Hear! Heed! Shine!

Mark chapter four. We're going through the book of Mark on Sunday mornings in our services and we are to Mark chapter four. We actually already Thank you. This thing works a lot better when there are batteries in it that are charged. Alright.

Back on Friend Day, which has been several weeks ago now, we read through Mark four or actually the parallel passage in Matthew 13 on the parable of the sower. We're going to read that here again this morning but we're going to look at some verses in the middle between the parable and the explanation in verses nine through 13 and then we're going to look at verses 21 to 25 at the end but I want you to get them in context. So, we're going to read beginning in Mark chapter four verse one about the parable of the sower. Again, this morning to get to the context of those other verses. Chapter four verse one and he, that is Jesus, began to teach by the seaside and there was gathered unto him a great multitude so that he entered into a ship and sat in the sea and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land and he taught them many things by parables and said unto them in his doctrine.

Hearken, behold, there went out a sower to sow. It came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the wayside and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. Some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth but when the sun was up it was scorched because it had no root it withered away. Some fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it and it yielded no fruit. Other fell on good ground and did yield fruit and sprang up and increased and brought forth some 30 and some 60 and some a hundredfold and he said unto them, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear and when he was alone, they that were about him with the 12 asked of him the parable.

Remember that phrase, asked of him the parable. We'll come back to that in a few minutes. And he said unto them, unto you, it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God but them that are without all these things are done in parables That seeing they may see and not perceive That hearing they may hear and not understand Lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them and he said unto them, know you not this parable and how then will you know all parables? The sower soweth the word. These are they by the wayside where the word is sown, that is the word of God but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts and these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground who when they have heard the word immediately receive it with gladness and have no root in themselves and in so endure but for a time.

Afterward, when affliction or persecution arises, for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word and it becometh unfruitful and these are they which are sown on good ground such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth fruit some thirtyfold some 60 and some a 100 and he said unto them is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be set on a candlestick? For there is nothing hid which shall not be manifested or revealed. Nothing neither was anything kept secret but it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear And he said unto them, take heed that what you hear.

With what measure you meet, it shall be measured to you and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath to him shall be given. And he that hath not from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you.

Again, for this day, thank you for your word. Please direct in the preaching and the receiving of it today. Lord, give us understanding Lord, open our heart and our mind to receive your word that we may hide it in our hearts that we may receive its message, particularly the message of salvation and Jesus Christ today. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.

In the parable of the sower that Jesus gives here, he describes what happens when the word of God is proclaimed and goes forth. Some people aren't listening and so it goes forth it hits their ears but it doesn't really go in. And immediately Satan whisks it away and it bears no fruit whatsoever in their life. Others hear it and they receive it. Wow.

That's that's interesting. That's that's neat. Like many in Galilee received Jesus when he started doing these miracles and things. Boy, they were astounded. This is really neat.

This is incredible And they received it initially but when somebody started to question the word of God or when persecution came up they immediately said, No, no. That's no. I've changed my mind because they had no root in the Lord in their faith. Some received the word among thorns and they initially said, Yeah, I think that's a good thing. Yeah, I'll consider that but yet they got so immersed and drawn away by the things of the world like the rich young ruler that came to Jesus.

The rich man, this young man came to Jesus and said, Lord, master what must I do to be saved? He had heard something and something had pricked his heart and he realized that there was something he was missing but when Jesus said to him, Well, all that you lack is to what? Go sell your, give away your riches, your wealth and follow me. What did the young man do? He hung his head and he walked away in sadness.

Why? Because he had an idol in his life. Something that he was not willing to part with for heaven. His riches. And so is the case with many wealthy people today, and many not so wealthy people today.

The things of earth have such a strong draw and pull on the hearts of men. That they should not receive the word and be saved. Finally, the the fourth group of seed fell on good ground. It was received. It it grew and it produced what?

It produced much fruit. Now, not every Christian produces the same amount of fruit and we see that here as some produce thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and and some one hundredfold but the word was received and grew faith and it produced fruit as it should in the lives of every born again believer. Now, we know and understand what Jesus was saying here because it's recorded for us what he meant when he gave the parable here. As he explained to his disciples and some others that were gathered around him that stayed to find out what he was talking about when he talked about the seed and the thorns and all of that. But the multitude in general didn't hang around for the what?

They didn't hang around for the explanation. They heard, they left, they went on their way. If you look in verse nine there, it says, and he said unto them, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. In other words, open up your ears.

Open up your heart. Receive what I have said. Verse nine, and when he was alone, they that were about him with the 12. So, this is the 12 disciples plus some others. Asked him of the parable.

In other words, they asked him, what's the parable? What's the parable about? What what what does it mean? They were curious. They wanted to know.

It wasn't enough to just hear a neat story. Sad to say there are are many churches and many pulpits and many people today that are just content to hear a good what? To hear a good story. The church isn't about just a good story. It's about the meaning behind the story.

The story of redemption, the story of Jesus Christ. The gospel, the good news. So, these people, they hung around and they asked Jesus, what he, what did he mean? And why did he speak in parables? In Matthew 13, they asked the question, why do you speak in parables?

He said unto them, unto you, it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God but unto them that are without all things, all these things are done in parables. That seeing they may see and not perceive, that hearing they may hear and not understand, lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them. In this, Jesus referred back to a passage in Isaiah concerning the hardness of the hearts of Israel in the days of Isaiah when he preached the message, when he warned them of coming judgment and they did this. Because they didn't want to what? They didn't want to hear.

And Jesus is in similar days in Israel. Oh, they were excited about the possibility of the Messiah until they began to see that the Messiah that they had as they had envisioned it was not the Messiah as God had envisioned. And so fairly quickly, they left him. Eventually, they clamored in the streets of Jerusalem crucified. Jesus said, he came unto his own and his own what?

Received him not. He came unto his own. And his own received him not. What is Jesus talking about here concerning these parables and and why he he spoke them as he did. Sadly, the masses were not eager as his disciples to know the true meaning behind the stories.

They were for the most part content to hear the stories and dig no further, at least not enough to seek out Jesus to ask him the meaning. So, as he said here, they saw but they didn't what? Didn't really understand. They heard but they didn't perceive. They didn't they didn't grasp what he was talking about because they were content.

With the stories. And didn't want to really truly know the truth. The things Jesus had to teach and the mysteries concerning the kingdom and the church that he had to give at this time were for those who really wanted to know and not for those who were half hearted or content to debate the meaning without going to the source. If you want to know the truth, then you need to go to the what? You need to go to the source.

You need to go to the source. Jesus disciples here and some others that were with him, they stayed around and they hung out and they they went to the source to find out what it meant that he was saying. They had ears to hear and they wanted to what? They wanted to hear. Well, the multitudes in general down deep didn't and so Jesus just gave them nice what?

Stories. If you really want to know what somebody meant when they said something, then you should go to the source. You know there are a lot of differing views on our constitution and the way it should be interpreted by the court on a myriad of issues today. You hear about all the time. Well this new court case has come up and this new court case and the Supreme Court is deliberating this.

And this court is deliberating that from things having to do with abortion to gay rights to Trump's travel ban on certain countries. Whatever the case may be, there are myriad of views on how the constitution should be applied to this or how it should be applied to that. It would be so much easier today if our founding fathers were around tell us what they meant and how it should to apply to such and such, but they are not. Wouldn't it be nice if George Washington was here and James Mattis, we could just ask him, What did you mean when you wrote that? How does it apply to this?

Then we know at least what they meant when they wrote it and how they thought it should apply, but they are not around. Even if they were around many would not care to ask them Because to them what was originally meant is of no consequence. Only how we care to interpret and to apply it. We live in a relativistic age. What that means is to many people absolutes no longer matter.

Everything changes based upon how I feel or what I want it to mean. The Bible is the word of who? The word of God. And God says, I change not and neither does his what? And neither does his word.

We can count on it. We can trust in it. It doesn't change. It is truth. It is his word.

It is the absolute truth by which we can measure other truths to see if they're correct or if they're false. But to most people today, even to some people sitting in church, this today isn't really God's word, it's just some suggestions. It's just some religious thoughts. It's a good religious book but we can bend it and mold it and shift it and make it into what we want it to be to fit our own desires and our own thoughts and our own philosophy. And that's called relativism.

You say, well hey, well that might be good for you but this is good for me. That might be truth for you but this is truth for me. Truth is either truth or it's not what? It's not truth and two truths that contradict. One of them has to be what?

False. Remember that bumper sticker I mention every now and then it says, God said it, I believe it, that settles it. Ever seen that bumper sticker? Haven't seen one in a long time. It says God said it, I believe it, that settles it.

What you need to understand is the middle part of that bumper sticker isn't necessary. God said it, that what? That settles it. It doesn't change if you choose not to what? Believe it.

It's still God's word and it's still settled. Bible says it is settled in heaven. It is absolute truth but people don't like absolute truth anymore. We want things to conform to our thinking rather than for us to conform to God's word or other absolute truth. So back to the constitution thing if the founders were here most people wouldn't want to know because we want to interpret it the way we want it, the way it fits us and not as it was meant to be and sad, sadly, that's the way a lot of people approach the word of God as well.

Some people didn't ask Jesus what he meant because they didn't really care. They were like the seed that was sown among thorns. The cares of life trumped anything else. And they just really didn't care. They were so caught up and distracted by the pleasures of life that the treasures of heaven just didn't matter to them.

Eternity just wasn't important and we live in age today again where that is very often the case. You try to talk to somebody about eternity about their soul. They just aren't what? They're just not interested. Other things to them are more important.

Sad to say. That day, to many of those people, other things were far more important than understanding what Jesus taught and so they walked away. Some don't ask because they don't want to know and be held accountable. You know, if you know the truth, then you have to what? Then, you have to act on the truth.

Lot of people do live by the motto, ignorance is bliss. But is it really? The answer is no. Ignorance is no excuse. If you drive down Missouri Avenue and you go 20 miles an hour over the speed limit and a cop pulls you over and you say, Hey, I thought it was 60 miles an hour.

The cop will say, Well, sorry, ignorance is no what? Ignorance is no excuse. Speed limit signs are posted. You should have what? You should have opened your eyes, which you should have been doing driving anyway, saw the speed limit and acted what?

Accordingly. But you see people close their eyes to the truth often. They close their eyes to the light because they don't want to be held accountable and somehow we feel like if we don't know the truth then God's not going to hold us accountable for it. But is that really the case? The answer is no.

Ignorance is no excuse before God either. In Romans chapter one, it says, that we ought to recognize that there is a god just by opening our eyes and looking at the world around us That we should seek to find the creator that made this beautiful world. And these wonderful human beings that he loves. John chapter three verses 19 through 21. If you hold your place in in Mark and turn over just a few pages to John towards the back of your Bible, you'll go through Luke and then get to John.

If you look in John chapter three, verses 19 through 21. Jesus said, and this is the condemnation that light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. He that doeth truth cometh to the light and his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God. When you leave today, you'll drive past.

If you go any distance, several restaurants. Those parking lots will be bursting at the seams. But ours isn't. And many churches are not. Why?

Because people are more interested in filling their bellies than they are in filling their hearts with what? With God's word. Why is it that people don't want to come to church? It's because they don't want who they are to be exposed. They don't want to deal with the truth.

They don't want to humble themselves and repent of their sin. They just want to be left what? Left alone. And that's what Jesus is talking about here in John three. People just avoid it.

So, they don't have to deal with it. Some think they know and are not willing to consider anything else. They just don't need help. Ever met anybody like that? You're trying to explain something to em and they just don't need help and you know very clearly that they do need help.

They are going to end up in Kalamazoo because they are not listening to your instructions. You know, they are going to put their sink faucet back together and it's going to go shooting everywhere because they wouldn't listen to instructions because they just don't need any help and sad to say when it comes to eternity, there's a lot of people that feel that way too. And they do. They need help just like I did. They need a savior.

They need the gospel. They need to be saved. But some don't go to Jesus, come to Jesus because they don't care, some because they don't want to be held accountable, Some because they don't think they need help and some because they like the debate and knowing the truth within the fun of the argument. Anybody in here like to argue? Oh, come on.

Be honest. I don't mean hateful, know, I mean debate. When I go home for Thanksgiving one of the things I look forward to is debating with my dad and my brother. Now we basically believe the same thing but we find little things we disagree on just so we can debate. It's fun.

But when it comes to the truth of the gospel and important things, it can also be destructive. It's not about the debate. It's about the truth. And some people don't want to hear the truth because that'll end the what? That'll end the debate.

You'll just have to accept. The truth. That's the way the Pharisees were and the scribes in Jesus' day. They enjoyed going to the synagogues and they would sit there in the synagogue and one would say, well, I think rabbi so and so said this and rabbi so and so said that about this passage. I wouldn't say, no, but rabbi so and so said this and rabbi so and so said this about that and they'd sit there and they debate what the rabbis had to say when they should have just been what?

Been listening to the word of God and receiving the truth. Sad to say that happens in many arenas today. Going back to the thing about the constitution. I think about politicians. I think they they love to debate and argue and fight with one another.

It seems like more than they like to actually accomplish anything because if you actually accomplish and fix things, then you have nothing to argue and debate about anymore. But sadly, you're so in the spiritual realm as well. The passage quoted from Isaiah and Matthew and partly here in Mark is meant to indicate ultimately not meant to indicate that ultimately God would withhold necessary truth from men but that they down deep really didn't want to hear it. If they had, they would have hung around to ask. That really hasn't changed much in two thousand years.

The number of people in The US going to church on Sunday shrinks every year. Why? Because they don't want to hear it. If anything, they prefer to listen to TV evangelist who paint a rosy picture without the need for repentance. You know, there's a lot of wonderful promises in God's word but those promises don't apply to you until you repent of your sin and trust Jesus Christ as your savior.

You must be what? You must be born again. And until you've been born again, those promises are not for you. And sad to say so many of the popular preachers today on TV somehow skip over the most important part. You must be born.

You must be born again. So, go to the source, the word of God, the truth, Jesus Christ. Don't be afraid. Don't allow the things of life. Don't allow your pride.

To keep you from Jesus. Because there's only one way to heaven. And that's through him. And then Jesus discusses the light, okay? Look if you would in verse 21.

Verse 21. He said unto them, is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be set on a candlestick? For as there is nothing hid which shall not be manifested. Neither was anything kept secret but that it should come abroad. Jesus goes on to say in these two verses, to his disciples and assures them that the light he had given them was not meant to be hidden or obscured forever But that the light that he had given them was meant one day to be what?

To be uncovered. To be set on a lamp post. To be set on a candlestick. So what? So that everybody could see.

The word of God is like a light to show people the way. Psalm one nineteen one zero five, thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Jesus intends for his message and his word to shine out into a lost world. That they might be saved. It is the lamp that everybody needs to see the way.

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes. Under the father, but by me. John eight twelve, Jesus spake again and said, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.

He said, for now, these mysteries that I am I'm speaking to you of in the explanation of these parables is for this group of people here that's with me that is longing and asking to receive it. It's for you, my disciples. But the day will come. That you to take out that candle and what? And hold it brightly for everybody to see.

There is nothing hid. He says, that will not nothing hid that shall not be manifested, shall not be revealed. He is talking about the message of the gospel and at this time, it was obscured but when he rose again from the dead and when he sent his holy spirit, the church was born on the day of Pentecost. Peter came out of that room and Peter preached the word of God and 3,000 souls. God saved just that very day.

The light of the gospel and the way to eternal life are not are only found in the light of the word of God in Jesus Christ and while at this time preceding his death, these truths were somewhat obscured in the form of parables, it would not always be so. The candle would be brought out and the light would shine. Who was tasked with this goal? Of shining that light. Of proclaiming that message.

The people that he spoke to, his disciples, says in Matthew ten twenty seven, what I tell you in darkness, that speak you in light and what you hear in the ear that preach you upon the housetops. Jesus told his disciples, what? I'm spending three years training you and teaching you when I go back to heaven, I will send the comforter to help guide you and empower you and it'll be your turn to go and take what I have taught you to the what? To the world. That they might be saved.

Matthew 2,818 to 20 and Jesus came and spake unto them all power, authority is given to me in heaven and earth. Go you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, the son, the holy ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and low I am with you always. Even to the end of the world or to the end of the age. Jesus said to his disciples before he left this world, as the father has sent me, so what?

Send I. Send I you. To take the light of the gospel to a lost and dying world and to shine it into what? To shine it into every corner. That they might be saved.

Even until the end of the what? End of the world, the end of the age. Now, was he just talking to his disciples? Disciples of that day? No.

Well, why? Well, for one, they didn't get to every corner of the world, did they? Which meant that somebody else had to pick up the baton and pass it on and the end of the world hasn't come to be yet. So, therefore, God is still calling out his children to carry the what? To carry the light.

The lost and dying world around us. That they may hear the gospel and that they too might be saved. We see in this passage the source, who is the source? Jesus. You want to know the truth?

Go to the what? Go to the source. You want to know the truth? Open your eyes to the what? To the light.

And then take it and share it. With somebody else. And then finally, he speaks here of the reception, the reception of the word, and the reception of the light. Verses 23 through 25 and if any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said to them, take heed what you hear with what measure you meet, it shall be measured to you, unto you that hear shall more be given.

For he that hath to him shall be given, and he that hath not from him shall be taken away, even that which he hath. Thus, Christ challenged his disciples to hear, to heed what he said, and assured them that those who do hear and heed his word, Jesus promised to give more and more light to see and to follow his will and gain his reward but to those who rejected and chose not to heed it, Jesus declared that even the light that they had would be what? Would be taken away. Jesus said to his disciples, if you will hear and you will receive and you will appropriate my word I will give you what? I will give you more and I will give you more and I you more and I will give you more.

But if you close your ears and you say no, then what? Then I'll even take away that which you have. Turn to Romans chapter one. Turn to Romans chapter one. Romans one.

Look if you would in verse 18. Romans one eighteen. We're going to read verses 18 to 28 of Romans one. This is God describing what has happened to our world and what happens to societies, even ones that start out good. Did Adam and Eve start out good?

I mean did they know God when they left the Garden Of Eden? Yes. He clothed them with skins. They they brought sacrifices. But yet the whole world spun out of control till the time of the flood and God said their imaginations of their heart was evil, what?

Continually. Then God started over with Noah and his family. Were Noah and his family true to God? Did they know God? Did they worship God?

They did. But it wasn't but a few generations later and we get to the Tower Of Babel and they just flat refused to do what God told them to do and he had to confuse their languages. And we see this over and over and over again. It's described here in Romans one eighteen. When we talk about God taking away the light which you already have, this is what he's talking about.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest or revealed in them for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead so that they are without excuse. Because, because, tells us here, that when they knew God, think back to Adam, think back to Noah, think back to Israel. When they knew God and they did, they glorified him not as God. Neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations.

Their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became what? Fools. Change the glory of incorruptible God into an image made like the corruptible man and to burden. Four footed beasts and creeping things.

Wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness for the lust of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves who changed the truth of God into a lie and worship and serve the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause, God gave them up to vile affections for even their women to change the natural use into that which is against nature and likewise, the men also leaving the natural use of the woman burned and their lust one toward another. Men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving themselves that recompense of their error which was meet or fitting. Why was it fitting?

Because they turned from the what? They turn from the truth. They put their hands over their ears and they said, we don't want to hear it and you know what God said? Okay? If that's what you've chosen, this is the result.

In verse 28, it says, and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient. God said, okay, if that's what you want, that's what you'll have. And God let them go their own way. All we like sheep have gone astray. There is a way that seems right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death.

If God lets us go our own way, then our way always leads to destruction. And for those who are exposed to the word of God and close their ears and close their heart even that light which they have is taken away. Their foolish heart is darkened by their rejection of the truth. Despite the despite the myriad of sources of truth, you can receive today whether it be on TV or radio or internet or people the majority of people in this world are more ignorant about God as they have ever been. When the truth is at our what?

Is at our fingertips. And yet the world continues to reject God. Continues to reject truth. You find it, I don't know if you've ever watched one of those TV programs where they sent somebody out into the street, man on the street things and they ask you know, like who is the Vice President of the country? And like 75% of the people they asked didn't know who the Vice President of the country is.

Now, that's silly, isn't it? It's silly! Everybody should know who the Vice President if you live in The United States is and you can hear it on the radio, you can see it on the TV, you can look it up. I mean, you know, if I want to know something, I wanna know the meaning of a word or or where something is, it takes me ten seconds to hit a button here and find it. But yet we don't avail ourselves of the things often that really matter.

Most importantly, the truth of God's word and the truth of salvation and sad to say, I think more people in The United States know who the vice president is than know who Jesus Christ is and those both of those numbers are actually very small. How is that? This was a Christian nation so to speak. How far we have come? How far we have fallen?

We rejected the light and so even the light that we had was lost. But the other side of this is this, if you will receive the light, if you will receive the good news, if you will receive God's word, what does God say he will give? He says, I will give you more and the more you absorb and the more you receive, the more God gives. You want to understand God's will? Receive his message.

Do his will. I have when I was a youth pastor, have young people ask me, well, what is God's will? What am I supposed to do with my life? Well, let's start with, are you doing the things already that God says to do with your life. We wanna know what God wants me to do twenty years from now and a lot of times we don't receive what God wants me to do when.

Today. So, receive what God has for today and you know what God will do? He'll show you his will for tomorrow and the next day and the next day. If you will receive the light, God will keep sending more your way. Even so it seems, even God's children sometimes seem to be content with less and less rather than more and more.

If you wish more light, you must appropriate that which you have been given. If you want to know God's will, then you must be willing to receive what he's already told us. Why should we expect the world to long for Christ when God's children seem to be Kent content with less? And not hungry for more. And I think sad to say that is often the truth.

Little personal Bible study, less interest in church, God's word, fewer services, more socials, less Bible studies, less ministry, less time for God. And we wonder why we don't see the blessings and we don't have the the understanding. Because we're not taking what he's giving. He who hath ears to hear what? Let him hear.

And the more you receive to you, more will be. More will be given. Psalm one, blessed is the man who walketh not in the council, the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the sea of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, the word of God, and in his law, doth he meditate what? Day and night and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit and his season, season his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The wicked are not so or like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

We live in a world of chaff today. It is being blown about here and there by the wind because they have no foundation and they have not received the truth. But we who are here today, we know the truth. We know the truth. Will you, are you hungry to get more of the truth?

Are you appropriating that truth to your life? And are you holding high? The gospel light for others to see. Into those corners of the world. That God has called you to.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for your word. We thank you Lord. For your sacrifice on Calvary's Cross and for the salvation that you have given us in Christ Jesus. Lord, we pray if there's one here today that's never trusted in the Lord as the savior of their life.

They've never come to you in repentance and faith and cried out, Lord, save me. Lord, forgive me. Lord, make me your child. I believe in you. Lord, I pray if they've never been saved, I pray that they come as we give the hymn of invitation this morning that they might be saved and know it.

But Lord, I pray for us who know you as savior. That we would not be content to just know the stories. That we would not be content to just scratch the surface. But Lord we would dig deeper. Lord I pray that we would take more time to get to know you.

To study your word together. To study your word in private. To follow you, and appropriate your word and heed it in our own hearts and lives that we might be blessed, that we might prosper in the things of God, that we might be given greater understanding and opportunity to reach others with the gospel of Christ and lift up our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Lord, he who hath ears to hear. Let him hear.

In Jesus name, amen.