[0:00] Well good evening everyone and it's lovely to be with you again down in Tolstah, albeit on a very stormy night, but at least we get rid of all the cobwebs. I pray that as we worship together this evening we know God's blessing on our gathering here and that we very much know his presence with us.
[0:17] So we'll begin our worship this evening by singing to his praise from Sing Sam's version of Psalm 98. Sing Sam's version of Psalm 98 and we're going to sing from verse 1 down to verse 4.
[0:31] We'll sing a new song to the Lord for wonders he has done, his right hand and his holy arm whom victory has won. And down to the end of the verse, march 4. Acclaim the Lord, O all the earth. Shout loudly and rejoice. Make music and be jubilant to him. Lift up your voice.
[0:47] Let's raise our voices and praise our God. To sing a new song to the Lord for wonders he has done, his right hand and his holy arm whom victory has won.
[1:23] The Lord declared his saving word and made it to be known.
[1:38] To all the nations of the world his righteousness is shown.
[1:54] His death was love and faithfulness he has remembered well.
[2:10] The covenant he made with them the hearts of Israel.
[2:26] And all the nations of the earth have seen what God has done.
[2:44] Our God who brings deliverance by his right hand alone.
[3:01] Let's架im for nan toabolization he has done. Let's say the name of the man whoplatzen he has done.له to the world their dreams, but angry with might be impossible.
[3:17] Make music and be jubilant To him raise up your voice We're going to bow our heads together now for a word of prayer.
[3:41] Let's all bow before the Lord in prayer. Let's all bow our heads together.
[4:13] Lord, that as we do, we have been able by grace to come into your presence in an attitude of humility, acknowledging that we are nothing, Lord, and yet you are everything.
[4:24] You are the God in whom we live, move, and have our being. You are the God who provides for our every need each and every day. And we bless you, Lord, and we thank you for that. Indeed, the psalmist says, to render thanks unto the Lord, it is a comely thing.
[4:38] And so now, Lord, we do for the temporal blessings of this day. But, Lord, how much more we thank you for the spiritual blessings. We thank you, Lord, for the opportunity of gathering together this morning around your word and raising up and exalting your name and praising you, Lord.
[4:53] And, O Heavenly Father, we pray that as we gather here tonight, we would know your presence with us and your peace upon us, Lord. We pray that your spirit would move amongst us and minister to us, Lord, each one according to our needs.
[5:06] And, Lord, our needs are many, our needs are varied. But yet you are the God who is able to meet them all fully and freely in and through your Son, our blessed Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
[5:17] And, Lord, how we thank you above all else for Jesus. We thank you, our eternal God, for what he's done for us, Lord. We thank you, Lord, that way back in the beginning when man fell into sin, you promised a Saviour.
[5:31] And through the fullness of time, Jesus was born into this world as a baby, an innocent, helpless baby, Lord. And yet, God of all creation, God manifest in the flesh.
[5:43] And, Lord, we bless you and we praise you that your word bears record to that. And we have the freedom each and every day to lift that word, Father, and to read from it. And we pray, Lord, we'll be ever found doing that, seeking to know more and more of your amazing grace.
[5:58] Seeking to know more, Lord, of what you have in store for us. In our lives and seeking to know more of the direction, Lord, in which we ought to go. So, Heavenly Father, we thank you and we bless you for all Jesus did for us.
[6:12] And for the inheritance and the legacy that he left us. And, O Heavenly Father, we know that he came and he died. He suffered on that cruel cross. And, O Heavenly Father, when we think of what he endured for the likes of us, we cannot but matter, Lord.
[6:26] For, Father, we are unworthy of the least of your mercy, Son. Yet, Lord, you took the strokes of the scourge and the thorns in your head. Your spear in your side, Lord, all willingly. And, O Heavenly Father, we cannot but thank you and praise you for that.
[6:40] But, Lord, we know that that same Jesus, lo, he died. He rose again triumphant over the grave. Showed himself to many over the course of 40 days. And then, Lord, was exalted up to heaven.
[6:52] But, Lord, we know that one day he will return. And we pray and we ask in his precious name that we be looking and ready and waiting. That we wouldn't be caught off guard, Lord, like the foolish virgins.
[7:03] That we wouldn't be slumbering or sleeping. But that we keep our eyes focused upon him. So, Lord, we bless you and we praise you for these truths. Heavenly Father, we thank you for each and every family and each and every person represented here tonight.
[7:18] We pray for them and that you'll be with them and encourage them along the way. But, Lord, we pray also and we're mindful of those that are unable to join us. Perhaps there's some folk who won't come out because of the bad weather.
[7:29] And, Lord, that's perfectly understandable. Perhaps there's some folk, Lord, that can come out because of illness. And, O Lord, so we commit such to your care and to your keeping. And ask you to be with them and bless them where they are.
[7:42] Whether it be in the home or the hospital or the homes around our town and island. And we pray that you would know your presence, Lord, and your peace. And that round about and underneath are your everlasting arms.
[7:54] And we pray, Lord, for healing for the sick. We pray, O eternal God, that you show mercy to them. And restore them to full health and strength of your will. But, Lord, if not, and so often we know that's not the case for some.
[8:06] We pray, O God, that they would know your ever-present help in times of trouble. That they would know your peace, Lord. That they would know that peace that passes understanding and your divine presence with them. As they maybe go through dark and difficult times.
[8:19] So, Lord, we leave such in your care. And we pray, too, Father, for the bereaved. For those who have lost loved ones in these days. We ask you to be near to them, Lord. To be about them. And to bring that comfort, Lord, that only you can bring.
[8:33] Lord, we are poor comforters. And we acknowledge that. But you're the God who says, blessed are they who mourn. For they will be comforted. And you're a God who is good and honors each and every promise you give.
[8:44] So, O eternal Father, we just pray that in your mercy you would continue with us tonight. In this act of worship. That we be so aware of you, Lord. And we just pray that we be careful to give you and you alone all the glory.
[8:56] All the honor and all the praise. For it is you, Lord, and you alone who is worthy. So, continue with us, Father. Bless us together. Not for our asking, but for Jesus' sake. In whose precious name we pray.
[9:08] Amen. Amen. Amen. We're going to sing again. And this time we're going to sing from Psalm 25. Metrical Psalm 25. And you'll find that on page 231. And we're going to sing the verses 4 to 10.
[9:22] Verses 4 to 10. Show me thy ways, O Lord. Thy paths, O teach thou me. And do thou lead me in thy truth, therein thy teacher be. And down to the verse mark 10.
[9:32] The whole paths of the Lord are truth and mercy sure. To those that do his covenant keep and testimonies pure. We'll stand to sing to God's praise. Psalm 25, verses 4 to 10.
[9:44] To me, I praise you, O Lord. Thy paths, O teach thou me.
[10:01] And do thou lead me in thy truth, therein thy teacher be.
[10:16] For thou art God that dost. To me salvation send.
[10:31] And I upon thee all the day expecting to attend.
[10:47] By tender mercies, Lord, I pray thee to remember And loving kindnesses for thee have been awful forever.
[11:18] My sins and faults of youth, hear them, O Lord, forget.
[11:34] After thy mercy, think on me. And for thy goodness, great.
[11:53] The good and the bright is, the way he'll sit our show.
[12:09] The meek in judgment he will guide and make his path to know.
[12:26] The meek in judgment he will guide and make his path to know.
[12:42] Through those that do his covenant keep And testimonies pure We're now going to read from God's Word and if you will you can turn with me to the book of James.
[13:09] The book of James. I'm going to read there chapter 4 of that book. The book of James chapter 4. And it's a fairly short chapter so we'll read the whole chapter.
[13:35] It's the book of James chapter 4. And we're going to read from verse 1 right through the whole chapter. So let's read and hear God's Word together. James chapter 4 verse 1.
[13:47] What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this? That your passions are at war within you. You desire and do not have.
[13:59] So you murder. You covet and cannot obtain. So you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions.
[14:13] You adulterous people. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world make himself an enemy of God.
[14:25] Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the scripture says, He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us. But he gives more grace.
[14:35] Therefore it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
[14:48] Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and putify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
[15:02] Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil against one another, brother. The one who speaks evil against a brother or judges a brother speaks evil against the law and judges the law.
[15:16] But if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge. He who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
[15:28] Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town And spend a year there and trade and make profit. Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.
[15:41] What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time And then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.
[15:52] As it is, you boast in your own arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do And fails to do it, For him it is sin.
[16:05] Amen. And we pray that the Lord would add a blessing To that reading from his own holy and inspired word. We're just going to bow again for a short word of prayer. Our living God and our Father, We thank you and we bless you, Lord, For the way that is ever open.
[16:22] We thank you, Lord, That you never tire of your people Coming to you in prayer. You always, Lord, incline your ear to us. And we rejoice, Lord, in the fact That you're not just a hearer of prayer, But you're the one who answers Even far beyond our asking.
[16:36] And we thank you, eternal God, For that. And we pray, Lord, That we be bold in asking. Asking for things, Lord, That glorify your name. Asking and praying for others.
[16:47] And especially, Lord, For those who as yet Have no knowledge of Jesus Christ. And Father, we pray for this community Wherein we're found this night. We thank you, Lord, For the village of Tolstah. And we pray, Lord, For each and every home in this village.
[17:01] And Father, we acknowledge And we realise That there are those, Lord, Who are in their homes tonight. As we prayed earlier, Because of fullness. But, Lord, We now acknowledge, too, That there are those That in their homes tonight.
[17:13] They have no thought, Lord, Of eternal welfare. They didn't even consider Coming into the church building. And so, Father, We pray That these people Will be reached in some day, Some way In the future, Lord.
[17:25] That they be made aware, Lord, That there is a Jesus Who loves them. That there is A life, That there is a death, And that there is An eternity. So, Heavenly Father, Work our good work In this area, We pray.
[17:37] And we pray to that end For the minister Of this congregation. We pray, Lord, For Donald, And we pray for both he And his wife, Emma. And ask you to bless them And to be with them And to encourage them, Lord.
[17:52] And we know this day, Lord, That they celebrate An anniversary. And, Lord, We pray That there will be many more For them In their life together. And indeed, Lord, That they would see Much fruit for their labors In their ministry In this place.
[18:05] So, Heavenly Father, We just ask you In your mercy To come amongst us And to encourage us Along the way. Oh, Eternal God, We're so conscious That other congregations Are meeting Even now In and around the island In Stornoway And in all the other villages We're aware, too, That there's a couple Have cancelled Because of the weather.
[18:24] But, oh, Heavenly Father, We just pray That you'd minister To the people, Lord, In some way. So, Father, Bless the services. Bless all the ministers Who preach. And we pray That the word Will go forth in power This evening.
[18:36] Even now, Lord, To the saving of souls. So, Heavenly Father, We just ask you In your mercy now Just to continue with us, Son. Lord, to move amongst us. And Lord, just equip us For all that lies ahead.
[18:49] Accept thanks now, Father, Once again And forgive sin In his name we pray. Amen. Amen. So, before we turn To God's word again We're going to sing This time we're going To sing some verses From the Psalm number 84.
[19:01] Psalm 84 And you'll find that On page 388. 388 And we'll sing Psalm 84 From verses 8 to 12. Verse 8 to 12.
[19:12] Lord, God of hosts My prayer hear O Jacob's God give ear See God our shield Look on the face Of thine anointed dear And thou, O Lord O thou that art The Lord of hosts That man is truly blessed That man is truly blessed Who by assured confidence On thee alone doth rest Psalm 84 Verse 8 To verse 12 To God's praise Lapse Já For God's grace Come on earth Seek God and lift you on the face of my anointed dear.
[20:05] For in thy courts one day excels a thousand reverend.
[20:19] My God's house will I keep adore and dwell in tents of sin.
[20:35] For God the Lord's son and shield, he'll grace and glory give.
[20:51] And will withhold no good from them that uprightly do live.
[21:06] O the Father, the God of hosts, not modest, truly blessed.
[21:22] Who by assured confidence all thee alone doth rest.
[21:47] Let's bow for a moment. Our living God and our heavenly Father as we come now to your word. We ask and pray that you would arrest our thoughts and minds. Forbid Lord that they stray to what we've maybe done earlier.
[21:59] Or what we maybe need to do later. Or even the week that lies ahead. But help us Lord to focus wholly on your word. And what you say to us from it. And remember Lord it is you speaking to us from your word.
[22:13] And we pray we'd be receptive to it Lord. And not just that we'd be hearers of the word. But that we'd also be doers Lord. For it avails nothing if we come and sit and listen.
[22:23] And don't go forth and tell the good news of salvation. Through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So bless us now Lord. We pray this for both speaker and hearer alike.
[22:35] In Jesus name. Amen. Amen. So we're going to turn back now to the passage that we read there from the book of James chapter 4. And I would like us to look together at the last few verses that we read there.
[22:49] From verse 13 down to the end of the verse March 17. Which come under the heading in my Bible. Boasting about tomorrow. Boasting about tomorrow.
[23:02] And you could take as you wish for your text. The verses March 14. Where we read. Yet you do not know what tomorrow brings. What is your life?
[23:15] For you are a mist that appears for a little time. And then vanishes. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while.
[23:27] A little time. And then vanishes. And as we look at these verses this evening. We're going to take it under three headings. So firstly we're going to look at the brevity or the briefness of life.
[23:39] Secondly we're going to look at the certainty of eternity. And finally we're going to look at the necessity for preparation. That's the brevity of life.
[23:50] The certainty of eternity. And the necessity for preparation. So first the brevity of life. Now I'm pretty sure that we all each and every one of us.
[24:04] Have memories of when we were young. And how we longed for certain occasions to come around. For example birthdays or holiday times. Perhaps Christmas or a family wedding.
[24:17] Or something else. And you check the date and you think oh it's a few weeks away yet. And you would fill the time really long. It would really drag. And the more we longed for that day to come around.
[24:29] The longer it seemed to take to arrive. Time whereas it seemed dragging. It just seemed to be so slow. And I remember that for myself.
[24:39] I remember growing up and just looking at these very things I mentioned. Waiting for your birthday to come. Oh boy it took so long to come around. And I remember my grandfather saying to me on many occasions.
[24:50] The older you get. The quicker it goes. And I couldn't understand that. I just couldn't understand that. Because the time seemed to drag. When you were young.
[25:01] And when you're waiting. For that special occasion to come around. And now tonight. With the exception of maybe the younger ones here. Each and every one of us would conclude.
[25:13] How swiftly time flies. It just flies. Albert Einstein once said regarding time.
[25:24] There certainly seems to be less of it around than there used to be. Time has gone by so quick. This great man said. There certainly seems to be less of it.
[25:37] About than there used to be. And we have in fact like I said. Said often how time flies. We wonder where a week went. I don't know if I'm the only one here.
[25:47] But you begin the week of course on the Monday. Or the Sunday on the Monday. And then by Wednesday or Thursday. You turn around to your wife or husband. What day is it? And you just seem to lose the track of time. It goes by so swiftly.
[25:59] And you know people say. It's because of the age we live in. All this technology that we're surrounded with. So many changes. Time has gone by so quickly.
[26:10] And so swiftly. We've got everything at our hands. Everything is just so handy. We've got more conveniences in the home to help us. We've got cars. Everybody's got a car nowadays.
[26:23] Buses we've had for years. And we've got all these things. Things that help us in and around the home. And can take us from point A to point B. In relatively short time.
[26:34] You know the strange thing about it. We seem to have less time. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in a day for us. To get everything done.
[26:45] That we'd like to be done. And you know. It's always been like that. To some extent. It's always been like that. Every age and every generation.
[26:56] Probably had the same complaint. Man. Where's the days going? Time flies. And indeed scripture suggests. That's the way it has always been. For example.
[27:07] The psalmist writes in Psalm 144. In verses 3 and 4. Oh Lord. What is man that you regard him? Or the son of man that you think of him?
[27:20] Man is like a breath. His days are like a passing shadow. Man is like a breath. His days are like a passing shadow.
[27:31] And again in Psalm 39 verses 4 to 6. He says. He writes. Oh Lord. Make me know my end. And what is the measure of my days? Let me know how fleeting I am.
[27:45] Behold. You have made my days a few hand breaths. And my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath.
[27:59] And here in this portion before us today. We read James posing the question. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time.
[28:10] And then vanishes. And you know we have to agree. Agree with these writers. For as we are gathered here this evening. We are into the fourth month of the year already.
[28:23] And it hardly seems just a short time ago. When we were welcoming it in. We are into April as I said. And can we not identify with Job. When we wrote there.
[28:34] When he wrote there in the book. Firstly in chapter 9 verse 25. My days are swifter than a runner. He said. They flee away. They see no good.
[28:45] And then again. In chapter 7 and verse 6. He wrote. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle. They come to their end without hope. Words written by a man in turmoil.
[28:59] But how true these words are. How true they are. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle. And you know. There was indeed a day. In and around the villages. Even in the town.
[29:10] When you would walk through a village. Or walk in some areas around the town. And you would hear the loom. You would hear the sound of the shuttle. Rushing back and forth. It's maybe not so common today.
[29:20] Although there are plenty of weavers around yet. But it was very very common back in the day. And you would hear the clatter of the room. Click click click of the shuttle. And you know if you took time. And if you went in to watch the weaver.
[29:32] You would see the shuttle flying back and forth. At a high speed. And as the shuttle went back and forth. Of course. It wound itself in with the other. The other.
[29:45] Mool sets. I've just lost track there. It winds itself in. And it ends up. And it makes a pattern. And as you look at the pattern. That it leaves in its weight. And you can see the thread and everything knitted together.
[29:57] And you've got there. A tweed. A pattern. In the cloth. That began to emerge through the efforts of the weaver. And so it is in life for each and every one of us.
[30:12] Each of us weaves a pattern in our journey of life. Every one of us as we travel on in time. And you know there will come a day. When perhaps we'll take stock.
[30:23] And we'll have a look back as it were. And we'll see the pattern of our lives. Laying out behind us. And you know. We look at that panoramic view.
[30:36] And we might ask ourselves the question. Where has it all gone? Where has it all gone? And we may even wish at times. That we could roll the clock back.
[30:48] Or turn the calendar back. In order to reclaim some of these days. Or even to change some certain things. That we've done. Or wish we'd done.
[31:00] But of course that's impossible. Because as we all know. The calendar and the clock. Both go only in one direction. They go forward. And you cannot wind them back.
[31:12] So humanly speaking. We cannot claim the past. Any more. Than we can be guaranteed the future. We cannot claim the past.
[31:24] Neither can we be guaranteed the future. But you know the thing is. We're good at looking back. And we're good at reminiscing on the past. Reflecting on the good old days. As they were then.
[31:35] And yet never dwelling. Too much. On the future. Never mind making preparation for it. Now I'm not talking about our nest egg.
[31:47] I'm not talking about a pension plan. And I'm sure we're all wise enough. To make preparation in that respect. I'm talking about something. That's far more important. I'm talking about.
[31:57] Spiritual. Preparation. Putting it bluntly. Are we prepared? Are we really prepared? To stand before a just and holy God.
[32:11] And give account. As to how we have lived our lives. Here on this earth. And can we do that. Without fear of condemnation.
[32:22] Because let me tell you. The day is coming. To each and every one of us. It doesn't matter how many years. We think are stretched out ahead of us. It's coming.
[32:33] And it's coming swiftly. C.S. Lewis once said. The future is something which everyone reaches. At a rate of 60 minutes per hour.
[32:47] Whatever he does. Whoever he is. And that statement tells us. No one is exempt. The future will reach each and every one of us.
[32:59] And yet how often. If ever. Do we consider how many years lie before us. None of us know. None of us can tell. What a day or an hour it'll bring.
[33:11] But you see. Because of our nature. Our human nature. We think we'll go on forever. We've seen others go before us. And we put it so far from ourselves.
[33:26] You don't maybe give it enough thought. That one day. It will. Indeed. Be one of us. And perhaps instead of. Considering our future. Our eternal future.
[33:38] We just carry on regardless. Without a care in the world. We just get on with it. Without a care in the world. You know time as we thought. Is passing by so quickly.
[33:50] And we can neither slow it down. Or turn it back. And in the light of that knowledge. We must surely make preparation.
[34:01] For the future. For eternity. And we mustn't delay. Just remember. The brevity of time. And that brings us now to our second point.
[34:14] The certainty. Of eternity. So what is eternity? Well according to the dictionary. It is infinite time.
[34:25] Or time without beginning or end. And you know what? If we dwelt on that. And we really thought about it. We'd begin to get a bit lost. With the whole concept.
[34:37] It's hard to even begin to fathom. Eternity. The endlessness of it. If you like. We just can't. Get our heads around it. And yet.
[34:47] It's something. That we will all experience. One day. No ifs. No buts. No way around it. Each and every one of us. Will enter into eternity.
[35:00] Either through death. Or if the Lord Jesus Christ. Comes first. One way or another. We will be there. But as I touched on a moment ago.
[35:12] We live our lives here on earth. As we'll never die. And we tend to live for the temporal. We want to grasp. And experience. All this world has to offer.
[35:24] We're caught up in the here and now. But what we should realize. Is that temporal issues. Have eternal consequences.
[35:36] Temporal issues. Have eternal consequences. And you might ask. Well how can the way I live. Change eternity. And the answer is. Of course it doesn't. Eternity cannot be changed.
[35:48] And nothing we can do. Or say. Or think. Will change. Eternity. It is unchangeable. It is said. It is said.
[36:00] By the creator. Of all things. However. The way we live. Here and now. Although it cannot change eternity. It will have a bearing.
[36:13] And it will determine. Something very important. For each and every one of us. It will determine. Where we spend.
[36:24] Eternity. How we live. In the here and now. What we believe. In the here and now. Will determine. Where we will spend eternity.
[36:35] And that is something. That has tremendous. Implications. For each and every one of us. You know. There are those who think. That eternity is nothing. It's nothing.
[36:46] To think it's almost. A state. Where you're in limbo. Just floating around. For the want of a better description. Once you die. They think. That's it. Lights out.
[36:57] It's the end. The end. The end of eternity. And you just drift forever. And there's nothing there. For you to fear. That's a mindset. Of some people. But that's not the case.
[37:09] Because the Bible. Tells us differently. For example. In Isaiah. In chapter 57. And in verse 15. We can read there. For this says the one.
[37:20] Who is high. And lifted up. Who inhabits eternity. Whose name is holy. I dwell. In the high. And holy place.
[37:32] So what do we read from that? We read. That the Lord. Who is high. And lofty. Inhabits. Eternity. God is there.
[37:43] God. Inhabits. Eternity. So don't let anyone. Tell you. There's nothing there. There's nothing to be feared. Almighty.
[37:54] God. The Father. Dwells. In eternity. He. Is. There. Time and again. In scripture. We're told. How we may gain.
[38:05] Eternal life. And that's a great thing. Isn't it? To be able to read. How. You can gain. Eternal life. And we know. There's one way. And one way alone. Through faith.
[38:16] And trust. In our Lord. Jesus Christ. And we're told that. In the Bible. Time and time again. But in Romans. 6 and 23.
[38:27] We are also told. Quite plainly. That there is not. Only eternal life. But there is also. Eternal death. For we read there.
[38:39] The wages of sin. Is death. Death. But the free gift of God. Notice that. The free gift of God. It doesn't cost you a thing. The gift is free. And it's extended to each and every one of us.
[38:52] For the wages of sin is death. Death. But the free gift of God. Is eternal life. In Jesus Christ. Our Lord. So there you have it. Eternity.
[39:03] Eternity. Holds. Two destinations for us. Two destinations. One. Being a place of eternal life. And blessing. In the presence.
[39:14] Of God the Father. And Jesus Christ the Son. And the other. Being a place. Of eternal death. The book of Revelation. Tells us in chapter 21.
[39:24] And verse 8. Something of the horror. Of that eternal death. Or eternal damnation. As Mark calls it. In his gospel. Revelation reads. But as for the cowardly.
[39:36] The faithless. The detestable. As for murderers. The sexually immoral. Socialers. Idolaters. And all liars. Their portion will be in the lake.
[39:48] That burns with fire. And sulfur. Which is. The second death. Hebrews 9 and 27. Tells us. As it is appointed.
[39:59] For man to die once. But after this. The judgment. The writer says. We die. Then face the judgment. And if we are then.
[40:11] Found wanting. If we have not. Made our peace. With the Lord. Jesus Christ. If we have rejected. His free offer. Of salvation.
[40:23] Then we face. What is termed. As. The second death. We read about it. And all it contained. A moment ago. And where does that lake of fire burn?
[40:36] Only one place. In the pit of hell. Itself. A place. To be shunned. At all. Costs. Who would wish. To spend eternity.
[40:46] In such a place. And should that. Not drive. Us. As Christian believers. To tell. The lost. And the needy. These truths. From the word.
[40:57] Of God. In order that they too. May know the consequences. Of a lost. Eternity. And so. Be presented. Be presented. With the opportunity.
[41:07] To receive the gift. Of eternal life. Through faith. In. The Lord Jesus Christ. Not that any of us. Deserve that gift. We don't. Not one of us.
[41:17] Because we have all sinned. And fallen short. But. The Lord. Delights. To reward our faith. In his son.
[41:29] The Lord Jesus. What a priceless gift. We've been given. By God the Father. A gift that cannot be bought. The gift of eternal life.
[41:41] Eternity. Spent. In his presence. Forever. Worshipping. Praising. Glorifying. His holy name.
[41:52] And where will that place be? Where will that place be? Well we can read of that place. In Revelation 21. That place. Called. Heaven. And it's entitled there.
[42:03] A new heaven. And a new earth. And I saw a new heaven. And a new earth. For the first heaven. And the first earth. Had passed away. And the sea was no more. There was no separation. The sea was no more.
[42:14] And I saw the holy city. New Jerusalem. Coming down out of heaven. From God. Prepared. As a bride. Adorned for a husband. And I heard a loud voice. From the throne saying.
[42:26] Behold. The dwelling place of God. Is with man. He will dwell with them. And they will be his people. And God himself. Will be with them. As their God.
[42:37] He will wipe away. Every tear. From their eyes. And death shall be no more. Neither shall be any mourning. Nor crying. Nor pain anymore.
[42:48] For the former things. Have passed. Away. And when you go home. If you get a minute. Read right through chapter 21. And it tells you. Of that glorious place.
[43:00] The new heaven. Where each. Of the believers. Of the Lord Jesus Christ. Will. Spend. Eternity. So what's the conclusion then. There is certainly.
[43:12] And there is without. A doubt. An eternity. And not only that. But eternity. Holds. Two. Destinations. As we often hear.
[43:24] In prayer. When our brothers are up. Praying at a prayer meeting. There is a heaven to be gained. And a hell. To be shunned. A heaven to be gained.
[43:35] And a hell. To be shunned. And you know. Sometimes maybe we'll pray that. And it's almost. As a throw away comment. But what a comment that is. Just think about.
[43:45] The truth of that. There is a heaven. To be gained. And what a gain. For the soul of man. What a gain. But there is a hell.
[43:57] To be shunned. And we said earlier. Who would want to go. To such a place. And the question here. Tonight is. Where are you heading?
[44:08] Where am I heading? And if we know. In our hearts of hearts. That we may be heading. For the wrong destination. Then you're still. This night. On mercy's ground.
[44:19] You're still standing. In the day. Of opportunity. Grasp. That. Opportunity. Nail your colors. To the mast.
[44:30] And accept. The Lord Jesus Christ. Into your heart. And all fear. Of hell. And damnation. Will fall away. Because you've got Jesus.
[44:43] And he. Will hold. You fast. That brings us now. To my final point. The necessity. Of preparation.
[44:54] The necessity. Of preparation. One of the problems. That James highlights. In a reading. This evening. Was the fact. That those. Who planned their future. Did so. Not with the wrong motives.
[45:05] There's nothing wrong. With forward planning. It's a good thing to do. But they did it. In the wrong manner. James is writing here. In his book. To Christian believers.
[45:17] And yet. In all their planning. They failed. To include. The Lord. It was all done. In an air of self-confidence. Self-reliance.
[45:29] And indeed. Boastfulness. And presumptuousness. It was done. In a manner. Which even suggested. That they. Themselves. Were in control.
[45:39] Of their own destiny. And even. The timeline. For their lives. As I said earlier. None of us know. What a day. Or an hour.
[45:49] Can bring. And yet. Here were these believers. And they were. Considering their future. And what they were going to do. But not. Once. Did they lay it. Before the Lord.
[46:00] Not once. Did they bring it. To God. In prayer. So taken up. Whether with business. And profit. They neglected. The scriptures. That they would own. Have known so well. These people.
[46:11] James was addressing. Here in this book. They were. Primarily Jews. Jews. Saved. By the grace. Of God. They were Jewish. And these men.
[46:22] Would have been familiar. With scripture. Scripture. They would have been. Brought up to it. From their youth. They would have been. Taught of it. Taught of it. And it would have been. Drummed down to them. And so they should have. Known the scriptures. And one scripture.
[46:32] That they should have known. And they should have. Thought on. Is Proverbs 16. And 9. The heart of man. Plans his way. But the Lord. Establishes.
[46:44] His steps. The heart of man. Plans his way. But the Lord. Establishes. His steps. And then again. There's Proverbs 27. And 1.
[46:55] Do not boast. About tomorrow. For you do not know. What a day may be bring. Do not boast. About tomorrow. For you do not know. What a day may bring.
[47:05] And that's what we said. A moment ago. But it seems. That these people. Neglected the scriptures. Now it was said. Of the Jews. That they were. The great traders. Of the ancient world. They were renowned.
[47:17] For their shrewdness. And business. And indeed. They still are. To this day. And in many. Of the developing cities. In the world. Back in the day. The Jews were welcomed. And they were indeed.
[47:27] Encouraged. To come in. To new areas. Where they were setting up. Maybe a town. Or a city. Because the people knew. Wherever the Jews went.
[47:38] Commerce. Trade. And profit. Would follow. So they were willing. To invite them. And indeed. To give them. Free citizenship. Into these areas.
[47:50] And into these communities. And these business areas. So if there's a defense. For the Jewish believers there. It could be. That this. Reputation.
[48:01] That they had. Perhaps left them. A bit proud. Of their achievements. And they became. Self-assured. They became. Self-reliant. And they became.
[48:12] Overconfident. In their own. Abilities. And they felt. That they didn't need God. They didn't need. To bring it before him. And ask him.
[48:22] For guidance. And that's the message. That James was trying. To get across to them. Consider. The Lord. In your plans. Bring him.
[48:33] In. To them. You know. Pride is often. The greatest challenge. That one will face. In his. Or her life. It's pride. That causes man.
[48:44] To focus on himself. And his own. Abilities. Rather. Than on God. And his. God-given. Abilities. It's pride.
[48:54] It's pride. When we yield. To our carnal desires. Our sinful desires. And not to the will. Of God. It's pride. That tempts us. To please.
[49:04] Ourselves. And not God. Just to leave him. Standing. As it were. On the sidelines. William Barclay. Once said. Pride.
[49:15] Is the ground. In which. All. Other. Sins. Grow. We must. Beware. Of pride. We must. Attempt.
[49:26] To keep it. In check. Because. Of the best. Will. In the world. We're all. Human. We're all. Sinners. And yet.
[49:38] Praise God. Saved by grace. And the opportunity. Is extended. To each. And every. One of us. As we travel through. Our life's. Journey.
[49:48] James. Touches on that. When he said. In verse 16. As it is. You boast. In your. Arrogance. They were arrogant. James saw it in them.
[49:59] He said. You boast. In your arrogance. All such. Boasting. Is evil. James. Had seen them. Rushing into. Error. When they formulated. Their plans. But didn't.
[50:10] Include. The Lord. In them. And so. He rebuked them here. And he pointed them. In the right. Direction. You know. It's always been. The mark. Of a serious. Minded.
[50:20] Man. Or woman. That they include. The Lord. In all their plans. Because they realize. That the future. Is not really. In their own hands.
[50:32] But in. The Lord's hands. And it is by. God's. Will. Only. That all things. Come. To pass. So here is a way.
[50:43] In which. In which. We. Can make preparation. For eternity. Include. The Lord. In all. Our plans. And hopes.
[50:55] And not just. For the moment. But especially. For our eternal. Future. For I'm sure. That even the best of us. And with the best. Will in the world.
[51:05] Don't. Include the Lord. In all. Our plans. And how we should. Take heed. Of that. Warning. That James gave. To these. Jewish believers. So many years ago.
[51:18] Include. The Lord. In our plans. How we ought to pray. About that. And make it. Part of our routine. In our lives. And you know.
[51:28] There's others. Who prepared for eternity. In different ways. For example. The pharaohs. Of Egypt. When they died. They ensured. That they were surrounded. By fabulous treasures.
[51:39] So they would be provided for. In the afterlife. They had all these treasures. So they would be provided for. In the afterlife. Sadly.
[51:49] They were well. Off the mark. And the only ones. Who benefited. From that fabulous treasure. Were grave robbers. And archaeologists. And even in more modern times.
[52:00] Even perhaps to this day. There are people. Who put articles. Into their coffins. Alongside. Their loved ones. In order to bring them. Comfort. On the other side. But the fact.
[52:12] Of the matter. Is. No matter. What goes. With you. Money. Possessions. Or whatever. It doesn't make a blind bit of difference.
[52:24] To your situation. Once you depart this life. We came into this world. Naked. And helpless. And we leave it. The same way.
[52:35] There is only one thing. That we need. To take out. Of this world. And that is. Faith. In the Lord. Jesus.
[52:45] Christ. Faith. In the Lord. Jesus. Christ. Christ. He. Is the way. To eternal life. It doesn't matter. What anybody else. Tells you.
[52:57] You'll hear people saying. Oh you can get to heaven. If you do this. Or you get to heaven. If you do that. Or always lead to heaven. Only. Jesus. And faith in him. Leads.
[53:08] To heaven. And you know. That I would sooner trust. In what the Lord. Jesus Christ. Says. From his word. He spells it out. For us. In there.
[53:18] And as you read it. From the pages. Of the Bible. You could say. It's simplicity. Itself. When you read the gospels. And when you read. Of what Jesus has done. And when you read.
[53:29] Of how you can come to him. And accept him. It's simplicity. In itself. But what do we do? We tie it in knots. And we make it so. Difficult.
[53:40] We really. Really do. Trust in Jesus. For your salvation. And he will. Take you to glory. He will. Take you to heaven.
[53:52] It's simple. Isn't it? But if that's the case. Why is it. That there are so many. Who are still. Unsaved. Why are so many.
[54:04] So indifferent. To the gospel. Why is it. That so many. Are totally opposed. To the gospel. And those who seek. To follow the Lord. Jesus Christ. Well I'll tell you why. Because we have an enemy.
[54:17] We have an enemy. Who's working. Away. In the background. And he's active. And he's. Spreading lies. And he's spreading. In rumors. And he's even.
[54:28] Causing havoc. In the church. Of our Lord. Jesus Christ. He's the one. Who tell us. Who tells us. That eternity. Holds nothing.
[54:38] To fear. And so. For us. Well living. For today. He says. Take what the world. Has to offer. And relish it. Because that's. All there is.
[54:51] Well he's a liar. And the truth. Is not in him. So again. I urge you. This evening. If you haven't already. Done so. To trust in Jesus Christ.
[55:02] And not for this life alone. But. For all. Eternity. Abraham Lincoln. Once said. The best thing. About the future.
[55:13] Is. It comes. One day at a time. One day at a time. Wise words indeed. But I'm telling you all here. And I'm telling myself.
[55:24] None of us know. When it will be. Our last one. So we must. Make. That. Preparation. And believe.
[55:35] And trust. In Jesus. And his finished work. On Calvary. Believe. All that he says. In the scriptures. Regarding himself.
[55:46] Is. True. Believe it. Believe it. In Luke's gospel. We read there. Of Jesus. Reading from Isaiah. He went into the.
[55:57] Synagogue. And he was handed the scroll. And Jesus unrolled the scroll. As was his custom. It says. We went into the synagogue. On the Sabbath day. And he stood up to read. And the scroll.
[56:07] Of the prophet Isaiah. Was given to him. He unrolled the scroll. And he found the place. Where it was written. The spirit of the Lord. Is upon me. Because he anointed me.
[56:19] To proclaim good news. To the poor. He has sent me. To proclaim liberty. To the captives. And recovering of sight. To the blind. To set at liberty.
[56:30] Those who are oppressed. To proclaim. A year. Of the Lord's. Favor. A prophecy. Written. By Isaiah.
[56:42] Thousands of years. Before Jesus Christ. Was born into this world. And a couple of verses. After he read that prophecy. Jesus Christ declared. Today.
[56:53] This scripture. Has been fulfilled. In your hearing. Jesus. Came in. To this world. As it was foretold.
[57:04] And he came into this world. With the sole purpose. To save sinners. To save sinners. Through his death. On the cross. So through faith in him. And all that he achieved there.
[57:16] At Calvary. We would have. The hope. Of glory. But praise. God. Although Jesus Christ. Died. There. On that cross.
[57:27] He rose. Triumphant. From the grave. And we celebrated that. Last week. Did we not? When we celebrated. The risen. Lord Jesus. And for some.
[57:38] Forty days. He showed himself. To many. And there are many. Infallible. Undeniable. Proofs. That Jesus Christ. Rose from the dead. And then after 40 days.
[57:48] As I said. He ascended up to heaven. To take his place. At the right hand. Of God. The father. But you know what? Further to that.
[57:59] We're told. One day. That. Same. Jesus. Will return. In the book of Acts. In chapter 1. That same Jesus. You see going up. Will one day return.
[58:12] In the same way. He's coming back. He's coming back. And not one of us. Knows. When that will be. No one knows. That day.
[58:22] Or hour. Not the son. No. Only. God. The father. It is he who will decide. When Jesus. Will return. So we need.
[58:34] To be ready. And we need. To be standing. And we need. To be waiting. Verse 17. Says. Whoever knows. The right thing.
[58:45] To do. And fail. To do it. For him. It is. Sin. Whoever knows. The right thing. To do. And fails.
[58:55] To do it. It is sin. And I am telling you. Here tonight. In this church. In Tolstice. The right. Thing. For you. And I. To do. Is seek.
[59:07] The Lord. To be found. Call upon him. While he is near. And if you call. To him. In sincerity. He will draw. Even nearer.
[59:18] He will come. And dwell. Within. Your heart. I read. A little story. Once. About a farmer. Who was standing. At the. The gate. That led into his crop. And he was leaning. On the grate.
[59:29] And this man. Came along. A city man. And he saw the old farmer. There. And he went along. And he started talking. To the farmer. And he realized. That this farmer. Was a believer. And he trusted in God.
[59:40] And he thought. Well he's just a farmer. So I'll have a wee bit of fun with him. And he said to the farmer. You talk about your God. How great is your God. What kind of God is it. That you worship. And the farmer said.
[59:51] Well my God. Is a great God. But he's also a God. Who's small enough. To foot in. And dwell. In my heart. God. That's incredible.
[60:02] To think that the God. Who fashioned all we see around us. Flung the stars into space. A majestic God. A God who inhabits eternity.
[60:13] Yet. Still. He can come. And dwell. In the hearts. Of sinners. Through faith. What a God we have. What a God we have.
[60:24] But remember. Time. Is running. I'm going to close with the words of a hymn. That we used to sing quite often. I haven't sung it for quite a while. But listen. To what I finish with.
[60:35] Life. At very best is brief. Like the falling of a leaf. Like the binding of a sheaf. Be in time. Fleeting days. Are telling fast.
[60:47] That the die. Will soon be cast. And the fatal line. Be past. Be in time. Be in time. Be in time. While the voice of Jesus calls you.
[61:00] Be in time. If in sin you longer wait. You may find. No open gate. And your cry. Be just too late. Be in time.
[61:14] If you haven't already. May your peace with Jesus. I would urge you to do so. Be. In. Time.
[61:24] The brevity of life. The certainty of eternity. And the necessity. For preparation. May almighty God.
[61:36] Bless these thoughts to us. This evening. We're going to conclude our worship now. By singing some verses. From that lovely psalm. Psalm 72. Psalm 72.
[61:48] From verse 17. Down to verse 19. His name forever. Shall endure. Forever. Endless. His name forever. Shall endure.
[61:59] Last like the son it shall. Men shall be blessed in him. And blessed. All nations shall and call. And blessed be his glorious name. To all eternity. The whole earth.
[62:10] Let his glory fill. Amen. So let it be. We stand to sing these words in closing. Amen. Amen. His name forever shall venture Last night the sun it shall Men shall be blessed in him and blessed All nations shall him call Blessed be the Lord our God The God of Israel
[63:12] For he alone doth wondrous words In glory that excel And blessed be his glorious name To all eternity The whole earth let his glory fill Amen So let it be Amen
[64:14] Our loving God We thank you for these few moments tonight This evening And Lord indeed for the solemnity of your word And we pray that each one would take heed And react to it So Lord just part us now with your blessing Grant a safe passage to our homes And we pray that your grace, your mercy and your peace Rest upon us And upon all whom we love In Jesus precious name we pray Amen