[0:00] Before we resume our public worship, I've been asked to make this intimation. There will be a meeting of the women in the congregation tomorrow night at 7.30pm in the hall to discuss the catering arrangements to be made for the forthcoming induction of Reverend Donald MacLeod due to take place on Friday the 10th of February.
[0:24] And Katrina McKeever has been appointed to oversee the arrangements. So that's tomorrow night at 7.30pm in the hall, meeting of the women to make catering arrangements.
[0:40] Let us worship God. Let us sing to his praise from Psalm number 1 and from the Scottish Psalter. Psalm number 1.
[0:50] That man hath perfect blessedness, who walketh not astray, in counsel of ungodly men, nor stands in sinner's way, nor sitteth in the scorner's chair, but placeth his delight upon God's law, and meditates on his law day and night.
[1:11] He shall be like a tree that grows near planted by a river, which in his season yields his fruit, and his leaf fadeth never. And all he doth shall prosper well.
[1:23] The wicked are not so, but like they are unto the chaff which wind drives to and fro. In judgment therefore shall not stand such as ungodly are, nor in the assembly of the just shall wicked men appear.
[1:38] For why? The way of godly men unto the Lord is known, whereas the way of wicked men shall quite be overthrown. The whole of Psalm number 1 from the Scottish Psalter to God's praise, that man hath perfect blessedness.
[1:54] The way of wicked men shall be overthrown.
[2:24] The way of wicked men shall be overthrown. The way of wicked men shall be overthrown.
[2:54] He shall be like a triathlon, He shall be like a triathlon, Which in His season yields His true, And His feet be big of never.
[3:27] And all He does shall cross the well, The weak in our God's soul, But like they have unto the shall, Which when thys to unflow, In church and the course of the sun, Search us and God be our, Not in the assembly of the just, Shall we get men appear,
[4:31] For try the way of God be in, Bound to the harvest, Lord, Whereas the way of wicked men Shall quite be overthrown.
[5:08] Let's call on the Lord's name in prayer. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for this new privilege We enjoy this morning, In being able to gather in this way, In the house of God, And we thank you for the access we have to our God.
[5:34] Although you, In many respects are high above us, Nevertheless, you see fit to draw near us, In the person of your Holy Spirit, So that we will be able to hear your voice, And know you, As our Lord and God.
[6:04] We thank you for the words of the psalm, Which we have been singing, Speaking to us of the blessedness, Of the people of God.
[6:17] And that blessedness begins, In their experience, With the forgiveness of their sins. Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven, And whose iniquity is cleansed.
[6:36] And those who have that blessing in their lives, They indeed will not be wayward in their lives, And they will not stand in the way of sinners, Nor sit in the chair of those who scorn the Lord and his word.
[7:01] But when we are taught by your Spirit, We desire to live in the way that you commend, And we desire to do what you command, To do your will I take delight, O thou my God that art.
[7:22] These were the sentiments of the psalmist in another place. And we pray that that may be true of each one of ourselves, As we gather here today.
[7:33] And in other words of the psalmist, We would seek to echo that, I'll hear what God the Lord doth speak.
[7:44] We pray that you would open our ears, To hear your word, your voice. Open our hearts, By your Holy Spirit's saving influence, That we may embrace the word of God, And the God of the word, In the face of Jesus Christ.
[8:07] Give us to rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ today, And give us to know, As we worship you this morning, Your gracious presence with us.
[8:21] We confess our sins. It's an ongoing confession that we have, Day by day, Because you show us how far short we come, In our thoughts and words and actions.
[8:36] You show us how imperfect our lives are, And left to ourselves, Our life would unravel completely. But we thank you that you will not permit that, In the experience of those for whom Jesus has died, That you would be with them every step of the way, Correcting them when they need correction, Strengthening and encouraging when they need such.
[9:05] And we thank you that you will at last receive them, Into your nearer presence. We pray for your blessing to be upon, Each one present here this morning.
[9:17] We thank you for each one, And we pray for each of them according to their needs. And may this time together, In this act of worship, Be a time to which we all may look back, With thankfulness of spirit, And be able truly to say, The Lord met us on that morning, Through the ministry of his spirit.
[9:42] And if we meet with you, As Jacob of old met with you, Our life will be marked forever more. Because when Jacob wrestled with a man at Peniel, And he refused to let you go until you blessed him.
[9:59] When he walked away from that situation, He halted upon his thigh, And anyone who could see him thereafter, Would see clearly, In the outward disposition of his life, That he was a man who had fellowship with God.
[10:20] And we pray that that may be true, Of each one of ourselves. We remember those who are mourning today, Those whose hearts are heavy and sad, Those who have heard of the passing of loved ones.
[10:35] Bless them, we pray. And bless all those who are in particular need, This morning, wherever they are. Whether throughout this community, Or throughout our nation, And throughout the world.
[10:48] And we know that there are many throughout the world, That are in great need. We remember these areas of the world, Where there is war and bloodshed.
[10:59] We ask Lord that you would restrain the power of evil men, And that a just peace would be, Appointed to these nations, Where there is so much injustice, And so much dis-peace.
[11:17] We pray now for your blessing to be upon us, As we open your word. Thank you upon it for some time together, As we further sing your praise, And as we seek to call upon your name, In the secrecy of our own hearts.
[11:31] Go before us Lord, Forgiving all of our sins in Jesus name, And for his sake. Amen. Now I'm seeing some children here present, And I'd like to say a few words, To them in particular, But maybe some of these thoughts are appropriate to us all.
[11:55] The Bible teaches us that we ought to put, The most important things, First, In our lives.
[12:09] And there was once a teacher of whom I read, And he wanted to make that point, Clearly, Understood by his class.
[12:20] So he went into the room, Where he was teaching the children, And he brought in with him a large glass jar.
[12:31] And also in his other hand, He had a quite a heavy bag. And he didn't say anything, But he started taking some large rocks, From his bag, And putting them into the jar.
[12:49] Right up to the top of the jar. And he asked the class, Is the jar full? And they all said yes, Because they could see, The rocks were right up to the top.
[13:02] But then he bent over, And he took a bag, A little bag out of his bag, And he started pouring, Small stones, Into the jar.
[13:17] Small stones could work their way around, The large stones, Right into the bottom. And then he asked, Is the jar full now? And they were starting to wonder, Well, yes, it looks full yet.
[13:31] But then he got another bag, And in that bag, He had fine sand. And he started pouring the fine sand, Into the top of that glass jar.
[13:47] And the fine sand filled all the little crevices, Around the large stones, Right up to the top. And he said to the class, Is it full now?
[14:02] And they all said yes. But he had taken a, Little bottle of water with him. But the bottle of water, Opened it, And started pouring the water, Into the top of the jar.
[14:18] And sure enough, The jar filled up, With water, Right to the top. And he said, Is it full now?
[14:30] And of course they all agreed, It's full now. And he said, You have to remember in life, That you get the big things, Into your life, First of all.
[14:46] The important things. Like I put the large stones, Into the jar first. And then, The little stones found, Crevices between the large stones.
[14:59] And then the sand found, Little pockets that they could fill. And then at the end of the day, The water covered everything.
[15:10] And if you were going to talk about, The gospel in relation to that little story. What would you say? What would Jesus say?
[15:21] Well remember what Jesus said. Seek first, The kingdom of God, And his righteousness.
[15:32] And all other things, And all other things, Will be added unto you. Jesus knew the importance, Of putting the important things, First and foremost, Into your life.
[15:47] And how are you going to seek God, And his righteousness? What do you put into your life? Like that man put the large stones, First of all, Into the jar.
[16:00] What would you, First and foremost, Put into your life? To make sure that that's there. Whatever else is there. Well wouldn't you put the word of God, Into your heart?
[16:12] That you would ask the Lord, To fill your mind, And your heart, And your life, With his own word.
[16:23] The word of God, Contained in the scriptures, Of the old and the new testaments. The only rule to direct us, How we may glorify and enjoy him.
[16:36] And then of course, There are other important things, You have to, Seek to get into your life. Like the shingle and the sand. I mean there are personal relationships.
[16:48] There's love for family, Love for friends. There is commitment to your employer. There is being faithful in the community. All of these things.
[16:59] But, If you have the word of God, Directing your thoughts and outlook, These things all fall into the right place.
[17:11] Now, The Bible says, Is the accepted time. Today, Is the day of salvation.
[17:24] Today, If you hear my voice, Don't harden your heart. Ask the Lord, To give you grace, To receive his word, To receive Jesus as your savior.
[17:38] And that he be central to your life. In everything you say and do. Put the most important things first.
[17:50] And God himself must be first. In the life that's lived well. And you're never too young, To ask the Lord to give you.
[18:04] To know himself. And to follow him. In every detail. Of your life. May God bless. These thoughts to us.
[18:15] Now we'll sing again. This time from Psalm 119. Psalm 119. And verse 9.
[18:33] By what means. And this is the Scottish Psalter again. By what means shall a young man learn. His way to purify. If he according to thy word. Thereto attentive be.
[18:44] Unfeignedly thee have I sought. With all my soul and heart. O let me not from the right path. Of thy commands depart. Down to the end of that section.
[18:55] Verse 16. Upon thy statutes. My delight. Shall constantly be said. And by thy grace. I never will. Thy holy word.
[19:06] Forget. Psalm 119. Verses 9 to 16. By what means. Shall a young man learn. This way to purify. In the hour. In the hour.
[19:17] In the hour. For me to thy word. That to thy word. And to the Lord. For me to your word. And to thy word. Answer. If it shall be to action. Torah and people can provide.
[19:34] Verse 16. Le pled. S bread. Jesus. He approved ese. Хорошо and blessed beve.
[19:44] What. For me to the Roman. Machine. Turn thin every day of thy soul, with God my soul and heart.
[20:02] O let me know from the right path of thine calmest keepers.
[20:18] Thy word died in my heart of him, thy eye opened on me.
[20:33] O Lord, the heaven-blessed hour, thy sky which is on me.
[20:49] The church man saw thy heart each one, my death he cleared now.
[21:04] More joy thy death came on its way, than riches on me gave.
[21:21] I will thy holy presence in my meditation.
[21:35] And faithfully thy arm respawned unto thy wisdom.
[21:51] Upon thy statutes, mighty eye, shall long-standing be said.
[22:08] And by thy grace I never will thy holy word forget.
[22:38] Now let us read God's word from the Old Testament Scriptures.
[22:54] And from the book of Ecclesiastes and chapter 12. Ecclesiastes and chapter 12, I'm reading at the beginning.
[23:24] Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near, of which you will say, I have no pleasure in them.
[23:38] Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain. In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut, when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low.
[24:17] They are afraid also of what is high, and terror shall in the way. The almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets.
[24:38] Before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
[25:00] Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, all is vanity. Besides being wise, the preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care.
[25:17] The preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails.
[25:30] Firmly fixed are the collected sayings that are given by one shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these, of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
[25:49] The end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
[26:10] Amen. And may God bless to us that reading from his holy word. To his name be all the praise. Now we sing from Sing Psalms, and Psalm 119, and verse 105.
[26:27] Psalm 119, verse 105. Thy words are a lamp that shines before my feet.
[26:46] It is a light that guides me on my way. The oath that I have taken I have confirmed, that all your righteous laws I will obey. O Lord, you know that I have suffered much.
[27:00] Preserve my life according to your word. Accept the willing praises of my mouth. Instruct me in your righteous laws, O Lord. I will not disregard your holy law.
[27:13] Though constantly my life is in my hands, although the wicked set a snare for me, I have not left the path of your commands. Your statutes are my heritage always, and every day they make my heart rejoice.
[27:29] My heart is set on keeping your decrees, and to the very end they are my choice. East answers of Psalm 119, from Sing Psalms, verses 105 to 112.
[27:44] Your words are a lamp that shines before my feet. Your words are a lamp that shines before my feet.
[28:02] It is a light that guides me on my way.
[28:12] The oath that I have taken I confirm, that all your righteous laws I will obey.
[28:32] O Lord, you know that I have suffered much. Recept my life according to your word.
[28:51] Accept the willing praises of my mouth. Instead me in your righteous laws, O Lord.
[29:10] I will not dismay, our pure holy law.
[29:20] Though constantly my life is in my hands, O Lord, the wicked set a snare for me, I have not left the path of your commands.
[29:49] Of your God, the wicked set a snare for me. You've got to stop my heritage always, And every day they make my heart rejoice.
[30:10] My heart is set on keeping you peace. And to the end they are my choice.
[30:35] Now as the Lord enables us, let us turn to consider words we have in this portion we've read. The Book of Ecclesiastes and chapter 12.
[30:47] And particularly focusing on verse 11. The words of the wise are like goads and like nails.
[31:08] Firmly fixed are the collected sayings. They are given by one shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these.
[31:19] Of making many books there is no end. And much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments.
[31:32] For this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment. With every secret thing. Whether good or evil.
[31:43] Expositors are of the view that the writer of Ecclesiastes was King Solomon.
[32:03] And it says in chapter 1. At the beginning the words of the preacher, the son of David, King in Jerusalem.
[32:15] He was the son of David. Certainly he was King in Jerusalem and over the whole of Israel. And the word Ecclesiastes means a preacher or one who addresses an assembly.
[32:33] And Solomon would be a most qualified man to do so. If you think of what it says in 1 Kings chapter 3 at verse 12.
[32:49] For example. It says there. What an amazing word from the Lord that was to Solomon.
[33:17] And of course the words spoken by the Lord to him. Where a response to Solomon's request to be given wisdom. To rule such a great nation.
[33:31] As the nation of Israel over which the Lord had placed him as king. He felt in himself inadequate to fulfill that task. He asked the Lord for wisdom.
[33:44] And the Lord gave him wisdom above measure. But Solomon was still a man in this world.
[33:56] And if you were to turn to chapter 11 of 1 Kings. You find that among the sins of his life. Was that he.
[34:08] Was turned away in his heart from following the Lord. And it says at verse 4.
[34:18] 1 Kings 11. 4. When Solomon was old. His wives turned away his heart. After other gods. And his heart was not wholly true to the Lord.
[34:30] He is God. As was the heart of David. His father. And so on. The best of men. Are men at best.
[34:43] And Solomon. For one reason or another. Turned as it were. His back upon the Lord. To some extent. And his heart.
[34:54] Was drawn away to idol worship. The worship of idols. But we find him. Writing this marvelous book. Of Ecclesiastes.
[35:07] After he had been turned back. From his sin. By the Lord. He was a man. Who had been there. In sinful situations.
[35:18] Had done that. Had tested what the world was offering. Tested this. Tested that. Tested the other thing. And now. As a renewed. And forgiven man.
[35:29] He addresses his people. In this marvelous book of Ecclesiastes. And you know. One word that keeps.
[35:40] Repeating. Throughout the whole. Of this book. From beginning to end. Is. The word. Vanity. It is in the authorized version.
[35:51] Over 30 times. Throughout these. Short chapters. Of Ecclesiastes. It is. As if Solomon is saying. I have done this. But.
[36:01] At the end of the day. It was really nothing at all. I have tested that. I have been there. I have done that. And at the end of the day. Really.
[36:12] It was nothing. It was emptiness. And he goes through. And you have to read the whole book. Yourselves. To get an appreciation.
[36:23] Of. The whole. Message. That Solomon. Is giving. But then coming to the last chapter here. And the verse.
[36:34] Particularly. That I would like to focus on. Is verse 11. The words. Of the wise. Are like gauds. And like nails. Firmly fixed.
[36:47] Are the collected sayings. They are given. By one shepherd. Let's say first of all. One or two words. On what it says.
[36:59] The words of the wise. Are like gauds. In other words. The words of scripture. Given by.
[37:10] The great shepherd. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ. By his holy spirit. He inspired his prophets. He inspired his servants of old.
[37:21] And they spoke. The words of God. No prophecy was ever. Produced by the will of men. But men spoke from God.
[37:33] As they were carried along. By the holy spirit. And these words of ecclesiastes. Along with the whole of the scripture. Are inspired.
[37:44] And infallibly given. From the mouth of God. And the first thing it says. In this verse. Is that they are.
[37:54] Like gauds. They are for prompting us. To action. Secondly. They are like nails.
[38:06] Says in verse 11. Like gauds. And like nails. He will use nails. Ordinarily in life. To tie things together.
[38:17] And to stabilize. Whatever it is you are building. And the word of God. Is like a nail. Driven into the heart.
[38:28] And life of men. To give them stability. And thirdly. The words of the wise. Are like gauds and nails.
[38:40] They provide a focus. The words of God. Provide a focus for living. See what it says. At verse 13. The end of the matter.
[38:53] Fear God. Keep his commandments. For this is the whole duty. Of man. That's the focus. That the word of God.
[39:04] Encourages us to have. In our lives. The fear of God. To his will. Not to do our own thing. It is as if Solomon is saying.
[39:15] There was a time in my life. I did my own thing. And it wasn't to my benefit. And I now want to tell people. By way of warning. You look to God. And trust him.
[39:26] And do what pleases him. Rather than who pleases yourself. Firstly then. The goads. The words of the wise.
[39:38] Are like goads. A goad was like a prod. A stick. With a very sharp point. That farmers.
[39:49] And other people. Who used beasts of burden. They would use to prod their animals. If there was an animal. Struggling along. Pulling a cart.
[40:00] Or pulling a plough. Or needing to be directed. The man who was in charge of the animal. Would use this goad. Prodded. This way. Or that way. Or forward.
[40:13] And this is what it says here. About the word of God. Do you remember. When the apostle Paul. Relates the account.
[40:25] In act chapter 9. Of his own conversion. And he says. That the Lord Jesus. Spoke to him. And in the authorized version. It puts it this way.
[40:36] It is hard for you. To kick. Against the pricks. Or. In this new translation. Against the goads. It is as if.
[40:47] The apostle Paul. Was kicking. Against the word of God. Kicking against the God. Of the word. He was so taken up. With his own view. Of things. That he wanted to destroy.
[40:59] The church of Christ. But then the Lord. Came into his life. And changed him. Radically. And savingly.
[41:11] So what is the word of God. God. Do to you. And to me. If it's like a goad. In my life. Well what about.
[41:23] Sinners around us. We are all sinners. By nature and practice. And the word of God. Comes into our heart. Like a sharp goad.
[41:36] Remember on the day of Pentecost. When Peter was preaching. And the spirit of God. Came with such great power. And the people. Listening to his sermon.
[41:46] Were pricked in their hearts. It's as if. The word of God. With all the sharpness. Of heaven. Plunged. Straight into their consciences. Straight into their beings.
[41:59] And they were. A people. Who were goaded. In a saving way. By the word of God. Have you ever felt.
[42:11] In your own experience. The word of God. Sharply plunged. Into your conscience. Into your memory.
[42:22] Into your life. So that you realize. That God is speaking. To you. That it's not the person. Sitting beside you. It's not somebody else.
[42:33] In the work situation. It's you. He's highlighting. And the word of God. Is like a gold. It finds you. And when it is plunged.
[42:44] Into the sinner's heart. The sinner is awakened. To a sense of his need. Men and brethren. What shall we do? They said. Listening to Peter's sermon.
[42:56] At Pentecost. What shall we do? We turn this way. And it's sin. Turn that way. And it's lostness. What shall we do? We have crucified. The Lord of glory.
[43:08] And Peter said. Believe in him. And you will be saved. And friends. This is. What we must pray for. With. Increasingly.
[43:20] Great. Earnestness. That the Lord. Would send his spirit. To accompany. The faithful. Preaching of God's word. Throughout our pulpits. Throughout our land.
[43:31] And that the word of God. Would be. Like a god. In the life. Of young and old. Alike. Goding us. To repent.
[43:44] Of our sins. When Peter. Is. When Paul. Is writing to the Ephesians. This is another context. Christ.
[43:55] But he says. In Ephesians 5. Oh. Awake. Oh sleeper. And. Arise from the dead. And Christ. Will shine on you.
[44:07] He is. Goding the people. As it were. By the word of God. To awaken. To a sense of their duty. And a sense. Of their need. And that's what the Lord.
[44:18] Is doing here today. With me. And with yourselves. He is speaking to us. By his word. And giving us. A prompt.
[44:30] To act. What about the people of God. When the word of God. Is applied by the Holy Spirit. Well he prompts us.
[44:42] To more prayer. He prompts us. To live a godlier lifestyle. He prompts us. To more self-dedication.
[44:53] To the word of God. And the God of the word. He corrects us. Regarding your faults.
[45:07] He shows us. Where we are wrong. But going back. To the beginning. Of this chapter. I'll just spend. A couple of minutes.
[45:17] On this. He prompts us. To survey. The way we live. Our lives. In view. Of the coming. Inevitable death.
[45:31] And judgment. At the beginning. Of chapter 12. He says. Remember your creator. In the days of your youth. That's a real prompt.
[45:43] To the young. In particular. But to us all. And he goes through. The kind of. Marvelously.
[45:54] Sobering picture. Of. A person. Coming to old age. And infirmity. That says. Before the evil days.
[46:05] Come. Wherein you will say. I have no. Pleasure. In them. The years of old age.
[46:19] Are difficult days. For many. And then it says. In verse 2. Before the sun. And the light. And the moon. And the stars. Are darkened.
[46:29] Some people. Believe that. That is an indication. Of the way people. Progressively. Lose. The sense of sight.
[46:41] Their eyes. Begin to get dim. And then. The clouds. Return. After the rain. A picture of.
[46:52] One trouble. Is no sooner. Over. Than some other. Trouble. Comes in. The clouds. Come. After the rain. Has gone. And the day.
[47:03] When the keepers. Of the house. Tremble. Expositors. Believe. That that is. The arms. When they begin. To tremble.
[47:14] And weaken. With old age. And infirmity. And the strong men. Are bent. The legs. And the thighs. That were so strong.
[47:25] Doing everything. And going everywhere. Without any effort. Now the time. Will come. When they are bent. And feeble.
[47:36] And the grinders. Cease. Because they are few. They didn't have. The expertise. In dentistry. In Solomon's days.
[47:47] That we have nowadays. And people had. Problems with their teeth. The grinders cease. Because they are few. And those who look through the windows are dimmed.
[48:00] It's as if. People's perception of things. Is reduced. As the age. Advances. And the doors on the street.
[48:11] Are shut. When the sound of the grinding. Is low. It's as if metabolism. Is going down. All the time. And one rises up.
[48:21] At the voice of a bird. Or the sound of a bird. An indication. When people get older. How little sleep they get. And how quickly. Or soon.
[48:32] They are awake. At the least sound. And the daughters of song. Are brought low. We don't rejoice.
[48:42] In the things that gave us joy. When we were young. Afraid of that which is high. Terrors are in the way.
[48:54] The inclination of the hills. Are getting steeper. The age. The more age. The more. The older we get. The almond trees blossoming. And the grasshopper.
[49:05] Drags itself along. Ammon tree. Indication of. Whitening hair. Indicating. Advancing years. And the grasshopper.
[49:17] Drags itself along. It's as if. Weakness seems to. Prevail. More and more. And what Solomon here is saying is.
[49:28] Remember. When you're young. Is the time. To remember. To remember your creator. Before all of these complications.
[49:39] Come your way. Before memory starts to go. Before sight begins. To go. Before you. Your health is broken. In such a way. That you cannot go on any further.
[49:51] Make this the priority of your life. Remember your creator. Just as I said to the young people. Earlier on. Get this great.
[50:02] Focus on your life. Firmly established. The word of God.
[50:14] As a goad. Or as gods. Secondly. The word of God. It says here. As nails. Firmly fixed.
[50:27] Are the collected sayings. Given by one shepherd. I mentioned at the beginning. You would lose. Use a nail. Ordinarily.
[50:37] To. Tie things together. And to stabilize something. And that's exactly. I believe. What the scripture here. Is talking about. That the word of God.
[50:48] Besides being a god. To move you on. And prompt you to action. It is also a nail. Bringing your life together. There are some people.
[51:01] Who have had. Problems with drink. And drugs. And other things. And through various therapies. And encouragements from people. They're able to say. Well I got my life together.
[51:14] Well that's good at one level. But the best way. Of really getting your life together. Is to have the word of God. The scriptures of the gospel.
[51:25] Of the Lord Jesus Christ. Applied savingly. To your soul. The truth and the doctrines.
[51:35] Of the scriptures. When these are applied. To our souls. And our lives. By the Holy Spirit. It's as if our heart.
[51:46] Is nailed. Into its proper place. And into its proper rhythm. Ordinarily.
[51:58] A healthy heart. Has a particular kind of rhythm. When problems come. Rhythm goes out of kilter. Well that's the way it is. Spiritually speaking.
[52:09] With ourselves. Because of sin. Our heart. Is out of rhythm. We are out of step. With God. We are going that way.
[52:21] And the Lord says. That's the way. We seek our own. Ends. When he says. Glorify God. And when the word of God.
[52:35] Is applied. In this saving way. Souls. In this saving way. In this saving way. Souls. Are bound. To Christ.
[52:46] In an everlasting. Bond. With whom would you like. To be bound.
[52:58] All the days of your life. More than Jesus. I mean. It's beautiful. To see a married couple. And friends.
[53:08] Who are. Real friends. To each other. Bound. In. Loving relationships. But the most important.
[53:19] Relationship. Of all. Is the relationship. We have. With our Lord. In heaven. And how. Are we to be. Nailed to him.
[53:29] What kind of nails. Does he use. Well I believe. He uses the nails. Of everlasting. Love.
[53:42] That the nails. Of everlasting. Love. Are plunged. Into our hearts. And souls. Because. God loves.
[53:53] His people. With an everlasting. Love. And he proved that. When it says. That God. So loved the world. That he gave. His only begotten son.
[54:04] That whosoever. Believes in him. Should not perish. But have everlasting life. God. And he proves it. And he proves it to you. When he joins you.
[54:15] To himself. In his effectual calling. What stability. That gives a person's life. To be united to Jesus.
[54:28] To be united. To the savior of sinners. And to have him. Walk the way with you. And strengthen you. In every situation. When you need strength.
[54:41] In a marvelous picture. We have in the song of Solomon. There chapter 8. I think it's verse 5. The question is asked. Who is this? Coming up from the wilderness. Leaning.
[54:52] Upon her beloved. Why was she leaning upon her beloved? Because his nails. Of everlasting love. Had entered her heart.
[55:03] And life. And she was. Walking with him. In love and obedience. The word of God.
[55:17] Goes. And like nails. Firmly fixed. Well it doesn't matter. What trials come. Doesn't matter.
[55:29] What temptations. May come your way. This bonding. And this stabilization. Of your life. Through the nails.
[55:40] Of the gospel. Can never be broken. I will never leave you. He said. I will never ever.
[55:52] Forsake you. And of course. When you think of the word of God. And the people of God. It's as if.
[56:03] You have a. Mental and a heart. Relationship. With the word. And with the people of God. Do you remember.
[56:15] Do you remember what Ruth said. When challenged. By Naomi. To go back to her own people. And her own gods. Intreat me not to leave you. She said. Or to turn from following after you.
[56:27] Your people are my people. Your God is my God. And how was she able to say that. With such confidence. All because. All because.
[56:38] The nails of God's blessing. And God's love. Had bound her. Not only to the Lord himself. But to the Lord's people.
[56:49] And the Lord's cause. And God's word. Ask the Lord fervently.
[57:00] That he will. In a day of his power. Using this. Little picture. Nail us. To himself. More and more.
[57:12] And nail us. To one another. More and more. This was. It was said concerning the. Christians in the first century.
[57:24] Behold how they love one another. How were they able to live like that. Because. The nails of Christ's love. And blessing.
[57:35] Bound them. Not only to Christ himself. But also. To one another in love. That's the second point then.
[57:49] A good to prompt us. And a nail to stabilize our lives. And thirdly. To focus.
[58:01] Our affections. It says in verse 13. Let us hear. The end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments.
[58:12] For this is the whole duty of man. This man Solomon. Who had been given such wisdom. And. Blessing from God.
[58:25] At the beginning of his. Reign. As king over Israel. Who had nevertheless. Trooped up. And started. Worshipping idols.
[58:37] Now the Lord has brought him back. And he has drunk from all of these wells. Wells. Of the world. And wells of sensuality.
[58:48] And all of these different things. And he says it's nothing. It's nothing at all. This is what you should be focusing on. Fear in God. And keeping his commandments.
[59:04] What does fear in God. Really involve. Fear God. Well I believe. To fear God.
[59:15] It means to. Submit to him. In every. Aspect of our lives. Be in.
[59:26] Submission. To the God. Who made you. In submission. To the Savior. Who came into the world. To save sinners.
[59:39] Submit. To what he says. Ask. For grace. To believe in him. To serve him. To love him. That is. We are living.
[59:51] Not drinking. From the pools. Of. Filthy. Worldliness. Fear God.
[60:03] He says. Revere him. Obey him. Believe in his son. And. Seek. To do his will.
[60:15] Every day. And then it says. Verse 13. Keep his commandments. commandments. Well. The Pharisees.
[60:26] Thought they were keeping. The commandments of God. Besides the ten commandments. They had added another. Over 600. Laws.
[60:38] That they themselves. Thought. Would appropriate for them. To try and keep. To please God. God. But the Lord Jesus said.
[60:50] You have omitted. The main thing. Although you're trying to. Fulfill all of these. Different commandments. You've omitted.
[61:01] Love. And mercy. We are asked. To keep the commandments. Of God.
[61:11] In faith. From a principle. Of love. Oh. How I love your law. The psalmist said. It's my meditation. All the day. Are you able to say that?
[61:25] That the word of God. Is so precious to you. That you say. I love it. And you think about it. When you rise up. You think about it.
[61:35] Through the day. And you think about it. As night falls. As. The psalmist said that. We're asked then.
[61:46] To keep his commandments. And faith. From a principle. Of love. And then also. It says. That this is the whole. Duty. Of man.
[61:57] The end of verse 13. This is the whole. Duty. Of man. You find it interesting. That in the authorized version. Translation.
[62:08] The word. Duty. Duty. Is in italics. And it's not. Obviously. In the original. Hebrew.
[62:19] It could be. Translated. This is the whole. Of man. God. He says. Fear God.
[62:32] And keep his commandments. For this is the whole. Of man. It adds duty. By word of explanation. But.
[62:44] Wholeness. Of manhood. Wholeness. Of womanhood. Wholeness. In humanity. Cannot be.
[62:55] Divorced from. A submission to God. Your life is not complete. Your life is not wholesome. Your life is not.
[63:05] Whole. If you're not bowing. In faith and love. To the God of heaven. But however feeble.
[63:18] Your faith might be. And however. Cold. Your heart may feel. To you. Nevertheless. If you have saving faith.
[63:30] However small. All. And if your love. Is a love. That emanates. From the heart of Christ. Into your soul. Then.
[63:41] Wholeness. Has begun. In your life. If you love the Lord. Love his word. Love his people. Love all.
[63:52] Concerning him. Wholeness. Has begun. To root. Into your life. Life. And it will extend. To every aspect. Of your being.
[64:04] Your mind. Your conscience. Your will. Your affections. So that at death. The souls of believers. Are made perfect.
[64:15] In holiness. And who immediately. Pass into glory. And at the resurrection. Believers shall be raised. In glory. Openly.
[64:26] Acknowledged. And acquitted. At the day of judgment. Shall be made perfectly. Blessed. Body and soul. And enjoy. The fellowship. The fellowship. Of God forever.
[64:39] Fear God. And keep his commandments. This is a man. Taught by the spirit. And these words are.
[64:50] Inspired words of God. And they give us to know things. Just the way they are. And they lay it on the line to us.
[65:02] How we ought to live. The words. Of the wise. The words of scripture. Are like codes.
[65:13] To prompt us. Nails. To unite us to God. And. They are like. A focusing.
[65:25] Of our affections. And our lives. On the Lord himself. Be thankful. That we have. These words.
[65:36] Before us today. And ask the Lord. To give you. This focus. And thank him. For the uniting.
[65:48] To himself. Of those who believe. A union. That can never be broken. Because. Those who love Jesus.
[66:00] And who are loved by him. Will never be separate from him. At last. They will see him as he is. And shall be like him. May God bless these thoughts to us.
[66:13] Let us pray. Help us oh Lord. This morning. To be thankful for your word. And for the help of your spirit. Lord. And we pray that your.
[66:25] Spirit would apply to us. Personally. And. Collectively. The power of your word. And the power of.
[66:37] Your eternal life. We pray for your blessing. To be upon. The congregation. As they anticipate. The induction of Mr. McLeod. To be their minister.
[66:50] We ask Lord. That you would bless them. And give them. To continue in prayer. And that you would bless him. As he prepares to come.
[67:01] To minister the gospel to them. May he be a blessing. To young and old alike. Go before us now Lord. And forgive our sins. In Jesus name. We pray.
[67:12] Amen. Amen. And we will bring your worship. To our conclusion.
[67:22] At this time. Singing. From sing psalms. In Psalm 85. Psalm 85. And verse 8. I will hear what God the Lord says.
[67:37] to his saints he offers peace but his people must not wander and return to foolishness surely for all those who fear him his salvation is at hand so that once again his glory may be seen within our land verses 8 to 13 of Psalm 85 from Sing Psalms to God's praise I will hear what God the Lord says to his saints he offers peace that his people must not wander and return to foolishness surely for all those who fear him his salvation is at hand so that once again his glory may be seen within our land love and truth are bent together righteousness and peace and grace righteousness will show from heaven from the earth's faint faithfulness what his goodness the Lord will give us and their land his truth will be righteousness will be for them and his royal will be prepared now I'd like to go to the door after the benediction now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God our Father the fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with you all now and forevermore
[70:03] Amen