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[ Silence ] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING]

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[MUSIC PLAYING] [ Music ] [MUSIC] ♪ I want to do it for Jesus ♪

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♪ I want to do it for Jesus ♪ ♪ And I've traveled a long way ♪ ♪ To meet you, yes Lord ♪ ♪ I love you, yes Lord ♪

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♪ I love you, yes Lord ♪ ♪ I need you, yes Lord ♪ ♪ I live and die around you every day ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus ♪

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♪ All around me every day ♪ ♪ Jesus, I want you to bless me ♪ ♪ As I travel on the way ♪ ♪ Yes, Lord, yes, Lord ♪

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♪ Yes, Lord, yes, Lord ♪ ♪ I'll be your man all around you every day ♪ ♪ If you've got trouble ♪ ♪ And I'm praying ♪

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♪ If you look down on me ♪ ♪ Then I'll stumble and fall ♪ ♪ I'll be your man ♪ ♪ Oh, I want to walk all around me ♪

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♪ Every day ♪ ♪ Jesus, I want to be a man ♪ ♪ All around me, every day ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, I want you to let me ♪

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♪ As I travel on the way ♪ ♪ Yes, Lord, yes, Lord ♪ ♪ Yes, Lord, yes, Lord ♪ ♪ Oh, dear things fall down every day ♪

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♪ Oh, thank you, Lord ♪ ♪ And the light will go on ♪ (chanting) [MUSIC]

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[MUSIC] ♪ Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ All around me, every day ♪ ♪ Jesus, I want you to protect me ♪

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♪ As I travel on my way ♪ ♪ Yes, Lord, yes, Lord ♪ ♪ Yes, Lord, yes, Lord ♪ ♪ Jesus be your face all around me ♪

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♪ Jesus be your face ♪ ♪ Jesus be your face ♪ ♪ Jesus be your face ♪ ♪ Oh, rotation, rotation, rotation ♪

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♪ Oh, long the way, oh, long the way ♪ ♪ Oh, long the way, rotation, rotation, rotation ♪ ♪ Oh, long the way, oh, long the way ♪ ♪ Oh, long the way, my friend ♪

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♪ My friend, my friend ♪ ♪ Oh, long the way, oh, long the way ♪ ♪ Oh, long the way, long time ♪ [MUSIC]

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(chanting) (chanting) (chanting) (chanting)

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(chanting) (chanting) (chanting) (chanting)

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(chanting) (chanting) (chanting) (chanting)

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(chanting) (chanting) (chanting) [MUSIC]

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[MUSIC] (Applause) Amen. Hear this word recorded in the Gospel of According to Saint Luke, the 13th chapter, the sixth through the eighth verses.

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He also spoke this parable. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard,

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"Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down. Why does it use up the ground?"

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And he answered and said to him, "Sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well,

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but if not, after that, you can cut it down. This is the word of the Lord. Let us stand as we sing together a hymn of praise and commitment, I shall not be moved.

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[ Music ] I shall not, I shall not be moved. I shall not, I shall not be moved. Like a tree that planted by the water,

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I shall not be moved. I shall not, I shall not be moved. I shall not, I shall not be moved just like the tree that's planted by the water. I shall not be moved.

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On my way to heaven, I shall not be moved. On my way to heaven, I shall not be moved just like the tree The church of God is moving, I shall not be moved. The church of God is moving, I shall not be moved.

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The church of God is moving, I shall not be moved. Just like a tree that's planted by the water, I shall not be moved. Jesus is my captain, I shall not be moved. Jesus is my captain, I shall not be moved.

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♪ Just like a tree planted by the water ♪ ♪ I shall not be moved ♪ ♪ I shall not, I shall not be moved ♪ ♪ I shall not, I shall not be moved ♪

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♪ Just like a tree that's planted by the water ♪ I shall not be moved. Let us pray. Speak to our hearts, O God, in the strong and perfect name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

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For several weeks now, we have been engaged in a sermon series based on parables of our Lord. We continue today by considering the parable of the barren fig tree, the parable of the barren fig tree. Situated among the rugged hills of Afghanistan is a fertile valley,

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a showcase of productivity. At its entrance, young boys sold wild tulips

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and sweet fruit. Once, craftsmen hawked ingenious blue pottery and hand-sewn prayer rugs.

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Once it was a favorite picnic spot. Once it enjoyed the reputation of being Afghanistan's breadbasket. But a radical change has occurred.

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Now it is a quilt of destruction with burned empty villages surrounded by dry fields and orchids. Once it was known as the breadbasket, but now it is Afghanistan's scar.

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The Shomali plain. They paid a severe price for their resistance to the Taliban. Nearly every house was burned. The vines hacked down to stumps.

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And much of the generation's old water system destroyed. These people, in a short time, have gone from the bountiful blessings of prosperity as they knew it, to the aggravating awfulness of adversity.

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That's the challenge of this life, to go from barrenness to fruitfulness. It is a challenge confronting human existence east of Eden. Jesus tells a story that illustrates lessons that we may gain in making this pilgrimage from barrenness to fruitfulness.

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He tells this story while on a journey. He's on a journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. It's a journey of not too many miles, but it is a significant journey because of what it represents.

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Jerusalem is the city of destiny. Every one of us, as we sit here today in the vestibule of another year, we have certain journeys that we'd like to complete in this year. There are some jeruniums that you would like to arrive there to make your life more enriched

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and more enjoyable. Before Jesus told his story, there was a group that came to him from Galilee, and they told him, or reminded him, as the case might have been, that Pilate had been instrumental in Dingling the blood of Jews in Jerusalem with the sacrifice that they were offering to God

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And then of course Jesus Mentions the fact that 18 Jews were

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killed in a fall from the tower of Siloam And so we always ask the question, why? Why did those Jews, they wanted to know why.

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Why did they die while offering sacrifice to God? Why? Why would 18 fall from a tower? Why?

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here today also ask the question why. Why are those five or six thousand persons who lost their lives September 11th? Why? Were they any better than we are? We'd be quick to answer no. Were they worse in any particular way? Not necessarily so. But it is something that happens in the queer quirk of circumstance. We never know whether we're going to make

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it from week to week. And because of that uncertainty, Jesus tells them this story, a story about a barren fig tree. It really has to do with change, radical change.

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So as you think about this story, think about the kind of radical change that you and I have to make if we are going to arrive at Jerusalem and this journey that is set before us. So the word that he gives us as we travel on this highway is we must either change or

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perish. The axe is laid at the root of the tree. Repent, change, or perish. And the question, the important question is not how long we have to live.

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It is not where we die, but whether we are ready, whenever the time comes, whether we are ready. So this is a story that is addressed to us in this 2002 year of our Lord. It's a year that God gives out of His grace and His mercy.

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So another year with certain conditions granted by the Creator, the Creator who's responsible for the garden in which we live and move. And then there is the gardener who works with the Creator. God the Father, the Creator.

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The gardener, his Son, who's there in the garden carrying out his wishes. The gardener, Jesus Christ, his Son. So first let's focus on this fig tree. Fig tree is part of the orchard.

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In those days there were many fruit trees in the garden, and fig tree was just one of them in the garden. Fig tree is a symbol of prosperity, symbol of peace. The prophet Micah envisions the time when every person would sit under his own vine

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and fig tree, and there would be none to make him afraid. That's an age of peace that is free of terrorism. He envisioned that kind of world. We haven't arrived at that yet, but he saw it in the telescope of prophecy.

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And this gracious creator plants, or has planted by the gardener, in his garden a fig tree. a symbol of peace, a symbol of prosperity. And this fig tree is expected to grow. A great deal depends upon our expectations.

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Great deal. In fact, I was in a meeting this past week and one of the criticisms given regarding our school system was that there were not high expectations entertained. And students tend to perform according to expectations. You don't expect much, you don't get much.

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There was a kind of expectation. And there is what is called a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy in that connection. So this owner of the fig tree comes into his garden expecting from the fig tree to find Now he has every right.

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It's his fig tree. He has it planted to produce figs. But he comes into the garden and he sees the tree and no figs. This fig tree has a name, yes, the name of being a fig tree.

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but is not performing as a fig tree. You know, many times we wear the name of being Christian, but our hearts are far from it. He expects to find figs, but he finds none.

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Fig tree is occupying space in the garden, claiming to be a fiend, but failing to be a fiend. Now, let us put ourselves in the place of this fig tree. How many times have we claimed and failed

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to perform according to our claims? Fig tree. He is witnessing hypocrisy on the part of the fig tree. Hypocrisy.

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And in other words, this fig tree is a counterfeit, failing to do what it gives promise of doing. He comes one year, and then he comes another year.

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Each year he finds no figs. The fact that he waits, comes another year, that's an expression of divine grace. - Yes sir.

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- Divine grace. And then this third year, he talks to the gardener. He said, "Sir, I've come here three years "looking to find some figs on this fig tree

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and find none. So cut it down. Cut it down. This tree deserves to be cut down.

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This tree has occupied a primary place in the garden. No doubt it was planted by the roadside 'cause Jesus is on a journey going to Jerusalem and he sees this fig tree,

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so it's likely that it was by the roadside. So it had a conspicuous place where you could see it. A lot of people like to have conspicuous places, but they don't want to perform what is required

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of these conspicuous places. It's been for three years. It's had a prime place. It has enjoyed the rich soil of my God.

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soil of my God. It has benefited from the radiant sun rays and the process of photosynthesis that has been arranged. It has been nourished and nurtured by all of these things and yet it has produced no fruit. Cut it down. Cut it down. It It doesn't deserve to live in my garden.

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My garden is for fruitful trees and everything that I want in my garden is to be guided by my will, my design, my way. Cut it down.

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But the gardener speaks. Gardener speaks. You know, you see, this is an inspection, really. And every year, beginning of the year, the morning of the year,

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we ought to have sort of an inspection. At certain times, you're supposed to have an inspection of your car. Most of us who drive cars have an inspection sticker.

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And at other times, you ought to have an inspection of your body. I took a general physical a few days ago. This is an inspection. So the Lord of the garden, the sovereign of the universe comes walking around in this garden

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and this is what he finds and he carries on this dialogue with the gardener. and it's the judgment of God it's a manifestation of His wrath cut it down, doesn't deserve to live

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in my God, and the God says, Lord, let me Dig around it another year. Say, spare it. Spare it for another year.

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In this year I will dig around it. I'll loosen the dirt around it. I'll break up the fallow ground that seems to surround its roots. Spare it another year.

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And not only will I dig around it, but I'll put some fertilizer around it. And that may cause it to grow. If you just spare it for another year.

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And I think that that's a dialogue that goes on regarding the souls of humankind involving the persons who appear before God, so to speak, every year, beginning of the year. and mercy. Grace. God has showered us with blessings that we didn't deserve. Many of us he's given a good place to stay and others he's given a good job.

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He's blessed us beyond measure. And some have conducted themselves like that speak to me, stubborn, high-handed, hypocrisy in the face of the eternal. And so he says, "Cut it down." Cut it down. But grace says, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, cut it down." The God that speaks the word of grace, "Don't cut it down." Even though he has

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not responded positively to your goodness, spare it for another year. Spare it another year. Give it another chance. Maybe if given another chance, maybe this stubborn, high-handed, hypocritical fig tree, maybe this fig tree will change for the better if we spare it for one more year. And then he goes on and says, "If, if, if, if not, if it doesn't

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bring forth any fruit another year, then you can cut it down." Brothers and sisters, I feeling that many of us are riding on that conjunction. If, if, if, it's based on a condition, it's not guaranteed that we'll get to Jerusalem this year. If not, if it does not respond to the goodness and the grace of the eternal, if it does not

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respond in a positive way, then he says to the owner, you may cut it down. You may cut it down. If. Well, this is a great opportunity that each of us has to change. Most of us recognize that we haven't been as faithful as we could have been. We haven't done as much as we could have done. Many times we've just rationed out to God

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what we want him to have. Say, "Here, you take this. I got other things here." That's the way we treat him, you know, because he's so good. He's so gracious. He's so kind.

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He's so loving. Anyone can say any little thing and hurt our feelings. And we stop doing in the church. We forget that it's God.

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- Yes, Lord. - It's for God, not some individual who may say some word they ought not say. But we ought to be so close to God that no matter what anybody says, that it's not going to cause us to depart from God, to abandon God.

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Cut it down. So let's take an inventory of ourselves, just like this gardener takes an inventory. God takes it in, take an inventory of ourselves. You know, every so often, I get out to papers,

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I look over my will, I'll look over this, look over that. I'm just carrying on an inspection. I think God carries on an inspection. - Yes, yes.

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- And he inspects me. He said, "Did you do your best?" In the year that's gone by, I remember 1999, which you did, and 2000, which you did, and 2001.

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Now here we are with 2002. Did you do your best? Carter talks about an examination he had before the admiral, and as he sat there, the admiral asked him a number

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of questions, and he answered them, and he said, did you do your best? And he was speechless because he thought about some instances here and there, here and there that he did certain things but it was not his best.

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God wants our best. God wants to have some good fig trees in his garden. He doesn't want trees that are not good. He wants good fig trees in his garden.

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So here we are with this if, if, if. Here we are, following it, if we accept him. If God be for us, who can be against us? If.

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If you would be my disciple, take up your cross and follow me. If, if, if. That's the condition as we travel this road on the grace of God. If, if.

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There was a boy who got in trouble with his family, and he left home. His father told him never to come back again. He stayed away for years, and finally,

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he decided he wanted to come home. He had a change of heart, and he wanted to come home. So he wrote his mother, and he said in the letter that he was coming through on the train,

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And there was an old tree in the front yard, and if everything was all right, to put a yellow ribbon on a branch of that tree. And he was very anxious about it.

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He was on the train, and there was someone sitting next to him, wondered why he was so nervous. And he told the story. He said, "I left home years ago,

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and my dad told me never to return and I'm going back and I've written my mother telling her that if everything is all right to put a yellow ribbon on that tree that's in the front yard as the train passes by I'll be able to see it. And so

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the train came and it drew near the place. He looked out of the window of the train and there he saw a ribbon on every branch. And that's what God has done for us. That's what he has done.

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And we can say thanks be to God who has given us another, yeah, another chance. Thanks be to God who's so good, who's so gracious, who's so kind.

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And if God does this for us, how much more should we seek to be gracious and kind to each other? As we sing the hymn of invitation, we extend the privilege of the church the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. This is a good way

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while we are still on the journey toward Jerusalem, we can change, we can repent, we can bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. We invite you to come. united here with the people of God at Ebenezer by letter by Christian experience on profession of faith.

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♪ Sing grace how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ That saved a wretch like me ♪ I once was lost but now I'm found. Was blind but now I see. I'm seeing. Amen. ♪ Good grace ♪

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♪ That taught ♪ ♪ My heart ♪ ♪ To fear ♪ ♪ And grace ♪

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♪ My fears ♪ ♪ Relieved ♪ How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed. Through many days, just cause and snares

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I have already come ♪ 'Cause grace that ♪ ♪ I say does fall ♪ ♪ And grace will lead me home ♪

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When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, ♪ We've no mistake ♪ ♪ To sing God's praise ♪

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♪ Any greater ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪ Amen, amen. Hmm

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