and verse eleven might begin at verse nine that when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and the cloud received him out of their sight and while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in quite a power which also said ye men of galilee Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up upon you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye had seen him go into heaven. This is our message on chapter one. We'll try and conclude next Swartz Day on the substitution of Judas Iscariot. You know this morning, after I went home, I played the message back, Pilate, on my tape recorder, and it's a wonderful thing when you check on yourself. And I noticed that I had made a mistake. Of course, we were emphasizing the life of Christ for thirty-three years, and we were a few times we did so. And so I mentioned also that thirty-three years ago he was born. the word. Well, I truly understand I meant thank you a hundred years ago. And then I also noticed that I used the word this morning unbelievable when a better word would have been impelled. So you can see when a young person can make a mistake. You know it's a good thing when we check on ourselves. One time a young fellow went into pharmacy store and asked if he could use the phone. It happened to be a public one. The man said, yes, go ahead. So the young fellow dialed his number and he said to the man at the other end, do you need a boy? A heron boy? A handy boy around the shop? Yes, no. I have one. Is he a good one? Yes. Are you satisfied? Yes. Yes, quite satisfied. Thank you. He hung up. So the man heard this part of the conversation, and he said to the young fellow you were by, do you want a job? No. I got one. Well, he said, to have a job, what do you mean by the conversation? You were asking that man, he needed a boy. Boy, he said, I work for that man. I'm just checking on myself. So it's a good thing sometimes when we check on ourselves. No need me kicking this type recorder off the platform because it recorded a couple of mistakes. Some man had told me I may have been sick, I may not have been able to believe him. But if you can't make an argument or get an argument up with this machine, it tells it as it is. That's a good thing sometimes that we have these things to... criticize us and direct us and we were gracious not to admit it. One brother looked at it this way when another walked up to him after a prayer meeting and he said, you know, you made a mistake the night in your prayer. Well, the fellow said, well, what? He told him, well, I wasn't speaking to you anyway. So it's nice to know that in our prayer we're talking to the Lord. And my brother George, when he was about ten years of age, of course, he's fifty six now is not a Christian but he was trained to give thanks for his food one day mother told us he was giving thanks for his food the breakfast about his head and he said Lord bless this food to my body for goodness sake he met the sake for Jesus sake for goodness sake but you know the Lord understands that one thing You always rest assured that God understands. And in many cases, he knows our frame. He remembers that we are but thus. And one may make a mistake because he's tired. Maybe weary. Maybe worried. Maybe upset. Maybe confused. Many are Christians that make a slip of the lip. And it's a wonderful thing to get this consolation. God knows. He knows what I meant. He says, not that that encourages us to be embarrassed. For many a time in my forty years preaching, I preached with a throbbing headache. I should have been in bed and set up on the platform. And so it's quite easy, sometimes under certain circumstances, to make one, to say. I won't charge for that part of the sermon. We'll get into our text for the next. This morning or last Lord's Day, if I remember correctly, we were speaking on some points that were in the paper. We were noticing the personal knowledge of Christ, one of the qualifications for a Christian as a witness, also the personal consistency of a Christian and the personal courage that's required, and also personal patience and personal power. That was in the ad a week ago, and we spoke on that. We included it this morning. So there's no need going over that. And also we, and that's last Sunday, the seven Ps that were in the subject, seven Ps in a thought. In other words, the prediction, proof, proclamation, power, purpose, posture, and persuasion of the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. If I remember correctly, we concluded with the power, the power of that resurrection. How it was predicted in the Old Testament, then you have the actual proof of it and the proclamation of it, and the power to proclaim the resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, resident in the person of the Holy Spirit. So tonight we'll try and conclude that subject. Three points, the purpose, posture, and persuasion. What is the purpose of teaching and preaching, studying, and trying to get a grip of the fact that the Lord Jesus is a living man at God's right hand? Why is it that God tells us about this? What's his intent? What's his object? What does God want the reaction to be in our heart? to know that there's a living man, the one who died upon the cross, is now alive. He's sitting at God's right hand, vested with all power, for the Father has given him all power. All power has been given unto me, both in heaven and in earth. And he is sending forth his witnesses. He's giving them the power they need, the witness for him. What then is the purpose of the present life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ? There are, I believe, nine things in your Bible that you'd see quite readily. The first thing is that he might be the head of the church. That's plainly told you in Ephesians, I, verse two and twenty. that he might be head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. There could not be a living organism. There could not be a church on earth unless the head was in heaven. The head of the church is not on earth. There may be the head of huge organizations on earth, there may be a head often. But when it comes to the church of Jesus Christ, which is composed of every born-again believer, the head of that church is in heaven. And the church gets instruction and counsel and advice from that living head. And he has revealed his mind concerning the church in the scripture. And so the reason we can have a living organism here on earth a body composed of born again believers is because there's a living head in heaven our Lord Jesus Christ and so in order that there might be a body of believers on earth united together subject to Christ the head that there might be an organism known as the church Christ ascended in heaven Jesus the head of the church which is his father. So that's one of the purposes of his ascension to God's right hand. The second one is to prove or declare his finished work. You read that over in Hebrews chapter one and verse three concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. When he had made that one offering for sin, when he had purged our sin, by his own blood, he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on top. When he had by himself purged our sins, then he sat down. He was not going to sit down at God's right hand until that purging provision was in him. He had to go to the cross. He had to share his blood that our sins might be put away. And after he said, if his spirit, he bowed his head and he died, and brought to show his satisfaction, and complete the life and the work of his son, he raised them from the dead, and he seated them at his own right hand in heaven. When he had by himself heard about his sin, he sat down. He never would have sat down had the work of sin. at the cross. And so it shows that his work is finished. It shows that God is satisfied with that work when we see Jesus Christ at God's right hand. Another purpose for his ascension is to represent us to the Father. Did he not say to Mary Magdalene, I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God, and your God. And the Lord Jesus Christ is representing us as God's right hand. Right to his brother. He is the first seed which for us have entered into God's hand. Back in the Old Testament when the farmer had a real good plot all week. And evidently they tied them into sheaves in those days. They're machining to do it now. But that model was select. the finest sheep of all his farms. You can see that farmer, and he's selecting every stock with a Turkish muster of wheat at the top. And he bows up to get a beautiful golden grain. And he takes it to the tabernacle, and he offers it the first streets of a harvest. That's wrong. Here is for the shepherd. This is the first sheep. I've got many more sheep than ever. And the Lord Jesus Christ was the first sheep that he went into heaven. There he is for the father. Father, here I am. I've got the first sheep of billions more to come. How you're going to be judged tonight. Perfect. Christ is the forerunner who has for us men the first sheep, an indication of prison, more will follow him when all the seas are gathered in. All the souls are saved to complete the church. So he gathered home on that glorious day. Harvest home, Father. Another reason why he's in heaven, why he was raised from the dead that he might be our intercessor. You read that over in Romans eight, I think it's verse thirty four. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. Do we need an intercessor? Yes, I think we do. And you'll find the Lord Jesus Christ is a real good intercession. He can make intercession for us. You remember what he said to Peter when Peter had failed. Peter, he said, I have prayed for thee, and I take thee a lot. I prayed for thee. Satan has desired to have thee that he may shift to his feet, but I have prayed for thee. I'm going to pray for you, Jesus. You're weak, all right? There's a little chat about you, and you're going into the shit, and all the shit does to the weak is get rid of the chat. a make the wheat shine at the edge. And so the wheat is in the sieve. It's not very pleasant, it's a rough experience when you see that wheat being tossed up and down with the two of them both. But you know the wheat comes out cleaner, polished. And so it is when Christians get into difficulty. Sometimes the devil gets them into his sieve. But there's one at God's right hand praying for us. But we'll be grateful in that experience of purpose. And we'll come out of it. That must be effective. And that must be provided. And so he is his intercessor. He intercedes for us. His intercessory work has to do with our weak. Our weak. Our weak. Our pain. He suffers and supports us by his infestation. So he as our intercessors functions relative to our deeds. But then he's our advocate. That's another thing. He ascended up at God's right hand that he might be our advocate. Now that word advocate seems an attorney or a lawyer. One to plead our case. And when a Christian fails, in this case it's sin. In that other case it's trial, it's temptation. It's our weakness appears. But in this case as an attorney, it has to do with our sin. If any man sinned, we have an advocate of the Father Jesus Christ, the like us. And referring there to this one, you know Satan... If all was ready to accuse us, listen, then we sit and we pray. There's the devil, they accuse of the pleasure, and bring me to sit. Oh, how ready he is to draw from God the Father's attention to the fact his child in faith. Did you see that? Did you see your child in that? Say that? Yes. The Lord Jesus steps in. I'm perfectly aware of that. My child is sick. But I am the advocate. I will agree the case of that Christian before my father. I will use my side as my husband. That child is sick. That little that monster is his wife. is good. The same has got to be taught that I wore that punishment in the cross where I was scarred. And those scars are the eloquent arguments of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord God, that he was punished for our sins. And on the basis of that, if we confess our sins, he faithful and doth forgive us our sins. angles of all unbelievers. That's why Jesus Christ is at the cross I have. Now how happy I have, he said. Unte him who is able to keep you from falling and present you hopeless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy that you find in truth but before and such a time. Yes, he said as thou hast. but he's there also as our great high priest, is another offer. This is another purpose for his resurrection that we might have our great high priest. Now his accessory work has to do with our weaknesses, our sins. He prays for us. This work as an attorney and advocate has to do with our sin. But as the high priest, This has to do with our gift. Our gift. We have a great high priest. And just like the priests in the Old Testament were beautiful types of Christ, perfect gifts of the children of Israel, God, earthly people, have presented them to the Lord. And if there was anything lacking in that gift, the priest was to add a fifth heart there too. You know, I don't care who the man is. to the Christians that bring something to the Lord in the way of thanksgiving on other ones, you'll always find there is a shortage of service. It's never a perfect offer or a chance. It comes a little short because you're human being. But you know when God gets it, it's a hundred per cent. Where Jesus Christ made up the land, he adds to that offer. What is lacking? And God gives it all. Through all our prayers and praises, he adds his sweet perfume, and glows the sense of laziness in older Judaism. And Jesus Christ identifies himself with our offerings, and all that we offer is accepted in Christ Jesus. That's a wonderful thing. I remember Brother Smith telling me about a case up there. They had a man within a hundred quarter. The last time I heard a few months ago, he was very ill. He was a trophy of grapes. Only a little teller, but he knocked a few hundred-pound policeman halfway across the street from downtown London. And he told me after his voice that I went down the table to get back home. And he was a little fighter. I tell him after God saved him, he had a lot of smoke. a wicked boy before he was saved. Oh, what a trophy it is. Well, anyway, he visited Brother Smith, and Brother Smith was taking care of Winston Salem while I went to Canada to see my folks, and he came down to Winston Salem. He was Brother Smith for the weekend. And we had a brother in the meeting then that didn't know very much, and it was like a fair meeting, but we all were happy. Always were happy to see him and have him there. Mr. Benton. You know, he got up at the worship meeting, and he says, Lord, we thank you for the mountains and the valleys. We thank you for the trees and the flowers and the birds that sing among the branches. We thank you for the rivers that run through the valleys and the rain. Hunt them along the double G. After meeting, he says, who is that healing that prayed that upside down prayer? Why, he says, all upside down. Yeah, Brother Smith said, that's true. He says, we're going to fix it. Brother, he said, we'll try to pass it through the hand of the Lord Jesus, and the Father gets it. He'll be right side up. And that's it. The Lord Jesus is able to perfect that which concerns me. And after he adds and says, the that which is acceptable in all others, this is the function. of our high priestess at God's right hand. You'll also find another purpose, what is going to God's right hand, is to send the Spirit, because the Spirit of God did not come down until Jesus Christ was glorified. And he sent the Spirit down on the day of Pentecost, where he studied in a week or two, possibly some next Lord, and so in order that the Spirit might come Jesus Christ had to be glorified. He had to take this place at God's right hand. You know, this is the only time in Acts chapter ten, I think, verse forty-five, that the Spirit of God is spoken of as a gift, an outright gift. It says, on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit, something that was given to the Christian, to be his. The rest of this soldier here on us. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came upon Jesus and left. He didn't come to abide the stay. But in the day of grace, man, since Pentecost, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God until the day of redemption or the redemption of our body when Jesus Christ come. And it's the get of the Holy Spirit. Christ has given us the gift of the Spirit. Every Christian has received the Spirit of God as a gift, in fact he received Christ as the gift of eternal life from the Father. How wonderful to realize that. Never before was the Spirit of God given us as an absolute gift. Lord Jesus Christ, when he took his grace of God, does that. sat down and began his ministries. The very word sat there implied the end of one ministry and the beginning of another. The end of what ministry? The ministry of salvation. Purchasing salvation for life. That word was finished at the cross. He said to this. All God's requirements and demands were met. and salvation. Now God is free in sovereign grace to come out in perfect righteousness and save a violent sinner out of hell. Jesus Christ went up to heaven and he sat down. No more offerings for sin. And the Old Testament, the priest in the Old Testament, was constantly offering for sin, for sin, day after day, week after, a month after month, after those special convocations Rivers of animals' blood flowed, constant bloodshed. And by the thousands of hundreds of thousands who were slain constantly in the history of that nation, Jesus Christ made one tract of life result. Why were so many often thought of a sacrifice made? Because the blood of the bosom of growth could not go the way sinners, as you read. Men were imperfect. They only had conflict and imperfect work. They just covered sins over. They never put them away. So when Jesus Christ made that one sacrifice of sin, it was perfect, it was complete. It was powerful enough that the case is enough to put away, said, once and for ever. And see, that work is done. No more offering for the head. He sat down. Now he assumed a new minister. That's what we've been talking about as our intercessors, our advocates, and our great high groups. You know, The Spirit's coming means simply this, that God is glorified, that the disciples were unified because they were united by the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God was verified. For the Lord Jesus told our Timothy of Jesus, one in John, fourteen, and there is John fifty, he told them the Spirit of God was going to come. He told them also of opposing chapter of God. that the Spirit was to come. He says, you carry here until the Spirit of God was come. Ten days later, he did come, not because they prayed, but to fulfill the Scripture, to fulfill the promises of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit was come. And so the Word of God was verified. Then the Spirit of God came. In other words, confirmed. How wonderful that is to know that everything Jesus Christ promised was given. In other words, the Word of God, whatever Jesus Christ said was accomplished. And you know that's good today. His Word was proven to be true then. It can be proven to be true today. He says to the sinner, You come unto me, I'll give you men. He means just that. You come, and His word will be verified, and He will give you rest. He says, him that comes unto me, I will know why is casteth. You come, and His word will be verified. He will not be casteth. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and it means just that. You believe with all your hot and savory things. and he shall see another reason why he went up to heaven that he might receive the spirit sold a dying sick chapter seven that's where that is legal we got there when Stephen was being stolen to death he looked up and saw the Lord Jesus Christ standing at God's right hand but Jesus Christ stood up to receive the soul and spirit of the first life of Jesus. And he was long standing there because Lord Jesus did not serve. And the Lord Jesus had received every spirit and soul of his redeemed. The day he sat down with God right now, he was there to receive and welcome the same glory. And that one of the reasons why he was there, God's right hand to carry on his word through you and through him. And here's the text, the last part of Mark chapter six reading. Verse nineteen and thirty. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God and they went forth and preached everywhere the Lord worthy with them. and confirming the word with signs of it. Jesus, heaven, went on earth, he spoke his word, and came to the flesh. Now he's at heaven, but he's sending them forth, and he's giving them his word. He says that in John chapter seventeen, and as I have used to be there, I have given them thy will. I have given them. And it's our responsibility as Christians to give the world His word, His word. And I believe when you give out the word, it will accomplish that. And so that's one reason the final one I've written. Why? He's a broad and bright half. He's to carry on His work through you and through me. Instead of Himself being here... He has millions now. Giving out his word, and he'll confirm it, will have given out his punishment with him. Christ returned to where he was before, but not as he was before. Why do I say that? He took humanity with him. He was God before he came to earth. He was God when he went back. But when he went back, he was anointed. He took humanity back with him into the flesh of the earth. He took the lowest place here. He took the highest place there. Yes, it's a wonderful day. to know the Lord Jesus at God's right hand for these various purposes. As I mentioned, I think last Sunday, the Sunday before, if anyone asked me how I know the Lord Jesus at God's right hand, because I talk to him every day. And if you talk to a person every day, you know must be there. You live it. And every Christian has a joy and thrill to talk to him every day. A fisherman one time was coming home. He'd been fishing in the early hours of the morning. This was his trade. He was a commercial fisherman. He headed his boat home for breakfast. And as he was heading straight for his home, he saw a rising sun reflected in the windows of his cottage through home. He didn't have to look behind to see whether the sun was up. He could see it, reflected. bindles of his conscience. Friend, we know that the sun is up. The Lord sees that God's right hand, we should see it reflected in the Holy Spirit. In the early church, the early days of the church that this was when around started happening, we give that now. Christ was there. They looked after him and were to lighten their faces to anoint him. I wonder if the world she reflected in us, our living Christ, he's alive. And in the posture of the Lord Jesus, you notice these other points, now the posture. In other words, he ascended his ascension and the attitude of his ascension. His posture is an index. All his attitude is blessed. As he went to go out and read this in Luke, a lot of three or four verses of Luke twenty-four, the last chapter, he took them out as far as to repent, and he lifted up his hands with the blessing of the Hebrew on that this morning. What do we see in this lesson? You know, Luke opens with a dumb priest. in the temple. That was the father of John the Baptist. But Luke concludes with a living priest blessing his people as it will depart. He wasn't done. Zachariah's walk. But not the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is speaking as Luke holds a living, beloved, Christ will be blessing his people. He's pronouncing a blessing upon him. And his hands are out. But that's the way the Jews, through his priesthood, are blessed. The people or the congregation. In other words, we have hands extended on the cross. That's crucifixion leading. Do you have hands outstretched in resurrection? Do you have the thought of vanishing fear. Thomas, reached out his hands and said, Thomas, you put your finger there. Put your hand to my side. Be not faithful to the Lord. So often after his resurrection he appeared to his altar, you bless me. Peace be unto you. Fear not. Fear not. And so if we see had his crucifixion, his hands are dated. In resurrection His hands are outspreads of banished evil. And that's what one day He's coming back again. Here we have His hands uplifting. And He says this is uplifting His hands. I'm coming back. Will He tell the angels to ask. This same Jesus. taken from his heavens are so common like manner as he has seen him go hands bleeding hands vanishing and hands blessing in his departure and still blessing the congregation the posture of his departure is his posture now blessing his people his hands two of them yes because he blessed us spiritually We've had spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ. We've got all these spiritual heavenly blessings in Christ. Then there are material blessings. My God shall supply all your needs. And so these two hands are blessing this people. Blessing them spiritually and blessing them materially and physically as well. But I know this is the final point, and that is the persuasion of this. How should this affect me? What impact should this have upon me? That Jesus Christ is there, a living man with God's right hand, so willing and ready to help, so anxious to bless him, so anxious to do with him, should have a real... leave a little impression upon us and should persuade us. The love of Christ constrained us, said the apostle. These things are speaking of faith. Or that I am persuaded. Well, I'll tell you, these things are the whole of our hearts. We'd be persuaded to do something. One day, concerning the unsaved, the person here is here tonight with our Christ. These things we've been talking about, you see, why this is ascended, glorified, saved, this should persuade you. This certainly should persuade you to prosper, to sanctify your Savior. And if you're a Christian, this should indeed persuade you to live for him. in the conscious employment of his place of God's right hand, yes. And also, this also should convince the bishop, to stray the bishop, to be a laborer for him, to work for him with the power of a little tight, to work with him, and what else to look for his power. What did the angel say? This same Jesus was taken from the wickedness of the whole country by manner and by the ruler. And so the picture of Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, ascended and seated at God's right hand, should certainly, indeed, persuade the unsaved account of his armed world servant. and persuade the Christian to live in the joy and consciousness of him, and also to persuade us to redeem the time for the days of his life, so much as he did he want. He wants us to visit and about this day, and he'll give us his strength, he'll give us his wisdom, and those hands will supply our needs as we carry on. As we carry on, he looked. He asked, this is a wonder that was saved. So look again. He was coming ahead of the Lord Jesus. But live in the light of it. Be persuaded and influenced by. He's coming back. He's looking today at a prayer. How will he find occupied or standing in the marketplace? either. And the eleventh hour, and haven't the eleventh day, I trust you, you will become employed at the eleventh hour, because it's coming, Lord, I seek to redeem the time that remains, the days are here. Connection with his ascension to God's right hand. If you can't spiritualize this, someone like me, You can't do it. He says this same Jesus in like man. Well, that's plain language. That goes away with any spiritualizing of the fact that Jesus Christ went up into heaven corporally. He took the scars of Golgotha with it. He bears an impertinence. This is real. He went up visibly. and he's going to come back to discipline. There's no mistake about that. That is, when he comes with his faith, when he comes for the church, he's going to catch us up to meet him in the air. And only those saved by sovereign grace who are in the church will be caught up in the wounds in the face and in the eye. The world will see that for that. No one converted I saw the Lord Jesus Christ after the cross. When he comes from the dead, only his own saw him, and the list of the witnesses are given on Christmas, Corinthians, the last time the world saw him was when he was nailed to the cross. And the last time his own saw him, only his own saw, he was growing up, and only his own will see him when he comes to the air. and he catches it right at the wheel. Then will come the rest of the way, and the world shall see it. The Bible says, every eye shall see. And all tenderness of the world will fail because of him. That's what the Bible says. Revelation chapter one and verse seven. So he's coming visibly. He's coming materially. in the clouds. As the clouds were stricken on this morning, you see them up. Whether those clouds are in attendance or what those clouds hide, we do not know. But out of those clouds came the two messengers back to the little group who stood there on Mount Hollow, and told them this same Jesus coming back, just as he left, he was coming back. Yes, he's coming back materially. He's coming at comfort that something can be seen of the natural eye, those clouds. He's coming corporally. Yes, that body is coming. His feet shed, his reference to his feet. And he's coming back geographically. He's coming back to the very little mount where he left Mount Oliver. For the Bible says his feet shall stand in that day upon the earth, upon Mount Paul. His feet shall stand upon Mount Paul. If you read that, I think it's over in Zechariah, fourteen and four. His feet shall stand in that latter day, upon that little month, to prevent his feet parted and left nineteen hundred years ago. this say Jesus shall so come in like manner as he has seen and grown. First he's coming for the church. He's going to come to fulfill John fourteen, one to ten. In my father's house for many mansions, if he were not soiled, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. That hasn't been fulfilled yet. And first Thessalonians four. hasn't been fulfilled yet. For there you read that the Lord Jesus Christ shall descend from heaven with a shout to the voice of the archangel, the tongue of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we shall alive and remain to be caught up together with him in the air. Meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we forever be with the Lord. Neither of those scriptures have been fulfilled. We are waiting for that, for them when we get caught up to meet him in the air. Then those dreadful days will take place upon the earth, giving us in Revelation six to ninety the great tribulation under the reign of the beast of the Antichrist, after which Christ shall come, with his sakes and judgment upon the earth. And then he stand upon the mount of all, or mount of all. His people, Israel, would be blessed in that day, and just as they were only Jews that stood upon that little mark when he left nineteen hundred years ago, those who meet him blessed out in the great tribulation of the world, the earthly ones will be his ancient people, if they will, when they shall see those wounds in his hands, and say, I will not have these wounds in my hands. These are they with which I was wounded, the house of my friend. They shall look upon him in the church, and mourn, as one mourneth for an only son. Then as a nation they shall say, He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was made upon him. And the distracts, we are here. And then the nation, the Jewish nation, shall be born in a day. This is God's program. This is all left behind for you and me. These things grip in our hearts. Don't you think they should persuade us to do something? Redeem the time of the days of the evening. If you're unsaved, you should be persuaded to come to trance. Don't delay. Time is short. Jesus comes. Are you ready? Our Father in heaven, in the name of our Lord Jesus, Christ, we come before thee. We ask thy blessing upon thy word. O God, may it please thee to own and honor it. Grant that thy people may be built up and edified and also stirred up to be busy redeeming the time and the light of his soon coming. And if there are unsaved ones in our audience, O God, May it please be revealed with them by thy Holy Spirit. Bring them to her consciousness of their lost estate and bring them to Christ for salvation. We ask it in his worthy and precious name. Amen. Let us sing number. Three hundred and twenty-six. Three hundred and twenty-six. More about Jesus would I know more of his grace to others show, more of his saving fullness see, more of his love who died for me. Three hundred and twenty-six. May we stand and sing this hymn, may it be, the desire of your heart and mind. And if you're not a Christian, you'd like to become a Christian, you'll be glad to help you to receive God's way of salvation. If you've trusted them, and you haven't confessed it publicly, You give me that opportunity, if you say no to him,