From Greenville, South Carolina, we present Let the Bible Speak. Let the Bible Speak is the radio ministry of Faith Free Presbyterian Church, preaching Christ in all his fullness. Welcome once again to a broadcast of Let the Bible Speak. Our speaker is Dr. Alan Cairns, Minister Emeritus of Faith Free Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina. On today's program, Dr. Cairns continues his series of studies in Paul's epistle to the Colossians. The current message is called A Worthy Goal for Every Year, and although it was preached on New Year's Day of 2006, its truths remain applicable for every day of every year. The text is chapter 1, verses 9 through 12, Paul's prayer for the Colossian believers. In expounding this marvelous prayer, Dr. Cairns has been setting forth a series of goals which ought to characterize the life of every child of God. He has emphasized the need for progress in the Christian life. In addition, there is the seeking after the fullness which God desires for His people. Then Paul prayed that those believers might live holy lives, separated from the wickedness all around them. He desired them to walk worthy of the Lord and to all pleasing. In other words, the chief end of the Christian's life should be to live in the center of God's will, pleasing the Lord rather than men. In this final portion of the message, Dr. Cairns explains how to achieve these worthy goals. The secret is spending time with God in His Word and in prayer. Before Dr. Cairns concludes the message, we invite your attention to a devotional thought from the writings of the great English preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, as found in his Faith's Checkbook. Our devotional for today is entitled Sure-Footedness. The text is found in Habakkuk 3, verse 19. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. This confidence of the man of God is tantamount to a promise, for that which faith is persuaded of is the purpose of God. The prophet had to traverse the deep places of poverty and famine, but he went downhill without slipping, for the Lord gave him standing. By and by he was called to the high places of the hills of conflict, and he was no more afraid to go up than to go down. See, the Lord lent him strength. Nay, Jehovah himself was his strength. Think of that. The Almighty God himself becomes our strength. Note that the Lord also gave him sure-footedness. The hinds leap over rock and crag, never missing their footing. Our Lord will give us grace to follow the most difficult paths of duty without a stumble. He can fit our foot for the crags, so that we shall be at home, where apart from God we should perish. One of these days we shall be called to higher places still. up yonder we shall climb, even to the mount of God, the high places where the shining ones are gathered. Oh, what feet are the feet of faith, by which, following the hind of the morning, we shall ascend into the hill of the Lord! When my way seems dark and drear And the future I don't know My heart feels so empty As the tears I'm bending flow When my heart breaks with sorrow and a tempest fills my soul, this one thing I know for sure, my God is in control. His way is perfect. His way is perfect. Though I don't understand His wise and loving man, His way is perfect. Makes no mistakes, his way is best. His way is best. When the toils of life are come and my heart is worn with care, lifings meet the burden of a cross I cannot bear. When the joy has departed from my sorrow's triumph song, My God is in control. His wise and loving friend. His way is perfect. His way is perfect. There's no mistakes This way is best This way is best This way is best This way You're listening to Let the Bible Speak, the radio ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America. We continue to receive encouraging response to these broadcasts, and we want you to know that we are very grateful to those of you who take the time to contact us. Among the various publications which we offer on these programs, the most popular is the quarterly Let the Bible Speak magazine. The principal focus of the current issue is the Gospel of Luke. The articles include Luke, The Man and His Message, A Primer on Prayer, The Parables, and Following Christ, the Meaning of Discipleship. Also, this issue contains another in a series of articles about the Founding Fathers of the Free Presbyterian Church, focusing this time on Dr. John Douglas. You may have a free copy of the magazine simply by asking for it. Our mailing address is Let the Bible Speak, 1207 Haywood Road, Greenville, SC 29615. You may email us at ltbs at freeprez.org. That's ltbs at freeprez.org. Or you may telephone us toll free at 866-877-LTBS. That's 866-877-5827. Also, if you enjoy the program, you may like to visit our website, LetTheBibleSpeakRadio, or ltbsradio.com. Don't forget the word radio, ltbsradio.com. In this connection, we'd like to call your attention to a series of video features on the website. In these video clips, Dr. Alan Cairns answers questions from both believers and non-believers regarding various issues, such as, How do we know the Bible is the Word of God? what is the unpardonable sin, or what's wrong with same-sex marriage. These video portions are listed under Q&A with Alan Cairns. You're sure to find these presentations to be informative and enlightening. Q&A with Alan Cairns is found on ltbsradio.com. You. 2A 3.30 x (-0.001") StSq3 3.30 (-0.99)" Let me ask you, are you walking in a manner that is worthy of Him? unto all pleasing. That is in a manner and with a view to pleasing Him in all things." Pleasing Him in your private life when there's not an eye upon you. Pleasing Him in your home life. Pleasing Him in your business life. Pleasing Him in your words, your thoughts, your actions. pleasing God in every area. Contrast what Paul says later in this epistle in chapter 3, verse 22, where he says, servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as man-pleasers. And the word man-pleasers is the same root as this word that we are looking at now, pleasing, him in all things. the men-pleasers to mean putting on a show, and that's not what you're to do. Hypocrisy is the enemy of Christianity. But the word in classical Greek usage is interesting. This men-pleasers has the idea of cravenly bowing before someone, giving obsequious obedience to someone. And the command is, don't cower before the world. Don't play the coward. Don't bow the knee to the world. but set out by the grace of God this year and each year, this day and each day, set out to please God in Christ in every area, no matter what the world may think or no matter what the world may say. He says, His will is holiness, knowing the will of God, holiness, walking before God, and then holiness in your work for God, verse 10, being fruitful in every good work. That is, increasing in your productivity for God and increasing in your fruitfulness in the work of God. Now, that's the goal. I leave it with you. And I will simply say that if you look at verses 10, the last line of verse 10 through 11 and into 12, Paul tells you how to reach there, by knowing God more and more fully. Knowing the Lord, that's spending time with Him. That's meditating on His Word. by experiencing His power to strengthen us. You say, preacher, I can't do these things. You're dead right you can't. Neither can I. But you can be strengthened, according to verse 11, with all might, according to His glorious power. And as a result, you'll be able to patiently endure whatever comes your way this year. Before I went to sleep last night, I was thinking, we just entered a new year, what will this year bring? And I thought, whatever it may be, life or death, health or sickness, gain or loss, whatever it may be, this year will bring nothing but what the all-wise providence and goodness and purpose of our Father in heaven has decreed. He does all things well. And with that knowledge strengthening us, we can patiently endure and have the joy of the Lord despite our trials. "The joy of the Lord does not necessarily eradicate our trials and our sufferings, but it gives us the inner light, the inner glow, the inner pleasure, so that we can say with Paul, though the outward man is perishing, the inward man is renewed day by day. And therefore, we will live, as verse 12 says, with a spirit of thankfulness because of what the Lord has done. And there's a beautiful statement here that I leave you to think about. He has made us meet He has qualified us ultimately for heaven. Can you imagine that? Qualified for communion with God. Qualified for entrance to the throne. Qualified for a place in glory. I'm qualified for heaven and all of grace. Think of it. What is it that qualifies a person for a place at God's right hand? It's the very righteousness that took Christ there And that's what God has imputed to all His people. Believing in Him, that's what qualifies as for glory. We can certainly be thankful for what He has done and for what He's going to do, for we have an inheritance of the saints in light. That lot which is the portion of the saints in light. Now, it's ours now. We're a wee bit like the son of a very rich man. we have an inheritance in trust for us. The billions are still when we reach our majority. But at the moment, we're more than comfortably looked after. We are already enjoying the first fruits of that inheritance. We're walking in the light as He is in the light. we're going home to glory, to the fullness of that inheritance of the saints in light. Now, friends, here is the goal for you. This can be your life this year. It can be my life this year. It can be the life of this church this year, because this is a realistic goal. As I thought of this last night, I coined a line that I think I'll try to remember for future use. Growth is attainable because grace is available. Whatever comes this year, there's grace, and because grace is available. growth is attainable. Now Paul prayed, Lord, let these people make progress. Let these people enjoy fullness. Lord, let these people live in holiness. This was his prayer. Let us make it our prayer. And the same Lord, who is rich over all, unto all that call upon Him, will hear us pray for ourselves, as He heard Paul pray for others." A worthy goal. May the Lord set that goal before you this morning, and by His grace may we all live to see it fulfilled. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Let us all pray. Father in heaven, bless Thy Word, how we thank Thee that there is grace and that we may therefore grow. Oh, we want to make progress. Take us forward. Lord, let us not stall or stagnate. take us forward, onward, still, and upward. Gracious God, we pray that as a church we'll make progress this day, this week, this month, this year, and we'll keep on making progress. Lord, bless our individual lives. Bless our families. Oh, what progress we need to see there. Lord, we need to see every family completed in Christ. We need to see fathers and mothers living their lives in the fullness of Christ, in the holiness that grace alone enables. Lord, we pray, bless our families. We commend this all to Thee. Lord, we ask Thee indeed that we may be filled with the very fullness of the knowledge of our God and of His will, so that we may walk before Thee unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, strengthened according to God's or Christ's glorious power, to be able to endure with joy and give thanks in the prospect of eternal glory. Hear our prayer. Part us with Thy blessing. Keep us in Thy fear. Be the abiding portion of all Thy blood-bought people. We ask these things in Jesus' name. and through the merits of His precious blood. Amen. You've been listening to Let the Bible Speak, the radio ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America. We hope that you've enjoyed and benefited from today's program. We're here as your servants for Christ's sake. If we can be of any further help to you in the things of God, We invite you to contact us. If you would like to receive our booklet, A New Beginning, a booklet that sets forth God's way of salvation in clear, concise, and biblical ways, you may have it free of charge, simply for the asking. Our mailing address is Let the Bible Speak, 1207 Haywood Road, Greenville, SC 29615. That's Let the Bible Speak. 1207 Haywood Road, Greenville, SC 29615. If you wish, you may call us toll free at 1-866-877-LTBS. That's 1-866-877-5827. You may email us at info at faithfpc.org. That's info at faithfpc.org. Also, we invite you to visit our website at www.faithfpc.org. If you would be interested in considering the establishment of a free Presbyterian church in your area, by all means let us know. Once again, you may call us toll free at 1-866-877-5827. On behalf of Dr. Alan Cairns, this is Charles Kelch saying thank you for listening and inviting you to join us Monday through Friday at this same time as we let the Bible speak.