Revive Us Again

Acts, we'll begin reading in chapter three and then in chapter four. Before I go there, I'd like to read a verse out of Philippians chapter three. Couple of verses. They go with the song I just sang. Brethren, Paul says, I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do.

Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth and know those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul said, there are things in my past that I am not proud of and of course, it's obvious what some of those things were. There were accomplishments in Paul in Paul's past. Cities that in which he had planted churches where the gospel had been preached, persecution that he endured for the name of Jesus sake. But all of those things were in the past.

What mattered now was that which was what? In the future. And Paul says, forgetting those things which are behind me, I press forward. Those things which are before. Toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We all have accomplishments in our past that we must not rest in and forget about today and tomorrow and the future and what God has called us to. Neither should we be held back by the things which we regret. If we know Christ as savior, they're under the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has made us a new person in Christ Jesus. God has forgiven us of the things of yesterday.

He calls us to serve him today and to move forward and to keep our eyes focused looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, running the race that has set before us. We're going to talk this morning about revival. We're not talking about revival service What we're talking about this morning is revival. What the Lord desires to see in us personally and individually as Christians. Also, what God desires for us as a church.

There's always room for growth. There are always areas in our life that we may be struggling with. That the Lord opens our eyes to. That we need to repent and forsake. Lord, please send us revival.

Again, we are in Acts chapter three to begin with this morning. There's a roller coaster in an amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina. I'm not sure if it's there. The amusement park is called Carowinds. Anybody ever been to Carowinds in Charlotte?

Okay. Couple. And they had a roller coaster there called the Rebel Yell and it's one of these wooden roller coasters that that's really fast and goes up and down and bangs you all around and if it weren't for the bar holding you down, it went down the hill. It seems like you'd float up in the air. I remember one time it was it was drizzling, just rain a bit.

It was during the week. We were there for a class trip and there was nobody at Carowinds and you could we they let us just stay on the roller coaster and ride it over and over and over again. And it was a lot of fun. The Christian life is not not unlike that roller coaster. Life in general is not unlike that roller coaster.

There are valleys and peaks along the way. Some are exhilarating. Some are scary. Some can both be exhilarating and scary at the same time. Some are are full of pain and loss.

Some are filled with joy and victory. Praise God if you know Jesus Christ as savior. We're all going to reach the same destination. Amen. And that's a wonderful place.

God is prepared for each one of us. The early church faced a lot of adversity and challenges as we'll see. From many different quarters in the first century, we're going to take a look at how they handled some of these challenges this morning and the resulting revival that it brought. In chapter three, things are taking off for the infant church in Jerusalem. Miracles are happening.

God's people are excited and large numbers are being saved. Jerusalem is experiencing a revival the likes of which Jerusalem had not seen for many hundreds of years. 3,000 were saved on the day of Pentecost and now, that a man at the beautiful gate was healed. The gospel again is preached with power and many more are saved. The religious authorities are are thrown into a panic.

They arrest the disciples. They're not sure what to do with them as we will see. We have a picture of revival here in chapter four that we find to still be very relevant and necessary today in the church and in the life of God's children. God is still in the business of saving souls and God is still in the business of reviving and waking up his children. Let's look at how it happened here.

In Acts chapter three and four. The first thing I want us to see, it begins with the exaltation of Christ and the salvation of lost souls. It doesn't end with that. It what? It begins with that.

And it also ends with that. Acts chapter three beginning in verse 12. After the healing of of the man at the beautiful gate, verse 12, it says, when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, you men of Israel, Why marvel you at this or why look you so earnestly on us? As though by our own power or holiness, we had made this man to walk. The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers hath glorified his son Jesus.

Whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate whom he was determined to let him go. But you denied the holy one and the just and desired a murderer to be granted unto you and killed the prince of life whom God hath raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong whom you see and know. Yey, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now brethren, I want that through ignorance you did it.

As did also your rulers but those things which God had before showed by the mouth of all his prophets that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent you therefore and be converted that your sins be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more this morning. Lord, we thank you for your word today. Lord, we do in some respect in our life and service to you.

Need revival. Lord, I pray that you would touch our hearts and that you would open our eyes, Lord, to our weaknesses, our failings, and our sin. Lord, to the weights that need to be cast aside. The sins which need to be repented of. Lord, challenge our hearts today.

To press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Awaken us, Lord, to your will. And to the responsibilities and privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus. That we might be better servants of you. That we might be revived, Lord.

And awakened. That we would be the witnesses of the Lord Jesus that you have called us to bring, to be, to bring glory to your name today. Lord, we pray that Jesus Christ would be exalted. We pray Lord if there's one here today that's never trusted you as as savior, that today would be their day of salvation. In Jesus name, we do pray.

Amen. The preaching of Christ without apology is the first thing we see in reference here to this revival. Romans one sixteen, Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel. For it is the power of God and the salvation to everyone that believe it to the Jew first and also to the Greek. In Romans 10, Paul wrote, so faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Turn if you would in your Bibles over to first Corinthians one eighteen. First Corinthians one eighteen. One eighteen In Paul's day, the preaching of the cross of Christ, the word of God and the gospel was mocked. By the world. Has that changed?

No, not really. Not really. It is still mocked today but it is the proclamation of the gospel and the word of God. That doesn't return void but changes souls, the hearts of men By God's grace and power. So, Paul writes in verse 18, for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them. That belief. For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified. Under the Jews, a stumbling block.

Under the Greeks, foolishness. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God. And the wisdom of God. The great revivals of history were all accompanied with the proclamation, the preaching of the word of God and consequently, the salvation of many lost souls as well as the reviving of many complacent saints. In Samuel's day, the preaching and proclamation of God's word brought revival to Israel.

In Josiah's day, the discovery of the law and the consequent following proclamation of that law brought revival again to Judah. In Nehemiah's day, the proclamation and reading of the law upon their return from exile brought revival to Jerusalem. In the days of the reformation, the translation and proclamation of the word of God in the common languages. Of people. Brought revival.

To Europe. In the days of John Wesley and George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards, the preaching of the word of God and its proclamation resulted not only in the salvation of many lost souls but in great revivals that swept through America and Britain. Revival is always accompanied by the clear and unashamed preaching. Of the word of God. The gospel preaching against sin preaching and proclaiming that there is forgiveness through repentance in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sin and mine and who rose again and ascended to the father, where he ever intercedes for those who put their faith and trust in him.

True revival is always accompanied by bold preaching of the word of God. We see next of all in the book of Acts. That following the bold preaching of God's word, we have the attack of the enemy. When God's word is preached, when souls are saved, when God's children get right with their heavenly father and deal with sin in their life and go forth in his service. When these things happen, the enemy is unhappy.

The enemy, the enemies of the gospel, of God and his children are unhappy. In first Peter five eight, Peter wrote, be sober, be visit, be vigilant because your adversary, the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Peter is not writing to the lost. He is writing to Christians. Before we were saved, the devil wasn't our enemy.

We were on his side. Now, that we know Christ, we're on God's side. He's our enemy. He doesn't like it when people are saved. He doesn't like it.

When we are revived and we go forth boldly to live and proclaim the word of God. And so he attacks. He attacks the church. He attacks the Christian. He attacks the word of God.

He attacks and you can expect it. One enemy that we face is the devil. Another enemy we face is our flesh. One day, this flesh will be changed. I'll receive a new body like unto my saviors.

There will be no more sin. There will be no more sorrow. There will be no more pain. The former things will be what? Passed away.

But for now, I still live in this body of flesh and I still deal with a sin nature. It has been dethroned. God has taken that place in my life but it's still tenaciously fights against him and against me. In doing the will of God. James 114 says, but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed and when lust hath conceived, it bringeth for sin and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Do not be deceived, dear Christian. The flesh is still in your life. It seeks, it desires to have domin ance over you. It is your enemy. It is not your friend.

We may say the devil made me do it but most of the time, we are the ones at fault. The devil has a little direct involvement. We are able to tempt ourselves and we are and just when God is doing a great work in his church and in your life, the flesh. If you're not careful, we'll creep in and get the best in your life. We have enemies, the devil, the flesh, the world, other people, our culture, by pressure, whether it be peer pressure or persecution or other enticements will seek to trip us up.

Will will be an obstacle in our path. In the service of our Lord. Here it is the world certainly under demonic influence which has had enough and finally acts to try to stop the flood of the gospel. Look if you would in chapter four and let's begin reading in verse one and we're going to read a lengthy passage down to verse 22. So, stick with me.

And as they spake unto the people, that is the apostles. The priest and the captain of the temple and the sadducees came upon them. Being grieved that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead and they laid hands on them and put them in hold or in jail until the next day for it was even time. How be it many of them which heard the word believed and the number of men was about 5,000. It came to pass on the morrow that their rulers and elders and scribes and Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest were gathered together at Jerusalem.

They were having a a powwow, a get together. They're trying to figure out what to do because Christ, they thought they had gotten rid of. But indeed they had not. Christ was still very real and very evident in the preaching of his children in their lives and in the salvation of lost souls. Jerusalem was in an uproar and people were being saved.

Verse seven, and when they had set them in the midst, the apostles, they asked, by what power or by what name have you done this? Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost said unto them, you rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom he crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him that this man stand here before you hold. This is the stone which was set at not of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus and beholding the man which was healed standing with him, they could say nothing against it but when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves. Saying, what shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it but that it spread no further among the people, let us straightly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name and they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus but Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge you. That's sort of rhetorical question.

Yeah, whether it's right to to listen to you or to listen to God, you judge. In other words, you know which we should be listening to. Verse 20, for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So, when they had further threatened them, they let them go finding nothing how they might punish them because of the people. For all men glorify God for that which was done.

For the man was above 40 years old in this miracle of healing. Was showed and and we'll stop there for the moment. So, we see, the gospel was preached. Christ was magnified in the healing of this man and in the preaching of the gospel. And the salvation of lost souls and the enemies were upset.

So, they attacked. They arrested the disciples. They warned them not to preach in the name of Jesus. They threatened them but did that stop them? The answer to that is no.

Part of revival and spiritual growth in our lives is going through the test which will come as we set ourselves to serve God, proclaim his son, Jesus Christ. And pursue his interest. Jesus was clear in his word. In John 15, he said, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own but because you are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore, the world hated you.

So, Jesus warned his disciples. They already knew. This didn't come as a shock. It shouldn't come as a shock to us. That the world is not our friend.

Second Timothy three twelve, Paul wrote to Timothy says, yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. He doesn't say might suffer persecution but if you live publicly, for Jesus Christ. Take a stand for that which is right. Tell others of savior Proclaim his word. We will suffer.

Persecution. Some more than others but we will be faced with the enemy of the world. Matthew five eleven and twelve, blessed are you. When men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven.

For so persecuted they, the prophets which are before you. Christ said, when you do face persecution, rejoice. You are in good company and there is great reward in heaven. For suffering for the name of Jesus sake. Here on earth.

The disciples came through the trial. Victorious over the test. They didn't stop preaching. They preached all the more. Not always do we pass the test with such flying colors.

But we must stand fast. Hang on. By God's grace, we will endure. We will have victory. So, we see the preaching of God's word.

We see the attack of the enemy and we see that the righteous stand fast. As the disciples stood fast against the pushback of the enemy. As I read earlier, Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel. In first Corinthians sixteen thirteen, it says, watch you and stand fast in the faith. Quit you like men.

Be strong. Galatians five, stand fast therefore in the liberty where with Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Philippians one only let your conversation be as it become of the gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the go gospel. Philippians four, therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and long for my joy and crown. So, stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved and then Jude one three, beloved, when I give gave dull diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

What is God called us to do? In the face of persecution to what? To stand fast. To stand fast against false teaching. To stand fast against the persecution, push back of the world.

That would strive to have us compromise, to say, well, yes, I have my way and you have your way and that's great. It's not great. If their way is not the way of Jesus Christ. For Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh under the father but by me.

Do they have freedom? To choose? To go their way? Yes. But if they don't come to God through his way, then, they will face the consequences of choosing the wrong way.

We must not be talked into what the world calls tolerance which really isn't tolerance which is but condoning false teaching. We must not be comp, we must not compromise the clear teaching of the word of God on that which is right and that which is wrong, on that which was sin. The world would have us to keep quiet and give in and compromise in areas of morality today Whether it's heterosexual promiscuity outside of marriage or whether it's homosexuality. They are wrong. Amen.

Drunkenness is wrong. Cursing and cussing is wrong. We can go on and on and on. We must not compromise and call good evil and we We are do to to going We We must not be discouraged or confused or complacent when going through the valley of temptation or trial. We need to learn from the example of those who have gone before us of the disciples.

We must stand fast. We must not be weary in well doing. The Bible says, for in due season, we shall reap. If we faint not and indeed if we faint not, we will reap. Sometimes, it seems long in coming.

Sometimes, there's a valley before the mountain top. But God will glorify himself if we will be faithful to him. So, we see the preaching of the word of God. We see the pushback of the enemy. We see the the Christian standing fast and we see next there in verse 23 through 30, the fervent prayer of the righteous.

When things get tough, when the enemy pushes back, when the mountain top is followed by the valley, we must not forget to what? Pray. We must not forget to pray. Because true revival is not only accompanied by preaching. It's not only accompanied by standing fast.

It's accompanied by fervent, sincere prayer. I'll give you one in verse 23. And being let go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief priest and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord. What is that?

That's prayer. That's prayer and said, Lord, thou art God, which has made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is. Who by the mouth of thy servant David has said, why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. He's quoting from Psalm chapter two.

For of a truth, against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together. For to do whatever thy hand and thy council determined before to be done. And now Lord, behold, their threatenings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness, they may speak thy word by stretching forth thine hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child, Jesus. What did they do? They went to the Lord.

They magnified and they praised the Lord for who he is, for what he had done, for his power, for his sovereignty, in the affairs of men. They proclaimed their and declared their trust in God. And then, they asked for his intervention. They asked that boldness be be given to them. That they might endure and stand fast that Christ would be magnified again.

In Jerusalem. We see that public and private prayer accompany revival. For these prayers were both public as they gathered in one accord. And yet I'm sure also private. These were prayers of faith.

Not just going through the motions. In many churches, liturgy is nothing more than just going through the what? Motions. And sometimes even in baptist churches, among believing Christians, sadly, we just go through the motions. And we forget.

We are talking to the king of kings and Lord of lords. We forget that he hears and answers our prayers. We forget that he has invited us to come boldly before the throne of grace. We forget what he has promised that if we will bring our request before him, he will do it. That he has said in his word, ask and it shall be given unto you.

Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. In James chapter one, it says, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask the God of God that give it to all men liberally and abrade it not and shall be given him but let him ask in what? Faith. Let him ask in faith.

For he that wavereth, for he that doubteth, will receive what? Nothing. We must ask in faith. I do say, I believe that these people ask in faith. They believe that God would hear and answer their prayers.

Sometimes, we don't see our prayers answered because when it comes down to it, we're praying because hey, it's the right thing to do. But we really don't have faith that God is going to hear and answer our prayers. It is also important that it's a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. Prayer of praise and thanksgiving. Philippians four, six, and seven, be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known God.

Peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. A prayer of praise and thanksgiving for what God has done and for what God will do. A prayer of praise and thanksgiving. And then a prayer as we see here for boldness. What are they praying for?

They're not praying here though it's not wrong to pray for God's provision for daily necessities. The Lord's prayer includes those things. But those aren't the only things that we are to be praying for. What these people are praying for is not just for their own needs but they're praying that God would be glorified and they're asking God to give them boldness, to help them to stand fast, to help them to proclaim the gospel despite the pushback of the enemy, despite the frailties of the flesh, despite the obstacles that Satan had set before them. They prayed that God would be magnified.

God will always answer that prayer. Because you can be sure that is is in accordance with the will of God. And God will embolden us and God will give us wisdom and God will give us endurance. Philippians one hundred nineteen and twenty. Paul writes, for I know that, this shall turn to my salvation through prayer and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ according to my earnest expectation and my hope.

What was Paul's earnest expectation and hope? What was he asking them to pray for? This, that in nothing, I shall be ashamed. But that with all boldness as always. So now also Christ shall be magnified in my body.

Whether it be by life or by death. What was Paul's prayer? What was Paul asking them to pray for? That God would give him boldness. That he would not be ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ but the Christ might be magnified in his life.

Whether by his life or even by his death. And indeed, God was magnified in both. True revival is accompanied by fervent prayer. That's why I'm asking that you come and join us at 05:30. To pray with us.

Because God will answer that prayer. If we will pray. And we will pray earnestly and sincerely and with faith. We see next in verse 31, God's response to their prayers Verse 31, Revival is accompanied by preaching. And by prayer, and by the act of God.

Verse 31, and when they had prayed, the place was shaken. Where they were assembled together. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. And they spake the word of God with boldness and the multitude of them that believe were of one art and of one soul neither said of any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all. We see true revival is the act of who?

It is the act of God. It is not the act and the will of man that brings revival. It is the act of God in response to a contrite heart. God makes his presence known here by shaking the place where they were gathered. This isn't the first time that had happened.

He shook the mountain at Mount Sinai. He shook the jail in Philippi. Anything. Not He's stood. No, God is not likely going going to to literally shake the place where we worship.

Though he could. If he wanted to. But there are other ways that God shows his presence to be very real in our lives. He shows his presence and answer to our prayers. I appreciate the prayers for me.

Two weeks ago, I couldn't stand up here and preach. I was in too much pain. And I keep getting shuffled from doctor to doctor to doctor. I, somebody asked me today, how did your injection, cortisone injection go on Thursday? And it didn't.

I I found out I have to wait another week. For insurance to approve it. But you know something, praise God. God's answer prayer and I am able to stand and I'm not, I'm in very little pain. Amen.

I thank the Lord for that. God answers prayer. God answers prayer in the salvation of lost souls. God answers prayer. So many different areas of our life Sometimes, he so to speak strikes us with lightning.

Other times, he speaks like he did to Elijah in a what? A still, small voice. He brings comfort and peace amidst trying circumstances. He works in our life through his word. Sometimes, he shakes us up in the service.

Sometimes, he shakes us up during our devotion time. When he brings something to light from his word that we haven't seen before. Sometimes, he uses the fellowship of other brethren to shake us up. He saves lost souls. Even brings chastening into our lives but God is still in the business of revival and God can still shake us up.

God will still be glorified in us. If we will seek his face. Not only did he shake the place there but it says, they were filled with the Holy Ghost. The power of the holy spirit became more clearly evident and powerful in their lives. It didn't mean that they had part of the spirit and they got the rest of him.

Now, that's not what the word filling means in our New Testament. It means that they were submitted and yielded and led by who? The Holy Spirit in their life. They were filled with his guidance. They were filled with his love.

They were filled with his will. Not some mystical funny feeling or the ability to leap buildings in a single bound or start quaking and babbling uncontrollably but a peace from God that leads to a conscience yielding of one's interest to God and a wisdom and empowering to carry it out. John fourteen twenty six, but when the but the comforter which is the holy ghost, whom the father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. But you shall receive power after the holy holy ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Walk in the spirit and you shall not what?

Fulfill the lust of the flesh. They were filled with the holy spirit and they spoke the word of God with what? With a boldness and the fire spreads like a contagion from person to person as the gospel was preached and it wasn't only the apostles now, others were proclaiming God's God's power and the wisdom, peace, and empowering of the holy spirit gave them renewed confidence in their witness for the Lord. As we are filled to walk in the Holy Spirit, we will also feel this boldness which comes not just from self assurance but which comes from God himself. God brings revival and what resulted, a love for the brethren and the salvation of what?

More lost souls. God can bring revival to Missouri Avenue Baptist Church into your heart just like he did in theirs. If we continue to preach and proclaim God's word, if we receive it, if we will spend time in prayer, praying earnestly for it God will bring revival to us also Do you need revival Do we I believe we do. Let's read this again as we close. Isaiah fifty seven fifteen.

For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place. With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit. To revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Let's pray.

Dear Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you, Lord. For the example that's been laid out here before us, that you have that you will bring revival. If we will be faithful to preach your word, if we will be faithful to stand fast against the onslaught of the enemy by your grace and strength. As we are fervent and sincere in our prayers as we come to you.

You will fill us with your spirit. You will give us boldness. Lord, you will give us opportunity to proclaim the goodness of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. To show it in our love for the brethren, our love for a lost world, and our willingness to repent of our sin, and follow you holy. And but most of all, Lord today, we pray.

Not only that you would help us who know Christ as savior to repent and seek your face. In prayer. Out of a humble heart but Lord, if there be one here today that's never trusted Christ. Lord, your offer today to them is of salvation We pray today, Lord they would come as we sing this hymn of invitation In Jesus name, we do pray Amen.