Let the Peoples Praise You (Psalm 67)

Amen. Thank you, Clay and Grant. I am thoroughly excited to get to preach this morning, but I'm going to be honest, I could probably listen to y'all play and sing just a little bit more.

And I think that'd be a wonderful service together. If you have your Bible, turn me to Psalm 67, right there in the middle of Scripture. Now we're going to be looking at this missionary song, as Charles Spurgeon calls it. It's a Psalm 67.

In my office, I have a very small book on missions, many books on missions, but one book particularly, in the introduction, Pastor David Platt reflects on the reality of lostness among the unreached.

And this is what he writes. He writes, I was near Yemen not long ago. Northern Yemen has approximately 8 million people.

Do you know how many believers there are in northern Yemen? 20 or 30.

Out of 8 million people, the populations of Alabama and Mississippi combined, there are likely more believers in your Sunday school class or a couple of small groups at your church than there are in all of northern Yemen.

That is a problem. It is a problem because millions of people in the northern part of Yemen have no access to the gospel.

They join millions and millions of other unreached peoples in the world who are born, live, and die without ever even hearing the good news of what God has done for their salvation in Christ.

He continues to write this. He writes, it's the primary responsibility of every pastor, of every local church, to love people in that church and to love people in that community.

All toward the ultimate end of the name of Christ might be praised among every group of people on the planet.

That's what the spirit of Christ wants.

So that's what every Christian, every pastor, and every local church should want.

And so I want to spend our short time together this morning with one goal in mind.

And that is that each of us may commit our lives to this mission of God, proclaiming the gospel among the nations.

Psalm 67, like I mentioned, Charles Spurgeon calls this a missionary song.

But I hope that as we read this together today that we may be convicted and challenged and be thoroughly committed to prayerfully persisting and proclaiming God.

That all the peoples may praise God.

Psalm 67, beginning in verse 1.

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, say, la, that your way may be made known on earth, your saving power among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God.

Let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth, say, la.

Let the peoples praise you, O God.

Let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its increase.

God, our God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us.

Let all the ends of the earth fear him.

Now this simple, short missionary psalm gives us a beautiful insight into the worship of God, right?

It's just a very simple, cursory read of this psalm.

Look at the commands here.

Let the peoples praise you, O God.

Let the peoples praise you, let the nations be glad and sing for joy.

Let the peoples praise you, O God.

Let all the peoples praise you.

Let the ends of the earth fear him.

With a simple reading of this text, we can already get the main idea, right?

God's praise among the nations.

God being praised among the nations.

And this praise of the nations starts with you and I.

So in this passage, we first see that we are created and commanded to worship God.

This passage is operating on top of a biblical principle that is throughout the scriptures.

And that biblical principle is that we are created for the purpose of praising and worshiping and glorifying God.

We see this in the Old Testament in passages like Isaiah 43, where throughout the chapter it's clear,

but in verse 7, he writes, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.

Later in Isaiah 43, verse 21, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise.

Isaiah 43:21

Even more familiar, Psalm 139, verses 13 and 14.

Psalms 139:13

For you formed my inward parts, you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 95, 6.

O come, let us worship and bow down.

Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.

Here's the idea.

God made me so I should worship him.

God created me.

God crafted me.

God knit me together.

Therefore, I must worship him as my creator, as the almighty God.

I was created.

Therefore, I must worship my creator.

It's a simple truth, but it's one that, if we're honest, we struggle with.

We fail to do.

We're created to worship God, to live our lives absolutely and completely for him.

But even on our best day, we fall short due to our present sinful nature.

So because we are tempted to worship elsewhere, we are further commanded in this passage.

We are created, but we are also commanded to worship God.

Praise the Lord.

Sing with joy to the Lord.

Worship God.

These are frequent commands in scripture.

And it's commanded because it's something we honestly just need reminding of sometimes.

There are things that distract us, things that overwhelm us, that cause our praise to be absent to the ears of God.

We choose to worship other things even sometimes.

Think of the Israelites in Exodus chapter 32, right?

Exodus 32 · chapter mention

They had been miraculously delivered from Egyptian captivity in the book of Exodus.

They had been delivered through the amazing and wondrous plagues that God had sent on those that held his people in captivity.

God had delivered them.

He had parted the seas so that he walked through on dry land with an enemy at their back.

He had led them with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.

He had shown them his love, his provision, his grace, his mercy time and time and time again.

Yet when Moses went up to Mount Sinai, the people of God turned their back on God and turned to Aaron, the high priest, and said,

Make for us a golden calf that we may worship it instead.

You see, our heart designed to worship God seems to work overtime, right?

It seems to work overtime at finding other things to show worship and praise and the purpose of our lives instead of God.

The theologian John Calvin refers to our heart as a perpetual factory of idols, meaning that our hearts are just conditioned and they're bent on finding things to worship,

yet often it is not the worship of God, it is the worship of his creation.

As Paul writes in Romans 1, we exchange the glories of the immortal creator God for the fleeting works of his creation.

We choose to worship lesser things.

That's the point C.S. Lewis makes in his book, The Weight of Glory.

He writes,

If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised us in the Gospels,

it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.

We are half-hearted creatures fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us.

We are far too easily pleased.

So that's the story of Scripture, right?

We are created in the image of God, yet because of our sinful nature, we choose to worship other things.

We rebel and we run far from God.

But God demonstrates his love for us.

And that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The beauty of the Gospel is that God loved us anyway.

He would look at mankind, sinful and wretched that we are,

and love us so much so that he would give his only begotten Son to die an undeserved death on a sinner's cross,

so that by his blood and sacrifice our sins might be forgiven,

and that we would no longer be children of wrath, yet sons and daughters of the Most High God.

We do not worship some deified dictator who demands our praise undeservingly.

We worship the Creator God that breathed all things into existence,

and made a way by his own blood,

that we may have life and forgiveness of sins in his name.

He alone is worthy of our praise,

and our hearts were created, fashioned, cultivated for that singular purpose of worshiping him.

Yet if we, who know of God through his works and through his word,

need to be commanded and reminded to praise God,

what of those that have little to no access to the Gospel,

who do not know of God,

know knowledge of God,

they're created with the same purpose, to worship God,

they're commanded to the same practice, to worship God,

yet they are unable to experience the forgiveness of sins,

and unable to worship God,

because the Gospel has not reached them yet.

This leads us to our second truth of this passage, though.

We are created and commanded to worship God,

but we are also burdened and blessed for the worship of God among the nations.

Look again at the heart behind Psalm 67.

There's an invocation being made, a request being made to God,

and see if you pick up the language here.

Verse 1, may God be gracious to you.

I'm asking him to be gracious to us,

and bless us, and make his face shot upon us,

so that his way may be made known on the earth.

Then again, another invocation,

let the peoples praise you, O God.

Let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy.

Let the peoples praise you, O God.

Let all the peoples praise you.

Let the ends of the earth fear him.

There's a request being made on this psalmist,

that all of the earth may know of God and worship him.

There's a burden in the heart of this psalmist,

for all of earth, all the peoples,

to know of God, to know his salvation,

to see his face,

to know his saving power,

and worship him,

as they were created to worship him.

There's a burden in his heart,

and I say there should be a burden in our heart,

for those who do not know the Lord.

If you remember,

as we were working through the book of Acts,

there's this huge shift,

as the gospel begins to be preached to the Gentiles.

The apostle Peter saw a vision,

and God began to extend salvation,

the gospel proclamation,

to the Gentiles,

those who weren't Jewish,

or part of God's elect in the Old Testament.

And so we were looking at it as a huge shift,

because it almost seems as though,

when you read throughout the Bible,

it almost seems as though,

that God shows favor on the Israelites,

and everyone else can just suffer his wrath.

It almost seems as though,

if you read the Old Testament,

it seems as though God loves a particular group of people,

and everyone else,

he just casts out,

discards,

and allows to suffer his wrath.

Yet there's another biblical principle,

that I want us to allow to inform our understanding,

of the mission of God in the Old Testament.

It's throughout,

but in 2 Peter 3,

Peter,

the apostle Peter writes this.

He writes that God wills,

God wills,

it is the will of God,

he desires that none should perish.

God does not delight,

in the death of those whom he created for himself.

God wills that none should perish.

So looking at this,

God's scope of redeeming mankind,

has always,

from the very beginning,

had the whole of earth in mind.

God's redeeming purposes throughout scripture,

always was intended for the whole of earth,

all the peoples.

He tells the first worshipers,

Adam and Eve,

what does he tell them after he created them?

Be fruitful,

fill the earth,

subdue it.

After exercising judgment on mankind's sin,

through the flood,

God commands Noah and his family in Genesis 9,

be fruitful,

multiply,

increase greatly on the earth,

and multiply in it.

A few chapters later,

Genesis 12,

he tells Abram,

I will make you a great nation,

and all the families of the earth

shall be blessed through you.

We could read the rest of the Old Testament as evidence,

but God's plan has always been

that all of his creation,

all of his peoples,

be in line with,

and worshiping their creator.

It has always been the plan of God.

Instead,

we don't see God showing favor on Israel

at the expense of everyone else.

Instead,

God shows favor on his people

so that all the peoples of earth

may look to God's people,

may look to us,

and know that he alone is God.

That he alone can satisfy,

he alone can provide,

he alone can save.

The psalmist,

who would have been a Jew,

knows this.

And though Jesus had not yet come,

though the Holy Spirit did not yet indwell,

though the great commission

had not yet been issued,

this psalmist prays

that all the people of earth,

which would include the Gentiles,

may praise God.

He looks at the world around him

and he sees brokenness.

He sees the vain pursuits.

He sees the sin.

He sees the tragedy all around him.

And his desire

is that they may come to know God

and worship him.

He is burdened by the lost in our world.

Charles Spurgeon,

he states on this passage

that the great theme of this psalm

is the participation of the Gentiles

in the worship of Jehovah.

This is important.

This is a big deal

because he is burdened

for the worship of God

among the nations.

And he knows that

one of the primary ways

in which the nations

may come to know of God

is through the blessings

of God on his people.

So we are burdened

for the worship of God

among the nations.

We are also blessed

for the worship of God

among the nations.

Look at verses one and two again.

Verse one,

may God be gracious to us

and bless us

and make his face

to shine upon us.

That,

so that,

the purpose being

that your way

may be made known

on earth.

Your saving power

among all nations.

The psalmist is praying

for blessings

and extended grace.

He is praying

that God's presence

may be with his people

so much so

that the people around him

may look to the people of God

and see that he alone

can save.

There's a few books

in the library

that I was looking at this week

that have old bulletins

from this church.

And I just happened

upon Sunday,

May 23rd,

1976,

this congregation

ended their service

by singing

the Aaronic benediction,

the benediction of Aaron

from Numbers 6.

And I want to encourage you

to think of Numbers 6

as we read through this

and see if anything

sounds familiar to you today.

Numbers 6,

Numbers 6:24

verse 24,

see if this blessing

sounds familiar.

The Lord bless you

and keep you.

The Lord make his face

to shine upon you

and be gracious to you.

The Lord lift up

his countenance upon you

and give you peace.

This prayer for blessing

in the Old Testament,

even from back in Numbers,

is being referenced here

in Psalm 67

for the purpose of seeing

that God,

we pray that you may bless us.

But there's a purpose

in this blessing.

There's a reason

for this blessing.

And now I think

we see that pretty clear

as we look at this.

There's a quote

by James Montgomery Boyce

who Pastor Brett

quotes all the time.

But he discusses

our desire of blessing

and he writes this.

He writes,

usually all we mean

by asking God to bless us

is that we want God

to help us succeed

at something

or enable us

to make money

or give us the job,

house, or care

that we desire.

But although such forms

of material blessing

are not excluded

from this Aaronic benediction,

this prayer in Numbers 6,

they are only a part of it

and a lesser part.

more desirable

is that God

would himself

enter into a gracious

personal relationship

with his people.

You see,

the greatest blessing

that you and I

can receive

is a personal relationship

with God

through Jesus Christ.

The greatest blessing

that we can receive

and partake in

is a salvation

and a relationship

with Jesus Christ.

So the prayer being

referenced here

is not for God

to bless them materially.

Instead,

he's fervently praying

that God may be close

to his people,

that we may know him,

that he may shine

his face on us

and that we may set

our face on him

and be ever satisfied

in his presence.

He prays that we may

feel his warmth,

his grace,

and that we may be at peace

in his loving arms.

He prays that we may

experience God's blessing,

that relationship,

all the more,

so much so

that an unbelieving world

may look on the lives

of God's people

and they may see peace

in suffering,

content in great loss,

forgiveness in the face

of utter betrayal.

The prayer is that

we may experience

God's presence,

God's life,

so much so

that people may look

at our lives

and the brokenness

that we experience

and know that the only

explanation for our lives

in the face of all

the brokenness

we've experienced

is that there's a God

who's real

that makes all the difference.

Lord, bless us.

Be gracious to us

so that the world

may know

that you are God.

this Jewish psalmist

is burdened

by the lostness

in the world,

including the Gentiles

and his prayer

is that God

may be worshipped

among all the nations.

Again, look at

Genesis 6 through 9.

There's, again,

the story of the worldwide flood.

I referenced a second ago

that after the flood,

God told Noah

to be fruitful

and fill the earth again.

Essentially,

bear my glory,

reflect me

amongst all the world.

But what do we find

God's people doing

two chapters later

in Genesis 11?

Two chapters later,

after being told

to be fruitful

and fill the earth,

spread yourselves out,

fill the earth

with my glory,

we read in Genesis 11,

Genesis 11:4

verse 4,

they say this,

come,

let us build ourselves

a city

and a tower

with its top

in the heavens.

Let us make a name

for ourselves

lest we be dispersed

over the face

of the earth.

Essentially,

they want to do

the exact opposite

that God had just

commanded them to do.

Rather than living

lives of worship

in obedience and faith

to the commands of God,

they seek to make

a name for themselves

at the expense

of the rest of the world.

So God confuses

their languages,

scatters them,

yet in the book of Acts

we see what?

A great reversal.

Though there's confusion

from the Tower of Babylon

in Genesis 11,

there is clarity

through the Holy Spirit.

So in Acts,

we see the reversal

of this confusion

and the Holy Spirit

descends on God's people

and the gospel

begins to spread

among all peoples

once again.

So we're going to learn

from the example

of the Israelites

and apply it

into this passage here,

Psalm 67,

for us personally here,

we as the church,

we as the church

must have a great burden

for the lost

in this world.

What a tragedy

it would be

if we ever

grew content

in building a name

and a building

for ourselves

at the expense

of the rest of the world

dying and going to hell.

Places where the gospel

has not yet preached.

Places like northern Yemen

where there's 20 to 30 Christians

in a region

of 8 million people.

We dare not neglect

our own community,

absolutely.

But if we do not go

to the nations,

some of them

will never hear of God

and they will suffer

eternity in hell.

All peoples

have been created

and commanded

to worship God

yet how can they

worship God

if they have not

experienced

his saving power?

That's the point

Paul makes

in Romans 10

Romans 10:13

verse 13.

For everyone

who calls

on the name

of the Lord

will be saved.

How then

will they call

on him

in whom

they have not believed?

And how are they

to believe in him

of whom

they have not heard?

And how are they

to hear

without someone

preaching?

How are they

to preach

unless they are sent?

As it is written

how beautiful

are the feet

of those

who preach

the good news.

Faith comes

from hearing

and hearing

through the word

of Christ.

So how can they

worship

if no one

has told them

of God?

That's the simple

point that John Piper

makes with a simple

sentence.

Missions

exist

because worship

doesn't.

There are places

in our world

where the worship

of God

is not

non-existent.

Therefore we must

be burdened

by the absence

of worship

among the nations

and by God's

blessing

of a personal

relationship

with you

with us

and him

through his son

for each of us

may our blessings

lead to the worship

among the nations.

And you may be sitting

here like

alright Evan

you've convinced me

that sounds great

obviously I agree

with you

but what do we do?

Well from this passage

I believe a simple

application

is that we must

prayerfully persist

in the proclamation

of God

so that all the

peoples may

praise God.

We must prayerfully

persist in the

proclamation of God

so that all the

peoples may

praise God.

Charles Spurgeon

says it this way

if sinners will be

damned

at least let them

leap to hell

over our bodies

and if they will

perish

let them perish

with their arms

about their knees

imploring them to stay

and if hell must be

filled

at least let it be

filled with the

teeth of our

exertions

let not one

go there unwarned

nor unprayed for.

So if we're going to

apply this passage

we've got to start

with prayer.

We've got to start

with prayer.

I want to encourage

us to let our

prayer lives be

saturated with the

desire of God

being worshipped

among the nations.

Let your prayer

life be saturated

by passages like

Psalm 67

where we pray

invoke

request

God to be

made known

among the

nations

and for us

to be a part

of it.

Let your prayer

lives be

saturated

for God's

worship being

known among

the nations.

As you pray

for our mission

team this week

and I encourage

you to do so

pray not only

for their safety

and their comfort

pray for the

heathen that

knows not yet

the Lord.

Pray for these

families to be

blessed not only

with a roof

over their head

but that they

may see the

blessings of God

upon our team

that is there

and they may

come to know

the Lord

and his salvation

through them

that he may

see the sacrifices

that they have

made of finances

vacation time

comforts of home

in order that

families and other

nations might know

the Lord.

Pray for our

missionaries that

have given their

lives to this work

of reaching the

nations I think of

the International

Mission Board

and many other

organizations where

people have gone

to other places

so that the name

of God may be

known.

Pray for these

missionaries.

Pray that God

may raise up

missionaries for

our midst

from us

that we may

go elsewhere

and labor for

the sake of

the gospel.

This is something

we know we ought

to pray for

but do we?

I think so often

we fail to pray

for missionaries

and fail to pray

that God will

raise up more

missionaries out

of fear.

So often we think

of missionaries

living amongst

the unreached

we think of ones

who have lost

their lives

for this mission.

Ones that

Pastor Brett

mentions regularly

such as Ann Judson

from Burma

or Jim Elliott

from Ecuador

or William Borden

who died before

he even reached

his mission field.

We think of these

and we have fear

that comes in our

hearts and say

I don't want to

pray that because

that may be what

happens.

But I want to

encourage us to

think the story

of John and

Betty Stamm.

John Stamm

gave his life

to Christ

at the age of 15

under the preaching

of a blind evangelist

in New Jersey

while Betty

was raised in

China to a family

of missionaries.

They met at

Moody Bible Institute

they fell in love

and they both

felt a strong

calling towards

the mission field

particularly China.

So Betty

she went ahead

and went to China

and John came

a year later

and when they

met back together

when they both

arrived in China

and they were

finally reunited

they got married

the very next day.

John and Betty

Stamm

a married couple

25 years old

ready to

serve God

in this field

and so they

lived there

for about a year

before they gave

birth to their

daughter Helen

and during this

time they labored

and loved the

people around them

there was a civil

war breaking out

among them

when their daughter

was only three

months old

their family

was seized

by members

of the Chinese

Communist Party

and John and

Betty Stamm

were martyred

for their

Christian faith.

As an aside

as someone

with a baby

here's another

part of the story

their three

month old

daughter

was miraculously

found hidden

in a sleeping bag

two days later

by a traveling

evangelist.

So God

preserved the

life of the

child but the

parents gave

their lives

as a martyrs

for the gospel

and shortly

before their

death John

had written

to his father

about the

pressing dangers

around them.

They'd been

encouraged to

leave, they'd

been encouraged

to flee

yet they remained

and he wrote

to his father

about the

pressing dangers

and he included

these verses

from E.H.

Hamilton

another pastor

from that area

and this is what

he wrote

afraid of what?

To feel the

spirit's glad

release

to pass from

pain to

perfect peace

the strife

and strain

of life

to cease

afraid of that?

Afraid of what?

Afraid to see

the savior's face

to hear his

welcome and to

trace the glory

gleam from

wounds of grace

afraid of that?

Afraid of what?

A flash, a crash,

a pierced heart

brief darkness

light, oh heaven's

art

a wound of his

a counterpart

afraid of that?

Afraid of what?

To enter into

heaven's rest

and yet to serve

the master

blessed

from service

good

to service

best

afraid

of that?

Afraid of what?

to do by death

what life could

not

baptized with

blood

a stony plot

till souls

shall blossom

from that

spot

afraid

of that?

Friends, I want to

encourage us today

don't let fear

keep us from

praying

but even more so

don't let fears

keep you from

doing

as God has

very clearly

commanded each

of us to do

to proclaim

God

among

the nations

so pray

Psalm 67

and as we pray

let us

persistently

proclaim of God

Thomas Brooks

he was a Puritan

he wrote

that a soul

under assurance

is unwilling

to go to heaven

without company

there should be

something about

the desires

of where we are

going

and the knowledge

of what God

has done for us

where we want

all the more

for others

to join us

in that

so we must

be a part

of proclaiming

the gospel

be a part

of sharing

the gospel

to those

around you

and should

God call you

elsewhere

or give you

the opportunity

to go

be faithful

and go

finally

trust

that God

will receive

his praise

this passage

ends with confidence

that God

will bless

his people

and he will

bring a great

harvest

some point

to this being

just an answered

prayer of God

but I like to think

of the finish line

again of

Moses

in the book

of Exodus

he requested

to see

God's face

in Exodus

32

33

and God

replies back

and says

no one

can see

my face

and live

reflecting

on that

reality

in response

to what

we see

in Psalm

67

requesting

God

to make

his face

known among

us

James

Montgomery

Boyce

makes

this point

and I'll

close

here

he writes

this is

profoundly

true

of course

no sinner

however devout

or pious

as Moses

was

can possibly

look upon

the face

of God

and survive

that holy

piercing

sight

but one

day we

shall

we shall

look upon

God

in the day

when all

his redeemed

people

drawn from

every tribe

and tongue

and nation

and purged

of even

the slightest

taint of sin

stand before

his throne

to sing

praises

to the almighty

God

and to the

Lamb

in that

day

God's face

will shine

upon us

in fullest

measure

we will

see him

face

to face

and the

beatific vision

anticipated

by Psalm

67

will be

ours

in that

day

our joy

will be

even

greater

because

great

multitudes

from all

the nations

of the earth

will be

praising

God

with us

so we

must

prayerfully

persist

in the

proclamation

of God

so that

all the

peoples

of earth

may praise

God

both now

and forever

more

this morning

will close

in a verse

of invitation

and as they

come or in a

moment I invite

you to begin

praying now

about how God

may be calling

you to bring

about the praise

of all peoples

consider how God

has blessed you

and how he might

be calling you

to use your

blessings to

reach the nations

you've probably

heard Pastor Brett

encourage you to

put your yes

on the table

at some point

and I want to

echo that challenge

by reading

in closing here

the finisher's

commitment

from the

campus crusades

and I pray

that these words

may be true

for each of you

so here's the

finisher's

commitment

and I pray

this may be

something you

may pray

as well

this is it

with the hope

that my

generation

might be the

one to see

Jesus'

great commission

finally fulfilled

I commit

to become

a finisher

of the

great commission

understanding

that to mean

I will go

if God

should lead

to take

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ

to one of

the world's

remaining

unreached

people groups

I will pray

persistently

for the nations

and God's

glory revealed

among them

I will disciple

others

with the focus

of mobilizing

them to become

finishers as well

I will live

a modest

simple

financial lifestyle

and give

sacrificially

so that the

nations of the

world might be

blessed through

Christ

I will with

God's help

to the best

of my ability

steward my

life in order

to maximize

effectiveness

in God's

purpose of

making his

name known

among all

the peoples

of the world

I am not

my own

I was purchased

with a great

price

my life

belongs to

God

and his

purposes

that's my

goal for

my life

and my

family

and I

pray

it may be

for you

as well

let's pray

father

thank you

for this

time you've

given us

lord I

pray that

as we

conclude

and think

through this

passage

and the

implications

it has

for each

of us

may we

be burdened

for the

lost

in our

world

may you

not allow

us to be

content

with

building a

name for

ourselves

instead may

we make

your name

known

to all

those who

do not

know you

may we

be finishers

of the

great commission

ones who

are actively

and persistently

proclaiming

you

to all

those you

allow us

to encounter

and God

I pray

specifically

that our

church

may send

out more

missionaries

in the days

ahead

particularly

to the places

the gospel

has not yet

reached

Lord

that's my

prayer

Lord

I hope

that's our

prayer

and Lord

I pray

that you

may do

a mighty

work

today

it's

in your

name

we pray

amen

as we

close

we're

going to

sing a

verse of

invitation

I invite

you to

stand with

me

and turn

to hymn

75

in the

presence

of

Jehovah

and I

pray

that as

we sing

you may

if there's

any need

you may

have

to respond

today

that you

may come

forward

and see

me

otherwise

let us

sing

together

and worship

our

Lord

God

Thank you.