And with that, good morning and welcome to Bay Presbyterian Church. It's good to see you all. Glad that you're here with us. Glad to have those of you who have joined us online that you can participate with us in this wonderful activity that is the worship of God on the Lord's Day. So welcome one and all. If you have not before and would be willing to, we would be delighted if you would fill out a welcome card and place it in an offering plate that will be passed in a little while. Also let us know if you have any interest in joining the church. Several of you have been attending for some time and maybe you've been kicking the tires. I won't say smoking it over because that would be politically incorrect. but been checking us out and would have an interest in joining the church, please indicate that on the card or otherwise speak to me or let us know in some way. You'd be surprised how many ways we can receive messages like that. And would love to talk with you more about that. But do wanna welcome one and all, we are just delighted to have you. I just want to point out again, our screens are not working. It's probably going to be after the first week of December before we get these back up and going, but the wheels are in motion and things are in process, so Lord willing, we'll get there. In the meantime, we get to worship the way our forefathers did, just with things that are in front of us. Remind the ladies, you have your Bible study on Wednesday at 10. Men, we have an early morning study on Thursdays at 6.30. Would love to have you be a part of those if you would like to be a part of them. On this coming Thursday evening, we will have one final Thursday night Bible study for the year. We'll have a final installment in the series of giving thanks with a grateful heart, and hope that you can be a part of that at 6.30 this Thursday evening. Want to remind you, Sunday, November the 24th, and if I'm not mistaken, that's one week from today, Around 3 o'clock we're going to decorate the church building. Hanging of the greens. Would love to have you be a part of that with us. More hands make lighter work and hope that you can join us in making everything look pretty with Christmas things. Ladies, remember the Bay Ladies Christmas Lunch coming up on December the 4th. Remember to RSVP. Sign-ups are in your bulletin. Rachel has told us about this. Do you want to say any more? It looks like this, if it fell out of your bulletin and you can't find it, just take the one from your husband and it will be all right. Or some other neighbor next to you and fill that out and turn it in and we'd be grateful. I do happen to know, just FYI, there will be no choir practice for the next two Tuesdays. So just be aware of that, as Gordon has already let us know. But if you are thinking about joining us, just know there will be no choir rehearsal until December the 3rd, I believe is correct. That's correct. Okay. Thereabouts. So those are just some things that I have to mention. I hope I'm not overlooking anything. Nobody's looking at me with that deer in the headlights expression, so I'm grateful for that. I do want to mention, Pastor Greg will pray about this a little later, but please be in prayer for Becky Hamm and her family. Becky's sister, Molly, went home to be with the Lord just this past week. Your niece, Molly, Becky's niece, Molly, went home to be with the Lord just this past week, and so I believe her in the Lord Jesus, but Becky will be going up for that service, so please, please pray for her and her family. And by way of praise, so grateful that yesterday the Pregnancy Resource Center of Southwest Florida had a record turnout for Walk for Life. Over 800 people, twice the number that turned out last year. Don't have final stats yet, but when you think about the number of lives saved and the number of professions of faith that have occurred to date this year, to God be the glory for that wonderful and vital ministry, but how wonderful it was to participate. Coral actually came and hung out with Kathy and me. She wasn't ashamed to do that. That's why I take Kathy with me to such things. And it was such a joy to be a part of that. But do want to give praise to the Lord for that wonderful, successful event. And now, in as much as we have gathered here, oh, how grateful we are that while you may be seated where you are, this is 26911 South Bay Drive, Bonita Springs. That's your current address. But you are seated with Christ Jesus in the heavenly realms. That's your real address. So let us worship the Lord this day, mindful that with him is where we belong and with us he now dwells. ♪ The mountain range ♪ Good morning, everyone. Would you please join me in our call to worship? This morning, it's inside the cover of your bulletin. And today we are reading from Psalm 33. Shout for joy in the Lord. Oh, you righteous. Praise befits the upright. Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully on the strings. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. Look to your song sheets or turn to hymn number 562 as we stand and sing together. Rejoice, ye pure in heart. ♪ Rejoice, ye pure in heart ♪ ♪ Rejoice, give thanks and sing ♪ ♪ Your festal banner wave on high ♪ ♪ Across the Christ your King ♪ ♪ Rejoice, rejoice ♪ ♪ Rejoice, give thanks and sing ♪ With all the angel choirs, with all the saints adored, your love constrains a joyful bliss to rapture noble spirit. Rejoice! Rejoice in thanks and sing. Yes, on through life's long path, still chanting as we go, from youth to age by night and day, in gladness and in woe, rejoice. and sing. ♪ Still there's your standards high ♪ ♪ Still marching firm, the brave ♪ ♪ As warriors through the darkest days ♪ ♪ Till dawn's a golden day ♪ ♪ Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice ♪ Let us pray. O Lord, we approach your throne with reverence and awe, knowing that you are the creator of heaven and earth and everything in it, and a source of all truth and wisdom. We confess our dependence upon you, for apart from you we can do nothing. We beseech you now, O Lord, to be with us in this time of worship. Illuminate our hearts and minds by your Holy Spirit, that we might rightly understand your word and apply it to our lives. As we open the scriptures, we pray that you would grant us insight and understanding. Be with Pastor Patrick, Lord, as he exposits your word to us. For your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Remove all distractions, Lord, and help us to focus on your truth, that it might take deep root in our hearts and bear fruit in our lives. We desire not only to know your word, but to live according to it, that we might glorify you in all things. Lord, we confess that we are weak, but you are strong. We are foolish, but you are all-knowing. Be our guide and teacher. May your presence with us this morning transform us, heal us, and renew our minds that we might be conformed more to the image of Christ. Fill us with your peace that we might go out into the world as your faithful witnesses. We pray, Lord, together now, as you taught your disciples, saying, 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. Please be seated. This is the reading of the Word of God, Acts 1, 1 through 11. In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said, you heard from me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel? He said to them, it is not for you to know times or seasons that the father has fixed by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. And when he had said these things as they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. We'll continue our worship with the giving of our tithes and offerings if we could have the ushers come forward. Let's pray. Gracious and faithful God, we come before you with thankful hearts, recognizing that all we have is from your hand and by your grace and mercy. You are the giver of every good gift, and we acknowledge that our time, talents, and treasures belong to you. As we bring our offerings today, we remember your word. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, and we are merely stewards of the resources that you have entrusted us with. Lord, help us to give generously and cheerfully as you have instructed to the kingdom. May our offerings be used for the furthering of your kingdom, the spread of the gospel, the protection of the as yet unborn, and the care of those in need. Stir our hearts, Lord, to give not out of obligation, but out of gratitude for all that you have done for us through Christ. For your grace and mercy have been poured out on us despite our being undeserving. May our giving reflect our realization of these facts and our desire to be obedient. We pray that our gifts would reflect your glory and advance your purposes in this world. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Choir, please come forward. There is a Redeemer Jesus Christ, Lord Son Precious Lamb of God Thank you, Lord our Father, for giving us your Son. And lead your spirit in the Word. Jesus, my Redeemer, name above all names. Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, O sinner slain. Thank you, O my Father, for giving us your Son, and leading your spirit to the Word of God. And what can we do but we can give thanks. Would you take those sheets and let's give thanks to the Holy One. Would you stand to your feet please. Give thanks. Sing together. Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks to the Holy One. Give thanks because he's given Jesus Christ his Son. Give thanks to the Holy One. Give thanks because He's given. I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us. And now let the weak say, I am strong. Let the poor say, I am rich because of what Give thanks. And now let the weak say, I am strong. Let the poor say, I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us. or say, I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us. Give thanks. Give thanks. Give thanks. Amen. Please be seated. As you do so, I always think we should pause to remember moments like this because we will remember this, we will enjoy one another's company as we worship the true and living God when we all get to heaven. What a great time that will be. If you'll take out your from your bulletins, our prayer sheet, Pick out a few names there to particularly focus your prayer on, maybe names you haven't prayed for before. I'll wait a few moments and then pray on our behalf to the true and living God. Oh Lord, I ask that you hear the prayers of your people. Lord, we have a piece of paper and written on that. Our names with requests insofar as we know them. But more importantly, Lord, your name is written on our hearts. And it is through Jesus. That we approach the throne with our requests. Lord, how cognizant we are of your grace and your mercy. That you have appointed civil magistrates, first responders, and in many ways, the unfortunate need for law enforcement and military personnel. Lord, would you bless them and keep them. Would you help them to understand that they are your hands and feet in the roles you've appointed them to? Lord, there are many medical and health concerns. Rising to the top in our minds is the mixed sadness and yet joy that Becky and her family feel over the passing of her niece, Molly. Lord, I know full well that you give peace beyond any understanding. And would you comfort them with the joy that she has graduated to the mansion in heaven provided by you for her. Lord, there are others in our congregation, stated and unstated, We have medical problems or spouses with medical problems or concerns over medical problems. Lord, would you comfort. Would you cause others of us to come alongside and encourage to do what we can. And Lord, with the realization that every place we go into, whether a hospice or a hospital or to our workplaces, they are, in essence, opportunities you have given us to live out your word and to share your word. Help us to do so, Lord. Father, I also want to provide prayers of praise for the report we heard about the Pregnancy Resource Center. Lord, you have so resourced the kingdom. Now, Lord, give us generous hearts. that we might help those in need, those doing your work. Lord, so many, so many prayer requests come to mind. Would you be with Pastor Andre and his wife Angie as they continue to minister in a place of danger? Would you be with the Kellams and Dillers and bless them, Lord, for their ministries at Brookdale and at the Terraces? For the men who go into the Collier County Jail for weekly Bible studies, Lord, would you bring others alongside them to join in? And Lord, would you be with Westminster? They have announced, Lord, that they intend to make attendance at the seminary tuition-free, that anybody called of God would not have to hesitate to go into ministry because of financial concerns. Lord, would you abundantly resource them. And Lord, we have our own needs here at this church. Lord, would you allow generosity to bring forth fruit that we might continue our own witness here in Bonita Springs. Lord, we're thankful that you do answer prayer. We're thankful for your word. And as I prayed before, Lord, would you now be with our pastor as he opens up the word of God, for it is by that word that we live and breathe and have our being. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Thank you, Doctor, so much. Well, last week I threw one down on you. Pretty heavy. A couple of you made a comment about that on the way out the door. It made me think about an old farmer in New England years and years ago. On a very snowy, icy Sunday, he'd showed up for church, and being a staunch Calvinist, he was determined that the worship service would take place whether anybody showed up or not, and one farmer did. And so the pastor went ahead with the service, everything, right down to the offering, and the entire sermon, every word. The pastor at the end of the service, after pronouncing the benediction, went to the door, the farmer came, and the pastor shook hands with him, and the pastor said, well, you're probably wondering why I did all of that. He said, but wouldn't you, if you went out to feed your cows, and you only had one show up, wouldn't you feed that cow? And the farmer said, well, I reckon I would, pastor, but I wouldn't give him the whole load. So maybe so. I received one of the finest compliments on a message this past week after preaching that and posting it on Facebook. Facebook summarily took it down and said it violated their community standards. And I said, praise the Lord, I must have said something right. But God is gracious. And he gives us his word. And today, I want to take you to a place of rejoicing. Psalm 67, often referred to as the missionary psalm. I'd like to challenge you today with it. And hopefully, it will bring to mind reason for you to rejoice and give thanks. Because joy has come to the world. Psalm 67, beginning with verse one. hear the word of the Lord. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you. The earth has yielded its increase. God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us. Let all the ends of the earth fear him. And as the grass withers and the flower fades, yet the word of the Lord shall stand forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached to you. Amen. Why give so much money to missions when we need the money here? That's a question from a pastor. to his session at a PCA church questioning why they were giving tens of thousands of dollars to those who were carrying the gospel elsewhere when money was needed for programs and events in that very place. Parents of one man who answered the call to missions along with his wife Believing the Lord was calling them to go to Japan, parents, who did not want to see their grandchildren, by the way, go halfway around the world, said, why would you waste your life on such a foolish endeavor? And yet, answer the call they did, and to Japan they went. There are all kinds of reasons that people give us for seemingly not sharing our faith or not spending so much resources on those who are ministering elsewhere. Why bother? Well, for one thing, the Lord Jesus said, go and make disciples of all the nations. He didn't give us an option. As we heard read in our scripture reading this morning, you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth. Jesus didn't give us the option of choosing which of those locales to be witnesses in, but all of them at the same time, beginning right here in Bonita Springs, and to Florida, and to the United States, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. That's enough. That's all we really need to know, right? Kids learn that in Sunday school. Why do it? Because Jesus said so. That ought to be enough. But the other reason, I believe, is right here. At least one other reason here in Psalm 67. Joy. We're proclaiming joy to the world, literally. We are giving the nations a reason to rejoice. But what I want to point out to you is this. The good news will spread and God's kingdom will grow, whether you participate in it or not. You see, the purposes of God will not be diminished in the slightest if you fail to participate with Him in the endeavor. You are the one who will lose out, because there's not only joy in knowing Jesus, there's joy in being involved in the great endeavor that would have Jesus proclaimed everywhere, by everyone. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world. That's not the prognostication of some self-proclaimed prophet in the church today. That's the Lord Jesus, our high prophet, who unequivocally said, and this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. As I have said before, our focus oftentimes is on those Events, whether it's a hurricane barreling toward us offshore, I'm glad we do not have that happening right now. Earthquakes, wars, all the things that captivate the attention of those who report the news or try to make it. Longing for a day when real journalism will come back. That's where our attention is often focused, but Jesus said, You know, don't get caught up in all the chicken littles who are running around saying, the sky is falling. The real thing we need to be looking at is the fact that the gospel is being preached in more and more places. Do you know that there are now more evangelical Christians in Iran than there are in the nation of Italy? Do you know why? Because people are taking the gospel at great risk to their lives. Why? because they're having the joy of sharing Jesus, even though they do it at great risk, and seeing others come to a saving knowledge of Christ is increasing that joy. Malachi, the prophet, some people jokingly call him Malachi, the Italian prophet, but it's Malachi. Malachi 111. For from the rising of the sun to its setting, my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. You see, being a part of the great endeavor that is world missions and world evangelization and the proclaiming of Jesus everywhere is participating with God in an endeavor that he is intensely interested in. It is going to happen. Let there be no doubt, inasmuch as God is determined to give His only Son, His most treasured possession, so that we might have everlasting life, His determination is that the world will know about His Son. And we who have received the Lord Jesus, the most precious, unspeakable gift that God has ever given, why would we want to do any less then pray and work and give that the world would know about him. Yes, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, my name will be great among the nations. And in the revelation, chapter 14, verses 6 and 7, as the apostle John granted that glorious vision of heaven itself He sees an angel flying directly overhead with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth. Imagine that. When you're sharing the gospel, you're sharing the same thing that that angel was carrying overhead, that eternal gospel. Hey, there's no expiration date. When you look at the shelf life of the gospel, unlike the cans of soup you have on your shelf or the milk in your refrigerator, there's no expiration date. The gospel is eternal. What was good news in the first century A.D. remains good news in the 21st century, and it's ours to proclaim. If an angel was tasked with it, and oh, how I would like to fly overhead sometime, especially when I'm on I-75 and there's a traffic jam. I'd love just to be able to zim up and say, hey, what's going on up there? No, in all seriousness, overhead with his eternal gospel. It's the same gospel we have. proclaimed to those who dwell on earth to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, fear God and give him glory because the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water. Notice in our text, first of all, may God be gracious to us and bless us. and make his face shine upon us in reference to the Levitical or Aaronic benediction that I use most often that we find in scripture and numbers, a reference to God being gracious, of God blessing us. Think of it. When we bless God, we're using words. But when God blesses us, there are far more than words involved. He grants us life and breath and all things. shelter over our heads, clothes on our backs, loving friends, church in which to worship, manifold blessings that we cannot begin to number. As we enter into this season of Thanksgiving, be mindful that the activity of Thanksgiving in Scripture is a supreme act of worship, not merely words, not merely a sentimental expression. The first time that the word Thanksgiving is used in the Bible is in Leviticus, and it's a It's a very particular way of worshiping God and bringing bread by way of sacrifice. It is an act of worship. Why? Because God has blessed us. He's been gracious to us. Why should we do anything other than be thankful unto Him and to bless His name? And He's made His face shine upon us. I mean, He's beaming toward us. We've all got, perhaps, Many of us have pictures of kids and grandkids on refrigerators and other places. You know, I've got this little picture frame in my study that a kid's made a present for me, to me, and, you know, pictures just come up there all the time. It's not very economical because it destroys my work sometimes. I'll be typing along there and all of a sudden there's a little grandson popping up there with a smile on his face and all the work stops. The keys stop moving and just look at that. And if there was a camera in the room, I'm sure my face would be beaming. You know how that works. I remember years ago watching a basketball game and I remember the team that was behind had only seconds to score, and you've seen this scenario played out numerous times. The kid who hardly ever got the ball, who hardly ever got a chance to shoot, had just crossed the half-court line toward the goal as the seconds were ticking out, and he shot that ball, and it arced, and it went straight into the net. It was a swoosh. And of course, everybody on his team, our team, stood up and cheered. I was actually on the opposite side of the court. I had gone out to get popcorn, as I recall, which is always an essential thing when watching an event. And I remember looking over at our stands from that opposite side, and everybody was cheering. But there was one lady in the middle of it all, whose face was beaming and I could see tears were streaming down her face, and nobody had to tell me that that was his mama. Listen, his face shines upon you. Can you think of anything more wonderful than that? Me? With all that I've done, all my failures and all my sins? Yes, because you're in his son. His most treasured possession. And that means you've become part of His most treasured possession, as all of those in Christ have bestowed upon them the love and favor of God. So when we bless God, what we get is His blessing, which is so much more than words. And we want the whole world to know that. Now, we know everybody won't come to a saving knowledge of Christ. But insofar as many will come to know him, that's all the more people who get to experience the joy. You know, many people economically make a severe mistake when they look at our economy and they think, well, there's only so many resources to go around. So if somebody's got more than somebody else, then we've got to take that something from them so that others can share in that. You know where I am going with that. Marxism has gained traction like nobody's business in our culture. But Adam Smith and others who understood economics in a different way have taught us, and they're right, that we don't have a static economic pie, which never grows, and so if somebody has more, it's only because somebody has less, and in order for the person to have less, the person who has more needs to give it up. It is a growing economic pie that more and more people get to benefit from. Well, whether you buy into that or not, what you need to understand is this, is that God's blessings are unlimited. It's not as though once a certain fixed number of people in the world today come to know him, God has to put up a sign that says, that's it. No more vacancy. No more resources available. Check back later. Now, ultimately, he knows the number, and ultimately, he knows everyone who's going to come to know him, but that's for God to know. From our perspective, we don't have to worry about his blessings and resources running out, nor the source of joy. People everywhere can know the joy of knowing the Lord, and it's our longing to see them experience that joy in the worship of God. that his way, your way, O Lord, may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you. As the kingdom grows, joyful worship will increase. We've had joyful worship here today. It's hard. You know, Gordon, for some reason, wants to be up there in the choir, and I'm thankful for the privilege, but you know, sometimes I'm just pretty worthless up there. We were singing that last stanza up there as a redeemer. And I thought about this past year, suddenly, I thought of my mother, and I thought of my Aunt Rose, and I thought of a whole host of other people. When I stand in glory, and I shall see, and I dropped out somewhere along about then, you didn't notice it, but there was a bass not doing his part there. I just got so choked up, my throat just clenched on me. But it was joyful. Because I've got every confidence they are in his presence. And as good as our worship here is, if I may use something for the vernacular, you ain't seen nothing yet. We want the world to know that joy. Because you see, once sin entered into the world, what was the consequence of it? Misery. Adam and Eve ate that forbidden fruit, believing the lie that they would become as gods, but they didn't become as gods. What they became was ashamed. What they became was separated from God in a way that they hadn't been up until then. And there was shame, and there was sin, and there was misery, and it wasn't long before there was murder, and one crime after another, and we've been experiencing the consequences ever since. And Jesus has come into the world to save us from that, to replace that misery with his joy. And that's what we want the world to know. We're not trying to subjugate or colonize. We want the world to know the joy of knowing Jesus, because Jesus has come to bring that joy. Isaac Watts got it right, and we'll sing it later into the season. Joy to the world, the Lord has come. We want the world to know. Psalm 22, 27 to 28. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. God is the ruler yet. And the more people who come to know him, the more worshipers there are. You see, that's the end of it all, that God in sharing his son has made it possible for us to share in the joy. Remember the Lord Jesus endured the worst death that the world has ever known as he bore upon himself the wrath of God, separated in darkness, actual and spiritual. And in those last hours of life, he cried out, Lama, lama sabachthani, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? He said that in order that we might never have to say it in the way that he did. Why did he endure all of that? Writer of Hebrews tells us, for the joy that was set before him, the joy. the joy of seeing the victory, the joy of seeing the success, the joy of redeeming a people unto himself. And that joy he shares with us so that the Apostle Paul in the course of his ministry, even though he endured great suffering because of the gospel of Christ, had rejoicing in his heart. The book of Philippians, a letter that he wrote while he was under arrest, chained to a Praetorian guard, yet he continually uses the word joy and rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say rejoice, Philippians. Paul and Silas, ministering the gospel in Philippi, opposed vehemently, beaten severely to within an inch of their lives. Yet with those profound wounds and that unspeakable pain, about midnight they were singing hymns to God and rejoicing to Him and the ground shook and the doors flew open and the jailer said, I'm done for. and pulled out his sword and was ready to commit suicide to save his superiors the trouble of wielding their own toward him. Paul and Silas said, hey, don't do that, we're still here. And the jailer cried out, what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, you and your household. You see, the joy that God gives us doesn't have a shelf life. Even in the worst of circumstances, in the hardest of difficulties, as we rejoice unto the Lord, the jailers are watching. Those who are opposed to the gospel cannot overcome the power that is at work within us. And they don't really have a rational explanation for the joy, except we have it in Christ. And that witness is profound. As the kingdom grows, the joyful worship of God will increase. It is going to happen. And so we live in a time, we live in a particular location in a geography when it seems as if fewer people are attending worship. That is not the case. That's just happening where we are at the moment. The number of worshipers is increasing. I've already referenced Iran a number of times. There are other places in the world where the church is growing, where they can't build buildings large enough for people to meet in. You see, there's nothing deficient about the gospel. The gospel is still the power of God and the salvation to everyone who believes. And so in seeking to do God's will and proclaiming that gospel, people are being born again, and they are experiencing the joy. And so we proclaim also, let the nations be glad and sing for joy. Glorifying God is our greatest joy. Yes, there's fun and enjoyment when a grandchild scores a goal in a soccer game or when our favorite group is featured on a television program or oh, just fill in the blank. All the things that can bring us joy and all those experiences are so temporary. Sure, our team might have won yesterday, but then there's next week, or there's next month, or there's next year when things are not going to go well. Yet knowing God and glorifying God is a joy that goes on and on and on. No one can take it from you. Psalm 144, 15. Blessed, happy in a profound way are the people to whom such blessings fall. Blessed, happy are the people whose God is the Lord. You see, as the world and those in the world come to know the Lord Jesus, there is joy unspeakable. And that joy overflows. Yesterday at the Walk for Life, there was so much joy. As we heard reports about the number of babies saved this last year and people making professions of faith, oh, there was joy. It wasn't like some political event where people were there saying, oh, we're taking it to those people that don't believe the way we do. It wasn't that. No desire to dominate, no desire to rule or to have our political perspective trounce them. It's rejoicing. Lives are being saved. Souls are being saved. God is being glorified. Oh, the joy of knowing that and the joy of knowing Christ. Revelation 19, seven, let us rejoice and exalt and give him the glory for the marriage of the lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready. That glorious view of that moment when the consummation occurs, when Christ returns and suddenly everything will be as it ought to be and that joy will know no end. What we experience now is just a foretaste of that and that's what the psalmist saw a thousand years before Jesus came. Let the nations be glad, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you. In glorifying God, there is greater enjoyment than we can know anywhere else. Stories abound. I don't know how many of you have ever heard of William Whiting Borden. In 1913, the whole nation knew about him because Bill Borden died of spinal meningitis in Egypt. Why would that matter? Borden was heir to a fortune. His family had literally struck it rich in silver mining in the 19th century. And when he graduated from Chicago High School in the very early 1900s, everyone expected him to be a successful businessman just like his father. And so they sent him on a trip around the world. You know, my senior year, I got to go to Myrtle Beach, but Bill Borden got to go around the world. And he got to experience all those cultures. But you know what happened in that experience? Bill Borden saw that there were people everywhere who did not know the joy of knowing the Lord Jesus, and his heart was absolutely burdened. And he came back home determined to answer the call to missions. And people said, why would you be so foolish as to give up your economic position in order to answer that call? And yet Bill Borden was determined. He wrote a note to himself that simply said, say no to self and yes to Jesus every time. And he wrote in the back of his Bible two words, no reserves. He was willing to give up all of his millions for the cause of Christ. He went to Yale and he faced his first disappointment when the university president spoke in a convocation about the students need to have a fixed purpose. After that speech, Borden wrote, he neglected to say what our purpose should be and where we should get the ability to persevere and the strength to resist temptations. And so Borden was determined to start Bible studies, and those groups grew, and an increasing number of people coming to know the Lord Jesus were rejoicing over a newfound purpose in their lives. Surveying the Yale faculty and much of the student body, he had lamented that he saw as the result of, what was the result of an empty humanistic philosophy, moral weakness and sin-ruined lives. So upon graduation from Yale, he turned down high-paying job offers and wrote two more words in the back of his Bible, no retreats. He went on to Princeton, answered the call to missions to go to China to minister to Muslim people there. He only got as far as Egypt only months after his departure. And as I say, in 1913, he died of spinal meningitis. When the word of his death was cabled back to the US, Mrs. Howard Taylor in her biography notes, a wave of sorrow went round the world. Borden not only gave away his wealth, but himself in a way so joyous and natural that it seemed a privilege rather than a sacrifice. And untold numbers answered the call to missions in the wake of Borden's death. It was not in vain, as other people experienced the joy. Oh, by the way, Prior to his death, Borden had written two more words in the back of his Bible. Under no reserves and under no retreats, he wrote, no regrets. How many can say they have no regrets today? Maybe you know about 1956, when Jim Elliott, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Udarin on the 8th of January were speared to death on a sandbar called Palm Beach in the Curare River of Ecuador. They were trying to reach the Uruani Indians for the first time in history with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Maybe you don't know that those men carried weapons with them. They had firearms. They could have defended themselves successfully. They could have killed every one of those Uruani Indians. But before they left, Nate Sink told his son, Steve, that we will only fire our weapons in the air. We will not shoot the Indians. We are ready for heaven. They are not. Wow. What do you do with that? Their joy of knowing the Lord was so great and their desire for others to know that joy that they were willing to lay down their lives for the cause. Elizabeth Elliott and memorializing her husband, Jim Elliott, who famously had said, by the way, even in his college days at Wheaton, he is no fool who will give up that which he cannot keep in order to retain that which he cannot lose. And in her book, Shadow of the Almighty, drawing the title from Psalm 91 one, he who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide in the shadow of the almighty. joy of sharing Jesus, because there is joy in knowing Jesus, that even in the most supreme sacrifice, there's no real loss. There's only gain. There is entering into the joy of his presence, and no one or no thing can ever take it away. I could tell you about others. In our present day, I think of Dr. Victor Naka, Mission of the World's International Director for Sub-Saharan Africa. A native of Zimbabwe has earned a PhD. Dr. Naka could be successful in any number of endeavors, but his life's ambition is for people in Africa to know the Lord Jesus, because that is where he finds his greatest joy. Two years ago, I was at a meeting of Benita pastors. I was sitting across the table from a young lady who told me how she had had to flee her own country. in her young years, to go to Zimbabwe, where a pastor and his wife undertook to love her and care for her. I know precisely two people from Zimbabwe, and so in one in a 60 million chance, I said, you know, the only two people I know there are Victor and Osidzo Naka. And that young lady screamed with a shriek, and she said, that was them. They took me into their home, and Nacizo used to let me do her hair. She could have gone to a professional, but she let me do it, and they cared for me, and they loved me, and that was 30 years ago, and the Nakas are still doing it, when he could have a much more prestigious position or title. I'm telling you people, the joy is unbounded, and our prayer is that the world will know that joy, which comes from knowing the Lord Jesus, as His grace and mercy are known more widely every day. If you don't believe me, just look up on YouTube, Wycliffe Bible Translators, and look at one of those videos when a new translation of scripture is dedicated in a village where people have never been able to hear the word of God in their own language, and you see those people in great animation jumping and celebrating and shouting unto the Lord. As one man said in one of those videos, God speaks my language. and he has joy like no other. That's why we do what we do. And I pray that you know that joy today because that comes from knowing Christ, the greatest source of joy the world will ever know. And you know what? You'll never get over it. You can get over COVID, flu, cold. You can get over yesterday's ball game victory or defeat. You will never get over the joy of knowing Jesus if you really know him. May God bless you to know that and know him today. Father in heaven, we praise you, O Lord. Oh, let all the people's praise you and let the nations be glad and sing for joy as the great news about our savior is known far and wide. Father, we thank you that we have a redeemer. and we pray that our voices may join together with all things now living and give praise to whom it is due. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the one true and living God, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, to you alone and always be all praise, honor, and glory. We bless your name even as your face shines on us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Let's stand together and sing, let all things now living. Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving to God the creator triumphantly. and made us, protected and stayed us, who guides us at least to the ends of our days. His banners are o'er us, his light will be for us, a pillar of life shining shadows have vanished and darkness is vanished as forward we travel from light into light. His law he enforces, the stars and their courses, the sun in its orbit. The hills and the mountains, our rivers and fountains, the deep of the ocean, proclaim him divine. Tutu should be voicing our love and rejoicing with glad adoration, a song that And so may the Lord bless you and keep you and cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and may the Lord lift up unto you his countenance and give you his peace both now and forevermore and everyone said together