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Transcript
0:05Well, good morning again. Turning your Bibles to Matthew chapter 13. Today our passage is the last of the parables that Jesus would tell in this chapter. We'll be in verses 51 through 53. I've titled this, The Stewardship of the Message of the Kingdom. It's known colloquially as the parable of the householder. Not one of the more popular parables, but I really enjoy the lesson that Christ teaches here. It's a great wrap-up of the other seven parables that he would teach, and we'll be reviewing some of those today.
0:57Because this is, we're coming to the end of the parables of the kingdom. Jesus called these the mysteries of the kingdom, and he revealed them to his disciples in Matthew 13. After the Pharisees had rejected Christ as their Messiah, their long-awaited kingdom would now take on a different form, as Christ would rule his kingdom spiritually instead of physically. Christ's physical reign on the earth would be delayed until his return in glory. But in the intervening Time, which we are living in, Christ would reign in the hearts of his followers. The kingdom would take on new characteristics not previously revealed in Scripture. And Christ told these parables to reveal these mysteries of the kingdom to his disciples while keeping them hidden from those outside the kingdom. Now, last time I presented the final lesson of the kingdom, and this parable is not so much about the kingdom itself, but the disciples and the rest of us who would be living in the kingdom. It's only three verses, so let's read the passage. And I'm reading from the New American Standard Bible.
2:17Matthew 13:51. This is Jesus speaking to his disciples. He says, Have you understood all these things? They said to him, Yes. And Jesus said to them, Therefore, every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household who brings out of his treasure things new and old. Now it came to pass when Jesus had finished these parables that he departed from there. Each of the previous seven parables in Matthew 13 gave the disciples and us new insight regarding the principles of The kingdom as the Lord tarries.
3:04First, the parable of the soils, the sower and the soils taught that there would be a wide proclamation of the word. That's the sower. But there would be different responses to the word represented by the soils. The parable of the wheat and the tares teaches the coexistence of the believers and unbelievers together in the kingdom and the delayed judgment of the wicked and they would live among the just. Next, the twin parables of the mustard seed and the leaven taught about the growth and the influence of the kingdom. It would start small, but grow to be large and influence the entire world. Next, the two parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price taught about the immense value of the kingdom. It would be so valuable that everything else in your life would just be viewed as worthless, and you'd be willing to surrender that, to surrender your life, to enter the kingdom. And lastly, last week, the parable of the dragnet taught the final and certain judgment of the wicked that would come at the end of the kingdom. So you'll see that in today's Passage, it's going to reflect briefly on the first parable, the four soils, and as we read a short conversation between Jesus and his disciples. In it, we'll see that Christ issues a charge to his followers to learn, practice, and proclaim the message of the kingdom. So, what we receive here is Christ's charge to his followers to learn, practice, and proclaim the message of the kingdom.
5:05As we look at today's passage, I've divided it into two parts: there's the quiz, and then there's the charge. The quiz and the charge of responsibility to stewardship of his disciples. So, first, let's look at the quiz in verse 51. Jesus simply asks his disciples a yes or no question: Have you understood all these things? Jesus, being omniscient, knew whether they had or not, but he asked them that anyway. He asked them, Have you understood all these things? The word understood there, I think, is the key word. It's a Greek word, sunayem, whatever that word is. It means to put things together mentally, to comprehend, to unite all the Parts into one whole.
6:03We would put it today as to connect the dots. So, have you connected the dots on all these things that I have taught you? Because he says all these things. So, he's referring to a systematic comprehension of how these parables all fit together. Now, before we move along to the answer, the word understand takes us back to the very first parable, the parable of the soils, where it was used. Did you know that the first parable is the key to understanding the rest of these parables? Jesus said so. When the disciples asked him this, Jesus tells them, it's only recorded in Mark chapter 4, verse 13. He says, He said to them, do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? That was his response when they asked him, what is the meaning of the parable of the sower and the soils? So he tells them, you have to understand this one, or you're not going to get the others. Turn back to Matthew chapter 13, verse 23. We'll look briefly just at the end of that parable, actually at the end of Jesus' interpretation of that parable, because this is why I like to preach these parables, because Jesus gives the parable, and then he gives the interpretation, makes my job a lot easier. But he says in verse 23, but he received the priest. Received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it and understands it.
7:39He's the one who indeed bears fruit and produces some a hundredfold, some 60, some thirty. So understanding the word is the key to producing fruit. And it's the fruit that was the focus here of this one who understood the word. Because it's not enough just to hear the word. The other three soils in that parable, they heard the word as well. The seed impacted that. But it's not enough to understand it. To receive it, you must understand it. It just can't lay there on the wayside, on the hard ground of your heart. It will be snatched away. It must take root and grow, not superficially. There must be enough to take root to withstand the trials of life and to overcome the distractions of this world. You just can't hear and hear sermon after sermon, podcast after podcast, and have it just bounce off your heart.
8:38It must take root. It must penetrate your heart and transform your heart of stone into a heart of flesh. The fruit here is the transformed life. Those actions subsequent to salvation, based on the understanding of the word, that give evidence of a genuine. Conversion. So it should show, people should notice. If you've been coming to church your whole life and others have not seen a change in you, then you need to ask yourself, which soil does my life best represent? Am I more loving and considerate to others? Or do I have an increasing hunger for God's Word and His people? Or is all of this just one of many pursuits that compete for my time? Anyway, I don't want to re-preach that sermon, but the point here that's important to understand is intellectual agreement with the Word is not enough. You can say, yes, Jesus is God. He died on the cross for my sins, and He was raised again for my. But if you don't, internally, if that doesn't change the way you live, then you're one of the other three soils. Because understanding the Word is the key. It penetrates your life and transforms you. We'll talk more about that later.
10:04Well, let's move on to their answer. Jesus asks, have you understood all these things? No surprise, the disciples say, yes. The disciples eagerly admit their understanding, while later we learn, and of course Jesus knew too, that they understood only at the most basic level. Jesus had explained three of the seven parables to them, and the other four Were so straightforward that require a little of explanation. So he takes them at their word. Yes. In verse 52, then Jesus said to them, Therefore, every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household who brings out of his treasure things new and old.
10:53So, regardless of their lack of understanding, Jesus issues a charge to the disciples, and it's a charge to us to keep. And this charge would be to be good stewards of the message of the kingdom. See, too many there. There we go. Yeah, so we've looked at the quiz, and now we're going to look at the charge. This charge to stewardship. He issues us a charge to learn, practice, and proclaim the message of the kingdom. Our responsibility to the king is stewardship of his word. As scribes, you're going to see we're to become students of the word, to study it diligently, to learn it. As disciples, we're to practice the word, practice it and teach others. We're to show them the way.
11:47And as a householder, we're responsible for bringing forth the word, to proclaim it. But he begins this verse with the word, therefore. So he's saying, based then on your affirmation. That you've understood all these things, I'm going to give you this charge. Every scribe who's become a disciple, the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household. What does that mean? Well, let's take each word at a time. First, we're to learn the word. The word scribe there is a word grammatus, describes one who has learned the law. The scripture speaks a lot about the scribes. They're very learned people who have learned the law so well they can write it down and copy it over and over.
12:38But the implication is the scribe becomes, he learns it so well, he becomes skilled at applying it and can teach others. Some of these men he's speaking to, the disciples, will actually go on to write the scripture of the New Testament, but they must first be learners of the word. And not just some scribes. Jesus says, every scribe. So, not just them, every scribe. He's speaking to us as well. He's implying strongly that the responsibility of the stewardship of this knowledge is for all of us who've received and understood God's Word. While we're not writers of Scripture like some of these disciples who heard him that day, it's still our responsibility to learn it and teach it to others.
13:28So, we're to be like scribes. Scribes, learners. Next, we're to practice the word. We're to practice the word. The word here in the text is matacheu. Mathachuo. Mathachuo. It means disciple. It's in New King James, it's instructed. Someone who's instructed, someone who becomes a pupil or disciples others to enroll as a scholar, to be discipled, to instruct, to teach. So we're to be disciples of the kingdom. Every scribe is to become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven. And what is a disciple? What is one who's instructed in this way? It's one who practices the discipline of the master. It's a follower of the teaching of the master. And in our setting, it's a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. And notice it says, becomes a disciple. Becomes.
14:36At first, you weren't, then you become one, teaching us that you didn't inherit this. It's not yours by birthright. You become a disciple. There's a beginning, and then followed by a sustained process. Conversion and then growth in the faith. Justification and then progressive sanctification. So every scribe. Who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of heaven. Now, the disciples had been taught about this new form of the kingdom. These new truths that Jesus was teaching them here in these parables were not previously revealed. They must be aware of the responsibilities that come with that. And the metaphor that the Lord uses is the head of a household who brings out of his treasure things new and old. So finally, we're to proclaim the word.
15:35We're to proclaim the word. The example here is a head of a household or a householder. In the Old Testament, the father was typically the head of the household, and he would be responsible for the spiritual and physical well-being of his family. Very common example here that they would all be familiar with. The head of the household had authority and responsibility to those under his charge. And this responsibility, particularly in those days, extended beyond his family, to those who depended on him, to others in his orbit as well, such as servants or employees or extended family and grandchildren. And this householder, what does he do? He brings out of his treasure.
16:24The noun there is a, I'm giving up on pronouncing these Greek words. It means a place where valuable things are kept. It's a treasure. Some translations use the word storehouse or a storehouse of treasures. And the storehouse, I think, works well with this image, even though the picture of the treasure is more interesting. It was hard to find a picture of a storehouse. A warehouse wouldn't be very exciting. But a treasure does imply that the things that are in this storehouse are valuable, they are treasures.
17:02They're things that you have stored away. You've put them in a place of safekeeping. They're on hand, though, to use in providing for those that you're responsible for. But you don't just store them away and keep them there, right? You bring them out. You bring forth. It means to distribute generously out of your treasure. So, this head of a household has some resources, some new and some old, which he's kept to provide for the needs of others. So, all you hoarders out there, I don't know what, did my head look at Pat? I'm sorry, hang on to all those old clothes, those scraps of lumber, all those used butter tubs. You know, you know who you are.
17:51Sorry, Pat. You know, when Carmen and I had our first baby decades ago, we lived in California and we would occasionally fly. To Texas to visit my parents, and to provide a place for Molly to sleep, my parents purchased a Grako portable playpen for her to sleep in. And all of our children would eventually sleep in that playpen, and they outgrew it, of course. They didn't need anymore, but they kept it. And just recently, you know, my first grandchild, Titus, slept in it. And just a few weeks ago, Tripp slept in it. And not long after that, William slept in it. Yeah, I had to give a nod out to all my grandchildren out there. But they kept it, knowing that there would be a need. They didn't throw it out. And the need was met. They brought it forth from their treasure, or at least the top of the closet where they kept it.
18:51One of those old things, the new and the old. The picture here is providing responsibly for those under your care, those who you are responsible for. And here's the application: While the householder provides material needs, the meaning of this parable is to make the disciples aware of the expectation for them to provide spiritually for those who would come into the kingdom. And what was it they were to provide? What were they to bring out of their treasure, out of their storehouse? Things old and new, things new and old. Just as The householder would keep old clothes and old equipment, preserved food, money in his storehouse to provide for those in his care. So will the scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom, but his provision will not be clothing and food and drink, it will be kingdom truth, new and old. They were familiar with the old. Jesus was giving them some new, and he tells them, You're going to put these things together to provide for those under your charge. So, not just the new, we must also learn the old. We don't just throw it out, we must learn how it integrates with the new. From Genesis to Revelation, we must teach God how God created the universe, we must teach how it ends. We must teach that God judged the world that was with a great flood, and that He will one day judge the world by fire.
20:30In our Sunday school time, we've been going through the foundation series for answers in Genesis, where they teach us about the seven C's. And the first four are from the book of Genesis: the creation, help me out here, creation, curse, catastrophe, and then confusion. They like alliteration. But creation obviously means how God created the world in six days. And the curse is teaching about the sin and the fall of man. And the curse that would come on man because of our sin. And catastrophe refers to the great flood of Noah's day. And then confusion, our lesson today was about how at the Tower of Babel God confused their language, and that's how we got different people groups. These are important lessons. And if they're not understood and taught properly, we have all sorts of problems.
21:24So we're to learn the old, not throw it out. And the disciples were to learn the new teachings, the new truth not previously revealed, these mysteries of the kingdom, spoken of in Matthew 13, verse 11. When the disciples asked him why he teaches in parables, he replied, Because it's been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. So in Matthew 13, Jesus is giving them new revelation. Let me pause for a minute, unless you think that we need to learn some new revelation also. Well, no, the revelation that we have in God's Word is final. That's our revelation from God. The disciples were getting new revelation. We've got it in Scripturated in the book of Matthew and in the New Testament. So that is the new and the old for us today. For them, the New Testament hadn't been written yet. So these things were new. So don't misunderstand that you need to go find some book like Jesus calling and read some new words of Jesus. No, these are the words of Christ.
22:33So Jesus gave the disciples new revelation that would help them to understand the challenges of being a part of the kingdom when the king is away and ruling from afar. So let's look at a few of them and see if we can see the new in light of the old. And I'm just, this is going to be a review of these parables of Matthew chapter 13. First, just a review of the parable of the soils. This was a new story that Jesus told them. It was a story about a man who sowed seed, but the seed fell on four different types of soil. There was the soil by the wayside, the hard, compacted soil, which the seed did not penetrate. It was eaten by birds. There was the stony soil, which allowed the seed to sprout but not have very deep roots, so that when things got hot, the plant withered away.
23:29Some seed fell among thorns and weeds, and although the seed sprouted, it was soon choked out. And some fell on good soil or fertile soil, and the seed grew and produced much fruit. The parable teaches that in this form of the kingdom, there would be a wide distribution of the word, but there would be different responses to the word. This was important for the disciples to know. Not everyone that they taught would follow the king. Some will reject his lordship. That's the hard. Hard soil by the wayside. Some will give lip service to his lordship, but proves to be faithless. That's the rocky soil and the thorny soil. Some will truly acknowledge him as Lord. That's the good soil. And you can tell them when you see them produce consistent, abundant fruit as evidence of their faithfulness. This is why this parable is the key to understanding all the others. Jesus here is correcting the misconception held by the Jews of that day and some today that membership in the kingdom of heaven was hereditary, that it would be earned by birthright. You didn't have to earn it, you were just born into it. And the Pharisees demonstrated this misconception in John chapter 8 when the Pharisees, in a confrontation with Jesus, in verse 33, they cite that we are Abraham's descendants. And later in verse 39, they'd say, Abraham is our father. They're claiming, look, we're in. We're born into this because Abraham's our father. We're good. Jesus replied in verse 44, you are of your father, the devil.
25:14Jesus is teaching them, the disciples now, that in this form of the kingdom, this will be different than being part of the kingdom of Israel where you're born into it as a descendant of Abraham. You may have been born into that kingdom. But not the kingdom of heaven. Entrance to the kingdom of heaven is different. Jesus was teaching his disciples that in this form of the kingdom, membership is based on your response to the word of God. You must receive and understand the word to be among the faithful. There would be the faithless around them who appeared to belong, but their fruit would not endure. And that's why understanding this parable of the four soils is the key to the rest. Failure to understand that truth about false conversion has resulted in much confusing, much confusion in interpreting many passages of Scripture. It's also caused many to believe that salvation can be lost. But if you understand that they weren't genuine to begin with, it makes sense. But the parable of the soils makes it clear. The kingdom of heaven attracts both true and false citizens, but from the human perspective, they're often indistinguishable. And that's the lesson then of the second parable of the wheat and the tares, where Jesus teaches that the reasonable corollary to the parable of the soils. What happens to the false citizens? Are they immediately judged? No. This parable teaches his followers that, as believers of the kingdom, you will. Live side by side with unbelievers because the judgment of the wicked is delayed until the end, the harvest, or the end of the age. And for a time, it will be difficult to distinguish between the two. And when the distinctions become apparent, there will not be immediate judgment of the wicked, which you expected. You'll have to wait. But be assured, it will come. And by the way, you will not be the one to dispense the judgment. Now, compare this to what the disciples expected. They expected immediate judgment of the wicked. We read about the immediate judgment of the wicked in Exodus. The Israelites worship the golden calf. God kills 3,000 of them on the spot. When they grumble about their wandering in the desert, venomous snakes, God sends venomous snakes to bite them, and many of them die. And there are many times where God brings immediate judgment on the wicked in Israel's history. So this is what they expected. And turn, if you would, over to the book of Luke. In Luke chapter 9, let's read briefly, an episode, Luke 9:52 explains, this is what they expected, because James and John want to call down fire from heaven to destroy the wicked.
28:19In verse 52, it says, They entered a village of the Samaritans to prepare for Jesus' arrival, but they did not receive him. And in verse 54, when his disciples, James and John, saw this, They said, Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven to consume them, just as Elijah did? This is the way of the kingdom. Immediate judgment on those who won't submit and follow the king. And verse 53, Jesus turned and rebuked them and said, You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. So the kingdom they would be in at this point is different. There would be a delayed judgment of the wicked. Although they'd been with Jesus for some time, they were still thinking in the limited terms of the law rather than the unlimited terms of grace. This form of the kingdom would be characterized by God's grace and long-suffering with the unjust, giving them every opportunity to repent and come to faith. So the disciples would learn that the judgment of the wicked would not be immediate, but it would instead be delayed. And in the meantime, they should expect to live alongside believers, not smite them with fire.
29:30They had to demonstrate grace and to teach them about the mercies of God and his long-suffering. The next two parables, the mustard seed and the leaven, teach how the kingdom will start small and grow large to become a mighty influence on the world. So the parable of the mustard seed was meant as an encouragement to his disciples because after hearing the first two parables, showing that not everyone Who hears the word will become part of the kingdom. And oh, by the way, the enemies of the kingdom will live alongside us until the king returns in judgment. Now, Christ encourages his disciples who might be feeling like they're going to be outnumbered. But just like the mustard seed that starts small, grows into a large tree, so will this fledgling kingdom, beginning with you, disciples.
30:23It's going to expand around the world and it will be a blessing to the world. And like the leaven in the three measures of flour, the kingdom is pervasive, changing, influencing the flour into delicious bread. It's unstoppable. It transforms something that is not edible into something that is delicious. It changes you from the inside out. Your life should be a pleasant flavor to others. So that was the new lesson, contrast it to the times they were living in. Israel was ruled by Rome. The Roman Empire, this immense superpower of the world at that time, was huge. From their perspective, the Roman Empire controlled the known world, or at least the part they lived in. How could just 12 men make a difference? But Jesus told them their numbers would grow. And just a few decades later, the Christian faith had spread across the Roman Empire with even a church in Rome itself. So from a very small beginning, the kingdom would grow and spread across the world.
31:28What about the parable? Of the hidden treasure and the pearl. This would teach that the kingdom is so valuable that everything you own appears worthless when compared to it. The kingdom is of priceless value because Christ is its king. These parables illustrate the absolute worthiness of Christ and the costly call of the Christian to follow Jesus. The treasure and the pearl represent the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation He offers to gain entrance to the kingdom. And while we cannot pay for our salvation by selling all our worldly goods, once we have found the hidden treasure or that pearl of great price, we're willing to give up everything to possess it. Remember, he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Jesus taught this parable, I think, to address the low value the Jewish leaders placed on the kingdom of heaven. You know, when you think you're going to inherit the kingdom just because you're a descendant of Abraham, you begin to take a lot for granted. One of the early patriarchs even sold his birthright. Remember what Esau? He sold his birthright for what? For a bowl of soup to his brother Joseph.
32:47So you begin to take a lot of things for granted. And the leaders of those days, okay, we've got the regular sacrifices, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Tabernacles, Day of Atonement, dietary restrictions, no work on the Sabbath. I got this. I'm a revered teacher and rabbi. I'm good. No problem. Think about Nicodemus. In John chapter 3, Nicodemus approaches Jesus by night to ask him some questions. You remember who just Nicodemus is? He's got a lot to lose. He's a leader of the Sanhedrin. He's a respected leader of Israel. And he would have to give up all of that to follow Jesus. And we have a good indication that's exactly what he did, because after Christ's crucifixion, we find that Nicodemus is helping with Christ's burial. Perhaps he saw that his own righteousness was as filthy rags and left everything behind to follow Jesus. He had found that hidden treasure, that pearl of great price.
33:51And last week we saw the parable of the dragnet. It taught that the delayed judgment of the wicked would certainly come, and it would come at the end of the kingdom, with the wicked cast into the furnace of fiery hell. God's justice would be fulfilled, and that knowledge should motivate us to tell others about the kingdom and the redemption offered by the king. And even after these parables, the Lord would continue to reveal other hidden aspects of the kingdom to his disciples. Let me just look quickly at three of them. We're familiar with them now. They didn't know about this. How about. The indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would indwell the believer. That was something new. In John 14, 16, Christ says, I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever. In verse 17, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
34:51This was new. So you have to learn that new as well and teach that. Here's another one: Gentiles are included in the kingdom. Up to this point, it's just for Israel, right? But in Acts chapter 10 and 11, you've got Peter's vision of food that was previously unclean, being lowered on a sheet. God declares it clean three times. And followed by Cornelius' conversion, Cornelius would come to Peter. Cornelius was a Gentile, and he received Christ. He received the Holy Spirit.
35:29And Peter, to his astonishment, when he realizes that the Gentiles can receive the gospel and the Holy Spirit just like us, he says, Who was I that I could withstand God? He's explaining to the other apostles, this is God's plan. And finally, of course, well, not finally, but just a third one, the cross itself. Jesus gave numerous warnings that he would be going to the cross and die. In Matthew 16, 21, we read that from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, and be killed and raised on the third day. This is new. In spite of what I read earlier in Isaiah 53, although it was there, they had not connected those dots. So much so that Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, Far be it from you, Lord, this shall not happen to you. But Isaiah 53 shows that it's all there, the foretelling of the crucifixion of the Messiah. But they'd missed it. It's in the old. Jesus is revealing it and bringing it forth to them.
36:48Scribes who become disciples of the kingdom must learn how these truths are connected so you can teach the wonders of God and his word. Well, Jesus himself charges his followers with the responsibility to learn, practice, and bring forth his treasure, the word, new and old. Proclaim it. Proclaim the message of the kingdom. Our responsibility to the king is the stewardship of his word. We're to be like scribes. We're students of the word. We learn it. We study it, new and old.
37:30It's all one unit. As disciples, we practice the word of the master. We obey his word, new and old, and we show others by our example and through deliberate teaching how to practice the word of the kingdom. And finally, as householders, as those who are responsible for others, we're charged with bringing forth the word to those around us, especially to those we have responsibility for. Now, who is that in your life? You know, if you're still in school, that group of people may be relatively small, but it will grow. But you have friends, you have classmates. If you're in the working world, if you're in the world of adults, that's a pretty large pool of people that are in your charge, and we're to be stewards of the message of the kingdom to them. So, let me ask you this: How comfortable are you in bringing forth the treasures out of your storehouse?
38:36You know, it's easier sometimes to put money in the box in the back or to write a check and think that we've done our Christian duty. Now, don't get me wrong, God uses our money as well, but the charge is given to us here. Our responsibility is to share what we've been given, not keep it in the storehouse, not keep it in the treasure box, not to hoard it away. We're to provide. Generously, not just to keep it for ourselves, and that means we need to tell others, which means we need to practice it, which means we need to learn it.
39:12All of it, new and old, and learn how it works together to give the full counsel of God. We possess the best news in the world. I mean, the gospel isn't just good news, it's the best news in the whole world. And our love for others should compel us to share it with those who haven't heard. We should want everyone to have the opportunity to respond to God's message of salvation. Withholding news that could save someone's life is the utmost cruelty and selfishness. Therefore, those who truly love God will love the people whom Jesus loved and came to save and tell them. And in doing so, we fulfill the great commission. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Let's pray.
40:19Our Father in heaven, we lift you up. We lift up your name, extolling your name. You are great and greatly to be praised. May your kingdom Come, that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, help us to be faithful to the charge that you've given us, to be diligent learners of the word of the kingdom, to practice it, to teach it to others, to proclaim it boldly to those in our spheres of influence.
40:53Our friends, our neighbors, co-workers, our family. and those we encounter on the way, so that your kingdom might grow even greater. For it's in your name and in your glory that we pray. Amen.