I can assure you. Good to be with you again and thank you very much indeed for the welcome. It was just interesting that two weeks before Barbara went to be with the Lord, I had a letter from her and she was asking for one of the books. I sent it to her, and she said, oh, she says, thank you so much. And you know, that letter's very precious now. Just to think that her thoughts were on other things, as often they were. So it brings back a nice memory there. Well, let's just bow together in prayer, shall we, as we commit this service into God's hands. Our loving Heavenly Father, We do thank you for this privilege of meeting together this morning on your day. Thank you for this day of all the days the best. This day when we can just experience a little heaven on earth. Thank you for this oasis, this weekly break in our life from the rush of activity that we're so involved with. and we pray that this day will be a blessing to each one of us and may bring glory to your holy name. Hear us now, for Jesus' sake. Amen. Well, let's turn to our first hymn, number 58. Hymn number 58, Glory be to God the Father, Glory be to God the Son, glory be to God the Spirit, great Jehovah, three in one. Glory be to God the Father, glory be to God the Son. Glory be to God the Spirit, great Jehovah, three in one. Glory, glory, glory, my eternal pages turn. Glory be to him who loved us, washed us from this spot and saved. Glory be to him who bought us, made us kings, with him to reign. Glory, glory, to the land that once was slain. Glory to the King of Angels, glory to the King of Angels. Glory to the King of Nations and the King of Princes brave. Glory, glory, glory, glory to the King of glory brave. Master, what love angels sing. Honor, riches, power, dominion, blessings his creations bring. Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory to the newborn King. We're going to turn to prayer again, but I want to just read a psalm. I love the psalms. With that, I'll be a good Scotsman, but I think the psalms are very, very precious. And so I want to read Psalm 96. Psalm 96. And the psalmist says this, Oh, sing unto the Lord a new song. Sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord and bless His name. Show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. honor and majesty are before him, strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength, give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. Bring an offering and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, fear before him all the earth. Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth. The world also shall be established that it shall not be moved. He shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice. Let the earth be glad. Let the sea roar and the fullness thereof. Let the field be joyful and all that is therein And all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord, for he cometh. For he cometh to judge the earth, he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. Let's turn to prayer again. Almighty God, our loving Heavenly Father, we bow before you this morning hour and we ask for your blessing to be upon us. We come to worship you, for there is none who deserves our worship more than you. All the gods of the nations, our worthless idols, They have no mouth, they can't speak. They have no ears, they can't hear. They have no tongue, they can't speak. They have no heart, they cannot love. But we come before a God this morning whose eye misses nothing. He sees all that takes place around us. He sees us as we really are. Thank you that we have a God who hears, hears every word that we utter, hears the praise of our hearts and our lips. God who hears everything, even those unkind words we often speak. even those hasty things that come from our lips. We have a God, too, who has a heart, a heart who loves, a heart who desires the very best for his people. We thank you that your heart is a heart of tenderness, of mercy, but also can be a heart of wrath and anger. Oh Father, we just pray that that heart of love may be shown to us this morning. But we thank you that you're a God who speaks. And we thank you that we have your word in our hands. And as we read this precious book, it is God speaking to us Help us, Lord, to listen to what you would say to us this morning. Speak, Lord. Your servants are hearing. Forgive us for those times, Father, when even in worship our minds wander. We think of things that we've done, think of things that we plan to do, think of people sitting next to us. Our minds go all over the place, and yet We are supposed to be reading your word and listening to what you would say to us. Lord, keep our minds fixed upon you for this hour, we pray. Please don't let them wander. We pray that you will truly bless us. We pray for those who, ministering in other places today, we think of Gary and ask for your blessing to be upon him and his ministry. Speak through him, we pray. We think of those who would love to come but, through illness and through age and infirmity, are prevented from doing so. that we think of those who are at home at this moment of time listening to our worship and we just pray that although they may be at home they can still be involved with us and worshipping together with us. Bless them we pray. We think of those who are young and ask Father that you will be with the young people and bless them. We live in a very challenging world today. Temptations among our young people are very, very great. Far greater than many of us older ones have ever experienced. Please be with our young people. Put your hand upon them, we pray. Watch over them, protect them from the evil one. I pray, Lord, that our young people may grow up to love you and to serve you. one day to continue the work that we will leave behind. But I do pray for our older friends, Lord. Oh, we have precious memories of people like Barbara, and we thank you for her, always thinking about other people. She is now in a far better place. We wouldn't wish her back, Lord. How could we wish her back? But Father we just pray that we might be inspired by her life and might seek to live in a way that would honor and please you just as Barbara did. But we pray for the elderly living now. Father, sometimes age can have its cruelties. Sometimes when age comes, we struggle with sickness and infirmity. We can't do what we once did. Our head says one thing, our body says another. But Lord, I just pray that you'll bless our elderly friends, those who may have struggled to get here this morning, those who find daily life a struggle. I just pray, Father, that you will comfort them and I pray that even in old age they will still bear fruit. Lord, bless them and use them, we pray. Father, I commit this place of worship to you. Thank you for the ministry in the past. Thank you for the way that this church has been a blessing to many. But Lord, we live in the present now. And to serve the present age should be our calling to fulfill. So I pray for the people here, Father, that you will encourage them, help them, strengthen them, meet their needs, whatever their needs may be. Bring people here to support the work and to help them in their labors. But I just ask that this place of worship may be a light on a hill that cannot be hid. I pray that the gospel message as it goes forth from this pulpit and through our personal lives may have an impact upon those whom we come in contact with. So hear us now, Father. Forgive our many sins, the sins that so easily beset us. and just help us to run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus always, the author and finisher of our faith. We ask these prayers in and through that precious name of Jesus. Amen. Let's turn to 379. 379. Before the throne of grace, the promise calls us near. There Jesus shows a smiling face and waits to answer prayer. 379. praise to the promised waters near, where Jesus showed her silent face, and which still ♪ And rich adoring love ♪ ♪ With strength of wrath we steer ♪ ♪ Provides for those who come to love ♪ ♪ And all prevailing fear ♪ ♪ Beyond the rapture's cause ♪ ♪ His Father comforted us ♪ ♪ To pray in song He always prayed ♪ ♪ For our failure and stress ♪ ♪ Thy name in joy is known ♪ ♪ Thy presence and Thy love ♪ We ask to serve thee, Eriel, and bring with thee our heart. Abiding in thy faith, our will conform to thee. If we can turn to the 17th chapter of John's Gospel. The 17th chapter of John's Gospel. Now, I believe that every word in the Bible is precious, it's important, and we need to take note of what we read. I have no apology in saying that. But when we come to a passage where it is entirely the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, if we have double ears, let's use them. because I think these are even more important for us to listen to. These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour is come. Glorify thy son, that thy son may also glorify thee. as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth. I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. and all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no longer, no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are. while I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled and now come I to thee and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me. that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. May God help us to understand a little more about that. Great prayer. Let's turn to 390 before we do so. 390. Jesus, where'er thy people meet, there they behold thy mercy seat, where'er they seek thee thou art found, and every place is hallowed ground. 390. ♪ Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ When they come and all entreat me to their home ♪ ♪ Dear Shepherd, Lord of my heart ♪ With you our waiting hearts proclaim the sweetness of thy saving grace. the power of prayer to strengthen faith and sweeten care, to teach a faith desirous to rise and reign o'er earth before God. ♪ O dream of you ♪ ♪ But thou art near ♪ ♪ Nor short thy hour ♪ ♪ Nor death thy near ♪ ♪ O render help ♪ ♪ Come quickly now ♪ ♪ And make a thousand ♪ Throughout the Bible, many prayers and petitions have been offered. Some petitions have been very brief. Remember the man in the temple who just said, God, be merciful to me a sinner. Then you look at the prayer that Solomon offered at the dedication of the temple, quite a long prayer. Some prayers have been spoken in times of deep national crisis. Others have been offered in a time of deep personal need. Some have been prayers for guidance and for wisdom. Others have been prayers of repentance. But you know, of all the prayers in the Bible, and the Bible's full of prayers, But of all the prayers that you'll find in the Bible, the prayer that our Lord uttered supersedes them all. It's a prayer of intercession. And intercession simply means standing in the gap or on behalf of. Hebrews 7.25 says, he always lives to make intercession for them. Now, in this high priestly prayer, Jesus is directing his thoughts into three specific areas. First of all, in verses 1 to 5, he's praying for himself. We can pray for ourselves. Second, in verse 6 to 19, he's praying for the disciples who have been his companions for the past three years. And then thirdly, he prays for the church, verses 20 to 26. You and I are in those prayers. Now, in this chapter, Jesus is making an eight-fold request for the future. Please don't be frightened by the fact of eight points. I know preachers will come with three or possibly four, but very rarely will they throw eight to the congregation. But there are eight specific requests that Jesus is asking the Father. The first one will be a bit longer than the others, but we will get through them. Number one, he prays that the Father would glorify the Son. That's his first prayer, that the Father would glorify the Son. Now we have that in verse one. These words speak, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son. For what reason? So the son may glorify thee. We also have that picture in verse five. Now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. So he's asking the Father to glorify Him. Three things stand out for me here. Number one, we have one who was in existence before the world began. Now, I go to some churches and I meet some professing Christians who still believe that Jesus came into existence as a babe at Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. They can't get their head beyond that. Jesus came to earth as a babe 2,000 years ago, incarnate of the Virgin Mary. He did not come into existence 2,000 years ago. He was in existence in Genesis 1. God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness. Who's the us? The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All there in the beginning. Hebrews 1.10 says, you Lord, referring to Jesus, you Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the work of your hands. Then we have that beautiful opening to John's Gospel, chapter one, verse two. He was in the beginning with God, and all things were made through him. You can't get it clearer than that. So he was in existence before anything began. Second thing. He is the Son of God. Look, this is made so, so clear here as we look at this passage. Look at the first verse alone. These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father! Now, you only say that if you're a son. And here is someone saying, Father! Jesus is the Son of God and I have to be fairly strong in saying this to deny the deity of Christ is to deny the Word of God there's no alternative the deity is central to our faith now I find it interesting that when the Apostle Paul was on the Damascus Road we have this story of his conversion. But then we're told very soon after that conversion experience that he went into the synagogues and he began to preach. Now look, I would have thought that he would have gone into the synagogues and preached that Jesus Christ had died on the cross for the sins of people. That Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. But we don't have that. I'm sure that was part of his message, but that wasn't his main theme. what it says in verse 20 of Acts 9 immediately after his conversion immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues saying what? that he is the Son of God that's the heart of his message In the previous chapter, we have the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch by Philip. In verse 37 of that chapter, we see this. The eunuch answered and said, I believe that Jesus died for me. That's not the recording. I believe that he rose again for me. That's not in the record. what the Ethiopian eunuch said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Of course he died, of course he rose, of course he ascended, of course he's coming again, no question about it. But if he wasn't the Son of God, all these things would be irrelevant. The message of the gospel, the central crux of the gospel, is that He is the Son of God. I find it heartbreaking when some leaders of our major denominations publicly deny the deity of Christ. I find it sad. I believe, and I testify this morning, that Jesus is the Son of the Living God. Deny that at our peril. In fact, I believe it's impossible to be a Christian and deny at the same time the deity of Christ. And just one final thing about the first point, then we move on much quicker, but it's important. Jesus is glorified through the cross. In John 13 31 we read that following the departure of Judas on the occasion of the Last Supper, Jesus said these words, now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. He came to teach, he came to heal, but primarily he came to die. And his work was completed at the cross. He said, it is finished. He's glorified through the cross. And as Christians, we glory in the cross. So let's move on, but please bear that thought in mind. that the first important aspect of this prayer was that Jesus wanted the Father to glory in him. Second prayer, he prayed that the Father would keep his people. Moving to verse 11, and we have these words. and now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee Holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou has given me now the Apostle Paul when he wrote to the church at Ephesus he reminds them in chapter 1 verse 4 that they were chosen in him before the foundation of the world that's a wonderful thought that God knew you and me before he's ever said let there be light makes my mind boggle it sends it into overdrive I can't grasp that fully that he knew us before he said let there be light what a God we have now Jesus is saying in verse 12 that during his ministry he kept them. He kept those who had been chosen. He kept them. None was lost except Judas. But now the cross is looming and very soon Jesus is going to be taken from them. These men are going to be left as sheep without a shepherd. Now when Jesus was on earth, he was able to keep them. But soon he will return to the Father. He therefore prays that now the Father would keep them. I can't keep them now, Lord. I can't keep them. I'm coming back to you. You keep them. And just as he prays, for the father to keep his disciples so he continues to intercede on our behalf. He's praying this morning that you will be kept. What a lovely thought. It's always wise to remember that if we are his people If we have been born again of the Spirit of God, we are kept by the power of God. You can't keep yourself. Let's get that absolutely clear. If we could keep ourselves, we'd be in a real dilemma this morning. No, we can't keep ourselves. He keeps us. He holds us fast. He grips us tight. third request he asked the father to unify his people go back to verse 11 again just at the end of the verse 11 holy father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are one wow that's quite a staggering request isn't it? we may be one as He and the Father are one. You know so often we have bickering, friction, jealousy, selfishness, coldness towards one another I have to say that should not be. And the Father does not desire that to be. There should be harmony and unity among God's people and that harmony and that unity must be evident to the world outside. We're a mixed bunch, you know. I mean, some of us come from the South. Sorry about that, but you come from here. But some of us come from the South. Some of us come from the privileged North. And we're all different. We have different accents. We have different ways of doing things. We have different dislikes and different likes. We're a really mixed bunch. that we should be one as He and the Father are one how do we accomplish this? well I love Paul's words in Ephesians 4.3 and Paul says that Christians should endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit now that word endeavor a good translation there is the word strive In other words, unity doesn't come natural. We have to work at it. We have to strive for it. And he tells us in verse 2 that it's accomplished through humility, gentleness, patience, and love. Now, I know from time to time we miss the mark. Who hasn't? If you haven't missed the mark, put your hand up. Glad to see no hand going up. We all miss the mark, but that is the standard we should be aiming for. Fourth request. He asked the Father to fill them with joy. Look at verse 13, and now come I to thee and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. My joy fulfilled in themselves. Not any joy, His joy. You know there's a great gulf between the joy that the world offers and the joy that comes from Christ alone. Just look at the joy the world offers. For example, if Wales ever beat England in the Six Nations, hardly ever happens so I can't remember the last time, but if it ever happens, there's joy, there's joy. But you know, it's temporary. It only lasts for a short time. And you know, you'll find that any joy that the world offers, it's temporary. It only lasts for a short time. We'll be back then in the real world again. The joy of the world is temporary. The joy that Jesus gives is permanent. And you don't have to put it on either. that the joy that the world gives is when things go well. The joy that he offers is through tribulation. I think of Paul again. You know, staggering some of his words in Colossians. He says, I rejoice in my suffering. What? Rejoice in suffering? Impossible. It's possible for Paul, it's possible for others. We have a lady in our church. She'll be now about 60. She's suffered with cancer for a number of years. She has everything going against her. Not just her health. Her husband is utterly opposed to Christian things. A sister's a Hindu, parents are believers. She has everything running against her. She has no fellowship in the home. She has nothing. And yet I have to say she is the happiest lady that any of us have ever met. And I mean that. When I preach at that church, it's a delight to be at home. and she'll be sat there I can see her sat there right now this morning and she'll have a beam on her face and it's not put on it's natural and I say that that lady with all her suffering has the joy of the Lord and it's the joy of the Lord that is her strength third thing The joy of the Lord is often for self. We want to be happy, don't we? We don't want problems. We don't want illness. We don't want poverty. We want, we want, we want. And joy is often self-centered. The joy that Jesus brings to us is for others. We have to bring joy to others. That's why I wanted that book to be called 365 Days of Encouragement. Because we've got to encourage one another. We've got to build up one another. We've got to bring joy to one another. Forget yourself. I love the initials for joy. J-O-Y. Jesus first. Always first. Other second, O. And Y, yourself last. Just notice. J first. O second. Y last. and if you've got that order correct, you'll have joy. Fifth point, he prays to the Father that the Father will protect them, protect his people. Now look, in certain churches there is a lot of mis-teaching here. serious misteaching. And I want to put one or two things right. Number one, nowhere in the Bible, nowhere are we guaranteed protection from sickness. Nowhere. Two, nowhere in the Bible are we protected from poverty. Nowhere. The prosperity gospel is not biblical. And thirdly, nowhere in the Bible are we protected from danger. Nowhere. I look at our persecuted brothers and sisters throughout the world. Think of your brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. Think of your brothers and sisters in North Korea. They have sickness beyond what you'll ever imagine. They have poverty. Don't know where their next crumb's coming from. Some of them go out and eat grass for a meal. Some of them are in constant danger. Constant danger. We are not protected. We are not guaranteed protection from these things at all. So, where does this protection come? The one thing that we're protected from is the evil one. That's all I need. If I can be protected from him, I hope I'm content. And we will be protected as long as we're kept into the safety of his foe. Out in the world, there are many wolves, some of them in religious garb, ready to attack at any opportunity. And the evil one has many ways and his attacks are persistent. We are constantly in spiritual warfare. But I love the verse in Nahum 1 7. Nahum 1 7 says, the Lord is a stronghold. in the day of trouble. That's a lovely verse, isn't it? The Lord is a stronghold in the day of trouble. Keep close to the Lord and He'll protect you from the evil one. Number six, He asks the Father to sanctify them. Verse 17 has these words sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth Ephesians 1.4 clearly states that we were chosen before the foundation of the world for what reason? it tells us to be holy Some people say we're saved to serve. We are, but that's not the prime. The prime thing that Paul says is that we are saved to be holy. You know, there was a time when holiness was preached in our churches regularly. I can remember as a kid, as a young kid, we heard sermons on holiness constantly. That's not the case today, and I think we're seeing the results of its omission. You see, the world hears our message, but it doesn't always see it in the lives who proclaim that message. You see, holiness should cover thinking, speech and action. The one thing I love about Paul is that all his letters began with solid doctrine and then it ended with solid practical teaching. And in Ephesians 4 it says this, verse 25, Speak the truth always. Ah. It doesn't say speak the truth when it's convenient. speak the truth always verse 26 when angry do not sin sometimes anger is right righteous anger yes make sure you don't sin in your anger verse 28 do not steal we should pay our taxes we should owe man nothing. Verse 29, let no corrupt communication proceed from your mouth. The message is, be ye holy as I am holy, says the Lord. Do you know this morning we have a mediator in heaven who knows we can't do that. therefore He's praying for our sanctification. That brings me on to the sixth, so I'm nearly there now. And He asked the Father that we might be sanctified. That is a key thing you know. Let's make sure that we live lives that thou sanctified. I come to the last two. Number seven, and this to me gets really, really exciting. Number seven, he asks the Father to bring his people to heaven. Look at verse 24. And it says this, Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am. Well, let's pray for our future now, not just the present, the future. Look, isn't this the climax of everything that we're looking at? That one day we will be with him. Do you want to be with Him? I do. To see Jesus. Yes, it'll be good to have no more sorrow. It'll be good to have no more tears. It will be good to have no more pain. Yes! But seeing Jesus surely is going to eclipse all this. I remember a few, a number of years ago now, I was preaching in Swindon. And I spent lunch and the afternoon with a lady who was totally blind. She'd been blind from birth. She was a lovely lady. It was one of the nicest afternoons I've ever spent. And as we were talking, we got into the future. And she just turned to me and said, you know, Mr. Roberts, I've never seen anything or anyone in this life. I was blind from birth. She says, but the first person I'm ever gonna see is Jesus. Oh, that stuck with me. Blind all her life, seen nobody or nothing. Yet she was full of the joy of the Lord. Why? Because the first person she would see is Jesus. But you know there's something even more remarkable than that. It says in that verse that we may behold His glory. In Matthew 17, James, Peter and John had the privilege of the transfiguration. In Matthew 17 2, they saw a face that shone like the sun. In 2 Peter 1 16, the Apostle says that they were eyewitnesses of his majesty. In John 1 14, he says, we beheld his glory. You know, what was seen by three people on that mountaintop is gonna be repeated. Because every child of God will see the same picture. They'll see the glory of Jesus. My friends, for some of us, life's tough, isn't it? For some of us, if we're honest, life's a bit of a struggle. We don't know how to get through. If we're honest, we're worried about the present, we're worried about the future. Look, I've got something to say, and it's this. What does the song say? Something about leave your worries behind? Well, one day you're gonna do. Because for the Christian, the best is yet to come. Look, I enjoy life. I enjoy what I do. Oh yeah, we've got our problems, we've got our difficulties, we've got our worries, we've got our concerns, we all have. The best is yet to come. And to behold Jesus is going to surpass anything that we've ever seen in this life. Think of the best thing that you've enjoyed. Oh, just take your mind back. The best thing you've enjoyed. Look, that will be eclipsed a million times by what you're gonna see. My last point is this. He prays that God will fill them with love. Verse 26. God will fill them with love. First love for God. Now William Cooper wrote some words that I could virtually write as well. He said this, Lord it is my chief complaint that my love is weak and faint. Could not you write those words? I could. Then he says this, yet I love thee and adore thee. but oh for grace to love thee more. Love for God. One thing needs to be made clear. We love him because he first showed his love to us. So he prayed that we might be filled with his love. but not just love for God, but love for one another. You know, the first letter of John has much to say about this. You know, in a quiet moment, even this afternoon, if you've got a quiet moment with children, you don't always have a quiet moment, but whenever you get time, just turn to one John and just read those first chapters. walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us. That's the standard before us. Look, I conclude that you could say so much about this prayer. His concern was for his father. His concern was for His disciples, His concern was for His church, His concern was for you and me. But you know, I believe every word of God is true. I'm not sure about the division of chapters because I would love to continue after that in the first verse of chapter 18 because it says this When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples over the brook kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. He's just prayed for you and me. Immediately he goes over the brook Kidron into the garden of Gethsemane. His sufferings begin. In verse 17 they were words. Chapter 18 he's putting those words into action. He's not only telling you in chapter 17 that He loves you, now in chapter 18 He's showing you just how much He loves you. I can tell my wife, I can say to her, I love you, but it's words, words, words. It's to be shown in action. And it's the same with our love for Jesus. Tell him you love him. Oh, but put those words into action and show why you love him. I love this prayer. You could read it every day. You get something new. But I just want to close with this. Never ever forget that whatever you are doing, no matter how hard it may be, there is one in heaven who loves you. And there's one in heaven who's praying for you. Don't ever forget it. Just let that be recalled in your mind constantly. He loves me. Gave himself for me. And he prays for me. Now let us pray. Our dear, loving Father, amidst all the sufferings of our Lord, He didn't forget me. I thank you that even in Gethsemane, He didn't forget us. Even on His way to the cross, He didn't forget us. Even on the cross, He didn't forget us. He was willing to bear all our sins in His body. on the tree. Oh Father, help us to love Him as He has loved us. Help us to serve Him faithfully with all the strength that we have. Help us never to count the cost. And help us to keep our eyes fixed on the future, to that day when we see Him as He really is. We ask it in His name. Amen. Let's turn to 258. 258. Lovely hymn. Charity Lise de Chenes or Charity Bancroft as she was initially known before the throne of God above. I love this hymn but it's the third verse that encourages me. when Satan tempts me to despair, doesn't he? Oh, doesn't he? And tells me of the guilt within. Well, we know that without him being told. But look at this, when Satan tempts me to despair, when he tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see him there who made an end of all my sin. Keep looking upwards. Let's sing 258. O'er life and death, I love strong, I love perfectly, I'm great, I'm great, Jesus' name is love. Whoever lives and breathes for me, My name is graven in his hands. My name is written on his heart. I know that quietly, there he stands. No tongue can bid me thanks, dear God. No tongue can bid me thanks, dear God. ♪ Satan tempts me to despair ♪ ♪ But tells me of the guilt within ♪ ♪ How could I look and see him there? ♪ ♪ You made a man of all, I say ♪ ♪ Because the sinless Savior died ♪ My sinful soul is happy free For God the just is satisfied To look on Him and pardon me To look on Him and pardon me Oh, in vain have I risen then, By perfect, spotless righteousness, The great unchanging Lord I am, The King of glory and of praise. What with Himself I cannot die My soul is purchased by His blood My life is given with Christ alive With Christ my Savior and my God With Christ my Savior and my God And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with each one of us this morning, throughout this day, and until Jesus comes or calls, and then forevermore. Amen.