A Prayer for Progress

Now we turn to the preaching of God's Word.

Today we continue our series as we walk through the epistle of Philippians.

We're going to be in chapter 1, verses 9 through 11 today.

As we get going, though, there was a book that came out a couple years ago.

It was called Open, the Story of Human Progress.

And it focused on the progress that has been made over the course of the history of mankind.

Especially focusing on the last century where we have seen just incredible changes happen.

Where we see global hunger has been significantly reduced.

Child mortality, extreme poverty to levels that have plummeted.

And alongside that, achievements that have been happening.

Advancements in technology and in science that have brought unprecedented wealth and opportunity to the world.

But in the book it was talking about, even though despite we've seen this progress, there's still this tension that we experience.

Because man, as the author says, has this double nature.

This, we are both traitors and tribalists, the author said.

And so we have this desire for cooperation, but we also have this desire for belonging.

And the two can come in conflict.

And so as traitors, it says that we are curious and adventurous people.

We desire to communicate and work with one another for mutual benefit.

On the other hand, as tribalists, we are suspicious of one another.

And we can be hostile toward one another.

We are quick to divide the world into two camps of us versus them.

And so based on this analysis, he says that the greatest advancement that we have seen in human history comes from when societies act as traitors.

When there's this great openness in society.

Where we see cultures mixed and the movement of people, we see innovation skyrocket and liberty flourishes.

But on the other hand, when we act as tribalists, it usually leads to isolation.

Oftentimes to authoritarianism.

And when this happens, innovation is stifled and societies often suffer.

And so naturally, the author advocates for this continued openness, for a free flow of people and ideas and goods.

And he sees this as the basis for continued human progress.

Well, in this text today, we see Paul, he shares a similar desire for progress, but in a very different way.

He's not talking about economic progress.

He's not talking about political progress.

He's talking about progress in our lives as believers.

Progress as we move closer and closer as individuals and as a body toward Christ.

And so we see, we've looked over the last couple weeks of how Paul has been encouraged by the church at Philippi.

Both in their partnership in the gospel for the love that they have shown him and one another.

He highlights the work that God has done in their life that he's continuing to do, that he will bring to completion.

And so we see today, this prayer of thanksgiving turns into a prayer of petition.

He asks that God continue to work in the lives of the saints in Philippi.

Because he recognizes that it's God alone who empowers the church.

It is God alone who provides us with the desire and the ability to follow after him.

And so we're going to focus on this prayer today.

Philippians 1, verses 9 through 11.

Philippians 1:9–11

It should be on the screen behind me.

Follow along as I read.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment.

So that you may approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.

To the glory and praise of God.

This is the word of God.

Pray with me again.

Oh God, we come to you hungry and needy.

And so Lord, we ask that you fill us up.

That you reveal the truth of the gospel today.

In such a way that our understanding may be broadened and our faith may be deepened.

God, I ask that you use me as an empty vessel to effectively communicate your truth.

Lord, I ask that through our passage today.

That we may be convicted.

That we may be challenged and encouraged.

As we seek to live for you.

We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

So as I mentioned, this is our third week in the book of Philippians.

And we're finally getting to the end of Paul's introduction.

The last couple weeks we focused on Paul as he introduces himself to the church and addresses the church specifically.

We've talked about his thankfulness that he has for the church.

And how they provided for him and loved one another.

And he also highlights the work of God in their lives.

The work of God that happens at the point of conversion.

The work of God that's continuing to happen in their lives.

And looking forward to the completed work of Christ when he returns.

And so with an emphasis on the work of God, we may be tempted to think, well, if God's in control, then, you know, there's really not much more for us to do.

God is sovereign overall, so we can kind of just sit back and follow along.

But that's not the posture that Paul takes in these verses here.

He's prayed a prayer of thanksgiving.

Now it's a prayer of petition.

Asking that God continue to work.

Encouraging the church to continue to follow after him.

And so we're going to be focusing on this prayer today.

Specifically, three aspects of his prayer.

We're going to look at the request, the reason, and the result.

The request, the reason, and the result for this prayer.

So let's first look at verse 9 again at the request that is made.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment.

So the very first thing that Paul prays for here when he's thinking about the church in Philippi is that they may increase in love.

And it may seem to you as a rather simple request that's made.

But the more and more I thought about this, the more and more I was convicted this week.

Because it's not how I pray for the church normally.

And maybe you struggle with this too.

When we think about praying for the church here at Becclew.

Or we think about praying for other churches in Edinburgh or Scotland or the global church around the world.

Usually, at least for myself, love isn't the first request that comes to my mind.

I may pray for the effectiveness of certain ministries.

I may pray for people to have endurance in the midst of persecution.

We may pray for financial stability for churches.

But oftentimes, praying for love, even though it's such a basic request, is not something that we often think of.

But this is what Paul is praying for here.

This is where his focus lies when he's thinking about the progress within the church.

And it's interesting that he doesn't include an object for this love.

He doesn't say increase a love for God or love for one another.

He just says love that it may abound more and more.

And so he's speaking really of the virtue of love.

A characteristic that we as believers should have.

That should pervade our whole being.

And so he's not also speaking of a generic love.

A worldly love.

If you go out on the streets and ask someone what love is,

you're probably going to get a different answer from every person you ask.

But he's speaking very specifically here of the love of the Father.

And so if we look at Jesus, before he was arrested and crucified,

we have a recording of his high priestly prayer.

Where he prays for the saints.

He prays for you and me.

And he asks in that prayer, speaking to the Father,

he says that the love with which you have loved me may be in them.

And so Jesus desires that the love of the Father,

the same amount of love, the same quality of love,

that the Father loves the Son,

is the same love that is extended to us.

And so, of course, throughout the Bible,

we see this theme of love repeated.

Especially by Paul here,

if we think of many of his other letters to the New Testament church.

In 1 Corinthians 13, what's known as the love chapter,

faith, hope, and love remain, but the greatest of these is love.

In Galatians 5, where Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit,

the first fruit that he lists is love.

And so here, too, he's speaking of love,

not only that it exists, but that it abounds.

That we may experience the love of Christ,

the love that drew Christ to the cross,

to die for your sins and mine.

This is what he wants to abound in the church.

And so he uses this language, abound,

it's the same words that he uses in chapter 4,

when he's talking and recounting about the provision

that the church has provided for him.

This financial support,

how he's been well supplied by the church,

when no other church would.

He said it's this abundant supply of money and resources that he's received.

This is the same imagery that we see here.

And so before my family and I moved to Edinburgh,

we lived in the city of Greenville, South Carolina.

And Greenville is kind of known as,

to have this really beautiful city center.

It's not a huge city, but it's a growing city.

And in the city center, in the middle of downtown,

there's this waterfall.

And it used to be used to power textile mills back in the day.

But now it has been cleaned up.

It's now surrounded by this beautiful park.

And the water from this waterfall flows into a river.

And a little bit beyond downtown,

it went right by our neighborhood where we lived.

And so around that river, the park continued.

There were volleyball courts.

There were picnic pavilions.

There was a play park.

It was a great place to spend time and take the kids.

However, the problem with that park,

it was very low-lying in elevation.

And so when we got significant rainfall,

oftentimes the park would flood.

And a few times when we lived in that neighborhood,

the flood rose so much that not only did it pour over the banks,

but it rose to the level that it was above the nets of the volleyball court,

that the entire play park was covered in water.

And so let this be an imagery then of what Paul is talking about here,

that we're so filled up with God's love

that we have no room to store it,

that we can't contain it,

that it naturally flows from us abundantly and consistently to those around us.

Another thing happened when that river would flood

is it would attract attention from people.

Usually the local news stations would come and set up a camera

to see how extensive the flooding was in the park.

People from our neighborhood would walk down and snap pictures.

You could even walk across the bridge in the park.

And so the same here.

The love that we have for one another should be something that is attractive to the outside world,

something that is a curiosity to the outside world,

something that can't be replicated outside of Christ.

Because Jesus says this himself in John 13, 35.

He says,

By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.

So the love that Paul is talking about here,

the love that we receive from Christ,

should not only link us to one another as saints,

but it should also identify us with Christ.

But we see here that this love is not just an emotion or a sentimental feeling here.

It's grounded in truth.

And so that's why Paul continues that our love should abound more and more with knowledge and discernment.

Maybe you've heard people in the church before say something like,

you know, I don't really care much for theology.

I just try to love Jesus.

Or, you know, I don't spend a whole lot of time studying the Bible.

I just think it's important to love one another.

But it's important to remember this truth,

that if we remove our knowledge of God from our love for God,

then we are just worshiping a God of our imagination.

Martin Luther said this,

that I am not permitted to let my love be so merciful as to tolerate and endure false doctrine.

The love that we experience through Christ,

that we share to one another,

is not a license for naivete.

It's not this aimless emotion that just leads to general indifference or tolerance in our lives.

Love is to be directed.

We cannot love what we do not know.

And so if we think about a marriage relationship,

maybe if you're married,

you can think about maybe when you first started to get to know your spouse.

You were first introduced to them.

There might have been that initial attraction.

Maybe you had this growing infatuation for them.

But it wasn't until you actually started spending time with them,

until you actually started talking with them and getting to know them,

did that genuine and authentic love begin to develop.

And so knowledge is not the enemy of love.

Knowledge is a necessary requirement for its existence.

Authentic love for God is founded on a knowledge for God.

And so when Paul speaks of knowledge here,

love that must abound more and more with knowledge,

he's talking about a spiritual knowledge.

A knowledge that comes through knowing God,

the character of God,

being able to understand the depth of his love for us

and the truth of the gospel.

And so how do we develop this knowledge?

Is it just by showing up on a Sunday morning?

That's part of it through the preaching of God's word.

But is this something that we hunger after?

Is this a knowledge that we desire so much in our Christian lives,

as Paul does here?

In chapter 3, later on in Philippians, in verse 8, he says this,

I count everything a loss

because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.

There is nothing more important in Paul's life than knowing Christ.

It is this knowledge that gives him purpose in his life.

It is this knowledge that propels him forward to be a servant and a saint of God.

But we see that this knowledge is not alone.

It's actually coupled with discernment.

And so this Greek word that's used for discernment here

is actually a term that would be used for testing materials,

or testing metals, rather,

to see their quality,

to figure out the ingredients within this metal.

And so when we think about discernment,

it's really this deep perceptiveness,

this insight and understanding that we have.

So not only does Paul want the church

to have a love that comes through knowledge of God,

but also a love that is discerning,

a love that can be applied

to others within the church.

And so if we think back again about a relationship with your spouse,

or maybe even a close friend of yours,

spending time with them,

you get to know them.

But the quality of your friendship

is not based on the amount of information

you know about that person.

A mark of a quality marriage

is not how many questions you can get right

on a trivia question,

a game show about your spouse.

We must have wisdom and understanding

not only in the love and knowledge we have,

but how to apply that love to one another.

So if you think of your spouse,

you should be the one who knows best

how to comfort your spouse when they're struggling,

how to encourage them when they're discouraged,

how to love them in such a way

that they can appreciate and receive well.

And so the same goes for the church.

Our love for Christ is not

just some mushy sentiment.

We can love each other well

because we know the gospel.

And we can love each other well

because we know how to apply the gospel

in our daily lives,

in individual relationships,

in the church at large,

in the global church.

And so that leads us then to our second point.

We looked at Paul's request,

now the reason for his request.

What is this reason that he says we need

for deserving love?

Why does Paul pray

that it may abound within the church?

Look at verse 10.

So that you may approve what is excellent

and so be pure and blameless

for the day of Christ.

And so we can split this up into two parts.

What first does it mean

to approve what is excellent?

One of my best friends

who I've known my entire life,

he works actually in the fashion industry.

He's someone who pays

very close attention to detail.

And this has benefited him well.

He works for a clothing company

in New York City

in their corporate office.

And his job is a chief merchandiser.

And I'm not going to pretend to know all

what that includes.

But basically,

part of his responsibility

is figuring out

what the line is going to be

for the next season.

What clothes and articles

are going to be included

included in the sale

for the fall, winter, spring,

seasons ahead.

And so part of that responsibility

is working with designers,

working with the financial side

to see what's going to sell,

what do we want to include,

looking not only into articles of clothing,

but how we're going to make

these clothing,

this clothing.

What materials are we going to use?

What dyes are we going to use?

What buttons are we going to put on a shirt?

Someone has to make those decisions.

And so he does this well

because of his attention to detail.

And this really is something

that I see throughout his life

that has really benefited me

because this applies to technology

and computers and audio equipment

and tools and household goods.

So he's really,

I use him as my personal shopper

that whenever I have

a big purchase to make,

I'm going to call him up and say,

hey, what do you think about

such and such?

Last year,

I wanted to get some new

Bluetooth headphones.

So I call him up and say,

hey, what do you think?

What are my options?

Without even doing research,

I mean, he could spit off,

well, these are the best ones

for exercise.

These ones are really good

waterproof ones.

These,

you should avoid these.

The quality is not best.

These are the ones

that have the best sound quality.

And so when we look

at what Paul's saying here,

this is really what he's talking about.

Being able to approve

what is excellent

means being able to see

and decide

what is superior

in our lives.

Not just to distinguish

between good and evil.

That is oftentimes easy to do.

But be able to distinguish

between what is good

and what is best.

What is permissible

and what is preferable.

Paul wants the saints

at Philippi

to determine

what really matters

within the church.

What is of primary importance

and what is of secondary nature.

What has eternal value

and what is just temporal

in nature.

And so I think

we can oftentimes

get wrapped up

in things that are

secondary in nature

if we think of society

in general.

Maybe it's politics

for you.

Maybe it's social issues.

Maybe it's your job.

Maybe it's your family.

Not to say any of these things

are bad.

But are these things

what are supposed to be

of primary importance

in our lives.

The trouble is

when we spend so much time

and attention

on these secondary issues

that we can elevate them

in status

that they become

gods in our life.

And we can lose track

of what is most excellent.

We can see this

within the church as well.

It's very easy

to cling to secondary issues

within the church, right?

We may have a preference

on how ministries are run.

How the church service

should be conducted.

What changes we should make

to the sanctuary.

It's okay to have opinions.

There's nothing wrong with them.

But when we elevate

the importance

of those opinions

to primary

in our lives

that's when we forsake

the gospel.

If we look through

the history of the church

it's a history

filled with divisions.

And not to say

some of those divisions

weren't necessary

and essential

for the preservation

of the gospel.

Some were.

But if we think

especially in modern times

when there are arguments

within the church

when there are splits

and divisions

within the church

what's the reason

for that happening?

Is it because of a lack

of discerning love

for one another?

Is it because we've made

secondary issues

primary issues?

That's a problem

that we need to avoid.

My pastor back in the States

he'd always used to say

whenever he was asked

to give an opinion

or would offer his opinion

on a secondary issue

related to the church

he'd always end his comment

by saying

well that's not

that is not a hill

I'm willing to die on.

And so that's something

I think is important

to remember

when we're talking

about secondary issues

or opinions

that we have

it's perfectly fine

to have those opinions

but if they're on

secondary issues

it shouldn't be

a hill

that we're willing

to die on.

We should not be willing

to risk

what is most excellent

in our lives

the unity of the church

the love among the saints

the centrality

of the gospel

simply so we can get

our own way.

So let's look further

then at verse 10

we looked at

seeing what is most excellent

choosing what is most excellent

but it also says

so that we may be pure

and blameless

for the day of Christ.

And so what does it mean

to be pure

and blameless?

A few weeks ago

we talked about

why Paul calls

the church saints

because that's

our identity

in Christ

Christ has given us

his righteousness

that we are holy

and set apart.

But I don't think

that's quite what Paul

is getting at here

this is a prayer

for action

so yes

although we identify

in Christ

we are also called

to holiness

as well

and so that's

I think what he's

referring to here

is our own

sanctification

our calling

to pursue holiness

as Christ

as is at work

in our lives

so we should desire

to be more

and more like him.

And so this doesn't mean

that we reach

a point of perfection

in our life

that's not what Paul

is saying here.

In fact he makes

that point himself

later on in the letter

in chapter 3

verse 12

he says

not that I've

already attained this

referring to being

like Christ

or I am already

perfect

but I press on

to make it my own

because Christ

Jesus has made me

his own.

And so

since we are in Christ

we are motivated

to be pure.

Some places

the same Greek word

is translated

as sincere.

Are we inwardly pure?

do we live lives

of sincerity

as saints?

We're also called

to be blameless.

And this word

really has a dual meaning.

It means

to personally avoid

tripping over obstacles

but also prevent others

from tripping over obstacles

that we've created.

And so Paul is saying

that our conduct

should not cause offense

to those around us.

And so when we combine

these ideas together

purity

and blamelessness.

We see that Paul is

talking about this

inward character

that we should have

but also this

outward conduct

that should be evident.

Inwardly our minds

and our hearts

should be pure.

Paul says in Colossians

to set our mind

on things above.

Outwardly

we need to live lives

that are above reproach.

Our actions

should be evidence

of the work

that God is doing

in our lives.

This is a comprehensive

holiness

inside out.

That Christ alone

can see inside our hearts

and that others

can see around us.

And so Paul says

we live this way

for the day

of Christ.

Now this is the second time

in just a couple verses

that Paul has talked

about the day of Christ

just in his introduction.

And so what is the importance

of the day of Christ?

What does it mean?

We talked about this

last week

where the day of Christ

is a time

where Christ

will come again

where the nations

will be judged

where the people

of God

will receive salvation

and vindication.

And so this is a good thing

if we are saints

if we are brothers

and sisters

in Christ

to await

the day

of the Lord.

But not only

wait for that day

but also to prepare

for that day.

The day of the Lord

provides us

with direction.

It provides us

for motivation

in our lives.

What if we knew

that Christ

was coming again

tomorrow?

How would that

change our lives?

How would that

change our priorities?

In our relationships

certainly we'd be

more merciful

toward others.

More willing to forgive

and extend forgiveness

to those around us.

Certainly we'd have

a desire

to share the love

of Christ

with those

that don't know him.

To see the gospel

expand.

That we may personally

be prepared

for his return.

Jesus gives us

a couple parables

related to his return

and one of those

is the parable

of the ten virgins

who are awaiting

the arrival

of the bridegroom.

Five of them

are wise

and five of them

are unwise.

The unwise ones

forget to bring

extra oil

for their lamps

as they wait

in the night

for the arrival

of the bridegroom.

And so they hurry

out to go

buy more oil.

Of course a bridegroom

comes in their absence

and they're left

out of the wedding.

Jesus says

at the end

of that parable

he says that

we do not know

the day

nor the hour

of his return.

And so even though

we don't have

that information

we should nonetheless

be ready

and eager

and prepared

for his return.

And so that brings us

then to that final

R

the result.

What is the result

of Paul's request?

Look in verse 11.

He says

we are to abound

in discerning love

in order to be pure

and blameless

as a result

filled with the fruit

of righteousness

that comes through

Jesus Christ

to the glory

and praise

of God.

So in my back garden

we have an apple tree

that we've enjoyed

for the past couple years.

It's been really nice

when we first arrived

it was just

heavy laid with apples.

So many apples

that we can't possibly

eat them all.

We actually bought

a juicer

to try to juice

some of the apples.

We've made pies

that we've given

away to people.

And last year

I noticed

that some of these

branches were

kind of struggling.

Some of the apples

weren't really that good

so I decided

I need to figure out

how to prune this tree.

I never pruned

an apple tree before

and didn't know

how to do it.

A little internet

research says

that the apple tree

it should be trimmed

like a goblet.

So the growth

should happen

on the outside.

There shouldn't be

any inward growth

any apples or branches

inside the interior

of the tree.

And so I did my best

to do that

and now seeing

the fruits of that labor

we see more fruit

being growing

even apples

the size of probably

golf balls

right now in the tree

looking forward

to when they will

be ripe

before the harvest

in a few months.

We all know

basically how

this fruit

is grown.

This is something

we learn in primary school

how the roots

suck up the water

and the nutrients

from the ground.

The trunk

spreads out

these nutrients

to the branches.

It's the leaves

that collect

the sunlight

that's necessary

for growth.

And so we see here

this is true

of the life

of the saints

as well.

Paul is explaining

this process

that we receive

the love of God

we show this love

to others

we grow in holiness

and as a result

we see fruit.

So as we undergo

sanctification

as we grow

more and more

like Christ

fruit should be

a necessary result.

Conduct

in our lives

where we see

and desire

the advancement

of the gospel

where others

are benefited

and ultimately

God is pleased.

But it's important

to note

that this righteous

fruit also needs

a righteous root.

As Paul says

the righteousness

comes through

Jesus Christ.

Our fruitfulness

is not self-generated.

It's not based

on our own efforts.

The harvest

of our good deeds

is a product

of Jesus Christ

himself.

And so if we

think back

to the passage

that we read

earlier from John 15

where Jesus refers

to himself

as the vine.

In verse 5

he says

I am the vine

you are the branches

whoever abides in me

and I in him

will bear much fruit

apart from me

you can do nothing.

And so our fruitfulness

is wholly dependent

on Christ's work

in our lives.

And so that should be

reassuring to us

because it's not based

on our own efforts

it's not about

how hard we try

or how good we are

that we may see fruit.

It is the work

of Christ

in our lives.

It is God's work

in us

that allows

good works

to flow from us.

This is what Christ

desires to see

in his church.

To see great fruit

happen as a result

of his work

in our lives.

In Titus 2.14

talking about Jesus

Paul says this

says he who gave

himself for us

to redeem us

from all lawlessness

and to purify

for himself

a people

of his own possession

who are zealous

for good works.

So Jesus died

to redeem

a people

who are passionate

about good works.

Who are passionate

about seeing fruit.

Notice this logical progression

then in Paul's prayer.

he prays

for loving hearts.

He prays

for discerning minds.

He prays

for this inward purity

this outward

blamelessness

that results

in the fruit

of righteousness.

And so we should

live in such a way

our hearts and minds

should be so transformed

by the gospel

that this is just

a natural outcome

of God's work

in our lives.

But ultimately

this isn't the end

of the verse.

It doesn't end here.

Paul's prayer

doesn't end

with just our fruitfulness.

Our fruitfulness

is not the ultimate goal.

We are filled

with the fruit

of righteousness

that comes

through Jesus Christ

to the glory

and praise

of God.

And so we bear fruit

not so we can

look good

or that we can

receive the credit.

We bear fruit

so that God

receives the glory.

This is our ultimate aim.

This is our greatest ambition.

And so if we go back

to John 15 again

where Jesus calls

himself the vine

in verse 8

he says

by this my father

is glorified

that you bear

much fruit

and so prove

to be my disciples.

So our fruitfulness

it points

to the greatness

of God.

It points

to the beauty

and the excellence

of God.

It is he

who we praise

with our actions.

It is he

that we exalt

with our lives.

If we think back

to the book

that I mentioned

at the very beginning

this book

on the history

of human progress

the author states

he says

openness

has been

the greatest blessing

of mankind

and will continue

to provide us

with new sources

of wealth

and technology.

And so in the mind

of this author

human progress

is the ultimate end.

And so that's why

it's an imperative

that he gives

that we need to create

political and economic

systems that are open

that we act

as traitors

in such a way

that we can attain

more wealth

and more technology

and ultimately

more comfort.

That's the exact opposite

of what Paul

advocates for

when he talks

about progress

in these verses.

Our sanctification

our fruitfulness

our holiness

is not the end goal

of our Christian life.

Instead it is

the means

by which we

glorify God.

God is the ultimate ends

in our life.

The Westminster Catechism

very first question

sums it up so well.

What is the chief end of man

to glorify God

and to enjoy Him

forever?

This should be the reason

for doing everything.

The reason we come here

to worship.

The reason the Word

is preached.

The reason we gather

as community groups

that we're involved

in ministry.

The reason we work

and have families

and go to school.

All for the glory

of God.

Paul sums it up well

in Romans 11.

He says,

For from Him

and through Him

and to Him

are all things.

To Him

be glory

forever.

And so when we

take a step back

we've looked at this prayer

in three parts.

But if we consider

the prayer as a whole

yes,

Paul is praying

for the church

that they may

show progress

in their faith

that they may be holy

and blameless

and pure

that they may bear fruit.

But if we boil it down

to what Paul

is really asking

He is asking God

to glorify Himself.

His prayer

for our progress

is ultimately

a prayer

for God

to be praised.

And so that needs

to be our prayer

as well.

When we think about

progress in the Christian life

it's not about

how good we are

or how hard we try.

It's not about

proving ourselves

to God

or to others.

may it be our prayer

that God

deepen our love

so that He

may receive the glory.

That He give us discernment

that He be praised

that we can have fruit

in our lives

that ultimately

God

can be exalted.

That's our prayer

as believers.

That our fruit

is not for our own benefit.

We have already received

the benefit

of salvation

through the love

of Christ.

So let that love

embody us.

may be something

that we desire

to share

with one another

that ultimately

God

receives the glory

and the praise.

Let's pray.

God we thank You

for the example

of Paul's prayer.

How he desires

that love

abound within the church.

Love that is grounded

in the love

of the Father.

The love

that the Son

has demonstrated

to us

through His

sacrificial death

that we may

have life.

God may we be

a church

that is characterized

by love

that is coupled

with knowledge

and discernment.

God we desire

fruitfulness

in our own lives

not that we receive

the praise

but that God

receives all the glory.

May that be

our heart's

desire.

we pray

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.

Now if you'll

stand for our

final hymn

the deep

deep love

of Jesus.

heaven.

If you'll come up

and then

larger

through the

peace

is

where

you