Please stand then for the call to worship. From 1 Thessalonians 5 verses 16 to 18, as Paul wrote, Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Beloved of God, called to be saints, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And let us pray together. Oh, Heavenly Father, we thank you for your faithfulness, that you are the God who calls us to worship, to hear your word and to respond to you in faith and new obedience. We thank you. We can rejoice because of the Lord Jesus Christ, as you have provided salvation for all your people. You've done that in your marvelous grace. And now you say you will hear us in our prayers. How amazing that is that we are to pray without ceasing, that is in all things of life, in everything, even to be thankful to you and to rejoice in your mercies to us. We know that is your holy and perfect will. And so we are glad to come and to hear you and to pray to you, guide and direct us so we would serve you gladly. Turn us away from all our sins, lead us as your children, and may we show our gratitude for the gospel of grace, for the Lord Jesus Christ, and be your witnesses. Forgive our sins, increase our faith, and bless our worship in your sight and that we would be edified. We pray it through Jesus' name and with the forgiveness of our sins. Amen. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. And let us again confess the true Christian faith with the words of the Apostles' Creed, saying, I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. You may be seated. And let us turn to our first hymn this morning, number seven, From All That Dwell Below the Skies. ♪ From all that dwell in the world of skies ♪ ♪ Let the Creator raise our eyes ♪ ♪ Let the Redeemer's name be sung ♪ ♪ Throughout every land ♪ To every land the strains belong. In cheerful sound the voices raise, And fair the world rejoice. ♪ Eternal are your harvests each morn ♪ ♪ Eternal dread the test of time ♪ Truly our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifying God. is the one to be praised now and forever. We have his mercies, we have his word to teach us, and so may we give that praise to God more and more, even as we look to the last day when Christ will come in his glory and bring in the new heaven and earth, where there will be no more sin or pain, no more suffering, tears or death. An Old Testament reading today is Isaiah 55, verses 1 through 11. Isaiah 55, starting in verse one, the prophet wrote and proclaimed to us the word of God. Oh, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and you who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance Incline your ear and come to me here and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you the sure mercies of David. Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people a leader and commander for the people. Surely you shall call a nation you did not know and nations who do not know you shall run to you because of the Lord your God and the Holy One of Israel for he has glorified you. Seek the Lord while you may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts, for as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Well, God does proclaim His word of grace, of course, throughout the scriptures and calls on sinners to seek Him, to call upon Him, to seek forgiveness and righteousness in Christ. And He promises to provide it, even as His thoughts are not our thoughts. They're greater than ours in the abundant pardon that God so declares, that He promises He will do more for His people, more for sinners who turn to Him, than we can even imagine. Yes, his ways are higher than ours, his thoughts than ours, and he is the one who gives us his holy word that will accomplish his good purposes. And again, sinners will be brought to believe on him and to have everlasting life in that perfect world to come. So God promises it will go, his word will go to the nations and we rejoice in that and we pray for that as we ought. Well, the Belgian Confession, we'll look at that today. Article 4, page 875. The speak of God's word going forth to all the world. The church has recognized the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments as being the very inspired word of God. And so these are called the canonical books of the Holy Scripture that is genuine and authoritative, recognized so by the Church as God's Word is such. And so we believe that the Holy Scriptures are contained in two books, namely the Old and the New Testament, which are canonical, against which nothing can be alleged. These are thus named in the Church of God. The books of the Old Testament are the five books of Moses, to wit, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, the book of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the two books of Samuel, the two of the Kings, two books of the Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, the Psalms, the three books of Solomon, namely the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs, the four great prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, which also wrote Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel, and the 12 lesser prophets, namely Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Those of the New Testament are the four evangelists who wit Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the Acts of the Apostles, the 13 epistles of the Apostle Paul, namely one to the Romans, two to the Corinthians, one to the Galatians, one to the Ephesians, one to the Philippians, 1 to the Colossians, 2 to the Thessalonians, 2 to Timothy, 1 to Titus, 1 to Philemon, Hebrews, the seven epistles of the other apostles, namely 1 of James, 2 of Peter, 3 of John, 1 of Jude, and the Revelation of the Apostle John. Well, again, these are the inspired books that God has given and preserved in the history of the church to this day. Thankfully, we can rely upon His word at all times, trust in the scriptures, and know they proclaim to us the very will of God, even for our redemption in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, all praise goes to God for giving us His word and preserving it, and we should have it hid in our heart, as it were, more and more, trusting and rely upon what He has declared to us. Again, the Lord our God is gracious and merciful, the one who calls us to fellowship with him that we can even know we join in the worship that goes on in heaven at all times. So praise be to the Lord for such assurance and that he will hear us. So let us join together now in our time of congregational prayer. Yes, Heavenly Father, we want to give you praise, honor, and glory. We know that is only fit and right. You are the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and most deserving, yes, deserving of far more than we could ever give, and you will receive all the praise of believers for all eternity. We truly do long for Christ's return. We know he has come at the beginning of the gospel being fulfilled by his proclaiming the word of the truth and his living according to it, his dying on the cross, that we might have forgiveness and righteousness and everlasting life. We do praise you, O Christ, you are the risen, ascended, and ruling Lord, and you do all things well. You have all power and authority over heaven and earth. And we know that you are working for the glory of God and the good of your people at all times. Even when we see sin and suffering and we see tragic things in this life, we know you are still faithful and you will provide as you do, even day by day. And so we thank you and we pray you would more and more turn us away from our sins and bring a great reawakening in our land, O Lord, and in other nations as well, that many more would be one to Christ, that believers would not be persecuted, if it's your goodwill, but also that many would be one to the Lord, even their persecutors. And certainly in our nation, our culture, we do pray for your direction instead of the evils that we see and seem to be increasing. We pray for your mercies, again, that many would be turned to Christ in true repentance and faith and have salvation in Him. We pray for our culture, that it might be turned to your ways instead of the ways of evil. Certainly pray for the protection of the unborn and pray for the Life Defense Fund case that it could be victorious, that we would not have this properly before us to vote for abortion in our state constitution. We pray that will never happen here or in any other states now. We pray for your direction and for the ballot measures in Nebraska and elsewhere and certainly with Other evil things, recreational marijuana. We pray for your protecting mercies, O Lord, and you would guide in all the things before us in the election coming up, certainly for the election of president and others in Congress. We just pray that you would be honored, O Lord, to provide those who would follow your word and its principles. You would, again, show mercy in these ways. Thank you for doing your good work in our lives, O Lord. We pray for those who need healing mercies at this time. We pray for Monte and Lucinda and others. Give comfort and peace, help the various families, and even with work situations that can be a challenge, we pray for them and pray for safety and all that can be with us again. Next Lord's Day, we pray for that, for your honor and your glory and our good. We pray for Providence Reformed at Rock Springs, Wyoming, and for Reverend Busich, pray for blessings upon them that you will provide according to your mercies, O Heavenly Father. Again, help us to hear the word of the Lord God and know it is effective and powerful in the lives of your chosen ones. We pray for the work of the church of the RCOS, not only for our established churches, but for our mission works. We think of that in a particular way on this Lord's Day, and we do pray for Emanuel Reformed Fellowship at Pella, Iowa, in that area with Reverend Meather there. We pray for your blessings upon your people, O Lord, that certainly they can grow in knowledge and grace and in numbers according to your good pleasure. We thank you for being a faithful God and Father to us. Pray for the teaching and the preaching of the word there, and certainly for the leadership there locally and of the overseeing consistory of Covenant Reformed at Gettysburg. We pray for your guidance and thank you for the oversight of Classus and Synod. We pray you'll provide officers for them. Thank you, there is a man, Mr. Gross, to be examined for the eldership this fall. We pray for your blessing, your guidance there. Just build up your entire congregation there with all the fruit of the Spirit, that they would be maturing and could be a particularized church before long, self-governing, self-sustaining, self-propagating. Again, we pray for the word of Christ to go forth in so many ways, and that you would be honored there, provide for them financially and physically, spiritually, certainly, above all, as we pray for your mercies. Again, for Omaha Reform Chapel and Reverend Kleinsveld, we pray for your blessings upon them. We thank you for the developments over the last year and that you'll continue to provide growth. We pray for that and that they can reach out to others in the that entire community and thank you for several new families and individuals attending and that they show some real interest in becoming members. We pray for your blessings there, certainly for the one who has taken on duties of even landscaping, janitorial duties. We pray for the commitment of the people and to the church's well-being also. Thank you for his former mail carrier who has been attending and is one of the new members. May you bring other people even through such contacts. We pray for the guidance for all the people. Thank you for the upcoming baptism of a new member who's completed membership classes and process. We pray for your blessing, O Lord, in these ways, for their physical facility. We pray for your continued guidance. Thank you that Randy is on Facebook and Sermon Audio. And we pray that these things will continue to grow and have a blessing. even streaming these services on YouTube. Guide in all these things, O Lord, that they will continue to be careful stewards of the things you have provided them with, and that you would bless all the labors there. Guide the growing congregation, we do pray and ask for your mercies. And for those who have challenges in their lives, we pray for that. Even for those caring for aging parents, one going through divorce and other marital situations, custody challenges, one out of rehab and still continuing to recover. We pray that you show your power, the power of your spirit and your grace in these various lives that you would be honored, oh Heavenly Father. With our reformed work in Valle de Gracia, as it's named in Chapter California, Reverend Alpuche, we pray for your blessings upon them. Thank you for those who are faithful and attending and pray others who have been in the services that they would want to come into membership as well. Thank you for the Pentecostal man who wants to learn the Reformed faith. Pray you'll guide their, oh Lord, and give your direction, help them and even in evangelizing in their community. Thank you for the young man who's come out of a nominal Reformed Catholic background and having Bible studies at this time. Pray for the Quintana family that they might desire to join as well and thank you for their attendance. give unity and growth again with Reverend Alpucci and all his health needs and certainly that he can continue to provide for the Hispanic people in that area and as he translates works even for such fellow believers in South America and the seminary we have involvement with there. We pray for your blessings and that the people of the English-speaking congregation can be of help and encouragement to them as well. We're with Covenant Reform Chapel in Manhattan, Montana. Thank you, Reverend Uri Osteisen is there now. We pray for your blessings upon the congregation. Thank you. He arrived in June and have a house purchased for him and his family. Pray for another building for them to be able to meet at as they share one now that's really rather small with the Episcopal Church. We pray you'll add to their faith and their numbers. O Lord, as you see fit and that they would have that place to meet for the future. And just thank you that you brought him and his family there from South Africa. Please bless all the work and guide the officers and again, the continued oversight of the Menno consistry. Again, we look to you, O Lord, and we ask for your blessings on our churches here and others abroad that you would be honored, O Heavenly Father, and that we would hear you as we ought even this day. Help me to proclaim your word and we might be edified thereby. Again, we pray for your glory and for our good even through the precious name of our Lord and Savior who gave himself at the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray in his name, amen. Let us then turn to hymn number 625. 625 as we stand to sing Tell Me the Old Old Story. Tell me the old, old story Of unseen things above Of Jesus and His glory Of Jesus and His love Tell me the story simply as to a little child For I am weak and weary and helpless and defiled Tell me the old, old story. Tell me the old, old story. Tell me the old, old story of Jesus and His blood. Tell me the story softly with earnest tones and grave. Remember I'm the sinner whom Jesus came to save. Tell me the story always, if you would really be. In any time of trouble, a comforter to be. Tell me the old, old story. Tell me the old, old story. Tell me the old, old story of Jesus and His love. Tell me the same old story when you have cause to fear that this world's empty glory is costing me too dear. Yes, and when that world's glory is dawning on my soul, Tell me the old, old story Christ Jesus makes thee whole. Tell me the old, old story Tell me the old, old story. Tell me the old, old story of Jesus and His love. Scripture passage for the sermon today is Matthew 7, verses 7 to 12. In Matthew 7, starting at verse 7, Jesus was preaching. Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks, it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, How much more will your father, who is in heaven, give good things to those who ask him? Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets." Now, certainly, when we come to pray for missions, it's obvious that two things are true. That is, only God can give the increase of conversion of sinners and other additions to the church. And yet also, Christians are needed to do the work of missions according to His plan. So there must be asking of God and acting to spread the gospel. And the Lord promises, as in our text, to answer according to His perfect will. And as for the work of church people, there is a guide here for carrying that out. Yes, the last verse is such a principle and has been called the golden rule. Properly followed, well, I say it's the best way for us to treat other people in all situations, of course, and it will attract, that will attract sinners to the ways of Christ which he showed and which he also commands for us, the best way to do missions. Yet some think that rule is the sum of all religion, which, well, that would imply we are just to be good people and so be accepted by the Lord. In spite of that false idea, praying to God, asking of Him, and doing according to His Holy Word, that's all vital to our devotion to our Creator and our Savior, and again, for missions. Indeed, when we know God truly through Jesus, We want to pray to our Heavenly Father. That should be only natural to us, and more and more so. Also, in our new nature, we want to follow His commandments to honor and show our love to God and to show love to people, particularly as they are made in God's image. Indeed, asking and acting go together as Christ makes clear in the commands and assurances He gives here. And so let us learn more, learn more, that answers to prayer are assured to believers, and that acting according to the golden rule is what he calls us to do. Well, it might seem that Gius brings up an entirely different exhortation here, not connected with the previous section. Yet he builds each subject on the previous in this sermon on the mount. And so if you look at it in verses 1 through 6, there Christ commanded us not to judge wrongly, but also to make judgments, to be humble and patient, but you could say not too patient. And that is most difficult for sinners to carry out. It seems almost self-contradictory. However, He, our Lord, commands real change in habits that have been longstanding for many. even as for the Jews, who were typically hypercritical. And it might be wondered, who could change so greatly then, and how? Of course, the answer is found, to be found, through prayer by God's enablement. He will certainly give wisdom in judgments, for example. That's a promise, provision, wisdom is promised through prayers in James 1. We ask in faith, He will provide it. And our Heavenly Father will provide for every need of His people as is best. Particularly, every spiritual need God will provide for His children, all those adopted through Christ. And Jesus declares that answers are assured to such believers, answers assured as we ask, seek, and not. Now, beloved, we know that prayer is the chief part of thankfulness, which God requires of us, as said in Heidelberg 116. Yet, as Calvin wrote, we are so slow and lethargic in this exercise of devotion, which should hold first concern for us. First concern to pray. But since we're so slow and lethargic, that explains why Christ's exhortation to pray here is repeated in several ways. Obviously, it's to impress upon us, upon all his disciples, that we are to never weary of asking, seeking, and knocking. Oh, you and I are to persist in bringing our request to the throne of grace as we're commanded to do. And that's clearly why this threefold call to prayer is given and what it teaches us, it's so important for us to hear it. And Jesus says the same thing elsewhere, as we'll see in other contexts, as in Luke 11, 9 and following. Well, the simplest form of the exhortation is, of course, to tell us, ask. Just ask of God. As one commentator said, the three verbs can really be a rising scale of intensity. It is to seek, ask, knock. At any rate, to ask of God means we're to be humble and know our need. That's obvious. The lower one asks of the greater, as the verb indicates. And therefore, you and I cannot be like the Pharisee in Luke 18, that parable, who asked nothing when he came to the temple, but he told God how good he was. We must rather be like the tax collector there who did ask, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And his prayer was answered. He was justified in God's sight, forgiven of his sins, and accepted of the Lord. Well, to ask also means you and I must have personal faith, clearly, in the personal God. Yes, trusting in the Father who can, does, and will answer. And so, fellow believers, let us not be filled with doubts whether He will even hear us. No, you and I are to trust in Christ Jesus. And therefore, when we do that, we can know God will hear and He will answer as is best for us, for you and me. Of course, we must desire God's glory and that good will be done in whatever we ask and with His answers. as in our mission works and in all things. And so the second verb, seeking, that is asking plus acting on it. It is not as if the Lord is far from us and we have to seek him somewhere. He is near, he is close, and yet this means earnest petition that also strives to do accordingly. For example, you cannot just pray to grow in faith but must search the scriptures, learn God's word, attend worship services as you're able, and strive to live in accord with God's will. That is certainly seeking our provisions from our Heavenly Father. We are to urge one another in such ways and, yes, in missions, and pray for them not only on this particular one day a year, Well, the third verb is to knock, and knocking is asking plus acting plus persevering. Consider this for an example. Who goes to another's home, say, to just knock on the door, just does that once, and then walks away if there's no response? I don't think I've ever done that. Have you? No, I've knocked again. And so here the meaning is to keep on knocking until you're answered. That's what Jesus says. And dear ones, just think of it. We come to the door, as it were, of God's kingdom in heaven. We come to his gates in... And so we pray, and so we knock, and perseverance in doing that is clearly met by our Lord in our request. And that's probably also implied with the first two verbs, and so it could be translated, continue to ask, to seek, and to knock. Persistence is obviously meant by knocking at any rate. Well, to illustrate that call to prayer, Christ told a parable of the persistent widow asking for justice from an earthly judge, one who didn't care for people, didn't care to answer or do what he needed to for them, that parable in Luke 18. But their to continue means to beg earnestly, or to show troublesome persistence, has said. He said, she's going to wear me out, I'll answer her. But God is willing, wanting to answer. And so remember, the point is not that our Heavenly Father is unwilling to give to His children And as if our persistence must overcome any reluctance on his part? No, not at all. He merely wants us, you and me, to exercise our faith. And of course, exercise is good for us, whether physically or spiritually. And so truly our Father in Heaven knows what is best for you and me. We do not. We do not. It may be best for us to receive an answer of no, or not yet, or something better. Whatever the circumstances, Christ firmly assures that the persistent petitioner will be answered in some way, answered by the Lord God. And therefore, what can better stir our prayers than to be guaranteed we will be answered in the best ways? Yes, that is what our loving Savior assures to all Christians as we ask in faith. Yes, we must pray in true faith, for prayer without it is an empty, deceptive ritual. But we are rather to have lively enthusiasm in our prayers, it's said. Considering how our Heavenly Father has such affection for us, it's proclaimed to us here. Oh yes, dear ones, we can certainly rely upon His fatherly care. Of course we can, even when Jesus went all the way to the cross for us. Indeed, God will give blessings to His people throughout this lifetime and forever. These blessings we have, even in this world, are what the Father is always eager to give to His beloved children through Christ. Obviously, you and I must then acknowledge our dependence upon him. Knowing our need, trusting our Father in heaven is the evidence of faith that he delights in, that he wants to see in us. That faith gives all glory to the triune God, and it's always fitting and right. Well, notice the Lord's promise shows exact correspondence with the exhortation. That is, he who asks, receives. He who seeks, finds. He who knocks, it will be open to him. Six times the promise of being answered is given there in those verses 7 and 8. And verse 8, it's strengthened with everyone who asks, he who seeks, and to him who knocks, In other words, for those who trust and obey Christ in prayer, not a single person will be unanswered. Again, it may not be just what we want, but we will have an answer. Faithful prayer accompanied by seeking and knocking will be answered for every sincere follower of Jesus Christ. Yes, answers are so assured to believers. They're assured then as our Heavenly Father will give more, more than all others. The certainty that persevering, faithful prayer will be answered as best as declared by our Lord's argument from the lesser to the greater. That is, considering what man will do, then what God will do. And there you and I are to find great encouragement. Encouragement in our prayer life and in following Jesus always. He said, if any man, though evil, will answer the reasonable desires of his son, surely our Heavenly Father, the source of all goodness, will give good things to those who humbly ask of Him. As one said, human fathers can show such care because God puts, quote, a fraction of His care into our hearts. But if these little drops have such effect, What may we hope to see from the inexhaustible ocean itself? Or would God be grudging after enlarging the hearts of man? Certainly not. He will answer far better than men can do or will do. And as for the illustration he uses, you know, bread was commonly baked as a round loaf. and a round stone could appear quite similar. Yet what a cruel deception and mockery it would be to a hungry child to give him something he could not possibly eat. As for fish, you know, that was common food in Israel, especially around the Sea of Galilee. A number of the apostles were fishermen there, and Jesus spent much of his ministry there. I do have pictures I took there of fish showing the same livelihood as followed. Anyway, a serpent might appear somewhat in the shape of a fish. Or if an eel was thought of, that was forbidden to Israel as food, lacking fins and scales, said in Leviticus 11. Or if a poisonous snake was met, that would be most harmful, not helpful. And again, what a cruel mocking, at least, that would be. Well, you see, it is an absurd situation that Jesus describes. For you would expect no earthly father, though evil, unkind, or ungenerous in ways, would mock his child by giving something of no good, instead of what he or she asked. And how very different is our always loving, generous, gracious, heavenly father from sinful men who are sometimes unkind and ungenerous, yet give good to their own. Clearly God will not put off his own in our requests. He will not disappoint his children in our sanctification as most important. However, that does not mean the Father will always give whatever we ask. We've said that. For example, some of our mission works do not succeed, yet others do in His mercy. Well, in all situations, God will not give what is bad for us, but finally what is good for us. Another example, you know, to be Say, to be made so wealthy that we become lazy and arrogant would not be good for us. And perhaps many in our nation and in the world today are to learn that now with inflation and economy troubles. In any case, brothers and sisters, you and I must submit our requests to God's will and seek that alone. And we can do so confidently in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet it said, we must not grumble, quote, if he will not fulfill our ideas. Our ideas, which may not be that bright. As in 1 John 5, 14 and following, our confidence is that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us and he will grant our request. Indeed, God is good to all mankind while in this life. even to those who are not humble, those who are not faithful. He's good to politicians who imagine they can be the answer to all our nation's problems. And they try to say it. He's good to the athlete, perhaps, at the Olympics who celebrates his accomplishments with a prideful pointing to himself or herself. Look at me. Yes. When God is good to all outwardly, how much more will He be so to the humble Christian? We're to come to our Father with reverence and confidence. He will never mock those who have become His adopted children in Christ. Those who are redeemed through His, the Lord's, saving work on the cross, He will provide for, of course. Yes, our God will be so good. He will not withhold what is at least as good as an earthly father gives and all good things come ultimately from him. In fact, God's gifts are always better. Better when coming with his blessing. And again, most often they are spiritual gifts far better than any man can impart. Well, Luke's parallel verse in Luke 11, 13 says, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Yes, dear ones, to have the Holy Spirit is to have cleansing from all our sins and to have eternal life. And obviously there's nothing better than that. His indwelling of believers is the greatest gift to receive as it brings us that salvation while on this earth assurance of acceptance forever with God in the perfect world to come. So above all, God will give the Holy Spirit and all his benefits, and how clearly you and I need faith, sincerity, growing purity, righteousness, humility, and wisdom most of all. Only our Heavenly Father can give these. And we are, as she has said in Matthew 633, to seek first his kingdom and righteousness and all else will be provided to us. Our Lord's promise is that he will do that for his followers. And already giving us the best, God will surely give what is less as well as in our material needs for our good. Again, he loves and cares for us beyond our full comprehension. That is what you and I must say, bear witness to God in that way. Still, he wants us to ask for what we need, and thereby we grow in trust, confidence, and peace in the Lord, and so honor our God. Therefore, how you and I need the Lord's constant help, help also to treat others rightly, We must ask, seek, and knock for that enablement. And through asking, we will find help in relating to others, in making judgments, doing to others as we want done to us as well, rightly. Truly, fellow believers, we must rejoice to have the Almighty God as our Father. He will then do for us far more than all others ever could. Yes, answers to prayer are so assured to all true believers. Then consider how we are to be acting according to the golden rule. Well, as sinners, we can easily, obviously, we can easily think of what we believe we are owed from others. But this rule from Christ tells us how to care for them. And that last action of doing to others as we want done is to us as a golden rule. You could say it's like a measuring tool that can be carried around for quick use when there's no time to consult a friend or search for guidance in a specific situation. And oh, it can refer back to the judgments in verses 1 to 6, for we are to be acting according to it in regard to others. We're to do all of that for Christ commands more than men do. Explain that now some people go so far as you know off the deep end as to say this rule again This golden rule can unite different religions of all the religions of the world. No it cannot But the negative command do nothing to your neighbor that you would not have him do to you was stated by others before Jesus Even Confucius for example the Chinese philosopher of the past said it the Jews also said similarly If you say the negative, that implies the positive, to do to others as you want done to you. But Jesus did more. He commands clearly more. He taught the positive requirements of God's law in this sermon on the mount, as can be seen. And Paul in Romans 13, 9 declares it as well, that the commandments are, quote, all summed up in this saying, namely, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Again, our Lord made it explicit as a positive obligation to do good to others, to show them love as we would want ourselves. I think there's one I read this week said it well, kindness is a sincere desire for the happiness of others. I think that's a wonderful, great definition of kindness. You see, it's not merely showing nice treatment, but actively seeking the best, even showing love to enemies, as Christ commanded. Love to enemies, well, how can you and I ever do that? By praying, of course, and thinking of the ways God our Father has acted toward us with unending kindness. That certainly must motivate you and me, beloved of God, in gratitude to imitate him. Well, we can say there is a certain value. We can admit that to the non-Christians rule as such. And you know, unbelievers, as you said, can do outwardly good things to others, especially to those who do good to them. Said that at the end of Matthew 5. Yet a real difference is that the unbeliever thinks his rule of doing good can be fulfilled in his own strength or with the help of someone or something other than the one true God revealed in Jesus. However, the truth is that we cannot, we cannot love as we ought without God's work within us. And no spiritual good, no pleasing of God is even possible without Christ, without the Holy Spirit to regenerate and give us repentance and faith. Without God's grace, man's obedience can never have his full approval. Truly the grace and spirit of our Lord is absolutely necessary to follow his golden rule. And that, His grace and spirit, that's what only Christians have by His work. So may you and I never ignore the fact that we are to act accordingly with thankfulness for our Savior and Lord who did so toward us. He did so infinitely. Lastly, we are to so act since love for God and man is to be shown. Another difference between Christ's rule and that of unbelievers is that we can never separate love for men from love for God, which they minimize. To the theological liberal Christ's golden rule is, again, the sum and substance of all ethics and all religion, and helping people is all that is important. And yet Jesus taught that we must love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul, mind and strength, and it's second that we are to love people as made in his image. Those who do not heed Christ there may simply say his rule is, you know, it's to our best advantage somehow, like saying honesty is the best policy. It'll be good for us to care for others. And yet Christ said far more, even that his rule is the law and the prophets For yes, the summary of the Law and the Prophets is love, love for God first and man secondly. And so those two Old Testament commandments for such love are what all the Law and the Prophets hang on, depend on. Again, that's what Jesus proclaimed, Matthew 22, 40. He also said he himself came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, Matthew 5, 17. Therefore, Christ obeyed the Father perfectly, and He shows what we want done to us cannot be out of self-centered desires, but what we know is right, even according to God's commandments. Yes, we're to say that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, to follow God's commandments. That's what we want done to us. Well, we could think what fairness there would be among all men if this rule was followed by all. And though it is not so, Christ does his work in our hearts, fellow believers, causing us to trust our loving Heavenly Father who continues to give us the best gifts throughout this life So he determines, so he declares. And for us, as with Jesus, then self-denial and self-sacrifice for others is the model he gave. Yes, following him, that is again the best way for the mission of the church to go forward and for all his disciples in all of life, even following his rule. So in thankfulness for all God does for us, this last verse says, therefore, therefore, or because of our loving, giving Heavenly Father, let us love Him and love our neighbor as we rightly desire to be loved until it reaches the lost around us. And that way you and I will imitate God who does good to all in this world. Yes, seek good from Him in prayer to His honor. and that we may do likewise to others as His mission. Amen. Let us pray together. Oh Heavenly Father, You are the great and glorious God, indeed the triune God, and You call us to seek after You and Your ways, to pray to You, and You will answer. You have promised that again and again. that we are to ask and seek and knock, we're to be persistent, and that you will do what is best for your people, certainly, as you have shown your love to us above all, in the Lord Jesus Christ, in his death and his resurrection, even to pay for our sins. We thank you for your faithfulness, O Lord. May we act according to the golden rule as well, as we care for others, as we want to be treated. May we show that love for you and people made in your image, O Lord God. And may your word of the gospel go forth, even through the prayers and the works of your people, guide and direct us. Again, be with all our mission works and help us to live for you in all things of life, wherever we are. We do pray for your glory and we ask it with the forgiveness of our sins through Christ alone, as we pray it in his name. And now we do pray together as Christ taught us to say, our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. And yet this time we can give of our ties and offerings to the Lord in thankfulness. Oh! Let's turn to our last hymn, 448, as we stand to sing, We Have Heard the Joyful Sound, Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves. We have heard the joyful sound, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. Spread the tidings all around, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. Bear the news to every land, Climb the steeps and cross the waves, Onward is our Lord's command, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. Walked it on the rolling tide, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. Spread the new tethers far and wide, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. Sing ye islands of the sea, echo back ye ocean caves, Earth shall keep her jubilee, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. Sing above the battle strife, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. By His death and endless life, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. Sing it softly through the gloom, when the heart for mercy craves. Sing in triumph for the tomb, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. Give the winds a mighty voice, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. Let the nations now rejoice, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. Shout salvation full and free, highest hills and deepest caves, this our song of victory, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. to receive the Lord's benediction. Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.