[0:00] Morning. Very warm welcome to our harvest service, our harvest Sunday really, because we'll continue the theme of harvest this evening. Particularly a warm welcome to you who are visiting, various folk who are here, and we just trust that together as we give thanks to God for all his gifts to us, we might be able to be encouraged and strengthened as we rejoice in his wonderful care. James in his letter writes this, every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. Lord our God is a faithful God, really that's what harvest is about, it's remembering again God's constant faithfulness, the way he provides and meets our needs, the way that he gives to us everything that we could possibly need, not only for our bodies, but particularly for our souls as well, how important it is we don't neglect them. So we're going to begin by singing that very well-known harvest hymn, we plough the fields and scatter. The words are going to come on the screen, but if you prefer to use a book, it's number 880 in the hymn book as well. Well let's continue to give thanks to God as we pray together. Let us all pray.
[1:36] We have so much to give you thanks for, O Lord our God, and as we've been reminded, you are the God who gives every good and perfect gift. All your gifts, all your generosity to us, O Lord, comes from a heart of love, comes from a great longing and desire to bless and do good. You are so good to us.
[2:01] We recognize that you are the only maker of all things. This world in which we live is here because you created and made it. That's why it is, Lord, such a wonderful, beautiful, marvelous world.
[2:15] We thank you that you are the God who created this world to be fruitful and bountiful, to provide for us food, provide for us everything we need, not just in the fruit and the fields and the trees, but in the seas and in the land, the materials and the metals. Lord, what an amazing, amazing planet this is. It surely shows that it was designed and made by God for us to enjoy and to be blessed by. We thank you that you're our maker too. You're the one who created us, created us in your image, created us different from every other creature and animal in this world. For Lord, you've put within us a soul. Your word says that you've created us in your image so that we are like you, not like you in perfect power or strength or love, but Lord, like you, that we are made with a conscience, made to understand good and evil, made with choice, made with creativity, made with imagination and design. We thank you that you made us especially that we might know you. You made us especially that we might enjoy you, the God who made us, that we might know you in a very real and personal way, not just as our maker, but as our friend. We thank you, O Lord, that in spite of our sin, in spite of us spoiling the world that you've made, spoiling even our own lives by our sinful selfishness, our greed, our arrogance and pride,
[3:50] Lord, we thank you that you sent Jesus to bring forgiveness for sin. He is the most perfect, the most wonderful, the most lovely gift that you've ever given to this world, your own dearly beloved Son, the only man born without sin, the only man who is truly God and truly man.
[4:13] We thank you, Lord Jesus, that you gave, gave of yourself, not only in coming into this world, not only in coming to make yourself known and make the way for us to be restored and healed, but, Lord, you came that we might be saved, rescued and delivered. You came as the bread of life to feed us. You came, O Lord, as a light of the world to reveal to us not only our own needs, but to reveal to us the wonder of your love. We see that love especially in your death when you gave yourself up for us to suffer and die that we might be forgiven, that we might know life everlasting when you rose again from the grave. Help us on this Harvest Sunday to give you thanks for all your gifts. Help us to be grateful for all that you pour into our lives. Help us not to take for granted anything that you give, but to receive all your gifts with faith and thanksgiving. And help us especially to be mindful and thoughtful of those who have not received of those gifts, those who are without food and clothing and care even today, not just around the other parts of the world, but even in our own nation.
[5:31] Help us, O Lord, to be givers like you. We ask these things as we bring to you our praise and thanks in Jesus' name. Amen. The garden, as well as all sorts of things like that. What's these little green things again, Judy?
[5:47] A chocha. Chopcha. A chocha. A chocha. And what do you do with it? It's a bit like green pepper. Okay. Is it hot? No. Oh no, like that sort of green pepper.
[5:57] And these sort of eggy things. That's Asian aubergines. Right, I'll put them back again now because it's come off. You'll have to come and look at it because I'm just about to destroy the whole thing. It's a what aubergine?
[6:10] Asian aubergine. An Asian aubergine. And these little tomato type things. They're the same one. They're, sorry? Aubergines as well. They're aubergines as well? Okay, lovely. Well, it's worth coming and having a look.
[6:20] Thank you very much, Judy. Thank you for those who put that together. We've got a few exotic fruits up on the screen here which are hiding a verse from the Bible which I want us to find out about.
[6:32] So this is where you boys and girls need to come in and help because I want you to see if you can recognize some of these fruits and then we'll take them away and then it will reveal our verse that we're thinking about today.
[6:46] So there's this one here up in the top right-hand corner. Who knows what that is? Boys and girls. No adult shout-out. Who knows what it is? How many? A mango. That's right. Who likes mango here?
[7:00] Yes, lovely, isn't it? Mango. Okay. What about this one at the bottom right here? Who knows what that one is? Yes. And how old are you?
[7:13] Sorry? Did you have your hand up? I don't think so. Sorry, sorry. I'm always rude to visitors. Josh. Pomegranate.
[7:25] That's right. Pomegranate is a pomegranate. Who likes pomegranate? Who's tried pomegranate? I've sort of had pomegranate cheesecake. I think that probably counts as well. Okay. This one you can't see quite so well.
[7:39] You can see the shape there which gives you a clue as to what that one is. Any of the young people know what that one is back there? Anybody know?
[7:50] The shape. Look at the shape. That gives you the clue. It's the name. The name of the fruit. Adam. Some star fruit. Star fruit. That's right. Has anybody eaten star fruit?
[8:02] Yeah, I think I might have had it in a thing. Yeah, okay. Star fruit. We're beginning to get our verse together. And then the last one down here. Who knows what this one is?
[8:15] Anybody? Yes. Some of the well-traveled people of the world. They know what it is. Any of the children know what it is? I can't give you any clues because... Go on then, Mrs.
[8:31] Papaya. Okay. Some papaya. Anybody eaten papaya? Oh, there's a few people who have eaten papaya. Yeah. What's it taste like? Hey, what's it taste like, Brenda?
[8:42] Scrummy. Scrummy. It's nice, is it? Oh, right. We'll have to try some of that. Okay. So those are some fruits of the world. In our verse here... Oops, sorry. One day, it goes back again.
[8:54] It's gonna... Gonna do it, isn't it? It's gonna... Go. Yes. Okay. Okay. We're getting a bit carried away. Okay.
[9:05] Talks about fruit. Okay? Fruit. Fruit's really the theme of what our service is about this morning. But let's read this together, okay?
[9:15] This comes from Colossians chapter one. The gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the world, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace.
[9:33] Okay? So the gospel. The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ, the good news of what Jesus came to do when he died for us and rose again. And the gospel, it says, is bearing fruit.
[9:43] It's producing something. It's having an effect throughout the whole world, just as it did with these Christian believers in Coloss. And what happened?
[9:54] How did that fruit take effect in their lives when they heard the good news and they truly understood God's grace? So the gospel is God's grace, God's undeserved favor to us.
[10:05] When we understand that and believe that, then that's when the gospel takes effect in our hearts and our lives. And we're going to be thinking about that fruit in a minute.
[10:17] But we're going to do a song together now. It's one we only sing once a year. And thanks, Martin. And it's unaccompanied because we can never find the music for it.
[10:28] But it has actions, okay? So we're going to remind you of the actions and then we'll all stand. Those who want to do the actions can do the actions. Those who are old and don't want to do the actions don't have to do the actions, okay?
[10:42] No pressure then. So it goes, God. So what are we doing? Yes, that's what we're doing next. If you have a Bible, please would you turn to John and chapter 15.
[10:57] John and chapter 15. I'm going to read through it bit by bit.
[11:12] And this picture that I found on the internet, I didn't draw it, don't worry, just talks about those first eight verses of John 15. So we're going to pick out parts of the picture to help us think about this part of the Bible.
[11:27] These are Jesus' words. Jesus is speaking to his disciples, those who put their faith and trust in him. And he's explaining about fruit. But he begins by saying, I am the true vine.
[11:41] Verse 1, John 15. I am the true vine. That means what Jesus is saying is, of course, there's lots of great vines around about, particularly in the country where Jesus lived.
[11:52] And if you've been to the Mediterranean, other hot countries, you'll see great vines and great vineyards, vineyards rather, where there's lots and lots and lots.
[12:03] By saying I'm the true vine, Jesus said I'm the one special vine. I'm a unique vine. I'm a vine from which life flows.
[12:14] He spoke about himself as the light of the world. He spoke about himself as the bread of life. I'm the true vine. It's one of Jesus' I am sayings that John has to especially teach us about him and our relationship to him.
[12:28] So he starts off, I am the true vine and my father is the gardener. The actual word that's used for gardener is vine dresser. But for us in England, we wouldn't know what a vine dresser is.
[12:41] But a vine dresser is someone whose job is only to look after the vines. So not like an ordinary gardener who digs up and plants trees and does the weed. His job is to look after the branches of the vine to care for them.
[12:54] And Jesus says, my father, God himself, is the one who cares as the vine dresser. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit.
[13:07] And there in his hand, you can see there's some branches which are dead. They've got no fruit in them. And he cuts them off, we're told. Prunes them. And in fact goes on to say, while every branch that does not bear fruit, he prunes, that it will be even more fruitful.
[13:25] There he is with his secateurs. And to make a vine fruitful, that's exactly what happens. It's the same with many fruit trees as well that we might have. Need to be pruned, cut back, to help them produce good fruit.
[13:40] Lots of fruit. You are already clean because of the word I've spoken to you.
[13:52] Remain in me as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
[14:04] This word clean is exactly the same word as pruned. Okay? So remember the father prunes each branch that bears fruit to make it more fruitful.
[14:18] Jesus said, you've already been pruned, cut back, because of the word I've spoken to you. These are Jesus' disciples. And we'll find out and think a bit more about this as we go through.
[14:29] But notice Jesus says very clearly, and this is one of the important, sorry, this is one of the important words that keeps coming up. In the older versions, it's abide. Abide. But in our version, it's remain.
[14:41] It means to be part of, to be united with, to be joined to, to be unmoved from. Okay? Jesus. So Jesus says, remain in me, abide in me, be part of me, as I'm also part of, united to you.
[14:56] No branch, and we'll think about that, can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Just like anything, any plant, the branch has to be connected to the trunk, to the root, to the vine, to bring forth fruit.
[15:12] And now Jesus says this, I am the vine, you are the branches. So every person who trusts in Jesus is a branch. In fact, all of us, whoever we are, Jesus says, we are like branches, part of a vine, branches of a tree.
[15:30] And Jesus is the vine, he's the one from whom all the branches are connected and joined together. If you remain in me, remember we thought that word, abide, keep in me, and I in you, you'll bear much fruit.
[15:45] Be very fruitful. Apart from me, you can do nothing. Apart from Jesus, we're like a bare branch. There's no fruit, there's no life. A dead branch, we might even say.
[15:57] For Jesus says, if you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that's thrown away and withers. And such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
[16:09] I'm sure this time of year as we're getting to autumn, many gardeners and people will be having a bonfire, getting all the clippings and the cuttings and the dead branches, the ones blown down by the wind and so on, putting them on the fire and burning them.
[16:23] But Jesus says, without fruit, you're a dead branch. Without fruit, that's the result. And then he said, finally, if you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.
[16:40] This is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. So we're going to think about that and then the verses that follow on in a few moments about Jesus as the vine and we are the branches.
[16:55] And about this fruit, we've seen and see lovely fruit here. What is the fruit that Jesus is talking about? So we're going to sing a song together which really is these words put to music.
[17:10] Now just to say that in the second, this is the main part, the second bit, then we'll grow in your love. But we usually sing it so that the men sing, then we'll grow and then the ladies sort of echo it.
[17:27] I think you'll sort of pick it up, you'll remember it and they're saying the second line, the third vine and so on. Okay? So we'll stand and sing together. You are the vine. Martin, shall we give it a go?
[17:58] We'll just give us a minute. We'll just see if it, because we're really ashamed to miss it. We can always put it on downstairs in the lounge where we're having tea and coffee or later this evening, but it'd be a real shame if we can't, we can't.
[18:12] Okay. That's all right. We'll carry on. We'll put it on later on. When we have tea and coffee, we'll put it on for folk to watch downstairs. Okay, so, Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches.
[18:27] And he's been talking a lot about branches, hasn't he, in those verses that we read and we saw about, the branches. The question is, which sort of branch am I?
[18:39] Which sort of branch are you? There was two sorts, wasn't there? First of all, are you a branch that bears no fruit?
[18:50] Remember he said this. It's actually verse 2. He cuts off, that's the God, the vine dresser, he cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit. So are you a branch that bears no fruit?
[19:04] What else do we know about that branch? It's a branch that does not remain. In verse 6, if you do not remain in me, you're like a branch thrown away and withers, thrown away and burned.
[19:20] Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. So that's the first sort of branch, branch, a branch that has no fruit, branch that doesn't remain, remain in me, abide in me, part of the Lord Jesus and ultimately it's a branch that's thrown away, withers and dies and eventually goes on the bonfire.
[19:41] That's one type of branch. So the question is are you like that this morning? Or are you the other type of branch?
[19:52] Are you a branch that bears fruit? Every branch that, sorry, he cuts off every branch that bears no fruit while every branch that does bear fruit, the vine dresser, God, prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
[20:10] So in our lives, are we a branch that bears fruit and are we becoming more fruitful? Is there a growing amount of fruit? Is there increasing fruit in our lives and ultimately that sort of branch is one that remains.
[20:26] Remain in me as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
[20:39] So which branch am I? Which branch are you? Well you might say well what what makes the difference? What makes the difference between one branch and another branch?
[20:52] Well one has fruit and the other has none. We saw that didn't we? The branch that bears no fruit he cuts off the branch that does bear fruit God prunes.
[21:03] What does Jesus mean by fruit? That's that's important and if it's the fruit that tells the difference if it's by looking at the fruit we can tell what's different from another what does Jesus mean by fruit?
[21:16] Well of course the visible evidence of life. If you go and look at any tree if it's got no leaves and no fruit on it unless it's really the hardest part of the winter then actually you say well that tree has died it's dead it's got no life in it but when you come to this time of year and you see an apple tree and it's got all that fruit now that's a living tree you know it's an apple tree and so you know that it's alive.
[21:43] what fruit should each branch bear? So we know that fruit is a sign it shows us that the tree is alive what fruit should each branch bear?
[21:55] What fruit does each branch produce? The fruit of the vine it's a part of so a grapevine produces grapes an apple tree produces apples you look on the tree and you can see oh there's pears I know that's a pear tree there are plums I know that's a plum tree it produces what it's connected to so you're not going to go and find unless you're a magic of horticulture plums growing on an apple tree or pears growing on a peach tree it's what you find on the branch shows you that it belongs to that particular tree or vine it produces only one kind so if we're to produce fruit as branches and Jesus is the vine what fruit did Jesus produce?
[22:49] We're connected to him he produces fruit we are connected to him so we produce fruit the same as Jesus just as an apple tree produces fruit of an apple a grape produces fruit from a grape love each other as I have loved you that's the next part of what Jesus was talking about with his disciples he immediately goes on from talking about fruit to talking about love and he gives them this command love one another as I have loved you so the fruit that we're to produce is love just like Jesus produced love love notice love each other as I've produced you love each other just like in the same way in a similar way to me as I have loved you well the question is this how has Jesus loved us?
[23:46] what is Jesus' love like? we hear a lot about the word love people love football and people love sport and people love their car and people love their house and people love possessions and of course people love one another but what sort of love has Jesus loved us with?
[24:07] this love he says just immediately after that verse love one another as I have loved you greater love has no one than this to lay down one's life for one's friends you are my friends if you do what I command we know what the love of Jesus is like because we see it in him giving himself for us at the cross he's dying in our place so the love of Jesus is not a not a light easy going sort of I like you type of love isn't it?
[24:43] sometimes you you can get that on your text or on your on your messenger or whatever it is love you somebody puts at the end they don't really mean that they're willing to die for you they mean that they like you that they're your friend that they they think you're special or whatever it may be but love the love of Jesus that we're talking about the love that's to be produced in the life of the branch the fruit is a love like Jesus it's a powerful love it's a sacrificing love it's a giving love it's a love that's willing to be hurt it's a love that's willing to forgive it's a love that completely changes our relationship with everybody else because the love of Jesus on the cross was not simply him saying I love you so much I'm willing to die for you love of Jesus was so much that he died to do something about our sin our sin that separates us from God our sin that cuts us off from God our sin that destroys and ruins our lives our selfishness and our pride particularly that sin which says
[25:57] I'm going to do what I want rather than what God wants when Jesus died he died to take the punishment for that sin he died to take the blame the guilt imagine that you're at school and something happens perhaps you're out playing in the in the schoolyard and you kick the football really hard and it goes and smashes the the principal's window and he's in the office or she's in the office and it smashes the window has anybody done that oh go and speak to Steve a bit later he's done that well imagine Steve you're a little boy again and you've done that and you know that if it's found out that it's you you're going to be expelled from school and your parents are going to be really really really really unhappy but imagine that your friend says no it's alright
[26:59] Steve I'll say it was me I'll take the blame I'll take the punishment for you because I really love you as my friend I don't want you to be expelled I don't want you to be cast out of school and get into so much trouble and so your friend gets into trouble your friend takes the blame and you get scot free now God doesn't lie God doesn't tell untruths but he takes the blame for us we deserve to be expelled from heaven we deserve to be expelled from God's presence to never be with him to never enjoy him because of our sin because of our selfishness because of our wickedness but Jesus died didn't just take the blame by getting into trouble but was took the whole of God's anger against your sin and mine when he died on the cross so that's the sort of love we're talking about that is to be the fruit of our lives and so the big question is this to each one of us does my life bear that sort of love do I love in that way that Jesus loved me remember his command love one another as I've loved you do I love other
[28:13] Christians in the way that Jesus loved me do I love them that I'm willing to serve them and care for them and give my time for them and sacrifice them and support them but also do I love others who are outside of the church those who are lost in their sin do I love them and tell them the wonderful good news of Jesus do I care for them and love them and seek to reach them with the good news is my life exemplified big word does my life look like a life of love so when somebody looks at me and sees the way that I speak and the way that I act and the way that I behave they say that person is a loving person not just loving the people that they like not just loving the people that are easy but loving people that are their enemies one of the great commandments Jesus gave we've been thinking about another Sunday mornings is love your enemies then you'll be like your heavenly father do we love in that way is there that fruit in your life and mine of love remember what Jesus said no branch can bear fruit by itself it must remain in the vine neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me to love in the way that Jesus calls us to love is impossible it's impossible for us to do to love people who hate us to love people who are cruel to us or call us names who are nasty it's impossible to love them in our own strength and with our own love notice
[29:52] Jesus said sorry no branch can bear fruit by itself it must remain in the vine so the secret is remaining how can I remain in Jesus as the older translation abide in Jesus how can I be part of united to one with like a branch connected to a vine with Jesus first of all by becoming one with him Jesus said apart from me you can do nothing separated from me you can do nothing being a Christian being a branch of Jesus means that we are one with him we are united with him we belong to him and we become one with him by faith we become one with him by putting our faith and trust in him as our lord and saviour by asking him to be part of our lives asking him to join us to himself with his life living in our lives so believing on him and trusting in him and makes us one with him it's a marvellous thing that God does how else do we remain in Jesus by letting his words live in me
[31:10] Jesus says there in verse 7 which we read if my words remain in you the whole verse says this if you remain in me and my words remain in you ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you putting our faith in Jesus and trusting him is believing what he says believing what he says about himself believing what he says about us believing his word but more than that it means actually allowing and giving his word his truth his commandments first place in my life do his words live in me so when Jesus says love your enemies yes I seek to do just that when he commands me to love one another as he's loved us yes I seek to do that it's letting the words of Jesus be the guide and the rule for my life there's a change a transformation from doing what I want or I think is right to doing what
[32:11] Jesus says is right and trusting him and following him and then thirdly how do I become more fruitful remember that's what we read wasn't it by God pruning me with his word he the fine dresser cuts off every branch of me that bears no fruit well every branch that bears fruit he prunes so that it will become even more fruitful how do we know that we are joined and united to Jesus how do we know that we are a branch because we bear fruit and we keep bearing fruit and we increase in fruit we are always changing and growing in love it's not just that we stay in one position or one place it's something that increases if you've ever planted a fruit tree in your garden you'll know that the first two or three years when it's small you'll just get one fruit or two fruit remember planting a cherry tree in our garden in
[33:14] Abbots Road the first year we had one cherry I think I took a picture of the one cherry on the tree well we moved from that house so I don't know but I imagine that there's more fruit now but as the tree grows the fruit produces or the branches produce more and more and more and more fruit well that's exactly what happens to us if you're somebody who's put your faith in Jesus if you're a branch connected to Jesus it may start off with the fruit is very small just the love is very small but it grows and grows and grows and you become more fruitful and God does that by pruning us with his word just as we allow Jesus' words to remain in us they do this amazing thing they cut away things in our lives which are fruitless they cut away things in our lives which are bad so as we read God's word we learn that there are certain things that shouldn't be there in our lives ways of thinking ways of acting ways of speaking speaking and we as we read
[34:19] God's word God makes the word alive to us I've been gossiping gossiping about people and saying things which I shouldn't have said in the Bible I've just read it says do not gossip I know that needs to be cut out of my life and removed and as we do that we become more loving and we bear more fruit and so God's word continues to do that so as a Christian you're always being changed you're always growing growing you're always becoming more and more loving so the question is really for those of us who believe that we are fruitful branches who believe that we are united to Jesus is there more fruit this year than last year in my life more love more forgiveness more gentleness more kindness am I more like Jesus than I was before fruit fruit is everything and it's fruit that is like Jesus is fruit but one last question does it matter does it matter if I'm fruitful or not does it matter if I'm a branch that doesn't bear fruit does it matter if I'm a branch that bears fruit really is it that important is it that necessary well let's think again and remind ourselves of this if you do not remain in me you're like a branch that's thrown away and withers such branches are picked up thrown into the fire and burned it's a very descriptive picture isn't it that Jesus is presenting a branch that is not connected to Jesus a branch that has not come to faith in him and united with him and a branch therefore that does not bear any fruit that change of heart which is loving like Jesus is heart which is loving
[36:08] Jesus is that branch in the end is going to be thrown away and eventually put in the fire Jesus is making a very clear point a very clear picture elsewhere he talks about the reality of a place called hell he talks about it in a similar way about a place where there is burning and fire a place which is unpleasant a place which is full of sorrow and grief yes it does make a difference or not because if my life is not bearing the fruit of Jesus and if my life is not one that's connected with him and there's fruit being produced more and more each year then I'm like a branch that's going to ultimately be thrown into hell a person who ultimately whose life will be lost for all eternity it's that important it's that vital it's that real see the problem is as well and it comes out in this speech of
[37:12] Jesus in one sense is that there are some people who seem to be branches connected with Jesus we can put it that way he cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit there are people who give the appearance that they are Christians they come to church like you're at church they may even do other religious things you may do them too but actually the reality is that you're not a Christian that you haven't put your faith and trust in him that your life hasn't been changed and there isn't the fruit of love in your life then even if you go to church even if you say all the right words and act as if you are a Christian the end result is this it must be real you can't just look like a branch you've got to be part of the vine what about those who are fruitful well later on in this same chapter Jesus says this you did not choose me talking to his disciples but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit fruit that will last fruit that endures fruit that goes on the branch united to
[38:31] Jesus is one that lives because he lives and it lives eternally lives forever and never dies that's the wonderful promise that Jesus gives us is my life connected with him have I put my faith and trust in him is my life showing the signs of change and I am one with him and he promises me fruit that will endure fruit that's beyond this world beyond this life but his eternal life to come I am the true vine said Jesus you are the branches what sort of branch are we love one another as I have loved you let's sing our final hymn this morning it's a wonderful harvest hymn come you thankful people come raise the song of harvest home fruit and crops are gathered in but if you notice if we just go through the verses and we'll see the next verse and the next one yeah look at that it says even so no the other one that's it he himself on that great day worthless things shall take away give his angels charge at last in the fire the weeds to cast that's the fruitless branches but the fruitful ears to store in his care forever more so let's stand and sing this lovely harvest hymn and then
[40:06] I'll close with a prayer let us pray oh lord our god we thank you again for the harvest we thank you again for the wonderful way that you've provided for all of our needs provided for us food and clothing and shelter provided for us oh lord so many things for our bodies but you've also provided for our souls that gift of eternal life that promise of forgiveness and life with you through the lord jesus christ we thank you that such is your love that you gave the greatest gift such is the love of jesus that he gave himself for us oh lord give us such love that we may give ourselves to you that we may be branches that bear fruit united to jesus and that through his love our love may grow and increase and deepen and that that love may reach many we again pray for the work of caring for life and thank you for the love that they show your love in the gifts that they provide and the care that they give and we pray that those that they care for and provide for may themselves become fruitful branches may become those who enter into union with jesus life with him we pray again oh lord that you would continue to help us as we take that message of the gospel out to the world we pray again that it may bear fruit here in whitby and through this nation that many may not only hear the good news but understand god's grace in all its truth we thank you for the promise you've given us my god will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in christ jesus and so we say to our god and father be glory for ever and ever amen with this glory and all yours and all your applause and so we want it to be glad you to be in the karşospwent and so we can it have the npd by theари and so we can it have the love of them have our 15 vehículos we