Can I welcome one and all to our family worship service, wherever you're watching in around the world today. And for those who are in our church car park, thank you for coming. We appreciate your encouraging presence here today. And if you're at home, whether watching in via Facebook Live or Sermon Audio, we welcome you in our Savior's precious name. If you have one of our hymn books, we're turning to the hymn 342. 342, the king of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never. I nothing lack if I am his, and he is mine. There will be two lines of music to introduce us, and then we'll sing the six verses of 342. And whereas you have had to sing moderately with regard to volume, you can sing at the top of your voice wherever you are, in your own car or in your own home. 342, we trust that this will come through. I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know that I'm never going as you please, as you please. And once I knew what I stood for, and what you taught me, and all you told me to do with me, ♪ Blessed are you ♪ ♪ In those dark depths I fear no one ♪ ♪ Let all be silent ♪ ♪ O Lord, I'm stuck, my comfort's gone ♪ ♪ My hope's gone, goodbye ♪ It's been stolen, and no one can stop it. You are love, you are its glory. And so beautiful is the light of love. We are all one, we share the love. you Well, let's seek the Lord together in the word of prayer as we come to worship Him in this house and those outside, wherever you are in the world, where two or three are gathered together in my name. The promise is, there am I in the midst of them. Let's seek the Lord, please, now in prayer. Our loving Father, in the name of thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, we again enter into thy presence We come, Lord, by the way of blood sprinkling, and we stand today on redemption ground. Lord, we bless Thee that we come to exercise our legal right to come now into Thy courts and into Thy presence. We, Lord, are exhorted to do so, to come boldly on to the throne of grace. There we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need. The Lord, we freely confess that we are in a time of tremendous need within our nation and across the world. The nations are reputed as nothing. And Lord, all the inhabitants of the earth are as grasshoppers. We are as but small dust upon the balance and as the drop in the bucket. Lord, we humble ourselves, humbled by thy providential dealings across this world. We confess, Lord, our sin. We take our rightful place as a sinner before Thee, Lord, praying for mercy and for forgiveness. Lord, we confess our own personal sins today as we enter into Thy presence. Lord, we have sinned in thought and word and in deed. Lord, we have done those things that we should never have done, and we have failed to do those things that thou has commanded us to do. And here we are, Lord, paupers, in need of thy grace, stained by sin. O gracious Father, may we know again the cleansing of the precious blood of Christ the Lamb. We pray, Lord, today that thy good hand will be upon us. We pray, Lord, for our nation, a nation that has forsaken thee, a nation that has rejected thee, a nation that is hostile against thee, a nation, O God, that loves sin and is legislated for sin. Lord, show us mercy and grant, dear Father, in the midst of the years, that thou would remember mercy, whilst, O God, thou restraineth wrath, Grant, dear God, in these days a breath of heaven. Lord, may we know deliverance. We think of those words in the book of Exodus, when God looked down into the nation of Israel, and he saw his covenant people, and he heard their cry, and he saw their sorrows, and he was acquainted with their supplications. And he said, I am come down to deliver them. Lord, may there be a coming down of God. May God himself come down. Oh, that thou wouldest reign the heavens, that thou wouldest come down. that the mountains might flow down at thy presence. And Lord, is this not a day, a day that thou couldst get to thyself tremendous glory? Lord, as we are unable to meet in the house of God, yet Lord, where we meet in the car, in the car park today, Lord at home, Lord wherever we are in the world, Lord we cry to Thee that Thou would revive the hearts of Thy blood-bought people and give them a desire again when we come to congregate, Lord that we'll be found in Thy courts, praising thy glorious name. Lord, do something astounding. Do something of the miraculous, we pray. May there be something of the supernatural that will astound scientists and doctors and those who are father leading, oh God, in our nation, our politicians. Lord, whether locally or internationally or nationally, we pray that thou will do such a work that, Father, it will astound the ungodly, and yet, Lord, it will not astound us as we have prayed in faith. Lord, grant Thy good hand upon every man, help all technology to work today for every servant of God, and may the blessing of heaven attend the witness. O God of Thy Word, we cry to Thee, and may, dear Father, Thy blessing rest upon the preaching of the word. Bless our missionaries and those who were to be home and cannot be home even over the Christmas period. May thy hand be upon them, encourage them in their labors. May many be added to the church, such as should be saved, we pray. We pray for our moderator and those who, oh God, exercise government over the presbytery. Give them great wisdom, we pray. And Lord, every presbyter, we ask. And may, dear Father, we see God moving in revival blessing. We seek thee for this. Lord, answer these, our petitions. For we pray this in our Savior's precious and worthy name. Amen and amen. Well, we welcome you in our Savior's precious name, and wherever you join with us, as I've already said, whether on Facebook Live or on Sermon Audio, we trust that everything is coming through, and especially even for those who join with us in the church car park this afternoon. Thank you for coming and making that special effort. We trust that the broadcast is coming out loud and clear to you there in the car park, and maybe those who are watching on Facebook Live will indicate that everything is coming through well on your side just at this particular time, and I'll be able to see that that is such the case. Let me make the announcements for the rest of this Lord's Day. Six o'clock tonight is our gospel service, and I will be here to preach the gospel in the will of God. Trust you'll be able to join us and make others aware of our meetings and our broadcasts on Facebook Live and on sermonaudio.com. If you want to come to the car park, you can listen on 87.5 FM. Keep your car running and keep yourself warm Let me encourage you just to turn the radio on as you come into the car park. You'll hear our brother Mr. Stephen Greer singing. He's given us permission to use his CD. And then you can position your car in the car park where there is little interference as best as it does come through on this little transmitter. Six o'clock tonight, our gospel service. Now please share If you're at home, please share with your family and friends, and try and invite them in to listen to the gospel even tonight, and pray much for the meeting as it goes forth. Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. in the Diamond Primary School, I'll be there to take a school assembly. Now, that is the first school assembly of this new term, and really since the month of March, and we're very thankful to be able to go in and to speak to the P3 class, I trust, on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, 8 o'clock, our Bible study and prayer time. That meeting will take place on Facebook Live and on Sermon Audio, if we can get it going. Again, the message will be relayed into the church car park, but only via the radio transmitter. It'll not be going out via the loudspeaker, and so that's on 87.5. Eight o'clock, if you want to come to the side of the church, you can do so and listen in on your car. Now, let me encourage you to set just an hour aside, and let's give it over to Bible study, and then to prayer. I do have my concerns. that not all are joining us on a Wednesday night. And let me encourage you, therefore, please join with us. I know that many are, and we're thankful for that. And those that have come to the church, again, we're encouraged by that. But if you are not joining with us on a Wednesday night, it is your Bible study and prayer time. And I'll have a word prepared. I trust that you'll come then with a heart prepared. We continue our studies as the Lord leads in the book of James. Friday night will be our Zoom Presbytery meeting at 8 p.m. Details will be sent, brethren, as the time approaches. Next, Lord's Day, 12 noon, our Family Worship Service, 3.30. In the afternoon, our Gospel Open Air Service on Main Street, and our brother, Mr. David Laverty will preach. Six o'clock, our Gospel Service, no gathering in the church building again. but I trust you'll be able to join us via all these different means that we are given. The Reverend Gardiner's deputation offering, it'll be kept open to the middle of December, so place your gift there in an envelope and mark it clearly, Reverend Gardiner, and we're going to keep that open to the middle of December. Can I say, if you do have pastoral needs, then please make contact at the church mans. If you just need someone, to talk to in these days of isolation, please pick up the phone and speak with me on the Mance telephone, 02825 821 765. 02825 821 765. Again, thanks to all who have come today. And we appreciate our brother, Wayne, who's the only one in the building who's helping us here just with all of the media outlets. Well, let's turn in the word of God to 1 John chapter three today. 1 John chapter three. I want to begin our reading at the opening verse of 1 John chapter number three. Word of God says, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God? Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever commiteth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. And he that commiteth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Amen, and we'll end our reading at the verse 11 of 1 John chapter 3. Let's go to the Lord, please, in a brief word of prayer. Our loving Father, we come to Thee, our hearts are heavy. Lord, how different again this day is for us. Lord, we just cry to Thee that Thou will take away, O God, as it were, the feelings that we have and experience because of the situation, O God, that we're in. We just cry to Thee, Lord, that Thou will work out Thy purposes And may, O God, great glory be brought to thy name. Speak to all of our hearts as we come to hear thy word. May our souls be blessed and helped and encouraged along the road to heaven and home, those of the redeemed. And for those who are not yet saved, bring each to the Redeemer. Bring, Lord, conviction of sin upon the soul and convert the lost. Do, O God, that which Thou hast purposed to do through this message. Lord, now come and fill me with Thy Spirit, how needy I am. Lord, I abandon myself entirely to Thee. Take my life and now let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Lord, come now and bless these waiting souls. of ours, for we pray this in our Savior's precious name. Amen and amen. Behold is a word of wonder intended to excite admiration. Whenever you see it hung out in scripture, it is like an ancient signboard signifying that there are rich wares therein. Or like the hands which solid readers have observed in the margin of older Puritanic books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation. So wrote the great preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Over the last number of weeks and months, we have found Mr. Spurgeon's words to be true, as we have considered some of the beholds of Scripture. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Behold, God is great. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Behold, I am vile. Behold, God is my salvation. Today we come to another tremendous behold of Scripture. This time recorded for us in the words of 1 John 3 in the verse 1. What manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God? Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. the beloved disciple whom John was, upon whose bosom, the Savior's bosom John would rest, he encourages his readership to behold a divine love. And that's what we want to do for a few moments together. We want to behold a divine love, and as we do so, It ought to excite admiration in the hearts of those who have come to experience that love in the gospel, as well as those who have not yet experienced God's love for sinners exhibited in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now in the first instance I want you to notice the source of this divine love. The source of this divine love. Now the term divine within the title of this message indicates that we're not considering today the love of a human being towards the love of another human being. Human love is of course a wonderful thing at times. The love of a husband or wife towards their spouse is a great love to think upon. The love of a parent to a child is another great love to consider. Another love to contemplate is the love of a son or a daughter to their parent, their mother, or to their father. And yet, And yet there is a greater love that surpasses all of these loves, surpasses the love of a husband to his wife, wife to her husband, a child to its parent, a parent to its child. And that is the love of God toward us. The love that John encourages us here to behold and to meditate upon is the love that God has bestowed upon us and those who are undeserving. And therefore, the love that we're considering together today is a love that finds its source in God. God, who is love, bestows his love to the undeserving. Now the inspired writer John here is very specific to which person of the Godhead this love is emanating from, from and to men, and that person is identified by the context in which these words are found. You see, the Apostle John, he goes on to speak about those who are called the sons of God. And then in verse 2, he speaks about those who are now the sons of God. And so, what we have before us presented is the matter of the believers' adoption. This is speaking about our sonship. This is the context in which this love is spoken of here, within the context of the believers' adoption and sonship. These are the thoughts that are very much to the fore when John speaks of the bestowment of love. And therefore, John is singling out the love of God the Father. It is the love of the father that is being singled out on. And of course, it goes on to say that, behold, what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us. You see, it is the act of the father to adopt his children. Adoption is an act that is attributed to God the father. The father chose. Before the world began, his people in Jesus Christ, he appointed them onto the adoption of children, and he gave them into the hands of his son, and all this he did before the foundation of the world. What love! What love as we consider today, the love that we have experienced, having been adopted into the family of God, having now become the sons and the daughters of the Most High. No wonder John says, behold, what manner of love. When we come to the Scripture, we are repeatedly brought to consider the love of God the Son. I think of those Great Bible texts of Scripture that speak of the Son's love. Romans 8 verse 35, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Ephesians 5, 25, husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. We see the manifestation and the display of the Son of God's love when we come to read the Gospels, and especially as we make our way to the end of those inspired writings. We consider the death of Christ upon the cross. One preacher put it, never did his love shine so glorious as now. laden with our sins, covered with our shame, cursed of God, insulted by devils, derided by men, and forsaken by his Father. He submits without a murmur, he endures without repining, and he dies without regret. Behold how he loved us, the Son's love, Within the scripture we also read, although not as frequently, about the love of God the Holy Spirit. Romans 15, verse 30, now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me. In Galatians 5, verse 22, we read that the fruit of the Spirit is what? It's love. and joy and peace and long-suffering and so on. And so we have presented in Scripture the love of the Son and the love of the Spirit. However, John encourages us here in 1 John 3, verse 1, to consider the love of God the Father. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. Now, this is a subject matter that is often overlooked. Great emphasis is placed on the love of God the Son, and rightly so, but little is said by preachers about the love of the Father. And maybe this is the reason why John is correcting his readership here. This is one of the reasons, maybe, why John is beginning with this word, behold, because he's aware that the love of the Father is a matter that is so much overlooked that the people of God need to stop and consider it. To consider a father's love, the father's love for us. The father's love is as important as the love of the son. And therefore we are to consider this extraordinary love of God. We are to, as it were, place it under the microscope. We are to, as it were, turn this biblical truth, the love of the Father, turning it like a jewel in the sun until the brightest radiance is emitted from every facet of that jewel, to consider in our minds, to contemplate, to meditate that today I'm loved by the Father. Is it not a marvelous thought to think that today I'm not only loved by God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, but I am loved by God the Father? God in the trinity of his sacred persons loves his people eternally. God in the trinity of his sacred persons, he loves his people everlastingly. God in the trinity of his sacred persons loves his people enduringly, tracing the love Spoken off here in 1 John 3 verse 1, right to its initial source, to its, what we would say its fountainhead, brethren and sisters, we see that it is God the Father who in boundless love has bestowed his love upon us. Brethren and sisters, the love of God the Father is a subject matter that is worthy of your contemplation today. His love to you is a free love. We would say it's a love without strings attached. He loves us because He loves us. His love is a sovereign love proceeding from Him alone. It is a love that is fixed upon you today. It is a love of complacency. It's a love of delight. It's an everlasting love. It's a love that is vast. It's a love that is glorious. It is a love that is transcendent. It is a love that surpasses all understanding. Therefore, behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. Consider it. Stop and think about it. The Father's love for me. In the second instance we want to consider together the character of this divine love, the character of this divine love. There are a number of characteristics that mark out the Father's love. I want to highlight a number of them to you just now as we consider the character of the divine love. It is said before us here in 1 John 3, in the verse number 1, let me say in the first place that this love is a paternal love. It's a paternal love. The love of a close friend or neighbor is not in view here. Rather it is a father's love for his children. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Now a father, an earthly father, has no need to be taught how to love his children. In first sight of a newborn son or daughter, love freely flows from the father's heart to the little one he now holds in his arms a paternal love, a love of a father. Well, God is our heavenly Father. And he is a love for us that is infinitely greater than the love that any earthly father has for his child. He is your Father. And how comforting to know today that in the midst of all that we're facing, and the great tragedies that are happening around us, and the great restrictions that are being placed even upon us, how comforting to know that God the Father loves those who are His children by the new birth. No longer is He our judge. No, today He's my Father. Today He's your Father. Today He's our Father. This is our standing. This is our standing due to our union with Christ. We have been brought into the family, adopted into the royal household of faith, and now we stand before God, not as a sinner, but as a son. Oh, what a privileged position we enjoy today. We stand before Him as one of His children, a child who is greatly loved, a child who is everlastingly loved, a child who is greatly loved. I have loved thee, and having loved his own, he loved them all to the end." Isn't that a tremendous thought to think that today your love, despite your many failings, that your love, though your reciprocal love for him has not what it has ought to have been, that you're loved even though you feel that you're unloved by Him. He is our Father and He has promised to love His children right to the end. How that love is experienced may change. He may have to chasten us in love, but He does so in love. But a father's love can never be fully withdrawn from his children. This love is a paternal love. It's the love of a father dying to its child. This divine love is secondly, it is an alien love. An alien love. This is not a foreign love. For a foreign love is a love that comes from another part of the world. No, no, this is an alien love. We would say this is an extraterrestrial love. This is a love that comes to us from outside our world. Mark in your Bibles the words there, what manner. Behold what manner of love the Father. These two words in English come from just one word in the Greek. The word is patopaios, patopaios, and it translates to mean, listen, this is tremendous thought, from what country? From what country? From what country does this love come from? This is the literal translation of it. By using the words, it's as if John, in considering the Father's love, he's saying to himself, where does this love come from? This love must come from a different country. This love must come from a different realm. This love must come from a different world, because there's nothing like it in this world, this love. This is why I termed it an alien love. This love is an extraterrestrial love. It is a love that comes to us from another world. This phrase, what manner, is informing us that there is a love that is utterly unknown to us in the world. It's a different love from any of the loves that we think of. The love, as I said, of a husband or a wife to their spouse, a child to their parent, a fiance to their, the one that they intend to marry. Oh, this is a completely different love. There's nothing like this love in the world. This love comes from another country, a different realm, something that is from another world. It is a love that is outside of us. It is a love that is above us. It is a love that is beyond us. It is the love of the Father that streams down to us from a greater and a higher realm. This love comes to us from heaven. right down into this world, streaming down, flowing down, avalanching down from another country. No wonder John says, what manner, from what country is this love? Child of God, are you not amazed today that you're loved by someone who lives outside this world? who lives in, we would term the third heaven, heaven itself, who sits upon the throne of majesty. Oh, this love coming down, down to this world. And surely as we think of the time that we're making our way towards, towards Christmas Day, and as we consider the incarnation, oh, we think about love coming down in the person of Jesus Christ, the one who is love, the one who loved us on to the end, the one who loved us on to death. Love came to us from another country. Charles Wesley was amazed at this love. Thus he wrote and published the following words in 1738. And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood? Died he for me who caused him pain? For me to him to death pursue amazing love. How can it be that thou, my God, would die for me." When we consider who God is and who we are. Brethren and sisters, it has to take a love that is out of this world for a holy God to love the likes of you and me. It has to be an alien love if he could love you or me. This divine love is thirdly a gratuitous love. God the Father has said to do something with this love. He doesn't keep this love to himself. No, no, no. We read here that the Father bestows this love upon us. Note the text. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. The word is give. This word bestowed, or he grants, or he furnishes, or he administers this love to us. To who? To those who are undeserving. And this is why I've termed this a gratuitous love. We who are ill-deserving, we who are hell-deserving, we who are undeserving have become the recipients of a divine bestowment of love. Such love has certainly not become ours because we have merited it or done anything to attain to that love, but rather that love has become ours because of the grace of God. God in grace has lavished His love upon us. The love of God. May such a truth lay us low before our God today as we come to consider that we are loved by God, not because of anything that we have done, but because God and grace God in grace has chosen to set his love upon us. One preacher said, if we are born into God's family, it is a miracle of mercy. It is one of the ever-blessed exhibitions of the infinite love of God, which without any cause in us has set itself upon us. This love is a gratuitous love, a love that comes to us from the God of grace and the grounds of grace. This divine love is something else. It is an active love, an active love. Love is active. Love can never be dormant. Love can never be passive, like a fire. It must break out. It cannot be contained. And such is the love of God the Father. It breaks out. It flows down to those who are the children of God. Do we not see the act of love of God the Father in operation when He sent His Son into the world? What do we read there? And that's so much familiar text of Scripture. John 3, verse 16. For God, speaking of the Father, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The Father gave His Son. He actively demonstrates His love by giving to us His Son. Is it not the case that love finds its greatest activity when it's aware of a great danger. Let me give you an example of what I mean. When the father sees his child maybe about to be knocked down by a vehicle, that father will, out of love for his child, what will he do? Will he stand at the side of the footpath and fold his arms and just watch everything taking place and seeing his child knocked down and possibly killed? Will a father do that? No. What a father will do, a father will instinctively run to the aid and to the rescue of his child in order to deliver them from danger. Is this not what God the Father did? As He looked down into this world and as He saw the plight of fallen humanity, He didn't stand idly by, but no, He sent forth His Son. He gave us His Son. Out of love he commissioned his Son to come into the world to secure deliverance from sin by his redemption for all who will believe on him. Love was active in sending forth the Son of God into the world and it was the Father who sent the Son. Let us never think That God is some kind of casual bystander when it comes to this world and those who live in it. God actively works in love towards those who are his own. The daily provision of our spiritual and temporal needs is evidence of that. What did the Hemrider pen? In all the world around me. I see his loving care, and though my heart grows weary, I never will despair. I know that he is leading. Through all the stormy blasts, the day of his appearing will come at last. Quickly, time's going on. This love is an unchangeable love. Note the tense. This love that has been bestowed upon us is in the past. Ah, this love is found in the councils of eternity, within the everlasting councils of God and among the Godhead. This love, this love exercised itself. As the Godhead drew up the plan of redemption, and having found its source in eternity past, this love will continue because this is an eternal love. Yea, I have loved thee, what, with an everlasting love. Did you fail the Savior this week? Did you let the Lord down, brother or sister? Have you ever sat in God's house, dejected, questioning whether or not you're saved? Has the thought crossed your mind that God has withdrawn His love from you? Well, if I've described just where you are, let me remind you that God loves you with a love that is unchangeable in its nature and in its essence. And this is why John encourages us to behold this love. The purpose of this divine love is our final thought, the source of the love we thought, the character of the love. Think of the purpose of this divine love. God the Father bestows this great gift of love and order that man whom he has made may become his sons. Look there again at the text. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. that the word that points to a purpose, a reason why God the Father bestowed his love upon a group of people termed thus, and the purpose being that we should be called the sons of God. The text before us refers to a sonship particular to those who are the objects of redeeming love. Adoption into the family of God is singled out here as the evidence and the effect of the Father's love. We're not called the servants of God, we're not called the sleeves of God, we're not called the subjects of God, but rather because of His bestowment of love, we can be called the sons of God. What a glorious title. And it is because we are the sons and daughters of the Most High God that we come to enjoy the privileges of God's children. And what are those privileges? Let me list just a number as I conclude this message. The first privilege that God's children enjoy is that they have access to God. Galatians 4 verse 6, and because ye are sons. God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. As children of the Father, we have access to the Father in prayer, and thus we pray, Our Father, which art in heaven. And we do so in the full assurance that as the children of God, our requests will be heard and granted according to the will of God. And thereby, because I am a son, because you are a son, because you are a daughter, you have access to God in prayer. Now let me ask you, and be honest, child of God, are you availing yourself of access to God in prayer? Do you spend time with God in prayer? Do you gather with God's people in the place of prayer? Oh, that God would search our hearts. The second privilege that God's children enjoy is protection by God. As an earthly father will protect his offspring, so in an infinitely greater way our heavenly Father supplies the needed guardian care of his blood-bought children as they travel through the dangerous terrain that is this world. Life in this world is full of peril. There are temptations on every hand. Enemies lurk in the shadows, enemies that are strong and subtle, and yet he who takes the trouble to number the hairs of our head, and to feed the birds in the air, and to clothe the grass of the field, must surely care for us His blood-bought children. We are, we are the apple of His eye, and underneath us are the everlasting arms. This is the privilege of the one who is a son, a daughter of God. They are divinely protected by the Father. The third privilege is that they are heirs of God. Children have a title to the future inheritance within a family, and such is the case spiritually. In Galatians 4 verse 7 we read about the redeemed one's airship. Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Every child of God will come into full possession of their eternal inheritance when they leave this world behind. All that is Christ's is ours, because we are joint heirs with Christ, according to Romans 8 verse 17. Now that means suffering, for Christ suffered. But it also means glory, for Christ having suffered entered into his glory, and so it will be for us when we leave this world of suffering behind, then we'll enter into the same glory that Christ has entered into and will come to share his glory as we are glorified together with Christ. Romans 8, 17, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. These are but some of the privileges of those who are the sons of God. As I conclude, I ask two questions. Do you know anything about this love? Has the Father set his love upon you? Whose child are you today? I'm not asking you about your earthly father or mother. I'm asking you about whose child are you in spiritual terms? Are you the child? Are you a child of the devil or are you a child of God? Now, you can't be the both. You can't be both at the same time. You're one or the other. Are you a child of God or a child of the devil? If you're a child of God, then act like it. And walk worthy of such a privileged position. by being blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and a perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Child of God, live up to your privileges, aye, and live up to your responsibilities. And if you're not a child of God, may this moment find you entering the family of God by the new birth, being born again of the Spirit of God. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Oh, may God help us, and may we be lost in wonder, love, and praise as we consider the love of God the Father. Let's bow our heads in prayer, please. Let's pray. Our loving Father, in the Savior's all-precious name, we come, Lord, and we thank Thee for reminding us today of thy love. There is no love like the Father's love, a love that endures, a love that will forever endure, a love that comes to us from a different country, from a different world. We rejoice, Lord, in thy love to us. Bless, Lord, thy word, and, Lord, grant thy blessing upon the preaching of it. May the devil not take the good seed of the word, but may the word be a help and an encouragement to the people of God today. And if there be those who know not Christ, may they come to faith in him. Now take us safely home. And may we dwell in thy courts, though we may not be able to do it physically, yet spiritually. May we ever abide, Lord, in thy presence throughout the rest of this day and in the days that lie before us. Answer prayer. We offer these petitions in the name of Christ our Savior. Amen and amen. May the Lord bless as you make your way home. Thank you for joining with us, and God willing, we'll see you tonight at six o'clock for our gospel service. Thank you.