[0:00] Thank you.
[0:30] Psalm 36. Psalm 36. We're going to sing verses 5 to 10.
[0:45] Thy mercy, Lord, is in the heavens. Thy truth doth reach the clouds. Thy justice is like mountains great. Thy judgment reap us floods. Lord, thou preservest man on me.
[0:57] Thou precious is thy grace. Therefore in shadow of thy wings, men's sons their first shall place. Then with the fatness of thy house shall be well satisfied.
[1:09] From rivers of thy pleasures thou wilt drink to them provide. Because of life, the fountain pure remains alone with thee. And in that purest light of thine, we clearly light shall see.
[1:23] Thy loving kindness unto them continue to be loved. And still on an upright in heart, thy righteousness bestow. I today in Psalm 36. Thy mercy, Lord, is in the heavens.
[1:35] Thy mercy, Lord, is in the heavens.
[1:46] Thy strength has reached the clouds. Thy goodness, thy goodness, God is in light, but in grace our God can't keep us close.
[2:11] Lord, thy big heaven's mind be, thy precious is thy grace.
[2:28] Therefore in shadow of thy wings and sun bears the trumpet.
[2:44] They with the flesh of thy heart shall be well satisfied.
[3:02] From river come thy precious I will be saved and provide.
[3:20] Because all Christ of all, in pure we mix our own with thee.
[3:39] And in such good and bright, long time we clearly I shall see.
[3:57] Thy loving kindness unto them come, in here I see no.
[4:14] And in such good and bright, long time we may not.
[4:44] We pray your special blessing upon young folk here. And we give thanks for their presence. We pray your blessing upon them as they go to Sunday school. And we pray that the teachers will teach them your youth in a way that will go down into their hearts.
[5:03] They were told that if we train up a child in a way that they'll go, that they will not depart from it. And so we pray that the teaching that they receive when they're young.
[5:14] And so we pray that the teaching that they receive when they're young, they go down into their hearts. And that it will bear fruit in their lives. And we ask Lord your blessing upon them. Bless us all today as we wait upon you.
[5:25] Help us to hear your word and to receive your trust. Take away from us, we pray, every sin. In Jesus' name we ask. Amen. I have four grandchildren, four, three boys and a girl.
[5:43] And the three boys, like every little boy, they all love diggers. But the one in Aberdeen loves diggers and buses. And the two that I hear, one loves diggers and bin boys and the other loves diggers and planes.
[6:02] And I'm sure it's true with all of the boys that I'm sure diggers are always there, but you also like other things as well. And Joshua, he's obsessed with planes.
[6:15] And I often say to him, I think he's going to get a job at the airport, but maybe an air traffic control, because he's able to spot a plane. When I can't see it and nobody else is able to see it.
[6:27] He's got this ability to say, oh, there's a plane. And you're looking and you can't, I'm sure enough, there's a plane. One day we're at the house and I say, there's a plane.
[6:38] And it was one of those low-flying planes. And it was making an awful noise, but I couldn't see it. And he said, oh, man, that plane must be going the wrong way.
[6:49] I can't see it. And I said to him, it's not going the wrong way. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's going the wrong way. Oh, I said, it's going the wrong way.
[7:02] And you know, we're often like that in our life. Because when things don't go just the way we want or expect, we think it's going the wrong way. But that's not always true.
[7:16] Jacob once said, all these things are against me. And they went. Because God was working in the bad things which became good.
[7:30] And we've got to trust God that even in things we don't understand, that he is working in the right way. And that same day, just a little after, another plane came.
[7:45] And he looked down and he said, oh, Papa, look at the plane. And I was busy and I just went like that. Oh, yeah. And I said, look at it. And again, I just gave a quick glance.
[7:57] And I said, yes, Papa. He said, look at it with your face. Okay, so I turned and I, oh, yes, yes, I looked at it. And I thought, you know, that's what God is saying to us as well.
[8:12] Because often when we come to church or to Sunday school, we just give a wee glance. And we don't really pay attention. And we just, oh, yeah. And God is saying, look with your face.
[8:25] Listen to what I'm saying. Look at my word. So that it goes down deep into your heart. And that you'll understand. It says in the Bible, look unto me and be you saved.
[8:41] So we've got to really look. So I want you to remember that. To look properly. To listen properly. Whenever you come under God's name.
[8:54] We're going to sing again now in Psalm 63. Psalm 63. And we'll sing verses 1 to 8. Psalm 63. 1 to 8. Lord, be my God, I learn to speak.
[9:07] My soul, my soul, my soul, my flesh longs in a dry parched land, where in no water should be. That I, thy power may be whole and brightness of thy face.
[9:19] As I have seen thee here to fall within thy holy place. Since better is thy love than life. My lips, my lips, my lips, my lips be close to you. I, thy name, may lift my hands and bless thee while I live.
[9:35] Verses 1 to 8 of Psalm 63. Lord, be my God, I bear with thee. Lord, be my God, I bear with thee.
[9:51] My soul, my heart, for thee. My flesh longs in a dry parched land, where in no water should be.
[10:14] That I, thy power may be whole and brightness of thy face.
[10:30] As I have seen thee here to fall within thy holy place.
[10:46] Since better is thy love than life. My lips, thee, be strong, give.
[11:02] I use thy name with my hands and bless thee while I live.
[11:16] I live. Here, not with heart, O bond with heart. My soul shall clearly be.
[11:34] Then shall my mouth with joy for it. Sing, Jesus, unto thee.
[11:50] When I do thee upon my head, Remember with delight.
[12:06] And when I do thee upon my head, And when I do thee upon my head, And when I do thee upon my head, And when I do thee upon my head, In watches of the night, In shadow of night, Wings of joy, For thou thou thy head, For thou thou hast been.
[12:38] My soul, My soul, My soul, My soul, My soul, Pardon me, Thy right hand, And through thy전 coc전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전전 priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed and denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias?
[13:35] And he said, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that save us? What sayest thou of thyself?
[13:50] And he said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, to make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why art thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elijah, neither that prophet?
[14:12] John answered them, saying, I have ties with water. But there standeth one among you, whom you know not. He it is who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoes latcheth, I am not worthy to unloose.
[14:30] These things were done in Beth-Avara, the young Jordan, where John was baptising. The next day John said Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
[14:48] This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was before me. And I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest to Israel. Therefore I might come baptising with water.
[15:05] And John there, I heard saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptise with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptiseth with the Holy Ghost.
[15:30] And I saw and lay a record that this is the Son of God. Again, the next day, after John stood and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God.
[15:47] And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and said unto them, What see ye?
[15:58] He said unto them, Rabbi, which is to say, being interpreted, Master, where dwellest thou? And he said unto them, Come and see.
[16:09] He came, and saw where he dwelt. And abode with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
[16:21] He first findeth his own brother, Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus.
[16:34] And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah. Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation a stone. Amen, and may God bless to us this reading, this old holy word.
[16:49] Let us again bow and pray. O Lord, as we gather before you today, we pray that we might be conscious that we are in the presence of the Lord.
[17:01] And it is a wonderful privilege that we have, for we are able to grow near to you, the King of glory, the Creator of heaven and earth. The one who does according to his will with the armies of heaven, and with the inhabitants of the earth.
[17:16] Help us to reflect upon your majesty and your glory and your greatness. Because the nations are like a drop in a bucket with regard to the way that you see things.
[17:30] And we live in a world where often we see things in a people. And we are aware of cares and carnage. And we pray, Lord, that we pray, Lord, that we might have the faith to see even the dark.
[17:51] because there are times that we sometimes have doubts, sometimes we have fears, sometimes we are anxious over things.
[18:02] But you are God and you remind us that you care for us. You tell us to cast all your tears upon us because you care for us. So we pray that you will help us to focus upon you today.
[18:17] Deliver us from all the thoughts that are so ready to invade our mind when we come to church because we find it so easy to be distracted and that we do not allow our minds to linger on the truth.
[18:32] We pray that your truth will go down deep into our hearts, that it will impact us, affect us, change us. We pray for the grace to live for you and to serve you every single day.
[18:48] We give thanks, O Lord, that you are gracious and you are merciful and that your mercies never fail, that your compassions never fail and that you are the God who delights in mercy.
[19:03] We pray then that you will help us as we wait upon you. We pray to bless every single person here today. We give thanks for them being here. And we pray that they may indeed come to know you a little more because that is the great aim of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
[19:25] It's first informed that we will come to know you as Lord and Saviour. But that knowledge is never sufficient to satisfy us fully because once we come to know you, we want to know more and more and more.
[19:39] And so we pray for that hunger, that hunger after righteousness. And we're thankful that your word assures us that if we have that hunger, that we will be filled.
[19:51] And so we ask, Lord, that you will grant us a filling of our hearts so that we will be able to rejoice in you and to know who you are and what you've done for us and what you're doing in us.
[20:03] We pray to bless everybody here and bless them in their own homes and in their own families. And we give thanks, Lord, for all that we have in life and for those who are near and dear and precious to us.
[20:19] And we pray especially for those who have lost loved ones, who have lost souls who are precious to them. And we realize that there is a lingering hurt and a lingering sore in people's hearts because lives always change till those who are so precious to us are taken away.
[20:40] And so we pray for the resentiness and pain and loneliness that you will indeed deal graciously and deal tenderly and that you will bind up any broken heart.
[20:53] We pray for those who are unwell and those who are struggling in life. We pray in face of all of them to fruitively serve that people confront day in, day out whether these are physical or mental or spiritual or emotional or within the family or financial in whatever way, Lord.
[21:13] We pray that you will make provision and that you will help. We realize, Lord, that we are very uncertain often in life, that we are so fickle that one moment we can be up and the next moment we can be down.
[21:32] And that seems to be the way we go through life. And we long for that day when that will change and we know in glory that there will be an eternal satisfaction and an eternal peace.
[21:45] In this world, while we have peace in you and it's a peace that is beyond understanding, beyond all this knowledge, yet we know that despite that peace that our lives can be so uncertain and filled with difficulties, with trials, with temptations.
[22:03] So we pray for your help every single day. We pray to bless this congregation and we give thanks for them, for their witness and for their love. And we pray that you will be with them at a time of vacancy, which is never an easy time.
[22:19] And we ask, Lord, that you will grant them your grace and that you will indeed provide for them. And we pray, Lord, that you will guide them in the right way so that they will be guided to someone who you have appointed and that in due time that person will come here and who will exercise a fruitful ministry in this congregation.
[22:45] We look to you as the one who provides. You have provided in the past and we believe you will provide in the future. And so we ask your grace and your blessing upon them to be upon all the office bearers and all who do so much in the congregation.
[23:04] We give thanks, Lord, for those who so often work behind the scenes because a well-running congregation involves many hands and many willing hearts. We give thanks, Lord, for all those who are always at the throne of grace.
[23:20] There may be some of your people who are no longer able to come out. And yet they are so much part of the ongoing work here. They are always preening before you.
[23:32] And we pray that you will hear and answer these prayers above and beyond our asking. We pray, Lord, that you will bless us nationally and internationally.
[23:43] We need your help. We live in times where there are so many changes. We used to think of a generation of change. But now the changes nearly every five years the world changes rapidly.
[23:57] And so, Lord, we pray that in all the rapid change that takes place, that you will display your hand for good. And that you grant wisdom to our readers, even though they might not pray to you or even acknowledge you.
[24:13] Please do not lead them to their own understanding. Because if that is, if we are left to ourselves as a nation, we will go into more and more chaos and disarray.
[24:24] So we pray, Lord, that despite so many who do not acknowledge you, that you will still provide. We ask, Lord, that you be gracious to us.
[24:37] Remember, Lord, our emergency services. And we pray to help them and to bless them. Remember, Lord, before you earned services and chaplains that work there.
[24:50] We remember, then, all who are in government over us in Westminster, in Hollywood and in our local council. We pray for our royal family.
[25:01] We are commanded in your word to pray for kings and for those who are in authority over us. And so we do. And we pray, Lord, that you will bless the nations of this world and particularly where there is so much conflict.
[25:16] And we think of what is going on in the Middle East and in Ukraine and in Sudan and so many areas of this world. And we ask, O Lord, that it might peace to bring peace, that nations will put down their arms one against the other and that they will begin to live in peace.
[25:35] Your word reminds us as the end times hasten that there will be nothing but wars and rumors of war. And that's what we see. And so, Lord, we pray that we might be wise to the times and that we might be aware that even though we can't make sense of often what happens, that you know exactly and that there will come a day when you will bring everything to a conclusion and that you will wrap up this world as we know it.
[26:05] That we pray, Lord, that we might live well in the days that it will end up. And so we pray your blessing upon everybody here today. And if there are you who still don't know you are saved, O Lord, open their heart, remove the obstacles and the hindrances that are holding them back.
[26:24] Watch over us, then, O, we pray, and grant us your grace and cleanse us, we pray, from our every sin, O Lord, that we confess our sin before you. And we give thanks for the promise that if we confess our sins, that you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[26:43] Bless us, then we pray, in Jesus' name we ask all. Amen. We're going to sing again from Psalm 48, the 48th Psalm, and we're going to sing from the middle of verse 8 to the end.
[26:57] Psalm 48 from the middle of verse 8. In our God's city which is hanged forever, established will, we of thy loving kindness have thought, Lord, in thy temple still.
[27:13] O Lord, according to thy name, through all the earth thy praise, and thy right hand, O Lord, is full of righteousness for us. For thy judgments are made known, let Zion, mount, rejoice.
[27:26] Of Judah, let the daughter of Israel bring forth a cheerful voice. Talk about Zion, and around the high towers thereof tell, consider, ye have palaces and mark that do what's well.
[27:39] That you may tell posterity, for this God doth abide. Our God, forevermore, he will, even unto death the sky. These verses, Psalm 48, from the middle of verse 8 to the end, in our God's city, which is hanged forever, established will.
[27:57] in our God's city, which is found, forever, shall we dwell, through the전, Through all the air I face, and I right hand, O Lord, is for the righteous death of all ways.
[29:17] Because thy church mensah, Señor, let's die on my rejoice.
[29:39] O view the lake, the daughter of all, send forth a cheerful voice.
[30:00] Walk up the side on earth, go round the high church.
[30:17] And through all the air, come전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com전, com His longevity for His content of life our God on heaven born we will be able to death but
[31:22] Christ Let's turn for a little to the chapter 11 John's Gospel John chapter 1 If we could turn again to verse 35 Again the next day after John stood and two of his disciples and looking upon Jesus as he walked he says behold the Lamb of God the two disciples heard him speak and they followed Jesus and Jesus turned and saw them following and said unto them what see he said unto him Rabbi produced to saving and interpreted master where dwellest thou he said unto them come and see they came and saw where he dwelt and abode with them that day for it was about the tenth hour he!
[32:15] it's great to have a testimony we know that testimony meetings are often very popular and every person who comes to faith has a testimony and one of the things that people are always aware of is how God has looked after you even before he came to faith that often there were deliverances the way that God shielded you and kept you even when you had very little interest in him or no interest at all one of the most amazing I ever heard was a man from Ness about him I never heard him in person though I have heard him on there's a tape of it but where he Colin McLeodius has a very good presenter an elder than Ness Alan He was lined up in a Japanese prisoner of war camp to be shot and yet he was preserved it didn't happen the others went but he wasn't and he wasn't a
[33:21] Christian then and he was able to look back at how God had a purpose and a plan form even these dark days while people's experiences might not be anywhere near as dramatic as that yet we all have these sort of things now we often think of a testimony as simply coming to faith but a testimony is far more than coming to faith yes it involves coming to faith but it's a journey not to faith just of a journey to faith but a journey of faith as well because our testimony is an ongoing in the way that God works and what God is doing in our lives and all the different experiences that were brought through us Christians and we find here that John is bearing testimony first of all to himself and he's also bearing testimony to Jesus and John shows us something very important about that testimony is that it is not about ourselves ultimately but that it's about the Lord
[34:27] Jesus yes it is you cannot speak your testimony without speaking it with yourself but always it's in relation to the Lord and what the Lord has done and so we find that John the Baptist here he bears testimony to himself and he does so because we find that the religious leaders have come to ask him exactly who he is and they're kind of saying tell us who are you because John didn't come through the normal channels like all the other sort of prominent religious people of the day he didn't come through the sort of rabbinical schools he didn't come through the normal way where the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the Levites and the priests and all these came through he was a runner he was on his own and yet they were aware that there was a power and there was an authority in it because people's lives were being changed through his ministry and people were following it and they wanted to know a wee bit more about him who are you where do you come from so that's why we find these that are going out and they're asking tell us who are you what's all this about and John in answer to that question declares very simply that he's a voice of one kind in the wilderness that's what he said
[35:51] I am the voice of one kind in the wilderness make straight of the way of the Lord as said the prophet Isaiah and of course that's exactly what it is a wilderness because the world that we live in is a wilderness wilderness that wasn't God's initial design God's initial design was a garden a beautiful garden a garden that had everything a garden of peace but we know the story we know what happened because of sin we were cast out from Adam and Eve and we have come from them were cast out of the garden into our wilderness we've turned God's garden into our wilderness and that's why in this life there's so much trial and difficulties and problems yes there are many good times there are many blessings there are many happy times but there are also struggles and difficulties and maybe that's how you're experiencing things today because it's wilderness it's a wilderness journey but you know the great thing is that if we're in
[36:56] Christ we know where we're going that makes the world a difference can I say to you today if you look on Jesus I say there's you've no idea the difference it makes to know why you're here and where you're going to have that assurance that knowledge by faith in your heart that you know where you're going and what God has prepared for us is greater than the original design of Eden because we have a heavenly city and through that in that city of course we have the tree of life and we have the water of life flowing and the pictures that are given to us in Revelation quite an appetite to know that the best is yet to come so it's important that we come to know the Lord Jesus so we find John is witnessing to himself but he's also witnessing to Jesus and he says many things about Jesus one of the things he says not in this chapter but further on he says he must increase but I must decrease and that has got to be the way of it that's how it is in our own life he must increase in fact that's part of what we pray in the
[38:11] Lord's prayer thy kingdom come we pray for the coming of God's kingdom we pray for that into our own heart into our own life into our community into our nation that the Lord will come and that he will come and that he will grow more and more we pray for that growth within our own heart and so we find that we must be praying that as well that he will increase in us and the more the Lord increases in us the more we decrease in ourselves the one that holds the other where we and it brings a degree of humility into our life humility is not something that we put on for other people nothing more hypocritical or obnoxious than a person who's trying to be pious or trying to look whatever that's supposed to look like trying to look humble that's an offence before God through humility is when we begin to think less of ourselves and more of the
[39:13] Lord and it's a work of grace that takes place in our heart where we find that we're brought more and more to see something of the glory of God and when we see the glory of God it brings us to fall down before like Job and Abraham and Daniel and John people who saw like this we begin to think less of demanding my way it's all about me and saying oh Lord ultimately it's about you and that's the way it works now we find then that John here he says the next day John stood on two of his disciples and he said behold the Lamb of God and you know supposing in fact in verse 29 he says to this well Jesus coming unto him and say the next day John said Jesus coming unto him and said behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world supposing
[40:16] John had never said anything else in his life he said more than enough here these are some of the greatest words that have ever been spoken the Lamb of God the Lamb the sacrificial Lamb the Saviour Lamb the perfect Lamb that God gives to us that takes away the sin of the world and you see the scope of that it's not just in Israel and it's not just in Jesus time but it is ongoing now the sin of the world Jesus has been doing that right there throughout the centuries he's been taking away the sin of the world and it's an extraordinary thing to think of and when you think of all the sin that takes place just think of your own sin and then multiply and see the sin of heaven that's what
[41:17] Jesus has come to do to take away the sin of the world and then it tells us then having John said that in verse 29 it tells us John then in verse 37 and verse 35 I mean the next day John stood and two of his disciples and looking upon Jesus as he walked he says behold the Lamb of God now two of the disciples that heard him one was John who wrote this gospel and we were able to understand that in another reading and the other of course we're told down here later on is Andrew and we find that these two who are following John they left John on behalf of these words and began to follow Jesus and some people may say that's hard on John they're showing a distinct lack of loyalty they're sure they've been following John and then John makes this statement behold the Lamb of God and there's
[42:20] John the disciple and Andrew they leave John and go to follow Jesus John surely would be hurt about that not at all because John was not in this for himself John made it clear that he was here to bear witness and bear testimony to Jesus and John would that all people would go and leave following him to follow Jesus and that's always going to be the way of it because every every creature who preaches the whole thrust of the messages for Jesus himself said I if I be lifted up will draw all men unto me of course I thought he was speaking there about his crucifixion his death and what it would achieve but in a sense that's what we seek to do every Lord's day to lift Jesus up because he is the way of salvation there is no other way of salvation I if I be lifted up will draw all men and women to me that's what when it says draw men unto me it means that's in the inclusive way it's spoken of there and so we find here that
[43:34] John proclaims and it's quite interesting to notice that John as we said in verse 29 John said the exact same thing behold the Lamb of God it doesn't tell us that anybody began to follow Jesus that day it's the next day again he declares the very same message behold the Lamb of God that we find that these two men turn to follow Jesus and that shows us the importance of declaring the same message over and over that's an encouragement to us to continue sharing to witnessing to speaking to praying for people it doesn't mean that the first time you say something or the first time that you witness that a person is going to believe and a person is going to accept sometimes it involves a lifetime of it it might be day after day week after week month after month year after year before eventually the speed that has been dropped will take fruit we're not to we mustn't be cast down so here's
[44:49] John he declares this wonderful message behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world doesn't tell us that anybody turned to follow Jesus but he declares the same message the next day and so we find that two turned to follow and notice the knock-on effect because one of the two is Andrew and we're told what Andrew did verse 41 he first or verse 40 and one of the two which heard John speak and followed him was Andrew Simon Peter's brother he first founded his own brother Simon and said to him we have found the Messiah which is being interpreted to Christ and he brought him to Jesus now see the knock-on effect and this is the way the gospel works Andrew didn't just say to himself oh well you know that's great I found the Messiah I found Jesus this is it that's great he went straight off afterwards after spending time with
[45:52] Jesus he goes off and he comes to his brother and he says hey you've got to come with me and come to see who I have discovered and he brought his brother to Jesus and we know the story that Peter began to follow Jesus fast forward three years and you find that Pentecost Peter this man Peter who was brought by Andrew preaching and three thousand people have converted that day so when you trace back the beginning here you see what happens by the proclamate by John the Baptist saying behold the Lamb of God we find Andrew turning to follow Jesus then Andrew going off to get Peter and then we see the angry stuff and you know that's the way the gospel works and how little we understand
[46:52] I believe that's going to be one of the wonderful things of Brody when the whole picture would be unraveled and unfolded before us and we will see things that right now confuse us and things that we think it's not working but then we will see how there was nothing that we ever did for the Lord was ever in vain I'm sure you often think it is I'm sure you often think some of the things you don't you see well what's the point what good has ever come from this I have prayed I have worked I have done this I have done that no nothing the Lord says no labour for the Lord is ever in vain one day you discover it's one of the wonderful things that we can look forward to so we see the wonderful knock on effect that he had and what an encouragement to us to keep witnessing to keep sharing to keep speaking and so we find that Jesus turns to the two the two disciples heard him speak and they followed
[47:57] Jesus then Jesus turned and saw them following and said unto him what see these are the first words that are recorded for us that Jesus actually spoke the first words that he ever spoke were when he was 12 remember how he went missing and he was in the temple as Mary and Joseph were searching for everything and they found him in the temple and it's recorded there of what he said but these are the first words that we have in this public ministry and that's a very very important question it's a very important question he doesn't say who are you seeking because it's obvious they're seeking Jesus he says what are you seeking what are you seeking and that's a question that he asked of us today as well what is it that you're seeking be honest with yourself what is it above all in life that you're really seeking is it to make a name for yourself is it honor is it power is it wealth is it glory is it pleasure the pursuit of what is it that makes you tick because there's almost something that makes us tick there's something that gives us a kind of an impetus in life when you do this sort of thing it gives you this kind of energy this is what life is about this is what really propels me this is my thing now of course don't get me wrong there are many things in life that we do that we enjoy and as part of life and there can be nothing wrong with that it's good but what is the main principle that propels us on what is it
[49:53] Jesus is asking us that question today and if it's not him then we're in the wrong place we have the wrong thing motivating us in life because it's got to be him because life doesn't never come together until he is at the centre of it and you might say yourself today life is good and thank the lord it is good but it's not complete without him it's like when you go in and you see a jigsaw and the wrong piece missing you don't see the rest of the picture you just see that your eye goes straight to the missing piece that's how it is in your life just now without jesus there's that missing piece when you get jesus at the centre of your life then it all comes together life makes sense in a way that it cannot up just now and so jesus is saying this this all important question he's asking what is it what is it what's the heart of your life and the two men when he says to them what they said to him what i who used to say to master where do you dwell where dwells and he said to them come and see in other words they're saying to lord in order to answer that question we need to spend time with you where are you saying we want to spend time with you and jesus says come and see and you know these are the greatest words really come and see after jesus is saying to us today come and see for yourself because you know a lot of people dismiss christianity they look at it from afar and they say it's not for me a lot of people might not be opposed in any way they're apathetic to and they say why why see church going and all that that's good janty and all that and dismiss it well it's not fair to dismiss something until you meet the actual passion that it's all about and the passion is jesus and jesus is saying to us come yourself come to me and see and i guarantee you that if you come and see jesus and come to see him by faith lay hold upon him and who he is then you will have a satisfaction and an understanding of life that you never had before if you will realize this is who i need this is the one so it's not fair really just to dismiss someone or something because you're just looking at it at a distance you've got to come and meet with jesus and so we see that that's what jesus is saying and he tells us that they came and they dwelt with him that day and of course we also said the other knock on effect from that was we find that they went off that andro went off and he got hold of his brother and he brought him to jesus and that you know at one sense what andro did was one of the hardest things to do he went to witness in his old home don't you know it it's the hardest place the hardest place is often to share with those that you know best but andro did it was like remember when legion was delivered from all the demons that were in it and he wanted to go with jesus and jesus said no go home go and tell what great things
[53:53] the lord has done for you the hardest place to witness is in a road home but that's exactly what andro did he went and he witnessed to his brother peter and he brought peter to jesus i pray that you will be given the courage and the strength to witness that hope we're given the courage and strength to keep on sharing the gospel because we see from this passage here the wonderful impact that gospel sharing has upon other people's lives and the developed growth of it i pray today that we will all have that courage and if you have not yet come to know jesus christ as your lord and see him we pray that today you will come and see please don't put it off because this is the greatest jewel what would profit you know jesus tells us what would profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul jesus tells us that the value of a soul is beyond all the wealth of this world and when you begin to think of the wealth of all the gold and all the oil and all the gas and all the natural resources and you pile it all together and you think of all the billionaires in this world and all their assets and pile it all together and if you think of it take it all pile it all together into the it goes beyond trillions i don't know what goes after trillions amass all that together and jesus says one of his soul is worth more than all of that that's who precious a soul is and who tells us that the one who made us he knows so you make sure that you come and see jesus let's pray lord of god we pray that your word will go down into our house that today we will come and see jesus that we will lay hold upon who he is and what he says and that it may indeed make an impression upon our soul we give thanks lord of how you have given us so many gifts in life and we give thanks for the great variety of qualities and gifts that people have that they use these in so many different ways for the good of us and we pray that we may recognise that you are the one who provides and that we may use the gifts you've given us well in this world and so we pray to bless us bless every home and every family take us to our home safely we pray and cleanse us from our every sin in jesus name we ask it amen we're going to conclude singing in psalm number 62 the 62nd psalm psalm 62 and we're singing psalm 62 verses 5 to 8 my soul wait thou with patience upon my god alone on him dependeth all my hope and expectation he only my salvation is and my strong rock is he he only is my sure defence i shall not move in god my glory place it is and my salvation is surely god the rock is of my strength my refuge most secure ye people place your confidence in him continually before him pour ye out your heart god is a refuge high 5 to 8 psalm 62 my soul waits last time my soul wait
[57:54] thou with patience upon thy god alone on him dependeth all my hope and expectation he only my salvation전 God, my glory, blessed is, and my salvation share.
[59:21] In God the waters of my day, my refuge more secure.
[59:39] He paid the place your confidence in Him, don't it, drive me.
[59:58] Before them, Lord, in the new light, God is a refuge.
[60:28] Thank you.