We're going to begin our service singing in Psalm 93 from Sing Psalms, Psalm number 93, Sing Psalms.
It's on page 123.
The Lord is King, is throne in jewels, majestic in his height.
The Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength and might.
The world is founded, firm and sure, removed it cannot be.
Your throne is strong and you are God from all eternity.
The seas, O Lord, have lifted up, they lifted up their voice.
The seas have lifted up their waves and made a mighty noise.
The Lord enthroned on high is strong.
More powerful is he than thunder of the ocean waves or breakers of the sea.
Your royal statutes, Lord, stand firm and changing is your word.
And holiness adorns your house for endless days, O Lord.
Psalm 93, the whole Psalm, the Lord is King.
The Lord is King, is throne in jewels, majestic in his height.
The Lord is King, is throne in majesty and arm with strength and might.
The earth is King, is throne in majesty and arm with strength and might.
The earth is tener to marche and gravity and arm with он in majesty and arm with strength and hands.
The earth is King, is throne in majesty and arm with strength and arm with strength and de Sedans in majesty and arm with strength and amaze.
The earth is Gravel has lifted up hisanza in majesty and arm with strength and arm with strength.
The earth is Jeans in majesty and arm with strength and arm with strength and arm WITH strength and arm with strength and arm with strength and arm with strength and arm's vigor.
Take out their voice.
The seas have lifted up their wings
and made a mighty noise.
The heart and throat are high,
is strong, more powerful is thee
than thunder on.
The oceans wait,
are ravers of the sea.
Pure for the statutes,
heart and firm,
and changing into word,
and holiness adores your hands,
for endless chains, O Lord.
Let us bow in prayer.
O Lord, we give thanks tonight that you are the God who are enthroned on high,
majestic, glorious, sovereign in your power.
We pray for the faith that will see this,
because without faith it is impossible to know it,
to believe it, to accept it.
But we give thanks, Lord, that where there is faith, that faith grows, that faith is enabled to strengthen,
and to delve into deeper things, and come to a greater persuasion and knowledge of your truth.
And we pray, O Lord, that we may praise you with all our heart, and that we may seek to exalt your name in praise,
exalt your name in our mind and in our hearts, in our lives.
We pray that even as we gather here together, that we may realize that we are in the presence of the King,
the one who is all-glorious, enthroned in glory and majesty,
who is worshipped eternally by the hosts of heaven,
and by the church here on earth.
We long for the day when we will all be together, encircled around that throne,
being led by the shepherd who is shepherding us even now,
but will shepherd us throughout an endless eternity.
And we pray, O Lord, that you will grant us grace as we wait upon you,
so that we will hear what God the Lord will speak,
that you will open our ears to hear, our hearts to understand,
our minds to lay hold upon the truth.
Keep away distracting thoughts,
because we know that we are more prone to wander in God's house than probably anywhere else.
Because so often when we come here, we don't come alone,
because the enemy of our soul will seek to distract us,
and take us away from the truth.
Take us away from this word, which makes us wise unto salvation,
because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
And so, Lord, we pray for receptive hearts,
hearts that are willing to be changed and transformed by the power of your own spirit.
And we pray that we may seek to become more Christ-like,
and forgive us, Lord, for when we don't.
Forgive us, Lord, when our actions betray the very confession that we make,
and where our speech betrays that confession as well.
O Lord, help us then to resemble Jesus more and more,
as your spirit works in us, conforming us more to the image of Christ.
We pray then that you will help us all as we wait upon you tonight.
And we ask that you will bless us.
It's a wonderful privilege to be blessed by God,
an enriching experience.
And we pray that we will be able to say, because we have been with God,
that it's been good for us to be here.
We pray for all who gather as we do tonight, up and down our land,
and indeed throughout the nations of this world.
And we realize with the different time zones,
that there is almost an encircling praise of God taking place throughout the whole world.
And we give thanks for that, for your people are many,
although we are often led to believe they are few.
We're given that picture in the book of Revelation,
of that great multitude that no one can number.
And so we give thanks, Lord, that you are taking in and gathering your church throughout all nations.
We pray then that you will help us and bless us.
We pray your blessing on the youth fellowship tonight.
We give thanks for our young people.
We pray, Lord, that you'll watch over them in the age that they grow up in,
an age where there are so many issues and difficulties ahead of them,
and where there are pressures that we as older people don't realize or understand.
And ask, Lord, that you will be with them.
Grant them grace and guidance,
and that the teaching that they have when they're young may be embedded in their heart.
For your word tells us, train up a child in the way that he'll go.
And when he's old, he will not depart from it.
And so we pray, Lord, to give thanks for the teachings that we've had.
And we pray that we might be ready to pass on what we have learned
and what we have known to those who are younger.
And so we pray your blessing upon our young people here in the congregation.
And we give thanks, Lord, for all the work that is done amongst them.
Remember, as we say, the fellowship tonight.
Remember the Sunday school and the creche and the twinnies.
Remember the youth club and remember all the explorers and all the different work that goes on with our young.
Lord, our God, we remember those who have gone away to university and colleges and places of learning
and to different maybe apprenticeships, different things away from home,
some for the first time adjusting to a new way of life.
Lord, we commit them to your care and keeping.
We give thanks for families.
Lord, we know that for some people, families, while bringing the greatest joy, for some they are nourishing great sorrow.
We pray for all those who know what it is like to have lost a member of their family.
And we realize that it is one of the most painful things in this world,
because we always expect that the younger will be the ones who will lay to rest the older.
But sometimes, sadly, it's the reverse.
And so we pray for all such tonight who grieve in a special way.
And we pray, Lord, that you will draw close to them and undertake for them and do them good.
We pray, Lord, to bless the congregation just now at a time of vacancy.
Pray, Lord, in light of the vacancy committee and the meeting on Tuesday,
that your wisdom and direction will be given and that throughout time it will become evident and clear in the way in which we're to go.
We pray your blessing upon Colin, who's intermoderated, and ask your blessing to be upon him and his leadership.
We give thanks for him.
We pray for Colin Murdo and we pray your blessing upon him with the extra responsibilities that he has.
And we give thanks for bringing him here, Lord.
We pray for Joanne and the family.
We pray for Joanie and Marissa and Danny.
We pray, Lord, that you'll bless them as a time of a needed break comes up and that you will bring back safe and sound afterwards, refreshed.
Lord our God, we pray to bless us nationally and internationally, particularly in light of the way that nationally we tend to be turning away from you more and more.
And where our leaders are set upon so often forgetting what you have to say and thinking only of what they have to say.
Oh, Lord, we pray to influence advisors to our politicians as well as the politicians themselves.
We pray, Lord, that heavenly wisdom will be given even when they don't ask for it.
But we pray, Lord, that we may see our duties.
We're told to pray for those in authority over us.
It is incumbent upon us.
And so we pray that we may be constantly doing so.
And help us, Lord, have a boldness in prayer and a faith in our prayer, a faith in prayer, that faith centered in you.
We pray then that you will bless us.
We pray as we saw there where Tesco are considering opening on the Lord's Day.
And we realize that that would have a huge impact upon our community.
And we are aware first and foremost upon your day and what it brings to us, the day of rest that you have given to us for our bodies, our minds, but particularly our souls.
It would have far-reaching consequences.
And we pray, Lord, that they may reconsider this decision that they're making or about to make.
We pray, oh, Lord, that you will guide your people throughout this land and all the different places of occupation that you've placed them in, that there will be an influence for good there.
We pray for your church worldwide.
We pray for the persecuted church, particularly in lands of oppression, lands of darkness, lands where there is no gospel freedom.
Oh, Lord, deliver the persecuted even tonight.
Turn the persecutors into your followers in the same way as you turned Saul of Tarshish to become a great missionary.
You are the unchanging God.
We pray that you will guide us as we wait upon you.
And we pray that you will forgive us all our sin.
We confess our sin before you again, acknowledging that in so many different ways we let you down and we let ourselves down.
And so we ask that you will forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Be with those who are going through difficult times in this particular time of their life, where their own world has been turned upside down.
Whether these troubles are physical or mental or whether they're social or family or financial or in whatever area, Lord, where there is a storm in their life.
We ask, Lord, that you will intervene and that you will calm the storm and that you will help them and that you will bless them.
Watch over us, then, Lord, as we wait upon you.
Cleanse us from our every sin.
In Jesus' name we ask it.
Amen.
I'm going to sing again from Psalm 46 in the Scottish Psalter.
Psalm 46 in the Scottish Psalter, 1 to 7.
It's on page 271.
God is our refuge and our strength and streets of present aid.
Therefore, although the earth remove, we will not be afraid.
Though hills amidst the seas be cast, though waters roaring make.
And troubled be, yea, though the hills by swelling cease to shake.
A river is whose streams do glad the city of our God, the holy place wherein the Lord Most High hath his abode.
God in the midst of her doth dwell.
Nothing shall her remove.
The Lord to her unhelper will, and that right early prove.
To the end of verse 7, Psalm 46, 1 to 7.
God is our refuge and our strength.
It mandates a blessed shining peace, people ofabad.
Of the light earth follow yippee who doesn't belong peace.
That made us, people of God, indeed woogue, the blood behind us and cannot жив that provinusið,
God has them as we many ast misleading as paths are not estarful as any of our solidMIN.
The heavy chamber shed
His grace of present day
Let one of all the earth remove
We will not be afraid
Though hills are mixed
The seas becast
Though waters owing gray
And travel deep
In all the hills
High spreading seas to shame
I've been the hills to streams to climb
The saving of the God
The holy place
With the Lord
Who's time hath it's a home
How in the midst of heart of death
Nothing shall I remove
The Lord to her
And ever will
And love my journey through
The heath
Even which should not just be
The kingdom's do it where
The Lord
God of heaven
There in his voice
The heath
He hath it
For fear
The Lord
Our host
Upon our side
That constantly remain
The God of Jacob's
Our refuge
Has safely to maintain
Let us turn now to read God's word
In the gospel of Mark chapter 4
Mark chapter 4
And we pick up a reading at verse 21
Mark 4
Verse 21
And he
That's Jesus
Said to them
Is a lamp brought in
To be put under a basket
Or under a bed
And not on a stand
For nothing is hidden
Except to be made manifest
Nor is anything secret
Except to come to light
If anyone has ears to hear
Let him hear
And he said to them
Pay attention
To what you hear
With the measure
You use it
It will be measured to you
And still more
Will be added to you
For to the one who has
More will be given
And from the one who has not
Even what he has
Will be taken away
And he said
The kingdom of God
Is as a man
Should scatter seed
In the ground
He sleeps
And rises night and day
And the seed sprouts
And grows
He knows not how
The earth produces
By itself
First the blade
Then the ear
Then the full grain
In the ear
But when the grain
Is ripe
At once he puts in
The sickle
Because the harvest
Has come
And he said
With what can we compare
The kingdom of God
Or what parable
Shall we use for it
It is like a grain
Of mustard seed
Which when
Sown on the ground
Is the smallest
Of all the seeds
On earth
Yet when it is sown
It grows up
And becomes larger
Than all the garden plants
And puts out
Large branches
So that the birds
Of the air
Can make nests
In its shade
With many such parables
He spoke the word
To them
As they were able
To hear it
He did not speak
To them
Without a parable
But privately
To his own disciples
He explained everything
On that day
When evening had come
He said to them
Let us go across
To the other side
And leaving the crowd
They took him with them
In the boat
Just as he was
And other boats
Were with him
And a great windstorm
Arose
And the waves
Were breaking
Into the boat
So that the boat
Was already filling
But he was in the stern
Asleep in the cushion
And they woke him
And said to him
Teacher
Do you not care
That we are perishing
And he awoke
And rebuked the wind
And said to the sea
Peace
Be still
And the wind ceased
And there was a great calm
And he said to them
Why are you so afraid?
Have you still
No faith?
And they were filled
With great fear
And said to one another
Who then is this
That even the wind
And sea
Obeying?
Amen
And may God bless to us
This reading of his holy word
I'm going to sing again
Sing psalm
Psalm number 77
From verse 13
To the end of the psalm
Psalm 77
From verse 13
And sing psalms
It's on page 100
O God
Most holy are your ways
What God compares with you
You are the God of miracles
Whose power the nations view
You have redeemed your people Lord
With your almighty arm
Jacob and Joseph's children
You delivered from all harm
The water saw you
O my God
They saw and writhed in pain
The very depths became convulsed
The clouds poured down the rain
The thunder rolled across the skies
As lightning bolts were hurled
Your thunder in the wind was heard
Your lightning lit the world
The whole earth trembled then and quaked
Your path was through the sea
Your way through mighty waters led
Your footprints none could see
Your people like a flock of sheep
You guided every day
By Moses and by Aaron's hand
You led them on the way
Verses 13 to the end
Psalm 77
O God most holy are your ways
Of the comfishing years
You are the God of miracles
Whose power the nations view
You have redeemed your people Lord
And their reign
The thunder rolled across the skies
As lightning bolts were hurled
Your thunder in the wind was heard
Your lightning lit the world
The thunder tremble men and wings
Your path was through the sea
Your way through mighty waters led
Your footprints and blue sea
Your thusly
Char erste came and mos M pour城
Amen.
Let's turn again to the chapter we read in Mark chapter 4 and from verse 35, a very well-known section of God's word.
Verse 35, on that day when evening had come, he said to them, let us go across to the other side.
And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with them and a great windstorm arose and the waves were breaking into the boat.
So the boat was already filling.
But he was in the stern asleep in the cushion.
And they woke and said to him, teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, peace be still.
And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
And he said to them, why are you so afraid?
Have you still no faith?
And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey him?
As you can see, these were busy days for Jesus.
He was constantly teaching and preaching and he did so with great authority.
We're told elsewhere that his teaching was not like the scribes or the Pharisees, that he taught as one with authority.
And so there was this constant teaching.
And of course, also along with the teaching, there was a lot of healing.
So in the evening, he leaves the crowd beside and he says, we're going to go to the other side.
And he, along with the disciples, set off across the Sea of Galilee.
It doesn't tell us what the weather was like when they left.
But it tells us what happened as they were on their way across, that there came this great windstorm, a great windstorm arose.
So it would look like it was just a normal, calm evening when they left.
But then the weather changed dramatically on the way over.
And I'm sure we've all been at sea one time or another when it's been wild.
And we know what it's like with the howling of the wind, it's whistling, the waves are surging and the boat is rocking backwards and forwards and side to side.
And nobody likes being out in a storm, but I'm sure we would all prefer being on land during a storm.
At least it's firm ground underneath rather than being out on sea.
But anyway, here is, it's a ferocious night.
And it's so bad that the disciples are beginning to become fearful and frightened that the boat is going to end up sinking.
Because it tells us that the waves were coming into the boat and the boat was beginning to fill up.
And we've got to remember that the disciples, by and large, at least a good number of them, they weren't inexperienced in the waters.
They were seasoned sailors.
They were fishermen by trade.
And in fact, the likes of Peter and his brother Andrew and James and John, they were fishermen who had fished these waters day in, day out until they left their nets to follow Jesus.
So if anybody knew these waters, like the back of their hand, it was these disciples.
And yet they're terrified, they're petrified.
And they feel that their end is coming.
And in desperation, we find that they go to find Jesus.
And we find Jesus.
It's very interesting.
We find him in verse 38.
It tells us that he was in the stern asleep on the cushion.
On the cushion.
And just a couple of observations along the way.
And the first thing we notice here, where we find Jesus asleep here, is pointing to the humanity of Jesus.
Jesus is the Son of God.
God of very God.
Equal in power and glory to the Father.
And yet in order to become one for us and one with us, he had to take human nature.
Come into this world and be one with us.
And by taking human nature, he took our nature apart from sin.
And so we find that all the infirmity of our humanness was part of Jesus' life.
He experienced hunger and thirst and pain, physical pain, mental pain, emotional pain.
Everything that we experience apart from sin.
He experienced temptation.
Everything.
But as God, we know that God neither slumbers nor sleeps.
So it's here we see the humanity of Jesus.
And we know that Jesus had spent the days teaching and healing.
And you and I know that if we're very, very busy, and particularly if you're giving of yourself constantly,
that you become exhausted.
You become tired.
And so we find that Jesus is displaying the exhaustion of humanity by simply falling asleep.
And he's sleeping in the storm at the stern of the boat.
And we've got to remember that this Jesus that we see here is the same Jesus tonight.
He hasn't changed.
And he understands all our weaknesses because he has journeyed this world in our nature.
In fact, he still, he has risen in our nature and continues in our nature forever.
But he understands our weaknesses, our pains, our sorrows, our temptations.
And that means that we must go to Jesus.
Jesus, you and I know, if you go through some pain or sorrow in life, some difficulty,
you want to be, it's always easier to share your experience with somebody
who's gone through a similar experience to yours.
Because you know that they'll understand exactly what you're saying.
Because you can share your experience with someone who might be very sympathetic
and very understanding by nature,
but they cannot follow your experience because they've never been there.
But when you meet somebody who can identify totally,
it's helpful, isn't it?
Well, that's the thing about Jesus.
That's why it's so important to go to him.
Because he understands in a way and in a measure that nobody else can or nobody else is able to.
And so it's important that we make our way to Jesus.
And again, the other thing we see about Jesus asleep in the boat
is that he is completely trusting in his heavenly father.
Because in our nature, Jesus lived in absolute dependence upon the father,
filled with the spirit.
He wasn't exercising, as it were, his divine nature in this world.
Yes, he's divine, but he was also human.
And he was exercising, he was living as a human,
but his life was lived in absolute dependence and trust in his father.
That's why he was sleeping like a baby.
Jesus knew that he was going to die, but not in a boating tragedy.
He knew his time hadn't come.
He had a lot of work yet to do for the father.
And so he's resting completely trusting in his heavenly father.
And it's interesting here because it's very obvious that the disciples weren't trusting in Jesus.
Jesus is trusting in his father, but they're not trusting in him.
Because what did Jesus say at the very beginning of the thing?
He said,
That's the word of Jesus.
We're going over to the other side.
Now, if they had faith in Jesus,
and they were trusting in Jesus in the storm,
they would have said,
We're going to come through this,
because the Lord has given his word that we're going to the other side.
And you and I know that it's often when we're given a promise from the Lord
that we're tested in that very thing.
Well, they were being tested,
and they fell badly.
No wonder Jesus said to them at the end,
Why are you so afraid?
Have you still no faith?
Because they were not trusting in Jesus.
And so they come to Jesus,
and they say to him,
Teacher, do you not care that we're perishing?
We're doomed.
It's more or less,
Next wave could be our last.
You know, it's very interesting again,
just by way of observation here.
Here are the disciples,
and they're terrified, they're afraid.
And Jesus is asleep,
but Jesus is going to care for them and provide for them,
and still the storm.
There was a day when almost,
it's not that the roles were reversed,
but when Jesus was facing his washed time on this world,
you go to the garden of Gethsemane,
and he took three disciples,
three that were here,
Peter, James, and John with him,
and he told them,
my soul is now troubled.
And on the floor of Gethsemane Garden,
he sweated,
as it were,
drops of blood.
He was in such agony of soul.
But before he left the three disciples
to go on to his own,
what did he say to them?
You stay here.
Watch and pray.
Jesus sent them,
left them there to pray.
When he came back,
how did he find them?
They were all sound asleep.
And there's almost an irony in what we see here.
That these very disciples who are
wakening up Jesus from his sleep
are the very disciples
who were sound asleep
when he needed them most
to be with them and praying.
But before we come to
see Christ's reaction to the storm,
I think it's important to say that
although Jesus has taken the disciples on board
and they're crossing over to the other side,
a storm,
we mustn't assume
because Christ is on board
that there will be no storm.
And that's true in our journey
through this life.
There are some people who think
that the moment you become a Christian,
that's it.
Life is,
life's easy now.
Life's a bed of roses.
That's the end of troubles,
trials.
And in fact,
it's one of the things
that Jesus tells us
assuredly
that
us Christians
that we will have troubles,
we will have trials.
In this world,
he says,
you will have tribulation,
but be of good cheer.
I have overcome the world.
The troubles that afflict the just
in number
many be,
but yet at length
out of them all,
the Lord
does set him free.
Out of them all.
And so we see that
Jesus here
on board
doesn't mean
that there will
be no storm.
You see,
we can't avoid
troubles
and storms
in life
because we live,
as we know,
in a world
that is filled
with difficult troubles
and difficult traumas.
And maybe tonight
for you,
maybe some of you
are going through
your own
personal storms.
Maybe,
you know,
sometimes
we're very bad
at looking at
other people's lives
and saying to ourselves,
oh, you know,
they've got a
trouble-free life.
We don't know.
The very person
that you think
might have a
trouble-free life
might be a person
who has many,
many issues
and troubles
and traumas
and personal sorrows
that you and I
don't know about.
So we've got to be
very careful
in making our
assessments and
judgments
about other people.
But tonight,
if you are here
and you're going
through your troubles
and you're going
through storms
in your own life,
remember that
Jesus
is
the one
who cares.
because
here
it appears
as if
Jesus
isn't bothering.
It appears
at this moment
as if,
well,
Jesus is asleep.
That's the criticism
that the disciples
have of him.
You're asleep.
You're sleeping.
Here we are
facing death.
Next moment
could be the last.
What are you doing
about it?
You're sleeping.
And there's
almost a kind of a,
there's a criticism
in their attack
on Jesus
when they said,
Master,
do you not care?
You know,
that's probably
one of the most
harsh statements
that could ever be
said about Jesus.
Do you not care?
Why was Jesus
in the boat?
Why did Jesus
come into this world?
Because he cared.
If Jesus didn't care,
he wouldn't have come
to this world.
There would be no gospel.
We wouldn't be meeting
here tonight.
There wouldn't be
any hope for us.
We'd have been
left to our shelves.
But it's because
God the Father cared.
It's because
God the Son cared.
That's why Jesus
came into this world.
So you can see
how wrong
the disciples were
to say to Jesus,
Do you not,
do you care?
Of course he cared.
And I can say
the same thing
to you tonight
because maybe
you're saying the same.
Does Jesus care?
Has Jesus forgotten
to be gracious?
You know,
sometimes we say that.
As the Lord,
that's what it tells us
in the Psalm.
Psalm has said that.
Has God forgotten
to be gracious?
It's as if God
has forgotten
all about me.
Of course he hasn't.
Can't.
And sometimes
we've got to remember
that the Lord
has a reason
for his silence.
He has a reason
at times
for his delays.
We can't understand them.
But he has a purpose
in all these things.
But we also see
that having
the Lord on board
will bring
a wonderful deliverance.
And just as he proved
for the disciples,
he will for you as well.
Now it doesn't tell us
that Jesus said anything
immediately
to the disciples,
although maybe
some of the other
Gospels writers
have a different slant
on it.
But he spoke words.
He rebuked
the wind.
So he addressed
the wind and the sea.
He rebuked the wind
and said to the sea,
Peace,
be still.
I would love to have been there
at that moment.
You and I know
what it's like
on a boat.
And as you say,
the wind is howling.
You go out
on the deck
and there's a whistle
and there's a roar.
Jesus rebukes that.
And there's just
nothing but a silence.
And you know
what it's like
the surge of the sea.
The sea is angry
and it's
heaving
and surging.
And Jesus said,
Peace,
be still.
And it turns
into like a mill pond.
The disciples,
if you were
to look at them,
they would have been
standing there
open-mouthed.
Absolutely.
We use the expression
gobsmacked.
They would have been
just stunned.
So would you.
So would I.
Because you and I
know that
a storm
doesn't go to
zero knots
in a second.
And even when
the wind stops,
you and I know
that the sea
doesn't go flat
calm immediately.
You go,
if there's been
a north wind
out there
and you go
on the ferry
the next day,
even although
there's no wind,
there's still
a roll
in the sea.
You see,
the sea takes
a long time
to calm down.
It's impossible
for the sea
to immediately,
the wind drops
just to go flat
calm.
But that's exactly
what happened
at that moment.
And Jesus
is showing here
his own lordship,
his power.
He is the one
we're going to sing
Psalm 107
at the end.
He is the one
who turns
the storm
into a calm.
And we've got
to remember
that this surging
sea in its
first place
was made
by the Lord.
He is the one
who is Lord
over all.
The wind
and the sea
are his to command.
We sang in
Psalm 77
and it tells us
there,
when the water
saw you,
O God,
they were afraid.
It says,
the psalmist
is personalizing
the very sea.
And the sea
is,
although we see
the sea,
and long ago
the people
used to be
suspicious
of the sea,
it was looked
upon us
where the evil
would come from.
But God
is the one
who created all.
He's God
over all things.
And in that
Psalm it tells us,
your way
was through
the sea,
your path
through the
great waters,
yet your
footprints
were unseen.
Isn't that
beautiful?
What a
description
that is
of Jesus
on another
occasion
on this
very sea,
walking to
the disciples
in the storm
again.
There's no
sign of his
footprints,
but he
walked across
that sea
as if it
was a
pavement.
You see,
he's Lord
over all.
And we've
always got to
remember that.
And we've
always got to
have an
insight into
who the
Lord is.
Because,
you know,
this is a
funny thing.
See it
at verse
36.
It tells
us,
And leaving
the crowd,
they took
him with
them in
the boat,
just as
he was.
Just as
he was.
At that
particular
moment,
although the
disciples
believed him
in Jesus
as the
Messiah,
they had
no idea
who he
really was.
He was
just one
of them,
but still
they believed
in him.
So they
took him
just as
he was.
At this
moment,
when this
person who
was just
as he
was,
their whole
vision of
who he
is has
changed.
He now
becomes this
awesome,
majestic
being.
And they're
hushed into
a new type
of fear in
his presence.
And you
know,
that's what we
need to see
as well.
We need to
see this
Jesus in
all his
awe,
in all his
power.
because far
too often
the way
we see
him is
just as
he is,
just like
another one
of us.
And we
don't
reverence him,
we don't
have the
awe,
we don't
have the
fear in
front of
him.
He's
just one
of us.
No,
he's not.
Yes,
he is.
But thankfully
he's also
God.
And at that
moment their
eyes were
opened to
behold his
glory,
his majesty
and our
power in
a way that
they had
never ever
envisaged
or seen
before.
And so
we find
that Jesus
is the
one who
brings peace
and he
brings calm
into the
troubled
situation.
And you
know the
Lord continues
to do
that.
And that's
what if
you're here
tonight and
you've never
come to
faith in the
Lord Jesus
Christ,
there's a
restlessness.
It may not
be as bad
as a storm,
but there's a
restlessness in
your heart.
That is the
nature of
life.
There is a
restlessness
in every
single heart
until they
find rest
in the
Lord.
The Lord
has made
us for
himself.
And as
one of the
old divines
said,
and the
heart will
be restless
till it
finds rest
in you.
And the
greatest
discovery that
we can ever
make is that
we need
the Lord.
And if
you've never
seen that,
ask the
Lord tonight,
show me
Lord,
show me
myself and
show me
yourself.
Show me
my need
of you.
Show me
the importance
because,
you see,
unless the
Lord does
that,
we don't
see it.
And so
the Lord
will calm
the storm
in your
life.
Peace,
be still.
And you
know,
that's what
the Lord
continues to
do because
he brings
peace to
our conscience.
When you
become a
Christian,
that's one
of the
first things
that happens.
You get
peace in
your conscience.
When you
become a
Christian,
you come
by faith
and by
way of
repentance.
forgiveness,
asking for
the Lord's
pardon and
forgiveness
and cleansing.
And you
know,
when you
receive that,
it's one
of the
most
liberating
things that
can ever
happen in
your life,
to have
the experience
of a
trouble-free
conscience.
Our
consciences
can be so
troubling,
but you
know,
when our
sins are
pardoned,
and we
have a
sense of
divine
cleansing
and
forgiveness,
then our
conscience
doesn't
trouble us
like the
way it
used to.
And the
Lord also
brings peace
to our
heart.
That's what
he says,
my peace
I give
you,
not as the
world gives,
give I unto
you.
You and I
know that
the world,
that there's
an element
you can
have,
when everything
is going
well in
life,
and circumstances
and everything
is coming
together,
you can be
happy and
contented,
and there is
an element
of peace,
that's the
world's
peace.
But it
doesn't
last.
Change the
circumstances,
pull the
plug on
what's
happening,
and the
peace goes
with it.
But Jesus
says my
peace is
different,
it's not
as the
world gives,
my peace
is deep
rooted in
your heart.
Your heart
is made
for my
love,
and when
my love
floods your
heart,
then my
peace comes
in as
well.
It's a
settled
peace that
governs,
yes,
there might
be still a
storm in
your life,
the storm
might not
go,
but there's
a peace
attached to
it,
a peace
that undergirds
your life,
that the
world is
incapable of
giving you.
You remember
what it was
like when you
became a
Christian.
You remember
that peace?
A peace
you never
had before.
You might
have had
good times,
happy times,
contented
times,
but you
never had
real deep
rooted peace
until you
came to
peace in
Christ.
That was
different.
My peace
I give you.
Now of
course we
know all
too well
in this
world that
we,
because of
the nature
of this
world and
because of
all the
trials and
temptations and
difficulties that
we face,
we still
often are
anxious.
You say to
yourself,
surely the
Christian shouldn't
be anxious.
Well,
if we weren't
anxious,
the Lord
wouldn't be
over and
over again
in the
word saying,
don't be
anxious,
don't be
fearful.
If we were
to go through
tonight and
to count all
the number
of times
that the
Lord says,
fear not,
be courageous,
be strong,
don't be
anxious.
But the
Lord tells
us that
basically what
happens when
we become
anxious is
that we've
stopped casting
all our
cares upon
the Lord.
And there's
a beautiful
verse, I
think it's
in Isaiah
that says
something like
that the
one whose
mind great
peace,
well it
says great
peace of
those who
love your
love.
But it
tells us
that the
one whose
mind is
fixed on
you, that
that person
will have
continued
peace,
perfect
peace.
You will
keep in
perfect
peace the
man or
woman whose
mind is
fixed on
you.
Fixed is
a word,
fixed,
fixed on
the Lord.
Because when
we take our
eyes off the
Lord and
we begin to
look at the
troubles,
then of
course we
begin to
rock and
roll again,
we begin to
shake.
It's like
Peter walking
on the
water, as
long as he
was looking
to Jesus,
he walked.
The moment
he took
his eyes
off Jesus
and began
to look at
the storm,
down he
went.
So will
you, so
will I.
But not
only does the
Lord bring
peace to
our conscience
and peace
to our
heart, he
also brings
peace to
our mind
as well.
people.
And you
and I
know that
in this
world there
is so
much stress,
so many
things going
on in
people's
lives.
And
underneath,
and people
don't recognize
this or realize
it, the
bottom line
of it all
is sin.
It's sin
at work.
Because sin
is always
affecting your
thought life.
And people
are saying
they've got all
kinds of
questions.
who is
God?
Is there a
God?
What's it all
about?
Where we're
going?
What's the
point in
life?
All the
time there's
these kind
of aimless
thoughts and
that brings
nothing but
depression and
anxiety and
fear.
Hopelessness.
These kind of
questions, that's
all it brings.
And this world
is forever
changing.
Thoughts are
changing.
Opinions are
changing.
Fashions are
changing.
You can never
keep up with
what's in and
what's out.
It's always
on the move.
But you know
when you become
a Christian,
new standards
take over.
These are not
the issues that
concern you.
It's God's
word became
the rule and
the standard.
Not the
fashions and
the ways and
the tendencies
of this world.
And so the
Christian has a
freer mind.
Our mind isn't
governed by all
these 101 things
that are going
on, being
bombarded,
particularly in
the day that
we're living
in with all
the power of
social media and
all these
things.
Here we have
the calmness of
mind when our
mind is fixed
on Christ.
And so Jesus
says to the
wind, peace be
still.
And he says the
same to you and
to me as well.
And that's the
beauty of when we
follow the Lord,
Jesus Christ.
You and I know
that when we
follow the
Lord, we're
heading to a
world of
eternal peace.
Never know it
in this world
in its fullness.
We have the
first fruits of
it by accepting
Christ.
The fullness of
it belongs in
the world to
come.
When the Lord
made the world
at the beginning,
it was a world
of peace and
tranquility and
calm.
But we know
the impact when
sin entered in
the fall.
And you go to
Eden when it
is broken.
Not when it's
beautiful, but
when it's broken.
And all you see
there is expulsion
and separation
and restlessness
and death.
That's a world
you and I live
in.
Turn on any
news bulletin,
that's all we
see.
Brokenness,
restlessness,
separation,
death.
It's horrific
off on the
news and all
you're seeing
barbaric
situations,
killings,
stabbings,
injustice,
hatred,
violence.
Jesus came
into this
world because
he cares.
Do you
care?
The disciples
said, of
course I
care, says
the Lord.
That's why
I'm here
tonight offering
myself to
you.
And
remember
that the
trials that
the disciples
went through
brought them
to see a
greater glimpse
of the glory
of the Lord.
And so it
will be for
you.
You think,
has the Lord
forgotten me in
the trials?
Do you know
something?
You look back
and you'll say,
you know,
that trial
actually was
for my benefit.
I got a
glimpse of the
glory of God
I hadn't seen
before.
I was guilty
of looking on
Jesus as he
was,
rather than
who he is.
Now I'm
seeing him
for who he
is.
Well tonight
the captain
of our salvation
is on the
deck of the
ship and
he's inviting
us in to
come on board
with him.
He doesn't
guarantee us a
passage where
there won't be
storms,
but he guarantees
us a safe
passage to the
end.
And you know
what matters?
The end.
It's not how it
is halfway
through or even
three quarters of
the way
through.
It's how it
ends.
That's what
matters.
And when we
have the Lord
with us and
we're on board
with the Lord,
it's going to
end well.
You make sure
it's going to
end well with
you by having
Jesus.
Let us pray.
Lord our God,
we pray to
bless us tonight
and we give
thanks for the
lessons that you
teach us out of
your word.
Make us receptive
to them.
May we have an
understanding heart.
May we lay hold
upon your truth.
May it go down
deep into our
heart and impact
us for good.
Pray to take
every single one
of us home safely.
Bless our homes
and our families.
Lord we give
thanks that we
experience so
much good from
you.
And we know
that every good
and perfect gift
is from above.
Help us Lord
always to be
returning thanks
to you.
Grant us your
grace then we
pray.
Bless the
fellowship that
we'll meet
shortly in the
hall.
Forgiving us our
sin in Jesus
name we ask
it.
Amen.
We're going to
conclude singing
in Psalm 107
from the
Scottish
Psalter
verses 26
to 30.
Psalm 107
verses 26
to 30.
Psalm
the
Scottish
Psalter
page 384.
Psalm 107
They mount to
heaven then to
the depths they
do go down
again.
Their soul
doth faint and
melt away with
trouble and with
pain.
They reel and
stagger like one
drunk at their
woods end they
be.
Then they to
God in trouble
cry who them
from streets
doth free.
The storm was
changed into a
calm at his
command and
will so the
waves which
raged before
now quiet are
and still.
Then are they
glad because
at rest and
quiet now they
be.
So to the
haven he then
brings which
they desired to
see.
26 to 30
of Psalm 107
They mount
to heaven.
Amen.
感謝
Tape
30
order
robust
round
4
9
The
B
God
and
God
也可以
CHOIR SINGS
CHOIR HARM
CHOIR SINGS
ots
CHOIR SINGS
which may he start to see.
I'll go to the door on my right.
Now may the grace, mercy and peace of God the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit rest and abide upon each one of you now and forevermore.
Amen.