[0:00] Welcome to your altar service this morning as we come together to worship God. Our greatest desire is to know him in the service and to have his word blessed to each of us.
[0:16] We're going to begin by singing to God's praise from Psalm 40. Psalm 40 we're singing from the metrical version of the Psalms. Psalm 40.
[0:55] Psalm 40.
[1:25] And so on. Sing these verses 1 to the double verse marked 5. I waited for the Lord my God and patiently did bear.
[1:35] I waited for the Lord my God.
[1:47] I waited for the Lord my God and patiently did bear.
[1:59] He took me from the fearful head.
[2:13] He took me from the fearful head. And from the fearful head.
[2:25] And from the fearful head. And on a road he said.
[2:38] He put me from the fearful head. He put me from the fearful head. He put me from the fearful head. He put me from the fearful head.
[2:50] He put me from the fearful head. Thank you.
[3:21] Thank you.
[3:51] Thank you. Thank you.
[4:51] Thank you. Let us join together in prayer.
[5:24] Oh Lord, oh God. We acknowledge that we are in your presence as a gathered congregation of worshipping people.
[5:37] May it be true of us, not simply in name, but in reality that we would desire to accomplish.
[5:51] That we are indeed worshipping the only living and true God. That you have instilled within us a desire to achieve that end for which we were created.
[6:07] For you created us in your image. And you created us to glorify your name and to enjoy you.
[6:19] We acknowledge that sin has entered into the experience of mankind. And by reason of that fact, there are limitations placed upon the abilities that we possess to accomplish our created ordinance.
[6:43] That which you commanded us to do. That which we desire to achieve as those who know you by reason of the work of the Spirit in us.
[6:58] That we realize that we realize that we come short in all our doings. Even in our most holy things. May our confession be genuine.
[7:10] May our confession be genuine.
[7:41] We pray forgiveness. For every way in which we neglect our soul. And lose sight of the one who is able to minister to it.
[7:54] We pray that you would bless us in the Lord Jesus Christ's name. There is no greater name that we can plead in your presence.
[8:05] and the name of one that came to seek and to save the lost and we pray that we might appreciate not just the fact that he has that ability and desire and it was his great calling to come into the world to that end but that those who are present here who bear your name and who are even at times convinced of their Christ likeness even though more often than not that is one thing that they are sorrowful over but you have laid claim to them and you have brought them into fellowship with yourself and you have laid captive their hearts and their minds and their whole being is consecrated to living out their life here in this world to your glory the words of the psalm that we sang they were able to sing it with feeling because they understand what it means to have been taken from the pit out of the miry clay to have their feet set upon a rock and who have a new song to sing even that song that praises the God who saved them we pray Lord that you would encourage each one who knows that for themselves today to exemplify what it means to be the choice people of God and to desire even more greatly than they do the gospel of your grace to make inroads into the lives of others that they may have that desire to pray for them and to speak to them and to draw them into the circle of the family of God who have God as father who have an elder brother who sits at your right hand and who is able to bring his will to our knowledge through the passion of his spirit who is in this world bearing testimony to his finished work so help us as we gather in his name today to fulfil that remit that you have encouraged us to lay hold of we pray your blessing upon all present regardless of need regardless of who they are or what they are or where they are may you bless them abundantly far above our asking visit our homes and our families and draw us to yourself that we may know the blessing of the most high God which maketh rich and addeth no sorrow we pray that you would bless the homes that we represent those who are real elderly amongst us who may not be able to attend with us we pray for those who are in their infancy who are still being tenderly cared for by others we pray for them in like manner they may be at opposite ends of the age spectrum but their needs are able to be brought to the God who is able to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves so remember the frail remember the weak remember the needy those unwell those who are confined to hospital those who are being cared for in their homes or in homes appointed
[12:07] for such care we ask Lord that you would encourage them to know that there is a God who is the great physician able to do for them what others might not be able to do for them we pray for the grieving and the sorrowful the voice of death is frequently heard within our communities and we bring before you those whose hearts are heavy and those who have in recent days had to deal with the reality of death visiting the circle of their families and we pray Lord for your voice to be sanctified to them that they may know that there is a God indeed who understands the sorrows of the children of men remember the world in which we live that lies in sin we pray for our nation those who govern us our king and his family remember the nations of the earth embroiled in war and the sorrows and the sadnesses that inevitably accompany such we are also mindful of the horrors of the disaster in Turkey and Syria where so many lives have been lost and devastation wrought and we do commit and commend to you those engaged in seeking amongst that rubble lives that can still be saved even though the passage of time leaves us pessimistic with regard to such an outcome we pray Lord for all the agencies engaged in bringing relief and we give thanks for those who have been moved to give generously of their own resources to support such endeavours we remember the parts of the world that still go on day in day out struggling against the elements those who live in poverty those who reside even within the streets of of our own country that at one end of the spectrum knows great wealth and at the other end there are those who struggle to live maybe because of misfortune that has descended upon them but some through their own slavery to addictions that has left them a divide of family and friends and comforts that we take for granted be merciful to us and strengthen the arms of those who would seek to help them give us an understanding of the needs that are before us daily that we may know to look to the heavens to the God of all grace and to remember that your arm is not shortened and that you cannot save confirm us in the belief that you are a God who hears prayer and who answers prayer even far above our asking so bless us in our worship bless your word to us we pray grant cleansing from the many sins that are ours and that are the cause of our grief we do all in the name and for the sake of
[15:44] Jesus Christ Amen We're going to read from the Old Testament scriptures and we're reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah Jeremiah chapter 21 Jeremiah chapter 21 The world which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord when King Sedecaiah sent unto him Pasher the son of Melchia and Sephaniah the son of Maseah the priest saying inquire I pray thee of the Lord for us for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous works that he may go up from us then said
[16:45] Jeremiah unto them thus shall ye say to Sedecaiah thus saith the Lord God of Israel behold I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans which beseech you without the walls and I will assemble them into the midst of this city and I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm even in anger and in fury and in great wrath and I will smite the inhabitants of this city both man and beast they shall die of a great pestilence and afterwards saith the Lord I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people and such as are left in this city from the pestilence from the sword and from the famine into the hand of
[17:49] Nebuchad Nesser king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those that seek their life and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword he shall not spare them neither have pity nor have mercy execute execute execute execute judgment in the morning and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor lest my fury go out like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings behold
[19:27] I am against thee O inhabitant of the valley and rock of the plain saith the Lord which say who shall come down against us or who shall enter into our habitations but I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings saith Lord and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof and it shall devour all things round about it Amen and may the Lord add his blessing to this reading of his word and to his name be the praise now boys and girls before you go out to Sunday school I believe that today you're going to be talking about another miracle of the Lord Jesus and we saw last week how the greatness of
[20:29] Christ is often brought to our attention sometimes it speaks of his greatness and the things that he is able to do sometimes it is spoken of with regard to the greatness of faith that some demonstrate when they look to the passion of the Lord Jesus and they trust in him and they depend upon him and in circumstances or at times when it would seem so difficult to do now today you're going to hear about the widow of Nain and the widow of Nain I'm hoping I'm right anyway I'm on the same page as the teacher if not they're to blame not me but you'll hear about it today or sometime soon now the widow of
[21:29] Nain as her name implies was somebody who was left without a husband her husband had died and sadly not only did she suffer the loss of her husband her son died and in the story that we have in Luke's gospel we are told that it was her only son she only had the one son so there's not a lot of detail about how old the widow was when her husband died or how old her son was when he died but if you use your imagination you can think that maybe he was a young person but certainly he was too young to die now every one of us in this world sadly one thing that we're going to come across at some point is somebody die we're going to be sorrowful we're going to be sad we're going to have to face up to the fact that not every one of us is going to die sometimes but sometimes when you're very young you find it difficult to understand what that means and it isn't an easy thing to deal with
[23:10] I was remembering my own family when my granny died and when my grandfather died one of them lived with us in the house when I grew up and he was always with us until he died and I try and remember what it was like to experience that but my memory of it is quite vague because we were sheltered by your parents from the sorrows that death involved and maybe that was a good thing maybe it was a bad thing because I think we have to understand that people die and when they die it is right to be sad about it because it's the worst thing that sin brought into the world if it wasn't for sin there wouldn't be death and sin brought death into the world and when death came into the world people are made sad by it we have to understand our sadness we have to understand that people we love can sometimes be taken from us we don't want that to happen and we don't want to feel the pain that that brings into our life when it does happen but we have to understand that that's the kind of world that we live in now
[24:56] Jesus we are told was walking and he met a funeral procession and it was the funeral of this young man I assume that he was young I don't know as I said how old he was and he was face to face with the grief of those who were mourning and especially this lady who was left by herself her husband had died and now her only son had died and that meant something in that kind of generation that kind of society because people depended on one another to support them in their old age and to support them when they needed help if they got unwell because there was no help from elsewhere not family or friends but
[26:01] Jesus met with the funeral procession and he saw what was obvious to him that they were so sad and we are told in the story that is a true story we are told he had compassion upon this widow which meant his heart went out to her he felt so moved by her grief and he went forward and did something that was so so out of the ordinary people just didn't do it because death was so bad in their eyes that if a person touched a dead body or the beard upon which the body was being carried they themselves would be considered unclean that they wouldn't be allowed to go to church and do anything to do with worship until a certain time passed that was the rules that they lived by but
[27:09] Jesus went and he touched what was carrying the body of the dead young man and people were horrified but when he touched it because he was who he was and because of the great power he possessed this man who was dead came back to life it was a miracle there's no other word to describe it it was a miracle and I think the most wonderful thing is that not only was Jesus moved with compassion to do that but the story tells you he gave him back to his mother he gave him back to his mother and it tells you a wonderful thing took place at that time this mother who was so grief struck so devastated by death
[28:15] Jesus touched her life more than he touched the beer what they were carrying the dead body on and that event had a great effect on those who thought people were afraid and people were they thought well whenever something supernatural happens people are instantly in the grip of some power maybe it's the power of God more often than not it's the power of superstition they don't understand it they can't understand it and they are still moved by it but the most wonderful thing about this story is this boy who was dead was made alive and the sorrows of this woman who can penetrate them who can measure them they changed they were transformed you can imagine to great great relief and great joy and that's in a sense what
[29:37] Jesus does when a person is touched by the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ their life which before he touches them is described as spiritual death is now transformed to a person who is spiritually alive those who have a share in that life they experience joy along with those who understand what that spiritual life is all about my hope is that that you are a lot older before you have to encounter the power of death or the experience of it that you be spared the tears that will come for as long as possible but that you will understand that just as Jesus had compassion on this woman that he will have compassion on you that he will have the power to help you through your sorrows and may that be true
[30:49] I'm going to sing now as you go out to Sunday school verses from Psalm 119 Psalm 119 and verse 57 and we're singing the whole section of the psalm thou my sure portion art alone which I to choose O Lord I have resolved and said that I would keep thy holy word with my whole heart I did entreat thy face and favour free according to thy gracious word be merciful to me I thought upon my former ways and did my life well try to thy testimony is pure my feet then turn die we're going to sing this section of psalm 119 thou may should portion art alone
[33:09] My life will die until I test him all.
[33:22] Through my feet then turned I.
[33:33] I did not stay nor linger long.
[33:44] I was a slothful hour. But instantly I lost to keep.
[34:03] Myself I did prepare. I'm so filled with me rocket eye.
[34:22] I've presented all night. I'll rise at midnight to place him for thy judgment's right.
[34:50] I am companion to all those who fear and be obey.
[35:09] O Lord thy mercy fills the earth.
[35:22] Pages me thy lost I pray. We're going to turn now for a short time to the passage of the scripture that we read in the Old Testament.
[35:43] The book of the prophet Jeremiah chapter 21. And we can read at verse 8. Jeremiah 21 at verse 8.
[35:56] And unto this people thou shalt say. Thus saith the Lord. Behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
[36:07] He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence. But he that goeth out and falleth to the Chaldeans that beseech you he shall live.
[36:20] And his life shall be unto him for a prey. For I have set my face against this city for evil and not for good saith the Lord.
[36:31] Shall be given unto the hand of the king of Babylon. And he shall burn it with fire. I want to begin by asking a question.
[36:47] It's not a fair question. Because if it was a fair question I would have an answer for you. But I'll ask the question anyway. And I'll allow you to come up with the answer.
[36:59] If there is an answer to the question. Possibly if you're a philosopher you might have an answer. So I'm sure there's philosophers here.
[37:11] Are we defined by our choices? Or do our choices define us? Are we defined by our choices?
[37:25] Or do our choices define us? Think about it. Take it with you. See if you come up with an answer that satisfies yourself.
[37:42] One thing is certain. And I hope to demonstrate it. We live a life here in this world.
[37:54] And we have to respond to choices presented to us at many points in our life.
[38:08] We have choices that we have to make. We must choose one thing over against another. Some of these choices are trivial.
[38:20] Some are more onerous. We find the same to be true within the scripture. We are presented with occasions where God presents choices.
[38:38] A choice that needs to be responded to. You either have to do what he says. And enjoy the prospect of a blessing being upon that choice.
[38:54] Or not to do what he says. And to live with the consequences of that. Some of the choices we make are good choices.
[39:06] Some are bad choices. Some are foolish choices. Some are wise choices. And we all know that it is possible to make any one of these.
[39:21] Notice what we have before us here. Jeremiah the prophet is directed as God's servant to go to God's people. And to present them with a sharply defined choice.
[39:37] The way of life or the way of death. You are to choose the way of death.
[39:49] Now if it is presented as starkly as that. It would seem that there is only one choice to be made.
[40:01] There is only one. Surely that you can make. It is so obvious. And yet. As in this case.
[40:13] You find that no matter how obvious the choice might appear. That people tend to say. There has got to be more to it than that.
[40:26] It can't be as black and white as it seems. And people struggle to come to any kind of decision.
[40:38] Let alone the right decision. In fact no matter how obvious the choice may seem. Simply presenting it as a choice.
[40:52] A stark choice. Being put between a rock and a hard place. Creates a reaction on the part of those who are presented with it.
[41:06] Against the person who presents the choice to them. God's servant Jeremiah experienced that at first hand.
[41:18] Now remember Jeremiah was God's servant. He was the mouthpiece of God. His role was to communicate to the people.
[41:29] What God meant him to say. To make known to the people. How things actually were. And what the future would hold for them.
[41:43] And that's the whole idea of prophecy. The eye of the prophet was on the future. But the future in light of the present or the past.
[41:57] And Jeremiah. If you go back just one chapter. At the beginning of chapter 20. You read there that. In verse 2.
[42:07] Then Pashar smote Jeremiah the prophet. And put him in the stocks. That were in the high gate of Benjamin. Which was by the house of the Lord.
[42:17] Here we have God's servant. Because he communicated God's truth to the people. And they didn't like it. They responded.
[42:29] Very very negatively. Against. This person who brought the message to them. Now the surprising thing.
[42:40] When you go back to that verse. Is not so much that it was somebody. Who was an enemy. That did that to Jeremiah. But somebody.
[42:53] Who knew Jeremiah personally. Somebody who was. Himself. A purported believer in God.
[43:06] It wasn't somebody. Who was a stranger. It wasn't somebody. Who was. A Babylonian. Somebody who was.
[43:17] An idolater. Somebody who did not believe in God. And who did not want to hear. At any cost. God's word to the people. It was somebody. Who was himself.
[43:29] A priest. Somebody who served. In the temple. Calvin describes him. As a servant. Who like Jeremiah.
[43:39] Was chosen by God. This was. Calvin's words. It was a gracious. And bitter trial. When God's servant. Found that he was.
[43:49] Thus cruelly treated. By one of the sacred order. Who was of the same tribe. And his colleague. So there was.
[44:01] Jeremiah smitten. And. Put in the stocks. Made a gazing stock off. Because he communicated. The truth of God.
[44:11] Because he told. The people. What God intended to do. And the reason. Why God intended to do it. And that word.
[44:24] Choice. Is one we have to. I want you to take it with you. All the way through. This short service. God's people. Were God's choice. God's choice.
[44:35] Nation. And God's. Expression. Of his favor. Was directed. Towards them. Which seems. To us. Remarkable.
[44:46] Given that here. In the account. That we've read. Together. That this choice. People of God. Were to. Experience. At God's hand. The.
[44:58] Demonstration. Of the. Displeasure. Of God. But that is. Exactly. Probably. Why. They responded. The way they did.
[45:10] Back to verse 6. We are told here. I will smite. The inhabitants. Of this city. Both man and beast. They shall die.
[45:20] Of a great pestilence. And afterwards. Says the Lord. I will deliver. Said the kayak. King of Judah. And the servants. And the people. And such as are left. In the city.
[45:31] From the pestilence. From the sword. From the famine. Into the hand. Of Nebuchad. Racer. King of Babylon. Into the hand. Of their enemies.
[45:41] And into the hand. Of those. That seek their life. And he shall smite them. With the edge. Of the sword. He shall not. Spare them. Neither have pity.
[45:52] Nor have mercy. So the choice. That they are confronted. With. It seems.
[46:03] A very difficult one. On one side. He is saying. Look. You stay. In the city. And you are going to die. Stay in the city.
[46:13] And you will die. Surely. You will die. From the sword. Or you will die. From the pestilence. The choice. That is confronting you. Is do that.
[46:24] Or. Submit. To the oppression. Of Babylon. Surrender. To your enemies. And they will take you. Hostage. They will take you. Slaves.
[46:35] Into Babylon. It is not much of a choice. Is it. Those who submitted. To their enemies.
[46:46] Would have their lives. Spared. Listen to the words. Of John Calvin. Again. There was no hope. Of safety. Except.
[46:58] The Jews. Submitted their neck. To the yoke. And surrendered. Themselves. To their enemies. Then. God. Would be. Their enemy.
[47:11] With friends. Like God. Who needs enemies. That is what some. Would say. God. Would be their enemy. And that meant.
[47:22] They would die. God. Would be their friend. And they would be brought. Under. The. Yoke of Babylon.
[47:33] To suffer. Who would want that. But. The choice. Is.
[47:44] A choice. That they were. Confronted with. Now that's the background. To these words. But I want you to. Expand your mind.
[47:57] A wee bit. And think. Of the kind of choices. That we are confronted with. As we. Are. Brought. Face to face.
[48:08] With. The message. Of God's peace. In the gospel. To many. The God of the Old Testament.
[48:19] Is someone. Who has died. Because. The God of the Old Testament. To their way of thinking. Is so different. To the God of the new.
[48:31] The God of the New Testament. Is loving. And kind. And. A God who loves peace. And a God who. Speaks peace. And a God who draws.
[48:43] His people. To himself. By charitable. Acts. And by. Benevolent. Words. But if you think like that.
[48:56] You don't really. Understand. What the scripture says. That is. But one God. The only living. And through God. The God of the Old Testament. Is the God of the New Testament.
[49:08] And when we are presented. With situations. That are. Historically. As. Extreme. Or so it seems. We think.
[49:19] How can. Such a God. Be the same kind of God. That we find. In the new. But. The truth of the matter.
[49:30] Is that. Mankind. Has developed. The way it has. And there are. Extremes of behavior. In the Old Testament. That are recorded. For us.
[49:42] Factually. Demonstrating. The viciousness. And the. The terrible. Activities. Of mankind. That the same.
[49:53] Kind of heart. Exists. In the. In the. People. Who. Were current. In the New Testament. And who live.
[50:04] And breathe. In our own. Modern society. Mankind. For all. Men. Men. Would. Have. Have. Have. Not.
[50:15] Progressed. One. Jot. Or. Tittle. From. The kind. Of. Expression. That. They. Give. To. The wickedness. That exists.
[50:26] In the heart. Of man. It may be. Bridled. It may be. Covered. To a degree. But. All you have. To do.
[50:36] Is open. Your newspaper. Day in. Day out. And you. Find. Individuals. Guilty. Of all. Manner. Of heinous. Crime. Against. Youth. Against.
[50:48] Old. Against. All. Kinds. Of people. Men. And women. And. These. Deeds. Are. Current. These. Expressions. Of what. Lies.
[50:58] In the heart. Of man. Are. Expressions. Of what. Man. Is. Like. By. Nature. And. Whether. It. Is. Individuals. Or. Where.
[51:08] You. See. The. Crowds. That. Break. Out. And. From. Time. To. Time. In. The. Cities. And. The. Towns. And. The. Viciousness. And. The. Bitterness. And.
[51:19] The. Enmity. That. Is. Expressed. It. Is. Horrific. And. Yet. It's. Still. A. Modern. Thing. It's. Still.
[51:29] Something. That. Is. The. State. Of. Man. By. Nature. We. Shouldn't. Forget. That.
[51:41] And. When. God. Presents. Us. With. A. Choice. That. There. Is. To. Be. Made. In. The. Gospel. He. Is. Presenting. It. To. People. Who. Make. Their. Choices.
[51:53] With. That. Kind. Of. Mindset. A. Mindset. That. Will. Either. Embrace.
[52:05] The. God. Who. Presents. The. Choice. That. Is. Made. To. Us. Or. Who. Will. At. Times. Turn. Their. Back. Upon.
[52:15] It. Either. In. Extreme. Ways. Or. Maybe. Less. So. I. Want. You. To. Think. For.
[52:25] A. Moment. Of. Choices. That. We. Make. In. A. Gospel. Context. As I said.
[52:36] By nature. We imagine. That we are asked. To. To. Do. Something. That's. Impossible. For us. To do. Because. The choice. Is.
[52:46] A stark. One. The difficulty. That presents. Itself. Is. Not. A. Fair. One. That we would. Want. To. Embrace. Or. To. Count.
[52:56] On. In. Any. Way. You know. Some. People. Maybe. When I'm talking. To the congregation. I'm talking. To a group. Of people.
[53:07] Who. Have. Some. Exposure. To the gospel. Who. Understand. It. In. A. Limited. Way. I have. To. Say. A. Limited. Way. Because. It. Is. Amazing. How. Many.
[53:18] People. Who. Have. Lived. Their. Life. Under. The gospel. Have. So. Little. Understanding. Of. What. The gospel. Is. All. About. What.
[53:29] Salvation. Is. All. About. What. Christ. Is. All. About. What. Their. Needs. Are. Under. The gospel. Doesn't. Matter. How. Often. They've. Heard. It. Their.
[53:40] Their. Minds. Are. Closed. To. It. Because. It. Is. Not. Something. They. Want. For. Themselves. It's. As. If. When.
[53:50] A. Person. Is. Sitting. Under. The gospel. And. They're. Being. Challenged. By. It. When. The. Challenge. Becomes. Too. Personal. When. The. Challenge. Becomes. Too. Pointed. What. Happens.
[54:01] Is. They. Switch. Off. And. When. You. Switch. Off. From. Hearing. What. The. Word. Of. God. Is. Saying. That. Means. You're. Not. Taking. It. To. Heart. You're. Not. Responding.
[54:11] To. It. You're. Not. Continuing. To. Interact. With. It. In. A. Meaningful. Way. You know.
[54:23] If. I. Say. To. You. And. I. Do. Frequently. If. You. Continue. To. Live. Your. Life. Christless. What.
[54:35] Will. Await. You. Is. A. Lost. Eternity. You. Will. Enter. Into. An. Experience. That. You. Would. Not. Wish. Upon. Your.
[54:45] Worst. Enemy. You. Will. Be. Confined. To. A. Place. Called. Hell. A. Lost. Eternity. Where. You. Will. Never. Again. Experience.
[54:56] The. Grace. Of. God. In. Any. Measure. That's. What. Confronts. You. Into. The. Gospel. You. Make. A. Choice. You. Embrace. Jesus.
[55:06] Christ. Or. You. Turn. Your. Back. Upon. There's. No. Alternative. There's. No. Other. Choice. To. Be. Made. And. Then. Your. Mind. Begins. To.
[55:16] Work. And. You. Saying. To. Yourself. Well. What. Will. It. Mean. To. Me. Today. What. Will.
[55:27] I. Have. To. Give. Up. To. Make. That. Choice. It. Boils. Down. To. That. You. Start. Thinking. You. This.
[55:38] Exercise. Where. You. Weighing. Up. Where. You. Counting. The. Cost. Of. Leaving. The. Life. That. You. Live. Which. Is. A. Christless.
[55:48] Life. And. Entering. Into. A. Life. That. Is. Full. Of. Christ. And. You. Saying. To. Yourself. What. Will. It. Mean. To. Me. To. Do. That.
[56:02] Might. Be. A. Thing. To. Do. But. that's the way we're designed that's the way we think you know what does it mean to me what is it going to cost me how will my life change as a result if indeed it will change is it expected to change do i have to change and you know there are christians today who will tell you don't let them let them make you think that your life needs to change all that much you can go on as you are you can live pretty much as you live without having to change you can do the same things you can go the same places you can have the same friends but the cost shouldn't be as great and maybe they're right who gives such advice to you but what i want you to think about is why is your mind going in that direction when the choice is so black and white choose life or you choose death choose the life that is with god or the life that is without god choose the life where christ is king or the life where christ is trodden under foot we have many examples in the scripture where we discovered god's people made the wrong choice just give you an example remember mount sinai when moses was up on the mount god was giving him the ten commandments he came down from the mountain with the law in his hands written on tablets of stone and what was confronting him but a golden calf and the people of israel worshiping that golden calf now the golden calf didn't emerge out of nothingness it wasn't something that instantly came to the fore it was something that was thought out something that they constructed something that they chose for themselves because the alternative was to wait upon god and to wait for god's servant to come to them but they weren't prepared to wait they wanted something there and then and so many want that kind of experience and israel made a choice and the choice was the wrong one and moses came to them and he confronted their idolatry and he brought god's displeasure to them and we find in that pressure in that very passage in exodus he says who is on the lord's side let him come to me he confronted them and he pointed them that there was only two sides it was the lord or the side of those who were against god professor john l mackay in his passage when he considers that passage in exodus he says exodus it is moses does not call for those who had never deviated from loyalty to the lord rather he calls for those who no matter what they were that they had were now prepared to acknowledge the authority of their king it's an act of amnesty but one calling for immediate decision now what we may shy away from when we preach the gospel is
[60:03] to reduce it to a simple fact of making a decision for god or for christ yet and now and that decision is binding that's not the way it works there is inevitably the presentation of the gospel which requires of you to understand that we do make choices and these choices will involve us in our lives being changed as a result of them but it's never a simple matter of a one here and now final choice that you make most some would say once you make that choice that's all there is to it you know every one of us we make choices and you understand this without just departing from it yesterday maybe it's a trivial thing I ate a pie and I had no choice in choosing the pie but I can describe it like this a pepper pie with mince in it
[61:16] I'm very very careful about what I eat but this pie was just laced with pepper and I didn't like it but I had no choice this was my dinner and I ate it but I do have a choice about whether I'll eat that kind of pie again that choice is mine and you would call me a fool having not liked that experience to go into it again and yet you know just to use another analogy from food which is more serious if you're diabetic or if you're somebody who has an allergy the choices that you make in what you eat are critical if you know not to eat something and you eat if you've got a peanut allergy and you're told you eat that and it's possibly fatal what kind of fool are you if you actually go down the road of doing the very thing that you know will kill you so you understand what I'm saying at the level of experience and you understand the wisdom of doing the right thing so why when it comes to the gospel and you're presented with the stark reality of going on without Christ do you think that it is something that's problematic for you to come to a decision and respond to the gospel as Christ would have you respond to it by saying to Christ no because I don't believe that what you're saying about yourself is true
[63:06] I don't believe that it will cost me my soul if I don't come and trust in you and that's the difference you see you know from that trivial expression or that trivial example you understood what I'm saying surely you understand it in the terms of the gospel that what you choose to do with Christ has the capability of being fatal to your soul if it is the wrong choice if you do the wrong thing it will damage you eternally you will die for your sin many years ago there was a preacher by the name of Thomas Boston and he wrote many famous books that are still printed today one of these books was
[64:07] The Art of Man Fishing The Art of Man Fishing and as the name suggests it's talking about the preacher's role in going out to get souls for Christ to get believers to come to know the Lord so that they do believe now Donald MacLeod principal Donald MacLeod principal Amherst Donald MacLeod to give him his proper title wrote a recent book a few years ago and he refers to this book by Boston and in a chapter in his book he reflects on the difficulty that there is in presenting the gospel in a modern context and he goes into it in detail and he's an excellent preacher and writer but you know he talks about some of the things that are current in our own context when I look at my congregation here there are ten times
[65:20] I don't know maybe that's much of an exaggeration maybe it's not community's not a big one but there are as many again twice as many three times as many who never come to hear the gospel some of them cannot come because they are unwell because they have duties to carry out with regard to family and so on but many of them have chosen not to come to hear the gospel that is their choice that choice will follow them all their days unless they change and the day will come when the choice that they have made which could be different they will suffer for it now what Donald McLeod was getting to is the reason behind the choices what is it what is it that that feeds into a person's choice and you know that is something that we need to explore for ourselves why do we choose what we choose is it an informed choice that we are making if I am saying to you today that there are unconverted people in here and there are by your own profession you are unconverted you do not believe in Christ you have not trusted your soul to his keeping then you must have done that by reason of information that you have that contradicts the claim that the gospel is making that if you do not believe in Christ you will perish but remember it has to be the proper information that you feed into the choices that you make and this is why
[67:21] I was quoting Dolph McLeod and he says this he says some have resolved never to go back to church because they genuinely fear that if they do they will be converted they are simply not gospel haters often they are people who like we have read about it in Hebrews 6 verse 5 they have tasted the goodness of the word of God and felt powerfully drawn to it but they have seen what conversion meant for their friends they shrink from the cost and they resolve never to expose themselves to the same risk now he goes on to expand on that and
[68:22] I think the emphasis that is made is really a wrong understanding of the cost because many people wrongly believe that to make such a choice is too costly the life that will be transformed by trusting in Christ by allowing your life to be governed by God's word by having your life regulated by it by having your whole reason for living directed by the truth of God that all of these things are negative all of these things are depriving you of liberties that you think that you possess is that the case have you weighed up in your own mind what it will cost to become a Christian and on the basis of that weighing up you are saying my life is not going to be worth living if I follow that road if you have really done that how exhaustive has your weighing up been been have you weighed up what it will be like if you do not put your trust in the Lord
[69:52] Jesus Christ well I'm going to finish with something very solemn and that is that sometimes the choice that we make is because we simply hate Christ it's a bottom line oh you're saying nobody here hates Christ well in the gospel we are frequently confronted with undisguised hatred and we're very good at disguising ourselves disguising what we think why we think it but I think when you go to the cross when you go to the occasion where Jesus was preparing to be crucified or being prepared for crucifixion you go to Luke's gospel or John's gospel or Matthew's gospel you go to the account that we are given of Pilate and Pilate judging
[71:00] Christ and you come to the point where you know Pilate amongst all his vacillation and all his sham he was somebody who pretended to be middle of the road couldn't care less just he didn't want to be washed his hands of it you remember but this question is asked by him you know I better give you the exact words in Luke chapter 27 he's asking the people where what do what do you want me to do with this passion what do you want me to do with this passion and this passion is Christ and what they say to him what they say to him is clearly something that nobody will will misunderstand because he's they are plainly and clearly framing their words their ire with the venom that is undeniable when
[72:57] Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing but rather a tumult was made he took water and washed his hands before the people saying I am innocent of the blood of this just man see ye to it then answered all the people and said his blood be on us and our children did they know what they were doing did they understand what they were doing well they did as far as their understanding was able to take them which of the two will ye that I release unto you they said barabas they said barabas and they added to that let him be crucified did they love
[73:58] Christ is that a question you know that they didn't did they hate Christ well they know you know that they did that was the choice that they made they chose a criminal they chose a thief and a murderer before Christ they chose to crucify Christ rather than to let Christ go that was their choice what choice what was the root for their choice the basis of their hatred offer well the word of God that we looked at in Jeremiah says behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death the choice is before you every time the gospel is preached every time you come to hear Christ preached and you go away and you are still determined in your heart to go on as you were before you came rejecting the salvation that is his what are you doing you are choosing death rather than life that's your choice the day will come and you can't point the finger at a minister at a father a mother a brother a sister a son or a daughter your choice your life death your death may God convince you of the need to make a wise choice let us pray oh lord oh god we pray your blessing and your words you do not allow us to sit on the fence you do not allow us to believe that there is a middle ground there is none you have chosen to present the gospel to us in your grace and in your mercy we have been recipients of it unlike so many of our fellows we pray for grace to embrace the truth as it is in Christ pardon us every rejection that we are guilty of do not allow us to be guilty of this one we ask all forgiveness of sin in Christ amen we're closing psalms psalm 84 we're singing from verse 8 to the end of the psalm psalm 84 lord god of hosts my prayer hear oh jacob's god give ear see god our shield book on the face of thine anointed dear for in thy courts one day except a thousand rather in my god's house will i keep a door and dwell in tents of sin so on to the end of the psalm lord god of hosts my prayer hear lord god of hosts my prayer hear oh jacob's jacob's god give ear seek out her shield look on the face of thine anointed dear thank you i for uh our gifts have saw in my
[77:59] heart me hi hi h hi Keep the joy and dwell in tents of sin.
[78:22] For God the Lord, the sun and shield, In grace and glory care, And wherewithal no good of them That have rightly to live.
[79:01] O there that art the Lord of all, That man is truly blessed, Who by your shirt confident, On thee alone could rest.
[79:41] May you make grace, mercy and peace, In God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Rest and abide with you all, ever and always. Amen. Amen.