"ABOVE THE BRIGHT BLUE"

"Then we which are alive...shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air..." (1 Thess. 4.17).

INTRO.: A song which pictures the eternal home of the redeemed as being up, beyond the clouds, is "Above The Bright Blue" (#203 in "Hymns for Worship Revised" and #394 in "Sacred Selections for the Church"). The text was written and the tune was composed both by Charles Edward Pollock (1853-1924). I have not been able to find much information about him, except that a few of his songs have appeared in some of our books through the years, such as "The Christian's Welcome Home," and the tune for a song by N. H. Lines that I remember singing from "Christian Hymns No. 2" (the "old brown book") when I was growing up, "Glory For Me," beginning, "When in His glory the Savior I see."

Pollock evidently produced a lot of hymns, especially tunes, since various Mennonite hymnbooks that I have in my possession contain many songs attributed to him--one of them having sixteen. "Above the Bright Blue" was published in 1903 and was at one time copyrighted by the Tullar-Meredith Co. The earliest hymnbook published by members of the Lord's church in my collection where I have found it is the 1935 "Christian Hymns" No. 1, where the word "Alt." for "altered" appears after the author's name. What was altered was apparently the third stanza, because when the song appeared in the 1948 "Christian Hymns No. 2," both the third stanza and the "Alt." were omitted.

The song helps to create in our hearts a desire for heaven.

I. Stanza 1 tells us where heaven is

"There's a beautiful place called heaven; It is hidden above the bright blue,

Where the good, who from earth ties are riven, Live and love an eternity through."

A. This place is called heaven, and the scriptures often refer to the hope that is laid up or reserved in heaven for us: Col. 1.5, 1 Pet. 1.3-4

B. It is hidden above the bright blue. The English word "heaven" means "that which has been heaved" and is therefore up. Thayer's Lexicon says that both the Greek and the Hebrew words translated heaven refer to "the heights above, the upper regions." As a result, heaven has traditionally been pictured as above the earth, and therefore poetically spoken of as beyond "the bright blue" of the sky which is over the earth. Paul talked about a man who had been caught "UP" into the third heaven: 2 Cor. 12.1-2

C. And it is a place where the righteous shall live an eternity through. There are people who object, sometimes almost violently, to any use of the word "through" with reference to eternity, saying that "through" implies going into and then out of something, as a needle piercing through a piece of cloth, and since eternity goes on and on forever, we can never go "through" it. Granting that this is the primary meaning of the word "through," we must remember that we are trying to express infinite concepts with our finite language. Furthermore, our blood runs "through" our bodies, but it does not necessarily go in at one point and out at another. Therefore, the word "through" is sometimes used in the sense of "continually going around within," so in the same sense that our blood continually flows through our bodies, we can say that we shall continually exist through eternity. In any event, the Bible certainly teaches that the righteous in heaven will experience eternal life: Matt. 25.46, Mk. 10.30

II. Stanza 2 tells us what heaven is

"This land of sweet rest awaits us; Someday it will break on our view.

'Tis promised by Christ, the Redeemer, To His followers, faithful and true."

A. Heaven is a land of sweet rest; just as Joshua led the people of Israel into the rest of Canaan, so Jesus will lead His people into eternal rest: Heb. 4.1-10

B. This eternal rest is one of the exceeding great and precious promises that Christ has made to His people: 2 Pet. 1.4, 1 Jn. 2.25

C. But the only ones who will receive this promise are "His followers, faithful and true": Matt. 25.23, 1 Cor. 4.2, Rev. 2.10

III. Stanza 3 tells us why heaven is possible for us

"When He left His beloved disciples, He said, as He bade them adieu,

'I go to prepare you a mansion, If I go I'll be coming for you.'"

A. His leaving His beloved disciples evidently refers to His ascension into heaven: Jn. 16.7, Acts 1.11

B. But before He did so, He promised that when He went to the Father's house, He would prepare a place for His people: Jn. 14.1-3

C. And He also promised that He would come again to receive His people unto Himself; and this promise is repeated throughout the New Testament: Phil. 3.20-21, 1 Thes. 1.10

IV. Stanza 4 tells us when we shall see heaven

"We know not when He shall call us, Whether soon the glad summons shall be,

But we know when we pass o'er the river The glory of Jesus we'll see."

A. The fact is that we do not know when He shall call us, whether sooner or later; of course, the time of His coming is unknown, but the time of death is also uncertain: Matt. 24.36, Lk. 12.16-20

B. But we know that someday, like the Israelites passed over the River Jordan into their promised land of Canaan, we shall pass over the river of death: Josh. 3.14-17, Heb. 9.27

C. And, ultimately, when the Lord returns, the glory of Jesus we shall see: 1 Jn. 3.1-2

CONCL.: The chorus encourages us to set our affections on heavenly things:

"Above the bright blue, the beautiful blue, Jesus is waiting for me and for you;

Heaven is there, not far from our sight, beautiful city of light" (cf. Col. 3.1-2).

This hymn study was written on Thanksgiving Day, and we have many wonderful material blessings on this earth to be thankful for, in addition to the spiritual blessings in Christ. But we must remember that this world is not our home. Rather, our hope is "Above The Bright Blue."

"AGAIN THE LORD OF LIGHT AND LIFE"

"...God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 Jn. 1.5)

INTRO.: A hymn which pictures Jesus as the light of God who, by His resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week, brings life is "Again the Lord of Light and Life." The text was written by Anna Letetia Aiken Barbauld (1743-1825). It first appeared in William Enfield's "Hymns for Public Worship," published at Warrington, England, in 1772. Originally in eleven stanzas, it was revised and reduced to four stanzas by William Bangs Collyer, and this text was included in his "Hymns" of 1812. The tune (Arlington) usually used with this text was composed by English musician Thomas Augustus Arne (1710-1778). It was taken from the minuet in the overture to his 1762 opera "Artaxerxes." The arrangement as a hymn-tune was made by Ralph Harrison (1748-1810). It was first published in his "Sacred Harmony," Vol. 1, in 1784.

In the historic hymnbooks used among churches of Christ in the 20th century, this hymn, so far as I know, first appeared in the 1925 edition of the 1921 "Great Songs of the Church" (No. 1) edited by Elmer L. Jorgenson. From there, it found its way into the 1937 "Great Songs of the Church No. 2" also edited by Jorgenson; the 1948 "Christian Hymns No. 2" and the 1966 "Christian Hymns No. 3" both edited by Lloyd O. Sanderson; the 1963 "Christian Hymnal" edited by J. Nelson Slater; and the 1963 "Abiding Hymns" edited by Robert C. Welch. In hymnbooks of current use among churches of Christ, it is found in the 1971 "Songs of the Church", the 1990 "Songs of the Church 21st Century Ed.," and the 1994 "Songs of Faith and Praise" all edited by Alton H. Howard; the 1978/1983 "Church Gospel Songs and Hymns" edited by V. E. Howard; the 1986 "Great Songs Revised" edited by Forrest M. McCann; and the 1992 "Praise for the Lord" edited by John P. Wiegand.

This same tune has been used with a number of other common meter hymns, including Joseph Swain's "How Sweet, How Heavenly Is the Sight" in the 1935 "Christian Hymns" (No. 1) also edited by Sanderson; most notably Isaac Watts's "Am I a Soldier of the Cross" in "Christian Hymns No. 2," "Christian Hymns No. 3," "Christian Hymnal," "Abiding Hymns," the 1956 "Sacred Selections for the Church," edited by Ellis J. Crum, "Church Gospel Songs and Hymns," "Great Songs Revised," the 1987 "Hymns for Worship (Revised)" (#275) edited by Dane K. Shepard and R. J. Stevens, and "Praise for the Lord" (#134); and Isaac Watts's "This Is the Day the Lord Hath Made" in "Praise for the Lord."

This hymn is a particularly appropriate one to sing on the Lord's day.

I. Stanza 1 speaks of a day which is brought by the Lord of light and life

"Again the Lord of light and life Awakes the kindling ray,

Unseals the eyelids of the morn, And pours increasing day."

A. Jesus Christ is the Lord of light and life because in Him is life which brings light to men: Jn. 1.1-4

B. This light unseals the eyelids of the morn; the morning, with its rising sun, is an excellent time to think about the light and life of

Christ: Psa. 5.1-3

C. It also pours increasing day; the song is talking about a particular 24-hour day of the week, but that can easily be used to represent the spiritual day that Christ brings to all who come to Him: 2 Pet. 1.19

II. Stanza 2 speaks of a day on which a special Sun arose

"O what a night was that which wrapt The heathen world in gloom!

O what a Sun which rose this day Triumphant from the tomb!"

A. The concept of night is used throughout the Bible to refer to the darkness of sin that envelops this world: Rom. 13.12-13

B. But there was a day on which the Sun arose; the Messiah is spoken of in prophecy as "the Sun of Righteousness": Mal. 4.2

C. And the day on which He rose triumphant from the tomb was the first day of the week: Mk. 16.1-9

III. Stanza 3 speaks of a day on which worship is presented to God

"This day be grateful homage paid, And loud hosannas sung;

Let gladness dwell in every heart, And praise on every tongue."

A. "This day" therefore is the first day of the week, which in prophecy is "the day that the Lord has made" when the stone which the builders had rejected became the chief cornerstone: Psa. 118.22-24, Acts 4.10-11

B. While the Bible never gives a specific reason, it is not out of the realm of possibility that this fact is at least part of the reason why

God chose the first day of the week to be the day that Christians assemble to break bread: Acts 20.7

C. And while our worship is not necessarily limited to this day, when we do come together on the Lord's day we can offer unto Him the sacrifice of praise which is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name: Heb. 10.25, 13.15

IV. Stanza 4 speaks of a day which is welcomed by untold numbers of people

"Ten thousand different lips shall join To hail this welcome morn,

Which scatters blessings on its wings To nations yet unborn."

A. It was the first day of the week on which the Lord brought forth physical light to the world: Gen. 1.5

B. In like manner, it was also the first day of the week on which the Lord brought His Son, the spiritual light of the world, out of the grave: Lk. 24.1-8

C. Thus, we hail the first day of the week, which "scatters blessings on its wings" to those who assemble upon it, as the Lord's day: Rev. 1.10

CONCL.: In years gone by, it was common to have many hymns available that could specifically be used to open a worship service on the first day of the week. However, for whatever reason, many of those have unfortunately fallen out of regular usage. Yet, it is good for us to stop and think and sing about what the first day of the week means to us as we remember "Again the Lord of Light and Life."

"ALL PEOPLE THAT ON EARTH DO DWELL"

"Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing" (Ps. 100.2)

INTRO.: A hymn that's taken from Ps. 100 is "All People That On Earth Do Dwell" (#57 in Hymns for Worship Revised, and #66 in Sacred Selections for the Church. This metrical version is usually attributed to William Kethe. There's no definite information available about the date and place of Kethe's birth, but it's generally believed that he was a native of Scotland. His early life is unknown, but he was a Puritan who, because of the Marian persecution by Catholics of Protestants in 1555, went into exile at Frankfort, Germany, and then in 1558 moved to Geneva, Switzerland. There, he seems to have been engaged in helping to translate the Geneva Bible which came out in 1560. Also he assisted with the publication of John Day's Anglo-Genevan Psalter of 1561 where his renderings of 25 psalms appeared.

This hymn was included in that first edition. Later editions came out in 1562 and 1564. The Psalter editors often tinkered with the metrical psalm arrangements from one edition to the next, which may explain why there are some variations in the wording of this one in different songbooks. After Elizabeth I came to the throne, Kethe returned to England in 1561 where he became minister of the church of Childe Okeford in Dorsetshire, and in 1563 and again in 1569 served as chaplain to Elizabeth's forces under the Earl of Warwick at Havre. His death is usually given as having occurred on June 6, 1594, at Dorsetshire, England, but various sources place it as early as 1593 or as late as 1608.

What gave this psalm its popularity was the tune (Old Hundredth) often attributed to Guillaume Franc (1520-1570). It is sometimes dated 1543. It was apparently adapted by Louis Bourgeois (1510-1561). Bourgeois was born in Paris, France, but followed John Calvin to Geneva, where he was song director at the Church of St. Peters. The melody first appeared in the Genevan Psalter of 1551, which Bourgeois edited, with Ps. 134, but it was used with Ps. 100 in Kethe's Four-Score and Seven Psalms of David published in 1561 at Geneva, and has been associated with it ever since. Originally, it had a rather sprightly rhythm, which Queen Elizabeth scornfully called one of those "Geneva jigs." The more sedate form and modern harmonization that is familiar today is sometimes credited to Joseph Barnby (1838-1896).

The Doxology that some of our books have with this hymn (used as a "chorus" with "All People That On Earth Do Dwell" in Sacred Selections and separately at #561 in Hymns for Worship Revised) was not the work of Kethe but of a bishop in the Anglican Church, Thomas Ken (1637-1711). A teacher at Winchester College, Oxford, he wrote three hymns for his students to sing--one in the morning, one in the evening, and one at midnight. The Doxology made up the closing stanza of each one. It was first published in 1673 or 1674 in Ken's Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College. Kethe had published his own doxology:

"To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, The God Whom heaven and earth adore,

From men and from the angel host Be praise and glory evermore."

Notice the difference in rhyming scheme. Both Kethe's psalm and doxology are A-B-A-B, whereas Ken's doxology is A-A-B-B.

"All People That On Earth Do Dwell" was used in the 1937 Great Songs of the Church No. 2 edited by E. L. Jorgenson; both it and the Doxology were used in the 1963 Abiding Hymns edited by Robert Welch and the 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater. Only the doxology was used in the original 1921 Great Songs of the Church, as well as in the 1948 Christian Hymns No. 2 and the 1966 Christian Hymns No. 3 both edited by L. O. Sanderson. Both are found in the 1971 Songs of the Church, the 1990 Songs of the Church 21st C. Ed., and the 1994 Songs of Faith and Praise, all edited by Alton H. Howard; the 1978/1983 (Church) Gospel Songs and Hymns edited by V. E. Howard; the 1986 Great Songs Revised edited by Forrest M. McCann and Jack Boyd; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand.

The song suggests that we should joyfully praise God for a number of reasons.

I. Stanza 1 implies that we should praise God because we live on the earth created by Him

"All people that on earth do dwell, Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;

Him serve with mirth, His praise forth tell; Come ye before Him and rejoice."

A. All people that on earth do dwell should praise God because the whole earth is the Lord's: Ps. 24.1

B. One way to express this praise is to sing to the Lord with cheerful voice: Ps. 33.1-3

C. Another way to express our praise is to serve Him with mirth: Ps. 72.8-11

II. Stanza 2 says that we should praise God because He made us without our aid

"Know that the Lord is God indeed; Without our aid He did us make;

We are His flock, He doth us feed, And for His sheep He doth us take."

Some versions begin, "The Lord, ye know, is God indeed."

A. The Lord, Jehovah, is God alone: Ps. 96.4-6

B. Those who believe the Bible understand that we are fearfully and wonderfully made by this great God: Ps. 139.14

C. Therefore, as His creation, He wants us to be His people. The original read "folck," an old spelling of folk. However, since the stanza also mentions sheep, someone inadvertently printed "flock" instead, and this has remained ever since: Ps. 95.6-7

III. Stanza 3 adds that we should praise God because He alone is worthy of our praise.

"O enter then His gates with joy, Within His courts His praise proclaim;

Let thankful songs your tongues employ, O bless and magnify His holy name."

Other books read, "O enter then His gates with praise, Approach with joy His courts unto;

Praise, laud, and bless His name always; For it is seemly so to do."

A. We should praise Him as we enter His gates with joy: Ps. 9.14, 122.1-2

B. We should praise Him as we stand in His courts: Ps. 65.1-4

C. We bless and magnify His name because He alone is holy and righteous: Ps. 7.17

IV. Stanza 4 concludes that we should praise God because He is good.

"Because the Lord our God is good, His mercy is forever sure;

His truth at all times firmly stood, And shall from age to age endure."

Some versions begin, "For why? The Lord, our God, is good."

A. All the blessings that we enjoy in this life remind us that the Lord is good: Ps. 34.8

B. One of those blessings is His great mercy to sinful mankind: Ps. 101.1

C. Another is His truth which has always stood and will always stand: Ps. 117.1-2

CONCL.: The psalm and the song both encourage us to

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below;

Praise Him above ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."

(There should be no "s" on host; "hosts" does not rhyme with "Ghost.")

It is interesting to sit down with a Bible open to Ps. 100, a songbook open to this hymn, and compare the two. Back when this song was written, it was common in most non-Catholic churches to sing only metrical versions of the Old Testament Psalms. Nowhere does the Bible teach that we must use only the Psalms in our worship, but we would do well to include them because of their reverence, devotion, and praise to God. In this way our hearts can be filled with joyful praise as we join our voices together with "All People That On Earth Do Dwell."

"ALL PRAISE TO THEE, MY GOD, THIS NIGHT"

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety" (Psalm 4.8)

INTRO.: A hymn which expresses the safety of the Lord in which we can lay ourselves down and sleep is "All Praise To Thee, My God, This Night." The text was written by Thomas Ken (1637-1711). There is some dispute as to its original date, but it was produced in 12 stanzas likely around 1693 as the second of his "Morning, Evening, and Midnight Hymns," each of which concluded with the familiar doxology, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow...," to be published in his 1694 "Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College" (although they were apparently not printed until the second edition of 1695). Ken himself revised it in 1709 for republication.

The tune with which it is almost always used (Tallis' Canon or a more melodic arrangement known as Tallis' Evening Hymn, probably taken from George Whitefield's "Divine Musical Miscellany" of 1754) was composed by Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1588). Produced in 1557, it was first published with Psalm 67 in Matthew Parker's "The Whole Psalter" of 1561-1567. Originally a canon in eight phrases, the four-phrase form first appeared in "The Whole Book of Psalms," published in London, England, in 1621 by Thomas Ravenscroft (c. 1592-c. 1635). It was first used with Ken's text in the "Harmonious Companion" of 1712 (one source says 1732) by Smith and Prellieur.

Among historic hymnbooks used in churches of Christ, the song is found in the 1937 "Great Songs of the Church No. 2" (with three stanzas and the doxology using the Tallis' Evening Hymn version) edited by E. L. Jorgenson; from there it was copied into the 1965 "Great Christian Hymnal" edited by T. S. Teddlie. It is also found in the 1963 "Christian Hymnal" (with four stanzas using the Tallis' Canon version) edited by J. N. Slater. Among hymnbooks used by churches of Christ today, it appears in the 1986 "Great Songs Revised" edited by Forrest M. McCann, and the 1992 "Praise for the Lord" edited by John P. Wiegand, both using the Tallis' Canon.

The six commonly used stanzas are to God for His watchfulness during the night.

I. Stanza one is a request for protection

"All praise to Thee, my God, this night, For all the blessings of the light;

Keep me, O keep me, King of kings, Beneath Thine own almighty wings."

A. When we pillow our heads to go to sleep is an excellent time to praise God for all the blessings of the light: Psa. 42.8

B. It is also a good time to ask God to keep and protect us during the night: Psa. 25.20

C. And God has promised to hide us beneath the shadow of His wings: Psa. 17.8

II. Stanza two is a request for forgiveness

"Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son, The ills that I this day have done;

That with the world, myself, and Thee, I, ere I sleep, at peace may be."

A. As we lay ourselves down to sleep, it is a good time as well to ask God's forgiveness

for all our sins: Matt. 6.12

B. Thus, having confessed our sins, we can be right with the world, with ourselves, and with God because we have been cleansed from all unrighteousness: 1 Jn. 1.9

C. And knowing that we are right with God, we can have the peace of God that passes all understanding: Phil. 4.6-7

III. Stanza three is a request for guidance

"Teach me to live that I may dread The grave as little as my bed;

To die, that this vile body may Rise glorious at the awful day."

A. God teaches us through the scriptures, which are given for instruction in righteousness: 2 Tim. 3.16-17

B. The scriptures teach us to live in such a way that we can have no fear of death: Heb. 2.14-15

C. And they teach us how to die so that our vile bodies can be raised to everlasting life: Phil. 3.20-21

IV. Stanza four is a request for rest

"O may my soul on Thee repose, And may sweet sleep my eyelids close;

Sleep that may me more vigorous make To serve my God when I awake."

A. We can have spiritual rest as our souls repose on the Lord: Matt. 11.28-30

B. But we also need physical rest for our bodies as well that we might keep them healthy to serve God: Mk. 6.31, Rom. 12.1

C. And such rest will help to make us more vigorous to serve God during our waking hours: Heb. 12.28

V. Stanza five is a request for help in controlling our minds

"When in the night I sleepless lie, My soul with heavenly thoughts supply;

Let no ill dreams disturb my rest, No powers of darkness me molest."

A. There are times when things may occur in our lives which keep us from sleeping: Psa. 6.6

B. During such times, it is easy to allow the evil of this world to influence our mind, so we should seek to fill our minds with heavenly thoughts: Psa. 16.7

C. We should strive to remove all evil thoughts that would reflect the powers of darkness because God hates those who devise mischief upon their beds: Psa. 36.4

VI. Stanza six is a request for an eternal home in heaven

"O when shall I in endless day For ever chase dark sleep away,

And hymns with the supernal choir Incessant sing, and never tire!"

A. Our hope is for that place of endless day and eternal life which God has prepared before the foundation of the world: Matt. 25.31, 46

B. There we shall forever chase dark sleep away, because we will have the sweet rest from our labors: Rev. 14.13

C. And we can join with the angels and the redeemed of all ages around the throne to sing everlasting praise to God: Rev. 15.2-4

CONCL.: While this hymn was written over three hundred years ago, it still expresses the heart's desire of each true Christian as he or she retires to bed for the night. Therefore, as I prepare for the evening's sleep, I should address the Lord and say, "All Praise To Thee, My God, This Night."

"ALMOST PERSUADED"

"...Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian..." (Acts 26.28).

INTRO.: A song which warns us of the dangers of following in the footsteps of King Agrippa is "Almost Persuaded" (#348 in "Hymns for Worship Revised" and #647 in "Sacred Selections for the Church"). The text was written and the tune composed both by Philip Paul Bliss (1838-1876). Produced in the early 1870's when Bliss stopped over in a small Eastern town and, while waiting for his connecting train to Chicago, IL, slipped into a nearby church building where he heard a minister named Mr. Brundage preach a lesson on King Agrippa, it was first published in his 1871 collection "The Charm," compiled for John Church and Co. of Cincinnati, OH.

This is one of Bliss's best known, popular, and effective invitation hymns.

I. The 1st stanza tells us that the Spirit wants us to be persuaded to believe

"'Almost persuaded' now to believe; 'Almost persuaded' Christ to receive.

Seems now some soul to say, 'Go, Spirit, go Thy way; Some more convenient day On Thee I'll call."

A. We must believe in God: Heb. 11.6

B. We must also believe in Christ: Jn. 8.24, AScts 16.30-31, Rom. 10.9-10

C. But how do we come to believe? Jn. 20.30-31, Rom. 10.17--not by some direct operation of the Holy Spirit on our hearts, but through the written word, which is the sword of the Spirit: Eph. 6.17

II. The 2nd stanza tells us that Jesus invites us to be persuaded to come to Him

"'Almost persuaded,' come, come today; 'Almost persuaded,' turn not away;

Jesus invites you here, Angels are lingering near, Prayers rise from hearts so dear, O wanderer, come."

A. Jesus wants us to come to Him for salvation: Matt. 11.28-30

B. But how do we come to Jesus? Jn. 6.44-45--we must be drawn by God through being taught, hearing, and learning His word

C. So this indicates that coming to Jesus is more than just a mental acknowledgement of Him as Savior; it means that we must obey Him: Heb. 5.8-9

III. The 3rd stanza tells us that God calls us to be persuaded to be saved

"'Almost persuaded,' harvest is past! 'Almost persuaded,' doom comes at last!

"'Almost' cannot avail; 'Almost' is but to fail; Sad, sad that bitter wail--'Almost--but lost!'"

A. God desires that all people be saved: 1 Tim. 2.3-4--as a result, He's made all the provisions necessary for everyone to have salvation through Christ, and has revealed those provisions in the word of truth

B. Two basic things are necessary on our part to be saved; the first is belief, as discussed in stanza 1: Jn. 3.16

C. The other is coming to Christ in obedience to His will, as seen in stanza 2: Mk. 16.15-16

CONCL.: In order to have all the benefit of God's spiritual blessings in Christ, one must be a Christian. Unfortunately, when it comes to being a Christian, too many people who would like to receive these blessings are not willing to do what God says they must do to receive them. Thus, to those who are not yet Christians, we would encourage them not to be like Agrippa and just be "Almost Persuaded."