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[0:00] friends good evening well welcome to our service as we gather to worship the lord may we know his blessing and his guidance as together we explore the good news of jesus christ let me read to you these words from peter's pentecost day sermon where he said whosoever shall call in the name of the lord shall be saved in light of these wonderful words we join our hearts to sing praise to god from psalm 93 the 93rd psalm singing the whole of this psalm together the lord doth reign unclothed is he with majesty most bright his works to show him clothed to be and girt about with might the world is also established that it cannot depart thy throne is fixed of old and thou from everlasting art psalm 93 from the beginning to the praise of god the lord doth reign and clothe his name with majesty most bright his work to show him clothed to be and girt about with might the world is also with majesty most bright his work to show him clothed to be and girt about with might the world is also so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so

[4:00] so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so that the word of god will do the work of god and that is the great hope for the christian church this evening that as we assert maintain and defend the truths of the gospel as we proclaim christ jesus the only way of salvation as we hold him up as the savior of sinners who calls all to come to him in repentance and faith what a joy and glory and privilege and responsibility it is to remind one and all of all of us to come to him in repentance and faith what a joy and glory and privilege and responsibility it is to remind one and all of us to to remind one and all he is the way the truth and the life he is the good shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep what a savior what a lord and what a friend to so many we bless you that we are a small part and occupy just a small portion of the vineyard where the spirit is at work this evening and so we pray for his ministry among us that he would move between us us lord illuminating in our hearts and minds the wonder of the gospel the depths and the splendor and the richness of your provision toward us in christ jesus may we be so moved this evening may we be so reassured this evening as to the truth of the gospel that we cannot but respond and so lord we pray for grace grace to open eyes grace to melt hard hearts grace to bring sinners to repentance grace to bring men and women and boys and girls from darkness into the light of the kingdom of your dear son who loved us and gave himself for us lord we pray for ourselves this evening in california we pray for our whole island our nation we pray for the gospel to be blessed that the word would go forth with power and conviction and that there would be a real harvest this evening and that as the gospel is declared may it please you lord to bless its truths and bring them home to hearts and lives maybe lord there are some here and across our island undoubtedly who have for many years heard these truths expounded who have heard many sermons who have sat in fellowship who have watched the communion being served and shared and shared in who have become very familiar with the bible and who have become very familiar with the bible and who are very much aware of the reality of heaven the awfulness of hell and yet remain unconvinced and unconverted and far off lord draw them we pray bring them we pray that that hardness that uncertainty that hesitation would melt and that they would heed the voice of the lord jesus christ this night who says to sinners who says to sinners come to me and i will give you rest we thank you for the wonder and truths and depth and riches of the gospel for this is our message he is our hope it is all of christ we thought this morning of the cross where he went willingly and in love when he gave himself to that place to that death that we tonight might have hope that we tonight could speak of peace and reconciliation with god all possible because of his work on the cross his giving himself in perfect obedience giving himself as a righteous sacrifice and now have been raised from the dead

[8:01] there is remission of sins in him and through him may his touch be known this evening in many hearts we pray lord for your cause here in calanish and across our island remember kai and margaret especially at this time lord be with them that bless them and the next phase of life for them as retirement closes in may they know lord your hand to be upon them as they continue to serve you as they have done these many many years and we pray lord that there would yet be a great harvest for the word sown here in this place and that lord there would be a real encouragement for your people here to continue the work that has begun these many years and that there would be from here a witness a bright light a sounding bell a calling people men women boys and girls to christ to put their faith and trust in him we pray lord for your cause across our land we pray that where the gospel is proclaimed tonight in its wonder and in its beauty that there would be a response brought on by grace and administered by the holy spirit we ask lord for the day when you would raise up in our midst men and women who would take their place in the public square who would influence our legislative process who would serve in local and national governments unashamed of the gospel of christ putting their faith first looking unto him and bearing a witness in the public square we seem lord to be living in a day and age where the secular race away from the gospel is only speeding up and we pray lord in your grace that you would arrest that headlong charge into darkness and you would bring us back that we might know as a nation the hand of god once more in blessing and so we pray lord this evening for these things we remember our nation and all the government the officials the prime minister the first minister lord our god draw near to them we pray and we pray that the spirit would have that influence that the spirit does have and so we ask lord tonight not only for ourselves but for other places too we remember the church of christ tonight that doesn't know the security and comfort we know we pray for christians who are persecuted who are fearful who are uncertain of seeing another day who who know arrest and suffering and anguish because of their faith lord undertake for them we pray the spirit's blessing upon them and that you lord would be a wall of fire around them at this time remember us lord in our petitions we are bringing to you these petitions of our heart and we are bringing them to the king of kings and lord of lords and we know lord that no petition is too great or too grand but to bring to you and we leave these things at the throne of grace as we continue to worship here this evening lord we ask that you draw near to us bless us open our hearts to your word we pray forgive our sin and as we ask in jesus name amen we'll sing again from psalm 30 this evening psalm 30 and we'll sing from the beginning of the psalm psalm to verse 5 psalm 30 singing from the beginning lord i will thee extol for thou hast lifted me on high and over me thou to rejoice made not mine enemy o thou who art the lord my god i in distress to thee with loud cries lifted up my voice and thou hast healed me psalm 30 from the beginning we'll sing to verse 5 to close please lord i will thee extol for thou hast lifted me on high

[12:11] and over me thou hast lifted me on high with thy voice and thou hast lifted me on high high and over me thou hast lifted me on high sing praise unto the lord and give unto him thanks when ye his holiness record and give unto him thanks when ye his holiness record forth by the Lord poor body the深刻 who are and we will walk now throughout the спокойale and we may have opened death words have been one of lies bye danke như veo had been one of theênio park

[14:31] And for the joy arise. We'll read from our Bibles this evening from God's Word from the Gospel of Luke.

[14:47] The Gospel of Luke and chapter 24. The Gospel of Luke and chapter 24.

[15:01] The events that I described outlining what happened following the crucifixion and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[15:15] Chapter 23 ends with this man, Joseph, a counsellor, going to Pilate and begging the body of Jesus because Jesus has died on the cross.

[15:30] And then chapter 24 opens up with the story of the resurrection, followed by the account of the two on the Emmaus Road. And we'll read from verse 36.

[15:41] The two from the Emmaus Road have made their way back to Jerusalem. The followers of the Lord, the disciples, his families are all in there together. And the atmosphere is beginning to change.

[15:52] And as they thus spake, that's describing what's happened to them on the road to Emmaus, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

[16:05] But they were terrified and frightened and supposed they had seen a spirit. And he said to them, Why are you troubled? Why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold, my hands and my feet, that it is I myself handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.

[16:23] And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said to them, Have ye here any meat?

[16:36] And they gave him a piece of a boiled fish and an honeycomb. And he took it and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I speak unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me.

[16:56] Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scripture. And he said to them, Thus it is written, And thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.

[17:10] And that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.

[17:28] And he led them out as far as to Bethany. And he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

[17:40] And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

[17:50] May the Lord bless his word to our hearts this evening. And we'll sing again to the praise of God. Turn into Psalm 107.

[18:02] Psalm 107. Singing from the beginning of this psalm. And we'll sing to verse 8. Praise God for he is good.

[18:14] For still his mercies lasting be. That God's redeemed say so, whom he from the enemies hand did free. And gathered them out of the lands from north, south, east and west.

[18:25] They strayed in deserts pathless way. No city found to rest. Psalm 107. We'll sing to verse 8. To the praise of God. Praise God for he is good.

[18:44] For still his mercies lasting be.

[18:55] The God's redeemed say so, whom he from the enemies hand did free.

[19:10] And gather them out of the lands from north, south, east and west.

[19:28] His great deserts pathless way. No city found to rest.

[19:45] For thirst shall hunger in them face. Their soul and saints and rest.

[20:02] They die unto the Lord and me. Then reach all their distress.

[20:17] Then born so in the winter, the pride is needed kind.

[20:36] The day might do a city goal. When they might abide.

[20:52] O God, may to the Lord who give grace for his goodness then.

[21:09] And for his words of wonder, and to the sons of men.

[21:32] Wonderful words to sing as we turn back to the gospel of Luke in chapter 24 together. The road that meant the Lord would give praise for his goodness then. As we read of the risen saviour, we have reason to praise this evening.

[21:47] And I want us to look at the passage that we read from. And toward the end of that, as Jesus begins to counsel and pastor and shape the disciples. To bring them from a sense of being awestruck.

[22:00] And joyful and yet troubled all at the same time as they begin to realize this is Jesus. He was dead. He was buried. Some of them had seen the place where he was buried.

[22:13] Some had been to the empty tomb. And they were there now being confronted with the risen Jesus. And as he teaches them, we notice in verse 46 that Jesus said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer.

[22:29] Thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

[22:43] It was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name.

[22:57] It has been accurately said, I believe, that the New Testament church has the resurrection written all over it. It's the resurrection that makes sense of our gathering this evening in worship.

[23:11] As we pray, we pray to a living, risen Savior. And as we gather and sing our Psalms and open our Bibles, we do so conscious of what this book tells us, that Christ was dead and now is alive.

[23:26] Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And as we read toward the end of the Gospels, this compact and concise summary of what happened to these momentous, world-changing events, we're given a snapshot of how the people involved in the actual events of the resurrection and crucifixion of the ministry of our Lord, how they reacted, how they dealt with it, how they responded.

[23:54] And we, and going from chapter 23, where we see Joseph begging the body of Jesus because he was dead, and then he was laid in a tomb, wherever, wherever, wherever, never man before was laid, chapter 23 and verse 53, and that the woman also which came from Galilee followed after and beheld the sepulcher, and how his body was laid, they witnessed the funeral of Jesus.

[24:20] They saw his burial. They knew he was dead. And they are shattered because of it. And then we come into chapter 24. And when we come to the end of that chapter, we read that they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

[24:37] Some 40 or so days have passed now. And they were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. And what we have is a transformation. The greatest transformation occurred within these days, within days, I should say, of the death of Jesus, because it goes from seeming that all was lost, seeming that his enemies had won, seeming that hope was extinguished, seeming that those who had attacked him and slandered him and maligned him and accused him of all sorts of things, they had antagonised Jesus, his family and his followers.

[25:15] They had waged a bitter campaign of opposition against him. It seems, finally, they had won. Jesus was dead. There was a great stone rolled in front of the tomb and a military guard placed there.

[25:30] What could they possibly do now? Well, Jerusalem, at this point, at the beginning of chapter 24, is a quiet city that first Sunday morning.

[25:42] As the sun begins to rise, the streets are empty, but for very few moving around. Just a week or so earlier, that same city had reverberated to the Hosannas.

[25:53] As the Lord entered the city on a donkey, Hosanna had thundered across the place. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And yet, within a week, he's dead and buried.

[26:05] His followers, meeting in secret. We know they met behind closed doors for fear of the Jews, concerned that they would be next. What now would the authorities do, now that they had struck the shepherd?

[26:18] Well, so we have this church that is in the shadows, terrified, uncertain, afraid, lacking understanding of the momentous nature of what's happened.

[26:32] And then the stories begin. Then the incidents begin to feed back. News from the cemetery. His body is gone.

[26:43] More news from the cemetery. I saw angels. More news from the cemetery. I've met Jesus. And then the incident on the Emmaus Road.

[26:54] And they make their way back, when he is made known to them. And their eyes are opened. Verse 31. They knew him.

[27:05] And he vanished from their sight. Did not our hearts burn within us? And they rose. And verse 33. And returned to Jerusalem. And found the eleven gathered together. And them that were with them, his followers, his family.

[27:17] And the atmosphere is slowly beginning to change. It's going from devastation and sadness and despair and anxiety. Uncertainty.

[27:28] And the message is now is, the Lord is risen indeed. And has appeared to Simon. And as they told what things were done in the way now. And how he was made known to them in the breaking of the brain.

[27:40] As the two from the road to Emmaus. To the opus. And I believe his wife Mary. But we don't know who the second one was. Because as they thus speak. As they are sharing their story.

[27:51] Their incident. Of meeting and recognising the risen saviour. Verse 36. Jesus himself. Stood in the midst of them. And said peace to you.

[28:03] But they were terrified. And frightened. Supposing they had seen a spirit. And he said to them. Why are you troubled? Why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

[28:14] Behold my hands and my feet. That it is I myself. Handle me and see. For a spirit hath not flesh and bones. As you see me have. Jesus himself.

[28:26] Stood in the midst of them. What a wonderful description that is. Of the church of Christ on earth tonight. That we too can put an amen. Amen to that statement.

[28:37] I wonder if you're in the habit of marking your Bible. Or highlighting certain verses. Or highlighting certain phrases. I would certainly encourage you to highlight these words. In chapter 24 and verse 36.

[28:48] Jesus himself stood in the midst of them. And said peace to you. I think that's a description of what's happening here. Now this evening. We give thanks to the reality of this.

[29:00] Spiritual reality. That Christ is for us. And Christ is with us. Lo I will be with you always. And the promises of God in him are yea and amen.

[29:11] What Christ says. Christ fulfills. Jesus himself. Stood in the midst of them. But he was there for a specific reason. To display. And affirm.

[29:22] And confirm. He was no longer dead. But alive. And it's just as well. Because the church.

[29:32] Being shattered. Afraid. Intimidated. And uncertain. Even though the stories were coming back. We're told. That the disciples reacted to the story of the women who came back. First of all. With this news of the risen saviour.

[29:43] They didn't believe them. Their words seemed to have idle tales. And they did not believe. Their minds were closed. Their hearts were broken. And in the description of the road to Emmaus.

[29:53] We're told that they looked sad. As they spoke. Walking down the road. Verse 21. We had hoped. The hope was shattered. Their hearts were broken. If that didn't change.

[30:06] The Christian church was doomed. If this Paul of sadness. And sense of bereavement. And loss. Didn't change. There'd be no church in Calamish tonight. There'd be no communion season.

[30:18] There'd be no Christian heritage. And Christian history. There'd be no Christian church. Because the church. Would have vanished from sight. But it did change.

[30:30] There's a transformation. And from this uncertainty. And sadness. And this doom and gloom. The message of the gospel. Begins to go around the world.

[30:40] And it's still going around the world tonight. What's the transformation? The transformation. Is the risen Christ. The New Testament church. Has the resurrection written all over it.

[30:52] So I'd like to look at two things with you this evening. If we can in our time together. The first. Is confirmation. And the second is commission. The first in Jesus. Brings and says.

[31:03] And deals with their doubt. He comes right into this atmosphere. Of sadness. And loss. And brokenness. They're broken hearted. They're trying to comprehend.

[31:16] What's happened. Of the disciples. Only John. Is recorded as being at the foot of the cross. Broken hearted. He takes Mary.

[31:27] Jesus' mother. And shepherds her away. Taking her away. As Jesus breathes his last. John was there. Where were the rest of them? We don't know. They'd scattered into the night.

[31:37] The shepherd had been struck. The sheep were scattered. And now they're coming back together. We're told that. In verse 33. That they were found. The eleven gathered together. And them that were with them.

[31:48] At least they got that right. And that's good isn't it. They knew what they had to do. Even though they didn't know what to say. They got together. And there's great encouragement in that. Christian friends.

[31:59] And that's always been a part of. What makes communion with kings. So beneficial and special. Time together. Discussing the word. Praising God in song.

[32:10] Praying together. Together. And so they got that right. They most certainly did. They're together. And it's as they're together. The stories are now being filtered through. And they're trying to come to terms.

[32:21] That the Lord has risen indeed. And he's appeared to Simon. And then the two from Emmaus. Begin to say. Well he was made known to us. In the breaking of bread. And they're just about to start explaining. We didn't know it was him.

[32:32] And then he broke the bread. And we realised it was Jesus. And as he's beginning. They're beginning to describe the scene. Jesus himself stood in the midst of them. And said peace be to you.

[32:44] And so we have this transformation beginning. The heavy sense of loss. And anguish. And uncertainty. Is going to be dispelled. By Jesus bringing and giving.

[32:57] Confirmation. And as the conflicting emotions. Of doubt and wonder. And exciting and bewilderment. Swirl around the room. In their heads. In their hearts.

[33:07] In their minds. Jesus is dead. But they're looking at him. He's talking to them. He's standing in front of them. And he says to them. What they need to do.

[33:18] And hear most of all. Peace. Peace be to you. He brings the balm of Gilead. To their troubled hearts. He says I hear.

[33:29] Why are you troubled? Why do thoughts arise in your hearts? As they were thinking. How can this be? And we're told. We know that's what they were thinking.

[33:39] Because look at verse 37. They were terrified. And affrighted. And supposed they had seen a spirit. And then. We read in verse 41. While they yet believed not. For joy.

[33:51] And wondered. They want to believe. But he's dead. How can they believe? And yet he's standing there. In front of them. And he dispels the doubt. They're bringing confirmation.

[34:01] And he does it in two ways. He brings first of all. Physical confirmation. Behold my hands and my feet. What would they see there?

[34:13] We know what they saw. They saw the prints of the nails. Left there by. His crucifixion. On Friday. And so he shows them.

[34:24] Physically. The evidence. The scars. That was left. By the nails. That tore his flesh. And pinned him.

[34:35] To the wood. He shows them. His hands. And his feet. It's interesting. That's where he begins. He speaks to them.

[34:45] And then shows them. It is me. It is your Lord. I have risen. I am with you. Behold my hands. And my feet. That it is I myself.

[34:56] Handle and see. For a spirit of not flesh and bones. He knew what they thought. He knew how they responded. He knew they were fixating on thinking. It was a ghost. A spirit. An apparition. Some kind of spirit from the afterlife.

[35:09] Had come back. And such is their grief. And harmony. And love. That they were all seeing the same thing. All sorts of thoughts. And doubts. And emotions. Bursting through their minds.

[35:21] And Jesus cuts through it all. By saying. Look at my hands. Through my feet. It is I. And so we see that Jesus. In this instance.

[35:32] Is not subjected to the physical limitations. That he was prior to his death. He now inhabits the same body. But in a glorified state.

[35:43] And this points us to 1 Corinthians 15. The teaching of what is to come. Listen to this. 1 Corinthians 15 tells us that the resurrection body. What is sown is perishable.

[35:54] What is raised. Is imperishable. It is sown in dishonour. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. The natural body becomes a spiritual body.

[36:07] And this is where we find Jesus now. In this raised and glorified state. No longer limited to the physicality of his human nature.

[36:19] Before his death. He's now glorified. Having been raised from the dead. He's able to appear. As we see in the road to the Emmaus. Verse 31. He vanished from their sight.

[36:29] We know in this account. That the door was locked. And yet Jesus stands in the midst. It's a mystery to us. We can't explain this beyond. Acknowledging. This is now the same.

[36:41] But yet a glorified body. The Lord who was dead. Now is alive. And the wonderful thing about this. The remarkable thing about this.

[36:52] Something of this is captured in John's vision. In the revelation he received. In the final book of the New Testament. In chapter 5. John records.

[37:02] I saw a lamb. Standing as though it had been slain. The marks of the crucifixion. Evident. In the glorified body of our Saviour in heaven.

[37:16] What a thought that is. Men had done their worst. The Roman executioners. In their efficiency. Had done their worst. They had killed him.

[37:29] He had been crucified. His life. Gave out. He died. But now he's no longer dead. Having been raised from the dead.

[37:40] Yet the marks of that experience. Are still evident. In heaven. The physical confirmation. Of our risen Saviour. The second way he confirms things.

[37:52] To his disciples and followers. Because they need it so much. It's not physical. But scriptural. Look what happens in verse 44. These are the words.

[38:02] Which I speak unto you. While I was yet with you. That all things must be fulfilled. Which were written in the law of Moses. And in the prophets. And in the Psalms concerning me.

[38:13] Then opened he their understanding. That they might understand the scriptures. Thus it is written. And thus it was necessary.

[38:24] For the Christ to suffer. And to rise from the dead the third day. He takes them. To the Bible. And he opens the word. And he explains it.

[38:35] He breaks it down. And he applies it. All the poetry. And all the prophecies. All the anticipation. All the straining forward. From the Psalms. And Isaiah. And Jeremiah.

[38:46] And Ezekiel. Looking forward. The visions of the Son of Man. Recorded there. In the Old Testament scriptures. Now finally fulfilled. In Christ. And so he brings them.

[38:58] From the physical. Showing them his hands and his feet. To the Bible. To explain to them. All these things were promised. And now they are fulfilled.

[39:08] Then he opened their understanding. That they might understand the scriptures. What a wonderful model this is. For the church of Christ on earth to follow. To put the word at the centre.

[39:19] To explore and expand. And apply. And declare the word of God. To the people of God. And to anyone who would come in. And listen and worship with us. We put the Bible at the centre.

[39:30] Because this is the means of grace. That God has given us. To lead us to him. And so he takes them to the scripture. He unpacks the rich vein of promises. That the Christ would come.

[39:41] Not to rule and reign. Not to be a general. Or a politician. Or a mere earthly monarch. But to suffer. And die. Paul gives a wonderful summary of this.

[39:53] In his letter to the Corinthians. His first letter. As he reminds that troubled congregation. Of the focus. And to be most among the main things.

[40:05] And he brings them back to the centre ground. By saying to them in chapter 15. I delivered unto you first of all. That which I also received. How that Christ died for our sins.

[40:15] According to the scriptures. That he was buried. And that he rose again. The third day. According to the scriptures. The scriptures foretold. And promised.

[40:26] The Messiah would come. And now he has come. Not to suffer. And die. And remain dead. But to rise from the dead. And be declared victorious.

[40:39] I think if we were to also. To turn to another letter. To look at first Peter. In chapter 1. Verses 10 to 12. You'll find there. I believe. That Peter never forgot this moment.

[40:50] And he remembered vividly. This time of Jesus. Appearing in that room. And bringing the scriptures to him. And bringing them alive to the scriptures. Listen to what he says. In 1 Peter.

[41:00] Chapter 1. Verse 10. Of this salvation. The prophets have inquired. And searched diligently. Who prophesied of the grace. That should come unto you. Searching what or what manner.

[41:12] Of time. The spirit of Christ. Which was in them. Did signify. When it testified beforehand. The sufferings of Christ. And the glory that should follow. The prophets.

[41:23] Straining to understand. Yearning to understand. What things they were being told. And what was being revealed to them. What they were writing. And teaching. And preaching. Would be fulfilled. Not in their day. But in this day.

[41:35] And before you and me this evening. The provision of Christ. Here then is confirmation. The crucified Christ. Is the risen redeemer. Both these titles.

[41:46] Find their fulfillment. In him. And everything. The Christian church. Has done. Since this moment. Only makes sense. Because of the reality. Of his resurrection.

[41:59] Thus it is written. And thus it was necessary. For the Christ who suffered. And to rise from the dead. The third day. If that wasn't true. We would as well. Closing this book. Switching off the lights.

[42:11] And going home. But thanks be to God. It is true. And this is the foundation. Upon which the church. Has stood ever since. So there is confirmation here.

[42:21] But secondly. There is something else here. There is in this passage. Commission. Thus it is written. That the Christ should suffer. So that repentance.

[42:32] And remission of sins. Should be preached in his name. Among all nations. There is commissioning here. It is wonderful to see.

[42:42] The astonishment. The sense of awe. And wonder. The shock and disbelief. The joy. All combining. In the disciples. Listening to the Lord.

[42:52] And we know they listen. Of course they struggle. So would we have. They struggled. Of course they did. But we read on. And at the very end of the chapter. We find. They worshipped him.

[43:03] And returned to Jerusalem. With great joy. Continually being in the temple. Praising and blessing God. Because they were now. Commissioned. To what?

[43:13] Bring a message. Of repentance. And remission of sins. In his name. To all nations. This message.

[43:24] Then first of all. Two parts to it. Repentance. Repentance. Isn't that interesting? That the Lord Jesus. In his first appearance. With his disciples.

[43:35] Immediate followers. And his family. And friends. All that close group. The infantile church. The church in its infancy.

[43:45] Perhaps is a better way. Of putting it. There. Waiting. Yearning. Straining. To learn. What they were to do. In his name. And he tells them. You are to preach.

[43:56] A message. Of repentance. And remission of sins. I find it. Very interesting. And reassuring. That Christ's. Ministry on earth.

[44:08] begins. And ends. With this exact emphasis. His first recorded words. The first recorded words. Of his preaching ministry. Mark 1.15.

[44:21] Repent. And believe. The good news. The last words. Of his instructing ministry. To his followers. You are now.

[44:33] To preach. Repentance. And remission of sins. In my name. The importance. Of repentance. We must never miss.

[44:44] Because it's where. The Lord begins. To work in our hearts. To open our eyes. And understanding. To the problem. And awfulness. Of sin. Its consequences. But does it.

[44:56] It banishes us. It leaves us. Far off. In the darkness. We are lost. As the Bible says. And yet. What we find. That grace. Begins.

[45:06] To work in our hearts. By confirming. The reality. Of that status. Without him. And outwith him. We are lost. We remain under the wrath. And judgment. Of God.

[45:17] Powerless. Hopeless. Helpless. It's what we find. Recorded for us. In Psalm 51. Have mercy upon me. O God. According to your loving kindness.

[45:29] And tender mercies. Wash me thoroughly. And cleanse me. From my sin. I hope. Tonight friends. That you've prayed that prayer. To the Lord. That you've sought in him.

[45:40] Forgiveness for sin. That you've sought this cleansing. And his mercy. That you be thoroughly cleansed. According to his kindness. And tender mercies.

[45:51] Don't doubt the tender mercies. Of the Lord. Look here. What he tells the disciples. They need to do. They need to go out. And tell people. That they need to repent. Repent of what?

[46:01] Repent of being sinner. And this is an instruction. To the church. To Christians. To bring this message. About this saviour.

[46:12] To all nations. To everyone. And so emphasize. And tell people. That they need to be born again. That they need to have their hearts. Cleansed. And made right.

[46:23] By being made new. They need to turn to the Lord. Jesus Christ. This is what you find. Repeated throughout Acts. A book that covers. About 30 or so years. Of what happens next.

[46:33] What did the church do. With this emphasis. With this teaching. With this message. Well they took it to the world. Repent. And believe the good news. Through this man. Is preached to you.

[46:44] The forgiveness of sins. Believe in the Lord. Jesus Christ. And you will be saved. Time and again. We find the apostles. Taking the Lord. At his word. And telling the world.

[46:55] It was necessary. For Christ to die. Because no one else. Could do what he did. No one else. Was perfect enough. No one else. Was holy enough. No one else. Was just enough.

[47:06] No one else. Was righteous enough. To be an acceptable sacrifice. For the sin of the world. But he was. And that's what he did. And so he tells the.

[47:18] Disciples. And he reminds them. He did not come to call the righteous. But sinners. To repentance. Remember. Well I'm sure. The story of.

[47:29] Philip. As he met. The Ethiopian. Politician. In a chariot. In the middle of nowhere. And he's reading the Bible. And he doesn't understand. This message. In Isaiah 53.

[47:40] And the suffering servant. What's this about? He said to Philip. I don't know what this will be. Unless someone explain it to me. And Philip went up. And joined him. And what did he do? He began.

[47:51] To tell him. The good news. About Jesus. It's another wonderful example. In Acts. In chapter 5. Of the disciples. All of them. In the same prison cell.

[48:01] The authorities. Have thrown them in together. Because they've been preaching. Jesus. And the resurrection. What happens that night. As they're waiting. To be brought into. The chamber. And put on trial. The next day. An angel comes. And frees them.

[48:12] And the angels. Message to them. That night. As they stood. Go and stand in the temple. And tell all the people. The good news. Of this life. This friend.

[48:24] Is a message. Of life. Life everlasting. Life eternal. In Christ. Forgiven. In his name.

[48:35] Friends. Tonight. You are bid to come. To come. In repentance. In faith. To the redeemer. Who was dead. And now is alive. Notice the authority. That he gives. Preachers.

[48:46] And missionaries. And Christians. Tonight. To say. Repentance. And remission of sins. Should be preached. In his name. This is not. The make belief. Of the apostles.

[48:57] This is not. The message. Of Scottish. Presbyterianism. Or independent. Baptist. Movements. This. Is the message. Of God. To the world. In the name.

[49:07] Of Jesus Christ. Repent. And believe. Have you done that. Tonight. Because I can tell you this. If you have not. You do remain.

[49:18] Under the wrath. And curse of God. You remain. Under his judgment. And the day of wrath. Will expose you. And find you. And you will be judged.

[49:28] Accordingly. And we can say this. The judgment. That finds us. At that day. Will be just. True. And eternal. All the more reason.

[49:41] That we're serious. For this moment. That we reflect. Personally. In our hearts. And minds. Have I sought. The Lord Jesus Christ. Have I sought him.

[49:52] Until I find him. You know. This is a second part. To this message. We are to repent. That. Sorry.

[50:03] Let me read. From verse 46. It was necessary. For the Christ. To suffer. That. Repentance. And. Remission of sins. Should be preached. In his name. As wonderful.

[50:13] And uplifting. As it is. To realise. God. Hears our sincere. Cry for mercy. It's what happens. Next. That gives us. Reason to rejoice.

[50:24] Tonight. forgiveness. Because what happens. After our sincere. Heartfelt. Calling to God. For mercy. And forgiveness. Forgiveness. Is given.

[50:35] Full. And free. Isn't that wonderful. We're not called. Tonight. To the possibility. Of forgiveness. We're not called. To discuss it.

[50:45] Or to debate it. Or to question it. This is not a theory. This is a doctrine. Of grace. Remission of sins. Is the utter obliteration.

[50:57] And deletion. Of our record. Of sinfulness. And we are made. As righteous. As Christ. Ourself. They see himself. Who forgives.

[51:07] That's where we were. In Psalm 32. On Friday night. We thought about. The forgiveness. Of God. That forgiveness. Friends. Is held out. To you.

[51:17] Tonight. In the name of Jesus. Fully. And freely. Come. Come to him. Come to him. For the forgiveness. Of your sin.

[51:28] Come that your sin. Would. And you would experience. Remission. And cleansing. And renewal. Because only Jesus Christ. Can do that for you. To remain outwith.

[51:38] And unconvinced. And unconverted. Is to stand. On mercy's ground. And hesitate. And prevaricate. When does that end?

[51:50] It ends. When we're called. To give an account. None of us know. When that will be. And we know. Time and again. We see. Time and again. Reminders.

[52:01] Shocking. Reminders. Upsetting. Reminders. Of the brevity. Of life. And that we all. One day. Will stand. Before the throne. And give an account. That day.

[52:14] Friends. Will bring. The holy. Eternal. Judgment. Of God. Unless. And until. You can say. I am hidden. In him. That he is.

[52:24] My saviour. He is my lord. He is. My friend. When we look to Christ. And think of. Repentance. And remission. Of sins. I hope. It warms your heart.

[52:36] I hope. It gives you. A sense of joy. To. To. To just. Reflect. On these things. For a short time. This evening. As a week. Begins. To open up. Before us.

[52:46] Remember. In him. Love's work. Is done. The battle. Is won. Where now. Oh death. Is your sting. He rose again.

[52:57] To rule and reign. Jesus. Our conquering king. And the wonderful thing. About the king of kings. Is. He's described.

[53:07] And defined. In this way. Jesus himself. Stood in the midst of them. And in his grace. And by the spirit. And in his mercy.

[53:19] Through his word. He is here again. Calling. Summoning. Offering. Offering what? Full and free forgiveness.

[53:30] And the remission of sins. In his name. May we. Be found. Accordingly. Responding. So that. What is said.

[53:41] In the scriptures. In Isaiah 43. Will be said. Of each one of us. As we go home. This evening. That God has looked on us. Found us in his son. And said. I will remember. Your sins.

[53:52] No more. May that be true. Of each one of us. This evening. Let's pray for a moment. Together. Lord our God. For the wonder of the gospel. For.

[54:03] The saving work of Christ. For the summons. And invitation. To come to him. For forgiveness. Fully. And freely. We bow in adoration.

[54:16] And give you thanks. We thank you. That this summons. Goes forth in his name. And has his authority. And his seal. That those who seek him.

[54:26] In sincerity of heart. Diligently. Will find him. Lord. May we know you. To be close this night. In Jesus name. Amen. And we'll close our service.

[54:44] This evening. We'll turn. To Psalm 43. Psalm 43. And we'll sing. From verse. Three to five. In this psalm.

[54:55] Psalm 43. And we'll sing. From verse three. To the end. Oh send thy light forth. And thy truth. Let them be guides to me. And bring me to thine holy hill. Even where thy dwellings be.

[55:07] Then will I to God's altar go. To God my chiefest joy. Yea. God my God. Thy name to praise. My heart. I will employ. We'll sing to the end.

[55:17] To God's praise. Oh send thy light. For love thy truth.

[55:28] Then may thy light or not be. Over the bush.

[55:39] For love thy throne. I will. then will I do not short. King King King King

[56:49] King King King King King King King King

[58:01] King King King King King King King King King King we pray that God would bless you in your time with us at this weekend and that it would continue to be a blessing to you as you reflect on the word that was preached.

[58:44] My personal thanks to those who send gifts to the months. As usual we are indebted to many who do that and thanks seem inadequate but we do thank you nevertheless.

[58:59] Just a reminder that there is a retiring collection at the end of the service and that there is a short prayer meeting after the service.

[59:12] I dare not say anything other than what I said. I dare not. Let us pray.

[59:26] May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

[59:37] Amen. Thank you so much for that. Thank you.

[59:51] Thank you.

[60:21] Thank you.

[60:51] Thank you.

[61:21] Thank you.

[61:51] Thank you.

[62:21] Thank you.

[62:51] Thank you.

[63:21] Thank you.