The Wedding Feast

Again from beacon Baptist Church on this fourth Sunday night of April. We are thankful for your presence. You have gone to the effort to connect to our lifestream and I trust you did that you minutes at least before we came online in terms of hearing my voice.

We were playing congregation, all singing that we have prerecorded and it's a reminder of one of the things that the church does when it comes together, come together to sing, come together to worship the Lord.

Psalm 96 is oh sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth sing to the Lord, bless his name proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day declare his glory among the nations is wonders among all peoples for the Lord is great and greatly to be praised is to be feared. Above all gods for all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens, honor and majesty are before him strength and beauty are in his sanctuary give to the Lord.

Oh families of the of the people give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due his name, bring an offering, and come into his courts all worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Tremble before him all the earth say among the nations. The Lord reigns, the world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved.

He shall judge the people's righteously but the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, but the sea roar, and all its fullness. Let the field be joyful in all that is in it then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord for he is coming for his coming is coming to judge the earth shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. God is continuing to sustain us and to encourage us in these days of disruption. Thank you for supporting the ministry gathering showing your interest in the word of God, thank you for ministering to one another.

Thank you for continuing to support this ministry with your gifts and ties and offerings is I thought about that writing checks and the mailman giving online please don't do that.

Disconnected from worship something we do is part of our worship service as part of the protocol here worship the Lord in our giving of our ties and offering. And it's easy perhaps to forget that aspect of it when we're writing a check and putting it in an envelope and putting it in the mailbox or bringing it by the church, but again it's one of the ways that we worship the Lord.

So is your doing that just consciously remind yourself this is an act of worship. We are acknowledging God's stewardship of our lives. We are doing what he's asked us to do to bring an offering is the text says thank you for doing that again, thank you for joining us tonight, but ask you to join me as we look to the Lord and ask him to bless our time together so join me as we gather around the throne of father we come with humility of heart and gladness in our souls for your mercy and your goodness for this Lord's day, the Sabbath day and we are so thankful that it is a Sabbath day rest. We who are trusting in the merits of your son, his shed blood, in his perfect righteousness. We are resting in the perfections of our Savior.

We have stopped striving.

We have stopped working. We have stopped our efforts to earn merit in favor with you rejoicing that the only merit we need is the merit of our's are Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ that we are accepted in the beloved. Because of him because of our faith and confidence in him and for that reason and that reason alone, we thank you that we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom. We thank you that we are yet but pilgrims in this earthly sojourn. How grateful we are for your grace that has saved us your grace that keeps us your grace that preserves us and sustains us your grace that encourages us each day of our lives. We thank you for what you're teaching us during these days of greater dependence upon you are thankful for the word of God, we thank you that it is infallible. We thank you that it is trustworthy. We thank you that it is inerrant, we thank you that it is sufficient for all of life and godliness.

We thank you for the preached word this morning as we considered again the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a thrilling thought to consider that right now, even as we are gathered in seeking your face and prayer that he is seated at your right hand, we rejoice in that truth that he ever lives to make intercession for the saints that is there to represent us before you that he is a mediator and he is the only mediator there is one mediator between God and man. The man Christ Jesus were grateful that we have a great high priest who sympathizes with us in our weaknesses who has come to this earth and tasted all the disappointments all the heartache all the consequence of sin. Yet he himself without sin.

And he did that, though he might sympathize with us and we can know that there is nothing that we will face in this life that are Savior hasn't faced safe and faced it victoriously. Lord were mindful of some of the beacon saints who are in special need this evening. It's not evening where brother Stewart Juan Laverne wall are, but we lift them before your throne and ask that you superintend Stewart's life that you will speed this process toward a transplant sustain our brother and till that time help sister Laverne to trust you through this season is she has faithfully through these years. Lord we we know that no one will live forever that our life is but a vapor there.

For little while and vanishes away her brothers in his early 70s. We understand that, but he is weak in body. If you would please you to extend his life. Through this means we would be forever thankful and grateful and I know he would as well.

So we commit him and his needs to you and ask that you would provide is we trust you will think of Drew Guthrie tonight and the challenges that she is experiencing through her cancer treatments. We pray that you would strengthen her that you would allow her body to endure these treatments that she would be able to receive nourishment and we ask that you would again superintend her life. We thank you that your good Lord you're always good.

We would ask you to encourage her family as they are concerned for her. Thank you for being with Shirley Watkins in the past few days as she was in the hospital for short time sustain her sister.

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ to pray for one another to encourage one another, we ask that you would hear us tonight. You would draw near to us as we consider your word Lord your yet speaking today and we are grateful for that. You speak through the pages of Scripture that there is a word of God for us tonight and we pray that you give us ears to hear and heart to receive that you would bend our will, that you would act upon us and cause us to rejoice in the truth to obey the truth to correct any error in our minds and in our thinking that would be out of conformity with your word, and not all of that would cause us to walk in obedience to your revealed truth here us. We pray for Jesus sake and for his sake alone. A man like to turn your attention to Matthew chapter 22 Matthew chapter 22 tonight we turn our attention to another category of purpose.

We looked at the parable of the kingdoms and there were seven of those we finish those last Sunday night. But tonight we're going to take up another category parables, that is, the parables of salvation and there are seven of them will look at this first one in Matthew chapter 22. So if you're with me. In Matthew chapter 22 I want to read verses one through 14. Consider this parable spoken by Jesus of the wedding feast hear the word of the Lord. And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables, and said the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son and set out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding and they were not willing to come again, he sent out other servants, saying, tell those who are invited.

See, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fatted cattle are killed and all things are ready come to the wedding, but they made light of it and went their ways.

One, to his own farm, another to his business and the rest seized his servants treated them spitefully and killed them. And when the king heard about it.

He was furious. He sent out his armies destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Then he said to his servants, the wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find invite to the wedding so those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all home, they found, both bad and good in the wedding hall was filled with guests.

But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment and he was speechless.

Then the king said to the servants, bind him hand and foot. Take him away, and cast him into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called but few are chosen again tonight were considering this series of the parables and were looking now at the first parable under this heading of the parables of salvation, what are we to make of what Jesus is saying, well, it's important that we consider the context context is very important and it will help us to understand the words that Jesus speaks here. There are three symbolic actions recorded in Matthew chapter 21 symbolic actions that Jesus took verses one through 11, we have the triumphal entry were Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, presenting himself as Israel's true king and Messiah.

Verses 12 through 17 is that incident where he cleansed the temple restoring it to its God-given function as a house of prayer they had made it a den of thieves and in the third symbolic event recorded in verses 18 through 22. Again, this is Matthew 21 where Jesus curses a fig tree, and that is a symbol of God's coming judgment on the nation for its failure to produce spiritual fruit again. It's important understand that this parable that were looking at tonight takes place at the end getting toward the end of Jesus his earthly ministry.

Your member I think it's helpful to think about the life of Christ and his ministry on this earth. And to think about three category your number one would be the year of inauguration your number to the year of popularity your number three, the year of opposition and we are toward the end of that third year, the opposition of Christ is intensifying. We know that work toward the end of the earthly life of Jesus were in pass passion week that begins with the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, so that's the context those three symbolic events and then what follows those events. Is this parabolic teaching of Jesus that's designed to explain and give meaning to those actions that I just mentioned that are recorded in Matthew chapter 21 now there is three parables. There is the parable of the two sons that begins at verse 28 and runs through verse 32 of Matthew 21. The second parable is the parable of the wicked vine dressers, which begins at verse 33 and runs to the end of chapter 21 and then there's the parable that were considering tonight that begins in verse one of chapter 2 through verse 14. And what I want you to see is that those three parables are spoken by Christ to explain his actions that are recorded in chapter 3, chapter 21 earlier in the chapter.

I won't take the time we were not not preaching on the parable of the two sons, nor the parable of the wicked vine dressers only to draw your attention to verse 43 of chapter 21. This is toward the end of that parable of the wicked vine dressers and we have these words from Jesus.

Therefore Jesus says, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. I remember the cursing of the fig tree was the symbol of future judgment upon the nation for its failure to produce spiritual fruit and here we have the teaching of Jesus, therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of now the chief priests and the Pharisees.

They were not ignorant of purpose for what for which Jesus was saying these things. It's recorded there in verse 45 of chapter 21 now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking of them. Bingo exactly many of these parables that Jesus spoke were spoken to explain and to confront the hostility and the attitude of the religious establishment, the scribes and the Pharisees and what was her attitude.

They perceived that these parables that he was speaking of them noticed their attitude verse 46 but when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitudes because they took him for a prophet.

So there hostility toward Jesus is reaching a boiling point. They sought to lay hands on him, but they were providentially hindered because of their fear of the multitude of this parable.

Parable of the wheat wedding feast. It speaks of God's gracious invitation to us in the gospel and it speaks of the indifferent and arrogant way men and women sometimes respond to it.

Jesus will speak of hell, and the end of those who attempt to enter the king's presence without the proper wedding attire that is the righteousness of Christ is absolutely essential to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again, this parable.

The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son. So tonight, as we consider this parable. I want us to consider it around the different responses that are recorded to the gospel invitation and there are 55 different responses to the gospel invitation and as we walk through this parable under those headings. My challenge at the beginning is just to ask you is your listening which of these represents my response to the gospel because we live by the grace of God in a time where no one is not heard the gospel. No one has not heard the claims of Christ. I trust all who were listening to me. You understand the demands that God himself places upon you in the gospel your responsibility to submit to and obey it. Believe it and to yield yourself to King Jesus.

That's a given. So again I ask you as we walk through these five different responses that are recorded in this parable spoken by Jesus which one of these responses is you prayerfully think that through.

Identify and as the spirit of God helps you with that. For some it will be cause for rejoicing. For some it will be cause to consider the claims of Christ and to repent of folly and foolishness.

So hear me tonight as I consider these responses as God speaks through his word. This parable is rather easy to interpret and understand it says the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, the certain king of verse two is God himself who is sitting on the throne of his universe. The sun is the king son the Lord Jesus Christ and were told that the king has arranged a marriage for his son.

That's interesting. The king is arranged a marriage for his son. Well, think with me for there to be a grown there must of necessity be applied and who is this bride that God has in mind for his son. Well, you know that to be the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is preparing a bride for his son. Revelation chapter 19 in verse seven speaks of the marriage supper of the Lamb, John Saul in a vision and gives expression to it. Verse seven of Revelation 19. John says let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory, for the marriage supper of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. Her wife has made herself ready gives us some insight as to what God is doing in this stage of redemptive history. God is calling together and preparing a bride for his son home that God's appointed time will present to his son and that bride will be a bride that is spotless and without wrinkle in all of its perfection that bride is not that at this time God is purifying and preparing that bride and there is a day that he will have his bride ready.

He is calling people from all corners of the earth to make up this beautiful bride for his son.

The servants, whom the king sent out in verse three. Notice it says and he sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding and they were not willing to come.

Verse four again he sent out other servants versus eight through 10. Then he sent to said to his servants, the wedding is ready for those who were invited and were not worthy. Therefore, going to the highways, and as many as you find invite to the wedding so the servants, whom the king sends out. They are those who do the king's bidding.

They are servants of the king. They are on the king's business and who were they when they are the prophets of old. They are the preachers of the gospel. They are the heralds of the good news those to whom the invitation was given are the Jews of Christ today. The religious leaders who are portrayed in their dishonoring of Christ and their dismissing of Christ, which is again boiling over into their soon violent rejection of Christ. Those who eventually come to the banquet are those who are despised and hated and marginalized by the religious establishment. It is sinners.

It is the poor. It is the dregs of society. The outcasts even the hated Gentiles who come and fill the wedding hall. These are the main points of the parable is again it's not hard to understand the meaning here of this parable. So think with me to get us thinking.

Let me suggest a scenario. Think of a person that you highly esteem and suppose they're having a great party and you are privileged to get an invitation. How will you respond well again is somebody you highly esteem. You're flattered that you got an invitation.

You I would trust check the date. Hope you don't have a conflict. Mark your calendar. Maybe seek the assistance of others to help you not forget this important day. Perhaps posted on the refrigerator or some other conspicuous place so that you will be continually reminded of it.

Here's the point how serious you take an invitation. Whether it be a wedding or dinner party is determined by who it is that extends the invitation.

This is an just any wedding invitation. This is the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king God himself arranging a marriage for his son, and you are invited. Are you excited about that reality of that prospect of that wedding that will take place. Are you part of that bride that God is preparing for his son.

And if you are, how much clause for rejoicing. There is here.

What a privilege. Perhaps we need to rethink our response to this and rejoice that there is a date on God's calendar where the wedding banquet will be filled in by the grace of God in the mercy of God, you will be there. What cause for rejoicing. What is shocking here is how this invitation was responded to by the stewards of God's law whose lives were to be invested in the interest of God, who purported to be the most concerned about the kingdom of heaven and the God of that kingdom, the religious establishment described in the Pharisees notice it says the king sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding and they were not willing to come. They were not willing to come. It is not that they could not come but they were willfully refusing to come in again in this day of gospel opportunity where it's scarce to think of anyone listening who doesn't know if Christ doesn't know of his purpose in coming to this earth. It's hard to consider someone who isn't completely oblivious to this. The question is, how have you responded to this gospel invitation. Have you been willing to come or are you unwilling have you demonstrated an unwillingness to come in. If you have refused to come on that day. Your willful refusal will condemn you. You have no excuse before God. Again, the question of your willingness Jesus said, come unto me all you who are labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, if you're willing and if you don't come in you. You have not, and you will not come whose fault will that in that day comes, I will man's problem is just that he's unwilling to come, it's that he's unable to come and I understand that understand that but listen to me man's inability does not negate nor excuse his responsibility any more than his inability to keep the 10 Commandments excuse his failure to obey them see the gospel is more than a gracious invitation on the part of God to respond.

It is a divine command to obey.

We are to obey the gospel.

We are to submit to the gospel. We are to believe the gospel. Notice with me. Verse five is a second responses recorded resources.

Again, he sent out the sermon saying, tell those who are invited.

See, I have prepared my dinner.

My oxen are in fatted calf cattle are killed and all things are ready come to the wedding verse five, but they made light of it and went their ways. One, to his own farm, another to his business and the rest seized his servants treated them spitefully and killed them first five records. A second response we often encounter as we seek to be faithful servants and stewards of this gospel message. What is that excuses excuses why can't come because I have a farm I can come because I bought oxen I can calm because I've recently been married and I have something more important.

Excuses their flimsy excuses their empty excuses because the issue is.

And I cannot come this response grows in the same heart of natural man. I refuse to see its importance. I won't be inconvenienced. I won't rearrange my schedule. They made light of it, it says verse five.

They made light of it and went their ways. One, to his own farm, another to his business. Luke is the other gospel writer who records the same parable and in Luke 14 there is an elaboration of the excuses that these men in this parable. Make again. It doesn't really matter that much.

Only that they are excuses, they are excuses without warrant their inexcusable Luke 14, verse 18.

They all with one accord began to make excuses for said to him I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I asked you to have me excused, and another said I've bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm going to test them.

I ask you to have me excused. Still another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come asking to be excused from a wedding invitation of that strange language. I recently while not recently. Several months ago received a summons to report for jury duty. The first time I got that I was to be in Zimbabwe so I went down to the courthouse and made my plea to be excused. And they excuse me because I was able to show that I had travel plan Zafar difference between being summoned to jury duty and how you respond to a gracious wedding invitation thing they made excuses. That's what the text says let's think about them quickly. I bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it today. The kid can't wait and wait till tomorrow or next week. Another set I bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm going to test them again. Cannot wait till tomorrow or next week or couple of days. Why is that more important.

Still another set I married a wife, and therefore cannot come well, you married a wife, and your new groom bring your wife to this wedding who would object to that again. They show how much importance they place on the invitation they're looking harder for an excuse not to come, then for reasons to come in our people that were going to encounter as we are faithful to bring the gospel message to them and they will have their excuses why have my plans.

I have occur. I have a career I have my ambitions.

What they're actually saying is I can't be bothered is not that important to me. I won't take it seriously, there's 1/3 response and it it's found in verse six it says, and the rest and the rest seized his servants treated them spitefully and killed them. Listen to me how they treated the messengers of the king exposes and explains the first two responses to the king's invitation. Although no reason is stated for the unwillingness of those mentioned in verse three verse five they politely hide behind their flimsy excuses again. Their hearts are exposed. They actually despise the king and are hostile toward him and that comes out in the mistreatment and the actually actually of killing of the messengers whom the king sent. If these invited guests felt that way toward the king's servants.

They obviously felt that way toward the king sent them again.

Their hearts are being exposed and again who is Jesus speaking this parable for to expose the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day the parable is designed to expose the true nature of the religious Jews of Jesus's day they bitterly resented Jesus for portraying them this way. They sought to lay hands on him. We look at that verse in chapter 21 1/2 of the parable verses one through seven is about those who despised the king and would not come to the banquet but the second half tells of those who didn't come again.

The king said in verse nine go into the highways, and as many as you find invite to the wedding. Luke makes it plain that the kind of people. The invitation went out to at this time were the poor, the maimed, the outcast, the question is why is it necessary to continue to extend an invitation to people so far been unwilling to come making excuses why they couldn't come killing in spitefully treating the messengers who came with the invitation because this isn't just a story. This is a message about the kingdom of heaven. Grace makes it necessary. Christ will die in Christ is not going to die in vain. So the death of Christ makes it necessary that there will be guests in this wedding chamber. In this wedding hall and the hall will be filled. The honor of the king and the honor of the sun demand. It's inconceivable for the king of the universe to be dishonored by having a wedding supper for his son and there be no guests there to honor him. God must be honored. Jesus must be honored. Jesus must receive the bride for which he gave his life for some look at the guest list of the people who feel the wedding hall and ask where where's the honor where the rich where the noble where the esteemed people of the world where the rich where the wives were the people with pedigree where the strong were the mighty well those are the ones who were unwilling to come. Those are the ones you refuse to come. Paul writes to the church in Corinth and he says God's chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and God's chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty and the base things of the world and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence, but of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord, let him glory in the Lord. So why, why these outcasts because they're the ones who will be astounded there will be overwhelmed the ones you will give honor to the king in that day and say okay I don't deserve to be here okay you can kind beyond measure. You have had mercy on me.

There is no other explanation for me being here. That's how honor and glory is given to the king and to the son, where we acknowledge our unworthiness center were unfit to be privileged in this way, there's 1/5 response recorded in this parable. What is it tells us verse 11. When the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. The fifth and last response to this gospel invitation is depicted in the man who was discovered without the wedding garment which was customarily supplied by the host to all the guests he failed to have the king's provision. He had the audacity to show up at the wedding, not properly attired.

And again, what is what is the wedding garment. What is Jesus referring to what it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

It is the perfect righteousness that God provides freely to all who repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness my beauty are my glorious dress mixed flaming worlds to these arrayed with joy. Shall I lift up my head. The man was found without the proper clothing he was not clothed in the righteousness that is absolutely necessary for entrance into heaven. The kingdom of heaven is like. Jesus said on the sermon on the Mount, unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will in no wise enter the kingdom. We don't need we don't. What's required is not a better righteousness then the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. What is required is a righteousness of another kind a perfection, a righteousness of perfection and the only place to get that is to receive it by grace from a gracious God bestows you can't bring this on your own.

Our righteousness is as filthy rags we have no righteousness of our own. The king saw man who had no wedding garment and that awareness produced three reactions to produce number one, a showdown verse 12 so he said to him, that is the man without the wedding garment friend. How did you come in here without a wedding garment. The king saw the man without the wedding garment. He confronted him he wasn't indifferent to it. It was absolutely essential in the man was without the proper attire. He was confronted.

How did the man respond, he said him, friend, how did you come anywhere without a wedding garment and he was speechless in that day before God's judgment men will be without excuse.

They will be speechless. They will be uttered that we rendered speechless. There will be no alibi that we know excuse to be nothing to defend yourself and what else it produced judgment then the king said to the servants, bind him hand and foot. Take him away, and cast him into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth judgment.

The man was cast into outer darkness. A picture of hell and every person who leaves this world clothed in their own sins, and not in the righteousness of Jesus Christ will spend eternity in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. So the question is we come to the end of this consideration of the wedding feast.

Are you dressed in the righteousness of Christ. Are you dressed for the wedding.

You can blame God here. God provides what he demands in the gospel he demands a perfect righteousness. We Produce that, but it will come to God and acknowledge our bankruptcy will throw ourselves on the mercy of God, and on his son Jesus Christ. God freely will grant to us a right standing with him a perfect righteousness again that he demands and he graciously provides why does he do it this way so that he will be honored so that he will be glorified so that no man will boast in his presence.

Listen to this him by Horatio's bone are thy work by works, not mine. Oh Christ, thy works, not mine. Oh Christ, speak gladness to this heart.

They tell me all is done. They bid my fear depart to home safely, who can't Stallone force in a tone Lord shall I flee thy pains, not mine, oh Christ, upon the shameful tree have paid the laws full price and purchase piece for me, thy cross, not mine. Oh, Christ has borne the awful load of sins that none in heaven or earth could bear. But God and then this fourth stanza thy righteousness, oh Christ alone can cover me know righteousness avails save that which is of two home save the who can't Stallone force in a tone Lord shall I flee the gospel is good news is the best news that God has determined to save sinners, all who come to him in repentance and faith matters not who you are matters not what you've done. Matters not what social status you have matters not what educational pedigree.

You might have. The ground is level with the cross and any and all who were received by God are received on the merits of his son the Lord Jesus Christ and his alone come to him if you have not rejoice in him. If you have it's cause for rejoicing that God has saved us from a deserving of hell and wrath and condemnation that God would pour out that wrath and judgment upon his son so that we might be forgiven and then to think that there's this wedding supper of the Lamb that's being prepared and the table is set in the chairs around the table in this glorious prospect of gathering in that place to honor the bridegroom to honor the son, daughter, the father who extends the invitation.

Oh what a prospect for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us bow. Give thanks to God our father, we thank you tonight for this wonderful message of salvation and the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray for all who are listening and will listen in the future about on about concerning this message. We pray that the spirit of God would work in the hearts and lives of those who have heard this life-giving message and for any who have been unwilling for any who made excuses for any whose hostility toward King Jesus has been exposed. We pray that you would subdue stubborn wills. Bring glad surrender, create, believing faith in part, that perfect righteousness that is necessary for acceptance before you hear us, we pray for Jesus sake and for his alone. A man not to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever