[0:00] And welcome to our worship of God this evening. And we will begin our worship singing in Psalm 127.! Psalm 127 in the Metricle Psalm.
[0:13] Except the Lord who build the house, the builders lose their pain. Except the Lord, the city keep, the watchmen watch in vain. Tis vain for you to rise betimes, or late from rest to keep.
[0:26] To feet on sorrow's bread, so gives he his beloved sleep. O children are God's heritage, the womb's fruit his reward. The sons of youth, the zarrows are, for strong men's hands prepared.
[0:39] O happy is the man that hath his quiver filled with those. The unashamed in the gate shall speak unto their foes. We sing to God's praise. Except the Lord who build the house, the builders lose their pain.
[1:07] Except the Lord who build the house, the builders lose their pain. The watchmen watch in vain.
[1:24] Tis late for you to rise betimes, or late from rest to keep.
[1:42] To leave on sorrow's bread, so gives he his beloved sleep.
[2:00] O children of God's death, the children of God's death. Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son Oh, happy is the man that I have ever felt with those.
[2:55] In our ship, we're in the cave, come sweet, come sweet, come sweet, come sweet.
[3:14] Come before God in prayer, let us pray. Our gracious and our other blessed Lord, we do indeed thank you that we can come into your presence this evening and that we can acknowledge that you are indeed a God that is high and lifted up and the angels cry, holy, holy, holy.
[3:39] And we pray, Heavenly Father, that as we come into your presence this evening, as we recognise that you are a holy God, we pray, Heavenly Father, that each one of us would know what it is to be still and know that you are God.
[3:55] As we enter into your presence, Heavenly Father, that we would set aside the things of the world that so often cloud our minds and that we would come to worship you and worship you in spirit and in truth.
[4:09] We thank you, Heavenly Father, that we can gather freely here, that we have no fear of our meeting been broken up, that we can come and we can worship you and we can cry out to you in prayer, knowing that you are a God that hears and answers prayer, that you are a God that loves us and cares for us, that you ask us to cast all our cares and all our anxieties upon you.
[4:40] And as we come, Heavenly Father, from our different homes, from our different backgrounds, with our own different burdens, we pray, Heavenly Father, that as we bring them before you in the quietness of our own hearts, that as we take them to you, that we would leave them with you.
[4:57] Knowing, Heavenly Father, that you will indeed answer as we come to you in prayer, recognizing that sometimes you will say no to us, sometimes you will say yes, other times that you will say wait.
[5:15] But, Heavenly Father, that you will not leave a prayer unanswered. Lord, you teach us to come to you, to acknowledge you as our Father, and to ask that your will would be done here on earth as it is in heaven.
[5:31] And we would pray this night, Heavenly Father, for those of our number here that are unable to be with us, those that are laid low through sickness, those, Heavenly Father, because of age have had to stay at home.
[5:44] We pray that they would know your presence with them, that they would know your hand guiding and directing them. And as we pray for them, we recognize, Heavenly Father, that they pray for us here, as we gather in your presence.
[6:00] We pray for those that are sick, that they would know your hand of healing upon them. We pray for those that have gone off to hospital, that are awaiting procedures to be carried out.
[6:12] Heavenly Father, that you would be with them, that they would claim your promise to them, that you have given to them, that if we put our trust in you, that you will never leave us, that you will never forsake us.
[6:25] That even as we go through the valleys of the shadows, that you are with us, and your rod and your staff, the comfort and the guide. We pray even now, in preparation for operations, that they would know your comfort and your guidance at this time.
[6:42] And that, Heavenly Father, as family, look on and wait, that their trust would indeed be in you, and that they would ask that your will would be done in each and every situation.
[6:54] We pray for those that are waiting on results from tests. We pray for those that may be even at test results in these past weeks. And, Heavenly Father, as they maybe have to undergo further treatment or further tests, again, that they would wait upon you.
[7:14] And, Heavenly Father, we also remember those that have been bereaved. Even in these past weeks, or even in the past years, Heavenly Father, when anniversaries come around, and as we move into a time of Christmas, as families start to gather, and there's an empty seat at the table that was once taken.
[7:35] We pray, Heavenly Father, for your hand of blessing upon these families. That they would need know you as a God of refuge and a God of strength. A God of comfort.
[7:47] Again, even in the darkest of times. We pray, Heavenly Father, for those that were once within our congregation here, that are maybe looked after elsewhere at this time.
[8:00] We thank you for the provision of care homes in our island. And we pray, Heavenly Father, for our senior citizens that are looked after there. We thank you for their past service, not just in the church here, but across our nation, Heavenly Father, many of them, having seen service in other places.
[8:23] And we pray, Heavenly Father, that you would uphold them at this time. Be with those that care for them. That look after them. Heavenly Father, we pray for our young ones.
[8:35] We thank you for the Sunday school here. And we continue to pray for Sunday school teachers and youth leaders. And, Heavenly Father, that you have laid it upon their heart to teach the young ones according to your paths.
[8:51] We recognize that we have our young ones for a short period of time. Before, Heavenly Father, they fly the nest and they go off into the wider world. For the importance of rooting and grounding them in your work.
[9:06] The importance of teaching them your paths. And we pray, Heavenly Father, that as they come along to Sunday school here, as the Bible is maybe read in their own homes and prayers are said, that they would indeed see you, Heavenly Father.
[9:24] And that each one of them would grow in wisdom, would grow in stature, and would grow to know and to love you as their Lord and as their Saviour. So we commit all these things to you, Heavenly Father, as we continue to remember the congregation here during this period of vacancy.
[9:44] And, Heavenly Father, that even now that you would lay your hand upon someone, a man of your choosing, to come and fill the vacancy. And as the congregation meets, as they seek your guidance through prayer, Heavenly Father, that you would show them clearly, that you have identified to be here to preach your word, to pastor within the community here.
[10:09] We thank you for the past witness that there has been. And we pray, Heavenly Father, for the seed that has been sown here over many years. That even now that it would bear fruit for the community here.
[10:23] That we would see your spirit move amongst us. And, Heavenly Father, that once again that you would awake this nation. And that they would turn unto you.
[10:34] Oh, Heavenly Father, our hearts are indeed heavy at times when we think of those that are in positions of power and authority. But your word teaches us that we have to pray for them.
[10:49] We do indeed pray for our governments in Edinburgh and in London. We pray for wisdom for them, Heavenly Father. We recognise the challenges of holding such positions.
[11:03] But, Heavenly Father, we also recognise that they need to know you. That they need to love you. Your word has been given to each and every one of us to direct us.
[11:16] And how we may glorify and enjoy you forever. And as we think, Heavenly Father, of legislation changes that have taken place. Sought or seeking to be brought into place.
[11:30] But, Heavenly Father, so much turning aside from your word. We pray, Heavenly Father, for guidance at this time. We have seen so much change.
[11:43] For what was once right is now wrong. What once was wrong is now right. We can understand why there's so much confusion within the world. And, Heavenly Father, only you can bring that peace.
[11:58] Only you can bring, Heavenly Father, that wisdom that we need. And only you can bring restoration. Oh, Heavenly Father, as we seek to study your word tonight.
[12:13] As we have already sung. Unless the Lord do build a house. Those that build, labour in vain. And we pray, Heavenly Father, that you would indeed be in all the work of the congregation here.
[12:27] The work of the church across this island and across the nation. And that, Heavenly Father, that we would indeed see your hand move.
[12:41] Move mightily. We recognise that the fields are indeed white unto harvest. And we cry out to you as the Lord of the harvest.
[12:51] To send out labourers into that harvest. And, Heavenly Father, that you would raise up men to preach your word. To go out with your word and sow that precious seed.
[13:03] That there would indeed be a harvest. Some 30, some 30, some 60, some 100 fold. All to your honour and to your glory. And we ask all this as we ask it in Jesus' name.
[13:17] And ask forgiveness of our sins. Amen. Amen. Again, sing to God's praise.
[13:28] This time in Psalm 26. Psalm 26 from verse 4 down to the end of the verse marked 8. Psalm 27.
[14:06] Psalm 27.
[14:36] and I be to tend with such I shun. Mine hands and in all sense, O Lord, I'll portion purify so to thy holy altar you and compass it will I that I with voice of thanksgiving may thou publish and declare and tell of all thy mighty works that great and wondrous are love.
[15:58] Oh, habitation of thy house, Lord, I love it well, yea, in that place thy duty lies, where does thine honour dwell?
[16:32] well. If you have your Bibles with you, if you could turn first of all to Ecclesiastes chapter 2, and we'll read Ecclesiastes chapter 2 from verse 18 to the end of the chapter, and then we'll read the psalm that we sang at the beginning, Psalm 127.
[16:58] first of all, Ecclesiastes chapter 2 from verse 18. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
[17:18] And who knoweth whether he shall be wise, a wise man, or a fool? Yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun?
[17:32] This is also vanity. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom and in knowledge and in equity.
[17:48] Yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what hath man of all his labour and of the vexation of his heart wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
[18:06] For all his days are sorrow and his travail grief. Yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This also is vanity. There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour.
[18:25] This also I saw that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat or who else can hasten unto more than I? For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom and knowledge and joy.
[18:41] But to the sinner he giveth travel to gather and to heap up that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
[18:54] And then in Psalm 127 reading the whole of the psalm Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it.
[19:06] Except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
[19:22] Lo children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man so are children of the youth.
[19:36] Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed that they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Amen. And may God add his blessing to this public reading of this holy word.
[19:53] We'll again sing to God's praise this time in Psalm 42 and we'll sing the first four stanzas. praise for My soul is poured out in me when this I think upon, because that with the multitude I heretofore had gone.
[20:36] With them into God's house I went with voice of joy and praise, ye with the multitude that kept the solemn holy days. My apologies. We'll sing down to the end of the double marked verse 4.
[20:49] Like as the heart for water is washed up and gray, so pass my longing soul, O God, that come to Thee I made.
[21:28] My soul for God, the living God, the thirst when shall I near, unto thy gallant's approach, and in God's sight appear.
[22:03] My tears shall come to me, in me, both in the night and day, while unto me continually.
[22:32] Where is thy God? God, they say. My soul is all red out in me, when this I think upon, God, they say.
[23:01] Because that with the multitude I hereetofore had gone, with them into God's house I went, with voice of joy and praise, yea, with the multitude that kept the solemn holy days.
[23:56] As we turn back to God's word, let us just bow in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, your word has been read, and we pray now that as we seek to meditate upon it, that we would know your presence with us, that you would speak to each one of us, through your word, and that our hearts would be open and receptive to what you have to teach us, and how you have to guide us, that we may indeed know what it is to glorify and enjoy you forever.
[24:29] In Jesus name. Amen. Now the last time I was here with you, a few weeks ago, back at the beginning of November, we looked at Psalm 126, and what the psalm had to teach us.
[24:49] And I'm just going to move on into Psalm 127. Another song of ascent. And we can see, depending on your Bible, it might tell you that this psalm was written by Solomon.
[25:07] It's one of two psalms that were written by Solomon. The other one being Psalm 72, which we very often sing at a communion season, or at the end of a communion season.
[25:21] But Solomon, while he only wrote two psalms, we're aware that he wrote Proverbs, and he wrote Ecclesiastes, he wrote the Psalm of Solomon.
[25:33] They're all attributed to his name. And one of the things that we see in Ecclesiastes, that we see again here in the psalm, is that one of the topics that Solomon very often wrote about, was vanity and things being vain.
[25:53] And as we come to the passage before us, if I was to give this a title, it would be, Without the Lord, all is in vain.
[26:07] And as we work through the psalm, we'll take three separate headings, in relation to verse 1, foundations and futility, verse 2, fatigue and favour, and verses 3 to 5, family and fortress.
[26:27] Now just something to notice about this psalm. It obviously starts, that if the Lord, unless the Lord builds the house, those that build it labour in vain.
[26:42] And one of the things that I found out, when I was reading through one of the commentaries, James Montgomery Boyce tells us, that capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, as you all know, the motto of Edinburgh is, without the Lord, all is in vain.
[27:06] Which then made me stop and think, how many of the founding fathers of many of our cities, acknowledged God, when they were setting up cities.
[27:20] And it was quite surprising, even just a few. London, the motto for London is, Lord guide us. For Liverpool, God has granted us this ease.
[27:35] Dundee, gift of God. And Glasgow, where I hail from, the motto there is, let Glasgow flourish. But it's a shortened version of a quote from a sermon that was preached by the patron saint of Glasgow, which goes on, Lord, let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of thy word and the praising of thy name.
[28:04] Why did I give you this short history lesson? Well, it's just to reflect on the fact that, when many of these cities were set up, we lived in a very much different age.
[28:18] And recognition was given to the fact that God was very much part of society, was reverenced within society. And when these cities were formed, the motto that was given to them, identified that God had blessed them, and they sought to honour that.
[28:42] And we do recognise that we live in different days. And many of these mottos that we have, aren't always published, and highlighted in the way that they once were.
[28:58] So as we turn to Psalm 127, we look at verse 1, and we think about the foundations and the futility of building.
[29:11] We're always taught to look at repetition within the word of God. That if something's repeated, then we have to look at it twice to understand it.
[29:24] And in the first verse there, I'm just going to look at it in the two parts that it is. Unless the Lord build the house, those that build it labour in vain.
[29:35] Unless the watchman, unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. We need houses, obviously, to live in.
[29:48] But how many of us focus on building a house that we start to think of as, this is my house. This is my house to protect my property.
[30:00] This is my house to safeguard all that I own. And the house becomes an idol for us. And what we're told here is that unless the Lord build the house, the labours labour in vain.
[30:17] It teaches us in Matthew 6, 19 to 21, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
[30:28] For where your treasure is, that is where your heart will be also. Are we, each one of us, and I speak to myself, setting up for ourselves treasures on earth, treasures that can be stolen, treasures that can be destroyed, treasures that can be lost.
[30:50] I'm focusing so much on these treasures that we're not actually preparing our life for the life that is to come. What are we actually seeking to build here on earth?
[31:03] Is it our legacy, that our buildings, and all that we own, the money that we have in the bank, are what we're seeking to be able to pass on to those that maybe come behind us?
[31:15] And we read in Ecclesiastes of the vanity of that. Are we building homes for our own comfort? Or are we, as we set up home, thinking, this is a house that's going to be dedicated to the worship of God?
[31:34] This is a house where people are going to be welcomed. The visitor, the stranger, can come in and find rest, knowing that the householder seeks to worship and glorify God.
[31:47] Are our houses open and welcoming to our neighbours, that we can share God's word with them? That the Bible is there for people to see.
[31:58] The Bible is openly read and prayer is had within the house. Are we seeking to build homes and houses, pardon me, that are there to worship our Lord?
[32:14] Matthew 7, 26 and 27 says, And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house in the sand.
[32:25] And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against the house. And it fell and great was the fall of it. How many of us learnt or even teach now our children about the wise and the foolish man that built their house on the rock?
[32:43] A question that we have to ask ourselves. While we may know the words of these hymns, these choruses, even the psalm that's before us tonight.
[32:54] Are we building false foundations? Are we building houses that praise ourselves and not praise God? Is God welcome in your home tonight?
[33:08] Is your house known as a house of prayer where God's name is upheld? The second half of the verse, Unless the watchman watches, unless the Lord watches the city, the watchman watch in vain.
[33:25] And again here what we see is we see the sovereignty of God. The watchman can stay awake all night, but unless God is in it, the watchman watches in vain.
[33:39] I don't know how many of you have worked nightshirt, but you've got the responsibility of looking after and watching, whether it be buildings, whether it be towns, whether it be cities.
[33:51] The watchman can be there, but unless his work is committed to the Lord, we can still see where there are situations where danger comes, where houses are broken into.
[34:09] If we are going to watch something, what do we need to use? We need to use our eyes. We need to protect our eyes. In Matthew 6, 22 and 23 it says, The eye is the lamp of the body.
[34:26] If the eye is healthy, the whole body is full of light. If it is bad, the body is full of darkness. We need our eyes to be full of light.
[34:41] The question we need to ask ourselves is, the things that we watch on our television screens, the things that we read in our magazines, in our newspapers, are they bringing God's light into our lives?
[34:56] Or are they bringing darkness that's affecting our gaze on God? Are we doing things that instead of taking us closer to God, that they're taking us further away?
[35:12] That instead of dedicating all that we do, we're ending up in vain, trying to do things in our own strength.
[35:23] Jesus teaches us in Matthew 26 and 41, watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. It's not just enough to be alert and to watch.
[35:37] We must commit everything that we do to the Lord. We must be praying. We must dedicate everything to God.
[35:51] I don't say that lightly. I recognise, you know, we need houses. We need to be doing things. But what we need to make sure is, that what we do is for God's glory.
[36:04] Not seeking glory for ourselves. Colossians 3 says, Bone servants are to obey their earthly masters.
[36:15] But also recognise everything that we do, that we do it, serving Christ. Some people may read this and say, well, if we don't do it in our own strength, sorry, if we do it in our own strength, and God's not in it, we're as well not doing it at all.
[36:36] That's not what God's word teaches us. God's word teaches us that when we do things, we must do them, recognising that God has given us the strength, God has given us the ability, God has given us the skills to do them.
[36:53] And that is we use them, that we use them for his honour, for his glory. Work can be difficult. Work can be challenging.
[37:06] Why do we work? Well, it comes from the time of the fall. When Adam fell, and the ground was hard, God said to him, that he would end up having to, work the ground.
[37:26] And it would be cursed, because of what he had done, against God's word. What we have to recognise is, that as we are given the ability, to be able to provide, that we're given the skills, to be able to use them, that we do it in such a way, that we are loving witnesses for God.
[37:51] How many of us go to work and think, this is hard. I don't want to do this. I don't like the people I work with. They don't like me. How does that reflect on your witness, and your place of work?
[38:06] How does that impact, the work that you do? I think we asked the question, the last time we were here, if your work colleague was asked, to bear testimony for you, would they know that you were a Christian, when you go about your work?
[38:24] We may grow weary, in our daily tasks. But what we have to do, is not rely on our own strength, but rely on the one, that neither slumbers, nor sleeps, as we read of, and as we sing so often, in Psalm 121.
[38:45] Life can be hard. Life can be hard. Life can be demanding, in so many different ways. But if we insist on doing it, in our own strength, and doing it for our own glory, what we do, is in vain.
[39:06] We are not building on Christ, as our solid foundation. Our life, can be seen as being future. for each one of us here, is, that as we build, we build on the foundation of Christ.
[39:23] And that as we teach our young ones, and lead them, that they see a witness, that points, each and every day, to Christ.
[39:35] And continuing on, into verse 2, It is vain that you rise up early, and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil, for he gives to his beloved sleep.
[39:53] As I said, we all recognise that we need to work. But there is a danger, that work gets a hold of us. That work becomes our God. We begin to think, I must be the first one into work.
[40:09] I must be the last one seen to leave. I must be seen to do the most hours. I must never be seen to take a break. I can never take a day off work. And at the end of the day, what is the benefit, to us for that?
[40:26] We lie awake at night, I must get up now. I must get back in. They won't be able to manage without me. Is that a glory to God?
[40:39] Or is it us seeking, to be seen by those that we work with, as a loyal colleague, as somebody that is always there?
[40:50] We are. We are. And at the end of the day, we make a God of what people think of us. We seek to have an image, that glorifies ourselves, as opposed to glorifying God.
[41:04] Our body needs sleep. Our body needs rest. But we go so much, focusing on our own work, and how we are seen at work, that we end up, not, doing our best.
[41:21] We are anxious. That anxious coil destroys our own health, can affect our relationships, and it steals us, and it steals us, of much needed sleep.
[41:35] As we said, work comes as part of the, the curse, following the fall. Adam is told that he is no longer, going to be able to, simply, take the yield of fruit, that was there before.
[41:49] It was going to be hard labour. How are we, going to deal, with our work?
[42:01] Are we going to, be chasing it, each and every day? I have to be careful what I say, in relation to this, because I know that I have been guilty of it myself, in the past.
[42:15] Chasing a promotion. Chasing, things that, at the end of the day, only caused me, sleepless nights, put strain, on family relationships.
[42:33] Not putting God first, in everything, that we do. We read in Ecclesiastes 2, and 23, For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a fixation, even in the heart, his heart does not rest.
[42:49] This also, is vanity. And the same writer, Solomon, writes in the psalm here, he gives, his beloved sleep.
[43:03] Do we truly trust, that God will provide for us, all that he has promised? Do we trust him sufficiently, to be able to appreciate, the rest, that he gives to us?
[43:17] I don't know, the individual situation, of each and every one of you, here this night. But maybe some of you, have, what's been said here, that you see yourselves in it.
[43:29] You've been there, you've chased, you've put work, before everything else, in your life. Matthew 11, 28 and 30 says, come to me, all who labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[43:48] Are you chasing the next ladder, on the promotion? Are you feeling that you're indispensable at work? Or even feeling, or even feeling disillusioned, with your work, not knowing what to do.
[44:01] And all the while, your health, your sleep, your family, is suffering. The call is, come to me, and you will find rest, for your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden, is light.
[44:21] Christ came, for each and every one of us. And he calls out, come to me. If you're finding, that life is getting on top of you, come to me, and I will give you rest.
[44:36] When we were children, we were taught the Lord's Prayer. And there's a line within it that says, give us this day, our daily bread. We think we know what we need, and how we can secure it.
[44:48] But we forget, that our Heavenly Father knows exactly, what we need. And if we trust in Him, He has promised that He will provide.
[45:00] We can think back to, when the children of Israel, were going through the wilderness, and each and every day, manna, was provided for them. Enough manna for the day.
[45:14] They took too much, thinking that they needed more for tomorrow. What do we read of? It rotted overnight. So the question that each one of us, need to think about is, when we pray, give us this day, our daily bread.
[45:31] Do we trust God for it? And do we rest in Him, knowing that He will provide it? Or are we, or are we, building, or trying to build for ourselves, a reputation, that's only bringing us great fatigue, as opposed to seeking, favour with God.
[45:57] And finally, in verses 3 to 5, family, and fortress. As we come here this evening, we come from different families, yet we come together here, as one church family.
[46:17] In the providence of God, some of us have been blessed with children, some of us have not. But together, we share, we grow, and we learn.
[46:29] The children in the congregation, are a blessing. It was a real blessing, the last time I was here, in a morning service, to see the number of young people, that were here in the congregation, And the responsibility, and equip, and prepare them, for the situations, that they will face in life, as they move on from here, to be going to the mainland, for further education, or to find work.
[46:56] As Sam speaks of children, as a heritage, from the Lord, like arrows in the hand of a warrior. Genesis 12, 2, says, when God was blessing, and giving a promise to Abram, and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
[47:21] Are we praying, that God will bless, the church family here, in Calvanish. Not just, bless them, with numbers, but in unity, in holiness, and in praise of his name.
[47:41] And in being blessed, as a congregation, as a congregation, that you would then go out, and be a blessing, in the community, round about you.
[47:53] We said before, there are empty seats, in the congregation here. Or a blessing, that would be, to see each one of them filled, with families, with people from the congregation, but the community, that have maybe never been, Psalm 103, tells us, that the steadfast love, of the Lord, is from everlasting, to everlasting, and those who fear him.
[48:21] And his righteousness, to children's children, to those who keep his covenant, and remember, to do his commandments. Those who are older amongst us, have seen both hard times, have seen blessings.
[48:37] But through it all, that you would have been able, to account for is, that God has been faithful. As parents, grandparents, as members of Christ's body here, we have a responsibility, to teach the next generation, and to model covenant faithfulness, to them.
[49:01] We cannot truly teach our children, what it is to be rooted, and grounded in God's word, if we're not rooted, and grounded, in that word, We might send them, to Sunday school, and the responsibility, on to somebody else.
[49:17] But scripture places, that responsibility, first upon parents, and upon the whole covenant community. We must be living witnesses, grounded in the truth of God's word, if we ourselves, are to pass that truth on.
[49:31] Hebrews 10 and 24, 25, urges believers, not to neglect meeting together, but to encourage one another. Regularly gathering around God's word, week by week, is a huge encouragement, to the minister, to the elders, to one another.
[49:51] We prayed about families coming together, at a time of Christmas. Seats that were once empty, as young folks have gone off, to college or university. Seats for grandchildren, coming home, to sit around the table.
[50:04] And what a joy it is, to see these seats filled. It's the same here, within the church family. When you're not here, you're missed. When your seat is taken, it is great to see, the encouragement, the encouragement, of the church family.
[50:21] In the church family, when you're not here, you're missed. When your seat is taken, it is great to see, the encouragement, the encouragement that it brings for each and every one of us coming together, encouraging one another.
[50:38] A prayer meeting, a place where we can come and we can gather and learn together. The psalm talks of the picture of children being arrows.
[50:52] And when we think about that, an archer carries his arrows on his back. And when the archer is preparing his arrows, he's preparing them for flight.
[51:07] He's preparing them for a time that when he puts them in the string of his bow and pulls the string back, he's preparing them to let go. And once he lets go of that arrow, he's got no control over where that arrow is going to land.
[51:24] But before he lets that arrow go, he checks that the feathers are all straight. He checks that the arrow itself is clean, that the flight of that arrow will not be impeded.
[51:37] And as he lets it go, he'll be thinking, what's the wind direction? What's the speed? What's the humidity like?
[51:48] Anything that is going to impact the flight of that arrow that would take it away from its target. And that's the way we are with our children.
[52:00] We have a responsibility to prepare them for leaving the security of the home nest. A responsibility to make sure that they are equipped, that when they leave, that they're able to navigate life's journey.
[52:22] And the only way we can do that is by preparing them through God's word. As the archer lets go of the arrow, some of these arrows might fall short of the target.
[52:36] Some of them might go over the target. Some of them may well hit the target. Some of them might get caught by an unexpected gust of wind and get carried way off course.
[52:49] But the archer then has to go and try and find them. And that can happen with our children. Some of them will achieve what we pray that they would achieve.
[53:02] But sadly, some of them may get blown off course as they go out into the world and they are influenced by other things. If that's the situation that you face tonight, that your children have come here, have been here, grown up within the Sunday school, and have left home and have no word of church.
[53:28] What do we do? We watch and we pray. And we take encouragement from the father of the prodigal son, who each day went out and looked for his son.
[53:45] And then was one day able to say, as we read in the story, This son, this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and he is found.
[53:59] Never ever give up hope. As we seek to set the right foundation for our children. As we seek to set them off on a course in life. Trust them to God.
[54:11] Continue to pray for them. And if they have wondered, don't give up hope. Pray that one day that they would indeed be saved by the amazing grace.
[54:23] That they would be able to say themselves, I once was blind, but now I see. What does Psalm 127 teach us in Calanish tonight?
[54:36] It teaches us in relation to our foundations and our futility. As we read another word from Solomon in Proverbs 16 and 3.
[54:49] Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established. Our fatigue and our favour. Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden.
[55:03] And I will give you rest. And our family and our fortress. Colossians 2, 6 and 7. Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.
[55:17] Rooted and built up in him. And established in the faith. Just as you were taught. And abounding in thanksgiving. If you're here tonight and you've not come to Christ.
[55:31] And you're still trying to build in this wrong foundation. If you're weary. If you're restless. If you're anxious. Then stop.
[55:44] Turn to Christ. Hear his voice that's calling out to you this night. Come to me. And I will give you rest. That you can commit your ways to him.
[55:55] And he will indeed establish your paths. Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father.
[56:06] You have given us your word to direct us. And how we may glorify and enjoy you forever. And we pray this night as we gather as a body of your people. That each one of us here.
[56:19] That you have laid it upon our hearts to be here this night. To hear your word. That we would indeed seek to glorify. And enjoy you forever. That as we examine our hearts.
[56:31] That we would see our need of you. And as you stand with your arms wide open. And cry out. Come unto me. All ye that are weak and heavily. That we would indeed come to you this night.
[56:44] And take your yoke upon us. That your yoke is easy. And your burden is light. And that we would indeed know your joy. Your peace. And your protection.
[56:56] Through your Son. Amen. Bring our service to a close. Singing in Psalm 84. Psalm 84.
[57:07] Sing from verse 1. To the verse mark 5. How lovely is thy dwelling place. O Lord of hosts to me. The tabernacles of thy grace.
[57:18] How pleasant Lord they be. My thirsty soul longs vehemently. Ye faints thy courts to see. My very heart and flesh cry out. O living God for thee. And then verse 4.
[57:29] Blessed are they in thy house that dwell. They ever give thee praise. Blessed is the man whose strength thou art. In whose heart are thy ways. To God's praise. How lovely is thy dwelling place.
[57:50] O Lord of hosts to me. The tabernacles of thy grace.
[58:07] How pleasant Lord they be. My thirsty soul longs vehemently.
[58:24] Ye faints thy courts to see. My very heart and flesh cry out.
[58:42] O living God for thee. Behold the battle.
[58:55] O findeth thou. O findeth thou. And how swear it to rest.
[59:08] The swallow also for herself. A purchase said.
[59:21] O Lord of hosts to see. O Lord of hosts to see. O Lord of hosts to see. O Lord of hosts to see.
[59:33] O Lord of hosts to see. O Lord of hosts to see. O Lord of hosts to see. O Lord of hosts to see.
[60:05] Are they in thy house that dwell, they ever give thee praise.
[60:20] Blessed is the man whose strength thou art, in whose heart are thy ways.
[60:41] Blessed is the man whose strength thou art, in whose heart are thy ways. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.