow
in your love
for all the saints
not only
will you grow
in your knowledge
and delight
in the risen
and reigning
Jesus our hope
not only
will you grow
in participating
in God's global work
not only
will you grow
in your own
faithfulness
to serving
Jesus yourself
you're also
going to grow
in thanking
God
for what
he's doing
in our midst
because of Christ.
Brothers and sisters
do you want to grow
in thankfulness?
Grow in Christ
centeredness
and be thankful
to God.
Let's pray together.
God in heaven
you are all glorious
we are so grateful
for what you are doing
God we would ask
that you would
pour out your spirit
more and more
upon us
your church
that Christ
would be exalted
more and more
that Christ
would be spotlighted
and magnified
that more and more
people will see
Jesus lifted
and say
he is my everything
God would you
do a work
in the city
in the city of
Kenosha
causing the gospel
of Jesus Christ
to be fruitful
and multiply
would you do a work
in our state
and in our country
and around the world
in which
the gospel
of Jesus Christ
bears more
and more fruit
and there is
the multiplying
of witnesses
globally
of your glory
all
for the sake
of Jesus name
amen
and
Center
the
and
here
all
we
come here
now
and
that
our
Well
and
I
have
I
married
and
have
and
them