We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise in Psalm 77, in the Sing Psalms version.
Psalm 77, so on page 100 of the psalm books, we'll sing from verse 6 down to verse 14.
Psalm 77 at verse 6,
Throughout the watches of the night, my songs I called to mind.
I ponder deeply while my heart an answer tried to find.
Forever will the Lord reject and never show his grace.
Has he withdrawn his steadfast love and turned from me his face?
And then we see in verse 10 a response.
Then to my heart there came this thought.
On this I will rely.
The years of the right hand of power of him who is most high.
How God remembers us in all our needs.
So we'll sing from verse 6 to verse 14 and the tune is Glencairn.
I invoke the singing of Jadion, Schmidt divers out of England.
interval six feet away from the r computational group.
I wonder deeply while my heart
an answer I to find.
Forever will the Lord be dead
and never show his face.
As he withdrawn his strength as love
and turned only his face.
For all time has his promise
in his God no longer kind.
As he is, he traverses
compassion from his mind.
Then to my heart
there came this thought
of which I will rely.
The years of the bright hand of hand
of him who is most high.
I will recall the Lord's great peace
pure works of long and long.
I'll meditate on all your act
pure mighty deeds that show.
O God, most holy higher ways
what God compares with you.
You are the Lord of the hills
who is part of the nation's view.
Let's come to God in prayer.
Let us pray.
O Lord, our gracious God,
as we continue in our worship of you this day,
we do thank you for your word
as we have heard it today,
as we come to hear it once more,
that we would never tire of it,
that we would never tire of uniting our hearts
in praise and worship to you,
that our hearts would not go cold
or hard towards you.
We often feel, Lord,
that that would not be possible
and yet your word reminds us
that so often down through
the generations of your people,
your people have lost that focus,
lost that attention to who they are to worship.
And yet constantly you remind us
that only you are worthy of all our prayers
and all our worship,
that glory is to you alone.
Even in these words that we have sung,
we are reminded of it,
that there is no God who compares to you,
for you are the God of miracles,
whose power the nations view.
And yet as we think of these words
in our own times just now
and with all the nations around us,
we know that we still see your power
and your miracles at work in our midst,
and yet we have no thought of them.
We have no thought towards you.
And so we pray, Lord,
that you will remember us,
that you will awaken us,
that you would give us the prayer of this psalm,
that we would be a people
who would constantly remember,
that we can rely upon you,
the years of the right hand of power,
of him who is most high,
the wonders of the Lord's great deeds,
his works of long ago,
that we can still look to these things,
that we can still remind ourselves
that you are still the God of miracles,
that you are still the one,
even today,
who is able to do so much more
than all that we ask or imagine.
And so give us faith, O Lord.
Give us to look to you
and to trust and rely upon you for all things.
For in you we live,
move and have our being,
as your word says.
And Lord,
there are times when we so often think
we can rely on ourselves,
but again and again,
you remind us,
Lord,
that we are weak enough ourselves,
that we are unable to do so much in our lives.
And especially,
Lord,
the greatest thing we cannot achieve
is our own salvation.
We cannot do anything
to receive glory from you,
that you would say to us,
well done,
on being able to do
what can bring forgiveness of sins
to yourself.
We have to look beyond ourselves.
We have to acknowledge our sin
and look to the one
who was without sin
and the one who came to bear
the sins of this world.
And we thank you that in Jesus Christ,
we have that one to look to,
that we can lift our eyes to him,
that we can behold him,
the one who was pierced
for our transgressions,
the one by whose wounds
we can be healed.
And we thank you that it is your word
that directs us
in all of these things
to see the wonder
and the beauty of Jesus.
And we thank you for the promise
of the Holy Spirit,
the one who leads us
towards the wonder of Christ
and the wonder of the glory of his name.
And we pray tonight
that your spirit will be with us
as we gather here
and as others tune in online.
We pray for your spirit
to lead us in our worship,
to guide us in your word,
to teach us,
to build us up,
to challenge and rebuke
where that is required,
to do all things,
O Lord, for us,
that we might leave here
with a clearer knowledge
and a clearer understanding
of who you are.
And our trust would increase,
that our faith would go on strengthened,
even for this week ahead,
in all the uncertainties of it
and the challenges that may lie ahead for us.
That, as your word reminds us,
if we were to have faith,
even the size of a mustard seed,
we could say to the mountains
to be cast into the sea.
So, Lord, give us that faith
to look to you at all times
and to lean upon you
for understanding and wisdom
and help in all life's experience.
We do pray for our people here.
We thank you for every home
and family represented.
We thank you for our community,
our church community,
our church family.
And we pray, Lord,
that you will bind us together
day by day,
that as the message of your word
is delivered here this morning
by the Reverend Colin McLeod,
that we are to be a living church for you,
that you would make us so,
that you would enable us, Lord,
to go on in your strength,
to do all things well
and to do all for your glory.
And we thank you for every service
that we have to give to you.
We thank you for the gift of prayer.
We thank you that whether we are together
or apart,
we are to exercise that,
that we are to look to you, O Lord,
and wait patiently upon you.
We are to offer up our prayers to you
for all things.
And especially as we seek, O Lord,
wisdom from you
in all the days ahead,
as we seek your blessing
on all the works we are involved in,
as we seek your help in all things.
Lord, we thank you
that we have a name to come to you with,
that we pray,
not in of ourselves,
but in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And we thank you, Lord,
that together we pray that name this evening.
And may you teach us to pray, Lord.
May you encourage us in prayer.
May you give answer to your,
to our prayers according to your will,
as we ask it all,
looking for your glory.
And may you teach us, O Lord,
as we go on to know that
you are the one who builds your church.
As we think of every endeavor,
as we preach the word,
as we share it,
as we meet for prayers during the week,
as we look to your help
for the holiday club
and for the Fridays of the Free,
for all that we do
to reach out to our communities
with the gospel.
We pray for patience.
We pray for words to speak.
We pray for your spirit to move among us,
that we would see your power at work,
that we would see the revelation
of your acts once more in our midst,
that we would give glory and praise to you.
We thank you too, Lord,
that as a people,
we can mourn with those who mourn as well.
And we thank you for that power
that there is in your people
to gather round one another in such times.
And as we have been touched by the sad news,
even in these last days,
we do thank you, Lord,
that as you call your people home,
that we have that great comfort
and great assurance
that to die is gain for your people.
And so we pray, Lord,
your comfort in the midst of sorrow.
And we think especially of
the family of Charlie Finlayson at this time
and ourselves as a congregation.
We thank you for his humble service to you
over so many years.
And we pray, Lord,
for Catherine and for Ruthie at this time
and the grandsons too
and all the family as a whole.
Lord, may your peace and blessing be over them.
May you draw near to them
and comfort them throughout these days
and give help, O Lord,
in all that is to be done over these days.
We thank you that your grace
is always sufficient.
And we pray for that to be poured out upon them
and that they would know it in a special way.
Lord, we do pray for those
who are unwell at this time.
We know there's been so much illness
over these last few weeks,
not just with ourselves,
but throughout our island communities.
There are so many who are unwell
and suffering in different ways.
We just pray for healing and help
in the midst of it.
We thank you, Lord,
for all the health service
and for all that they do for us
in hospitals and in the community
and serving in so many different ways.
We pray for them, Lord,
that you will strengthen them
and bless them.
We do pray for our land at this time as well.
In the midst of this last week
and the general election that's taken place,
a general election that has seen so much change
throughout our land,
not least in the leadership of our parliament.
We do pray for our new prime minister.
We ask, O Lord,
that you would lead them
and guide them and his government
and all who will serve in parliament
in these coming years,
either re-elected or elected anew.
We do pray for them, Lord,
that you will guide them by your spirit
and help them to know
that your power is there for them,
that they would call upon you
and ask for your wisdom
and your guidance.
We do pray for our nation.
We pray for the gospel
as it goes out throughout our land.
We pray for you to build your church in our midst,
that you would have mercy upon us,
that you would pour out your spirit upon us.
We pray that for the lands of the world, O Lord,
in which we live,
the nations, the peoples,
all that we see around us.
We pray, Lord,
that you would pour out your blessing upon us,
guide us towards you,
that your word will be blessed
to all ends of the earth.
We thank you for our time here,
this evening,
and we pray that you will continue with us,
watch over our people,
watch over those who are visiting with us
over these coming weeks
and people who are traveling away as well.
We pray your protection,
your safety,
your blessing,
your refreshing upon us all.
And we ask, O Lord,
that above all,
together we would praise you,
together we would fix our eyes on Jesus
and look to him,
we might know his power and presence
in our midst,
and even going into this week ahead,
that we would know your strength
and your mercy with us.
We thank you for your grace
and pray to know it more and more.
So hear our prayers
and pardon our sin
as we ask all of these things
in that precious name
that we look to even anew this evening,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
and his glory in our midst.
Amen.
We'll again sing to God's praise
this time in Psalm 30
in the Singed Psalms version.
Psalm 30 on page 34.
We'll sing from the beginning of the psalm
down to verse 8.
And then our next singing
will be from the same psalm as well.
Psalm 30 on page 34 at verse 1.
O Lord, I will exalt your name
for you have rescued me.
You did not let my foes rejoice
and gloat triumphantly.
Lord God, in need I cried to you
and you restored my health.
O Lord, you brought me from the grave
and saved my soul from death.
We'll sing from verse 1 to 8
to God's praise in the tune of St. Andrew.
Amen.
O Lord, I will exalt your name
for you have rescued me.
You did not let my foes rejoice
and hope triumphantly.
Lord God, in need I cry to you
and you restored my health.
O Lord, you brought me from the grave
and saved my soul from death.
You holy ones sing to the Lord.
Sing out with joyful voice
When you recall his holy name
Let praise him and rejoice
His anger, what an open glass
Life on his river stays
Though tears may last
Throughout the night
Joy comes with morning's rays
I never shall be moved
I said
In my hostility
You made my mountain
In grenade
Changezil
ritual
Yet
It's my house
My heart was terrified
To you, O Lord, I call the Lord
For mercy, Lord, I cry
We'll turn to read together now God's Word in the book of Acts.
We're reading in chapter 14.
We're taking up our reading at verse 8.
Acts chapter 14, and we'll take up our reading at verse 8.
In here we find Paul and Barnabas.
They've been traveling around different places.
As you see at the beginning of the chapter, they've been in Iconium,
and now they find themselves in Lystra
as they are taking the Word of God to different places
and facing up to many different challenges in the midst of it.
We're going to read then from verse 8,
reading down to verse 28.
Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet,
he was crippled from birth and had never walked.
He listened to Paul speaking.
And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well,
said in a loud voice,
Stand upright on your feet.
And he sprang up and began walking.
When the crowd saw what Paul had done,
they lifted up their voices, saying in Lyconium,
the gods have come down to us in the likeness of men.
Barnabas they called Zeus and Paul Hermes,
because he was the chief speaker.
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city,
brought oxen and garlands to the gates
and wanted to offer sacrifices with the crowds.
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it,
they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd,
crying out,
Men, why are you doing these things?
We also are men of like nature with you,
and we bring you good news,
that you should turn from these vain things
to a living God,
who made the heavens and the earth and the sea
and all that is in them.
In past generations he allowed all the nations
to walk in their own ways.
Yet he did not leave them without witness,
for he did good by giving you rains from heaven
and fruitful seasons,
satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.
Even with these words,
they scarcely restrained the people
from offering sacrifice to them.
But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium,
and having persuaded the crowds,
they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered about him,
he rose up and entered the city,
and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derby.
When they had preached the gospel to that city
and had made many disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
strengthening the souls of the disciples,
encouraging them to continue in their faith,
and saying that through many tribulations
we must enter the kingdom of God.
And when they had appointed elders for them
in every church with prayer and fasting,
they committed them to the Lord
in whom they had believed.
Then they passed through Pisidia
and came to Pamphylia.
And when they had spoken the word in Perga,
they went down to Atalia.
And from there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had fulfilled.
And when they arrived and gathered the church together,
they declared all that God had done with them,
and how he had opened a door of faith
to the Gentiles.
And they remained no little time with the disciples.
Amen.
And may God bless that reading from his word.
Before we come to look at some of that passage,
we'll again sing in Psalm 30.
We'll continue singing in this psalm,
the last verses of the psalm,
verse 9 down to verse 12.
What gain will my destruction bring
if I descend to death?
Will thus proclaim your faithfulness
or praise you with its breast?
Hear as I cry, O Lord my God,
and listen to my plea.
Come to my aid and my distress.
Have mercy, Lord, on me.
We'll sing these four verses
to God's praise in the tune of Spore.
Amen.
What gain will my destruction bring?
And why descend to death?
Well, does your pain
pure faithfulness
or praise you with its breast?
Be thus, I cry, O Lord my God,
and listen to my plea.
Come to my aid and my distress.
You turned my breathing into dust.
For no longer was I sad.
My sad, O God,
You gave me most
What joy that I was died.
Therefore, my heart will sing to you
And never cease to praise
To your great name.
O Lord my God,
I will give thanks always.
Let's turn back to our reading
in the book of Acts, chapter 14.
We can read again at verse 15.
Men, why are you doing these things?
We also are men of like nature with you,
and we bring you good news
that you should turn from these vain things
to a living God
who made the heaven and the earth and the sea
and all that is in them.
Turn from these vain things
to a living God.
As we read through this passage,
we are reminded so much of the grace of God,
how he deals with his people.
We were thinking last Lord's Day
about God's mercy and wrath.
Remember mercy we were looking at in Habakkuk.
And mercy is a powerful word,
and we see another word
that's powerful here this evening.
Grace.
It is a wonderful thing.
Question is,
have you known it?
Have you known the grace of God
in your own life?
Do you know it even just now?
Do you have it in your heart,
that grace of God in all its power?
Or what is the grace of God?
Perhaps maybe you're not sure just what is.
The grace of God.
Well, grace is a reminder to us
of something that we cannot do ourselves.
It is by grace you have been saved,
Paul says as he writes to the church
at Ephesus through faith.
It is a gift of God.
A gift for what?
For the forgiveness of our sin.
And how is that accomplished?
How are our sins forgiven?
Well, it's a faith that is based
on what Christ himself has done for us.
Martin Luther spoke of grace
in the light of the impossibility of our sin
being forgiven by our own actions.
He spoke of it in this way.
He said,
Since this was impossible for us,
God ordained for us in our place
one who took upon himself
all the punishment we deserve.
He fulfilled the law for us.
He averted the judgment of God from us
and appeased God's wrath.
Grace therefore costs us nothing,
but it costs another much to get it for us.
Grace was purchased with an incalculable,
infinite treasure,
the Son of God himself.
That is the wonder of grace.
What we could never do for ourselves,
God by his grace has done for us
through his Son, Jesus Christ.
And as we look at this passage here in Acts,
that is the grace that we see
when Paul and Barnabas meet with this crowd at Lystra.
They think these two are the gods
who have come down in the form of men,
but they say to them,
No, no, not us.
It's not about us.
We are men just like you.
But they say we bring you good news.
Good news that you should turn
from these vain things to a living God.
And it's this grace that runs through the Bible
from beginning to end,
the wonder of God's grace.
Every time we hear the word of God proclaim,
every Christ-centered sermon,
we hear the grace of God is running through it.
For we are always pointed to the wonder of Christ Jesus
as our Savior.
But there are times.
There are times when we are more aware of it.
There are times when we feel it more
and clearly in our own hearts,
in our own minds,
how clear it is,
especially in terms of how undeserving
we are of this grace.
We don't deserve it.
And that's what grace is all about.
Just like mercy, undeserved,
so grace, undeserved.
And yet God pours it out upon his people
that we might know it through faith in him.
You see grace running through the Old Testament.
You see it through the experience
of God's people with him.
You think of the book of Exodus
and how God dealt graciously with his people there
when he gave the Ten Commandments to Moses.
While Moses was away,
the people started to think
he's not coming back.
He's left us.
So what did they do?
They did what is natural in the heart of man.
They made an idol.
They gathered the gold they could find
and they made a golden calf
that they might worship that calf.
And when Moses came back down,
when he returned,
this is what he found.
This is what God saw.
And yet God graciously
gave the commandments once more.
You see it in chapter 34 of Exodus in verse 6.
As God speaks to Moses
and meets with Moses again
to make new tablets of stone
and to give the commandments,
he says in verse 6,
the Lord passed before him
and proclaimed,
the Lord, the Lord,
a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love
and faithfulness.
And so he goes on
to remind them of the grace of God there.
Did they deserve it?
No.
And that is grace shown.
The Lord is merciful and gracious
and praise his name that he is.
And so that's what we continue to see
as you go on through the scriptures.
This grace being shown
in the midst of a people
who continually turn away from God.
The reaction as we see
who God is
and his power
and in all his glory,
it should be for us
to just bow before him,
to fall before him,
pleading for mercy.
But is that what we do?
Well, as you see
as you go through the scriptures,
you think even of the children of Israel
in the book of Exodus,
what happened with them?
They blew hot
and they blew cold.
One minute they were trusting God,
the next minute
they were seeing something
more appealing,
another God,
another idol
they could worship
that would help them more
than the living God
as we read of here.
And so as we come
into the book of Acts,
what we're seeing
is this ongoing dilemma
of the people of this world.
How we turn away
from the living God,
turn to our idols,
and worship them
and the grace of God,
the mercy of God
is that he calls us back.
And that's what Paul
and Barnabas
are doing here.
We see a similar people
with a similar problem,
but with that same grace
still surrounding them
and still to this day.
In the beginning of this chapter
and when they were in Iconium,
in verse 3 there,
you read of the grace
being preached there.
So they remained
for a long time
speaking boldly of the Lord
who bore witness
to the word of his grace.
They ministered the word of God
and in the midst
of the challenges
that they faced,
even stoning us,
we see,
they continued
to proclaim
the good news.
This morning,
Colin, I think,
was preaching on
the theme of
the living church.
And we need grace
to be
the living church.
And this evening,
we're thinking
of the grace
that we receive
from the living God.
There is a living God
that is the heart
of our church.
Turn from these vain things,
in verse 15,
to a living God
who made the heaven
and the earth
and the sea
and all
that is in them.
We need grace preached.
We need grace received.
We need grace lived
in our midst
to be a living church,
worshipping
the living God.
And so do we see
this God
in our midst?
Do we have
this God
in our midst?
Are we looking
and trusting
to him
in all things?
I want us to see
three things
from these verses
before us
just to remind us
to always have our eyes
on the living God
and the good news
that he gives.
And the first thing
we see
is the same old problems.
Then secondly,
we'll see
that there's no more excuses.
And then thirdly,
we'll see
that the gospel
is key.
The gospel
is at the heart.
So the first thing
we see
is the same
old problems.
When you go back
to the book
of Ecclesiastes
in the Old Testament
in the first chapter
there,
it's a powerful book
that reminds us
of what our life
is like.
And in verse 9
it says this,
what has been
is what will be
and what has been done
is what will be done
and there is nothing new
under the sun.
The cycle
of life
just going on,
going around
all the time.
What has been
will be
and what has been done
is what will be done.
Nothing new
under the sun.
It's the same
old problems
over and over
again.
And so that even
as you think of
the Exodus time,
here we are
more than
maybe a thousand
years later
when we come
to the book of Acts
and you would think
the people,
well they're bound
to have learned.
They're bound
to have made progress.
They're bound
to have learned
from all the different
experiences
of seeing
God's punishment
on their sin
in the Old Testament
times when they were
taken into captivity
and yet his mercy
and his grace
in restoring them.
They've come
to see the cross,
the fulfillment
and the wonder
of God's love.
They've seen
Christ crucified.
They're hearing
this gospel message.
They're bound
to have learned.
They're bound
to have made progress.
They're bound
to be living,
worshipping God
with all their hearts
now.
In many ways
progress has been made
in terms of buildings
and cities
and economies
that have expanded
and flourished
throughout all different
kinds of places.
That's what the book
of Acts
so highlights for us
the different places
the gospel was going to.
The gospel was spreading.
So yes,
things have progressed.
Things have developed.
And yet more knowledge
isn't always the answer.
Because the same problems
still exist.
And this great problem
still exists.
The problem
that the people had
in the days of Moses
is still the same problem
here in the book of Acts.
It's still the same problem
today.
And what is
that great problem?
Well, the problem is
a people
turning from
the living God
and turning
to worship
idols.
Idols that take
all kinds
of forms.
Idols that take
all kinds of shapes.
Idols that we don't
even see.
And yet
we worship them.
Just as they do here
in the book
of Acts.
And what you see
here is just
how quickly
the hearts
can turn
towards
idols.
You see it here
in verse 11.
When they had healed
this man
who was crippled
from birth,
what happened?
People were amazed.
In verse 11,
when the crowd
saw what Paul
had done,
they lifted up
their voices
saying in Lyconian,
the gods
have come down
to us
in the likeness
of men.
And what did
they do?
They made
Paul and Barnabas
their gods.
Barnabas
they called
Zeus
and Paul
Hermes.
These
were the gods
they felt
they were looking
for.
They were looking
to men.
Just a wee
aside here
as we think
of our own
situation
as a congregation
going forward.
What are we
looking for
when we think
of ministry
going forward?
We don't
look
for men.
We don't
look
for someone
who is going
to lead
this church.
We don't
look for a man
in that sense
but to the
living God.
That is
where we are
to look.
any preacher
is here
to point
to the
living God
and not
to ourselves.
And that's
what Paul
and Barnabas
do here.
That's what
they say
in verse 15.
We are men
of like
nature
with you.
That is
all we
are.
As the saying
goes,
the best
of men
are men
at best.
So let's
not fall
into the
trap
of looking
to man
but looking
to the
living God.
But when
they say
this,
when they
saw
the fact
that this
healing
had taken
place,
they say
in verse
11,
the gods
have come
down to
us in
the likeness
of men.
Look how
close they
are to
the truth.
Look how
close they
are to the
truth.
the gods
have come
down to
us in
the likeness
of men.
It's like
it's in
their heart
to look
for God.
They're
looking for
God to
come down.
They're
just looking
at the
wrong God.
God
came down
in the
person of
Jesus Christ.
There's no
one else
we need
to look
to.
He is
God of
gods.
He is
King of
kings.
He is
Lord of
lords.
They
have this
confession
that's so
close to
the truth
and yet
so far
away.
And so
for ourselves
too,
we must
think to
ourselves,
what God
are we
looking to?
Do we
fall into
the same
old problems
of making
idols or
looking to
the false
gods?
You see
here they
even had
names for
their gods,
Zeus and
Hermes.
These were
the gods
that the
people were
looking to
for prosperity
and they
wanted to
please these
gods.
They were
willing to
offer
sacrifices
to these
gods straight
away in
the person
of Paul
and Barnabas.
But they
say,
no,
it's not
us.
How foolish
it may be
looks to you
and I
today that
they would
do this
before any
men,
before anyone,
that they
would make
these kinds
of offerings.
And yet,
in our own
hearts,
we put other
things before
God.
God,
and that
is what
idolatry
is.
The foolishness
of idolatry.
Somebody once
put it like
this,
you are not
a fool
just because
you have
done something
foolish,
only if the
folly of it
escapes you.
Doing something
foolish is not
what foolishness
is about.
It's not
recognizing the
foolishness in
it.
And that's
the people
here.
And that's
so often
what our
own hearts
can be
like as
well.
We don't
think it's
foolish because
we don't
see the
foolishness
in it
until it's
pointed out
to us.
And that's
what Paul
and Barnabas
do here
in verse
15.
They point
out this
foolishness.
Men,
why are you
doing these
things?
Why are you
doing these
things?
Stop what
you are doing.
we are not
the gods
that you
are looking
for.
But let
us tell
you of
another.
We want
to point
you to
the living
God.
The one
who is
God.
And there
is no
other.
The same
old problems
still exist
because we
don't put
God first.
We look
to men.
So we are
to look
to the
living God.
The second
thing we see
here is
there is no
more excuses.
We are
so apt
at making
excuses for
all our
faults.
We become
experts from
a young age
trying to
hide our
faults,
making excuses
for what we
do wrong.
It is
somebody else's
fault or
something else's
fault.
You can
think of
making excuses
for not
doing your
homework,
for being
late for
something.
All of
these kinds
of things
are from a
very early
age.
We start
making
excuses.
But do we
have an
excuse?
Do you have
an excuse
for not
believing in
the living
God?
Do you have
an excuse
that will
satisfy God
when he
comes as
to the
reason why
you would
not believe,
you would
not trust
fully in
this living
God?
Paul and
Barnabas here
show the
people that
have no
excuse for
not believing
in God.
There are
no words
that we
can offer
up that
will appease
God.
And you
see it in
the end of
verse 15
into verse
16.
They're
pointing them
towards the
living God
who made
the heavens
and the
earth and
the sea
and all
that is
in them.
In past
generations he
allowed all
the nations
to walk
in their
own ways,
yet he
did not
leave himself
without witness.
He did
not leave
himself
without witness.
There is
evidence for
God all
around us
that we
are not
without
excuse.
The living
God is
the one
that we
are to
look to.
God
allowed,
it says
here,
his people
to go
their own
ways.
They were
free,
just as we
are today,
to do
what we
want,
but they're
not without
excuse.
God
and this
is the
reality of
this verse
for ourselves
today as
well.
God
leaving us
to our
own
devices,
you see
it in
the book
of Romans
as well,
we'll quote
that in
just a
moment,
but he
leaves people
to their
own
desires.
He
gives them
over to
their own
desires.
He
allowed all
the nations
to walk
in their
own ways.
And again,
we could
just apply
that to
ourselves
today as
nations of
the world.
We are
walking so
much in
our own
ways.
We are
turning from
the living
God and
going our
own ways,
doing our
own things.
But even
then,
we are not
left without
God's
testimony to
us in
what is
known as
common
grace.
And we
see that
in verse
17.
Yet he
did not
leave himself
without witness,
for he
did good
by giving
you rains
from heaven
and fruitful
seasons,
satisfying your
hearts with
food and
gladness.
They are
pointing them
here to
the fact
that this
living God,
this is the
God of
prosperity.
This is the
God who is
able to
bless.
This is the
God who is
able, the
only God
who is
able to
provide.
He is
the one
who has
made the
heaven and
the earth
and the
sea and
all that
is in
him.
So as
we look
around,
we are
without
excuse.
That is
common
grace,
what we
all see.
But it's
only God's
special grace
that can
help us
to fully
see and
to understand.
But we're
without
excuse.
As I
said,
the book
of Romans,
it shows
it to us
there as
well.
In chapter
1,
verse 18,
it says,
the wrath
of God
is revealed
from heaven
against all
ungodliness
and unrighteousness
of men,
who by their
unrighteousness
suppress the
truth.
For that
can be
known,
for what
can be
known about
God is
plain to
them,
because God
has shown
it to
them.
For his
invisible
attributes,
namely,
his eternal
power and
divine nature,
have been
clearly perceived
ever since the
creation of
the world,
in the
things that
have been
made,
so they
are without
excuse.
There is
no excuse,
because we
see by
common grace
the living
God is
all around
us.
So it's
not a case
of making
an excuse.
Nobody
told me.
If only I
had known,
I would have
done something
about it.
I would have
believed.
That's not
an excuse,
because the
evidence of
God is
all around
us.
But we
want to
suppress it.
We want to
put it down
by our
nature and
look to
ourselves or
to something
else.
But there's
no excuse.
Imagine,
even this
evening,
if a
knock came
to the
door of
this church
and it's
the Lord.
You hear
it.
You hear
him at the
door and
someone says,
it is the
Lord.
The word
says he
is coming
and we
don't know
when he
will come
like a
thief in
the night.
Are you
ready?
Are you
ready when
you hear
that knock?
Would you
need to
try and
make an
excuse
tonight if
the Lord
returned,
to come
stumbling
before him,
trying to
get words
out, but
there's no
words,
because there
is no
excuse.
Nobody
told me.
Not an
excuse.
the whole
of this
creation, it
speaks to
you of
God.
It's no
excuse.
I couldn't
believe because
the evidence
wasn't there.
It is.
He has
given us
the sign.
He has
given us,
He has
shown us
through the
wonder of
the gospel,
through His
giving His
Son,
through His
crucifixion,
through His
resurrection.
It is all
there.
We are
without
excuse.
There is
no excuse.
So are
you ready?
If that
knock comes,
are you
going to
go and
give an
excuse,
or are
you going
to go
and say
like Mary
who saw
the risen
Lord and
said,
Rabboni,
when she
heard her
name being
called?
Are you
ready to
grasp your
Savior?
The grace
that He
has shown
you,
have you
received it?
Are you
overwhelmed by
it?
Are you
overpowered
by it?
That it
fills you
with joy,
fills you
with emotion
that the
Lord would
remember
you.
There is
no excuse.
The
Lord,
He is
the living
God,
and He
is the
one that
we are
to look
to.
So there's
no excuse.
And what
is it that's
the key to
this grace?
Well,
thirdly and
finally,
we see
here the
gospel is
key to
everything.
The grace
of God
that is
seen through
the gospel.
There's
something
different in
these verses.
There's
something that
has changed
in these
verses.
It says,
in past
generations,
He allowed
all the
nations to
walk in
their own
ways.
Now,
what is
new?
What is
different?
Well,
there is
a testimony.
There is
a testimony.
There's
no excuse
because we
have the
gospel.
And we
see this
in verse
15,
going back
to that
verse.
Men,
why are
you doing
these things?
Why are
you following
your hearts
that are
just full
of idolatry?
Why are
you doing
these things?
we also
are men
of like
nature
with you.
But they
say,
we bring
you good
news.
We bring
you good
news that
you should
turn from
these vain
things to
the living
God.
That is
what the
gospel is
about.
Why are
you doing
these things?
Why are
we going
on in
this way?
We need
to turn
to the
living God.
Not because
we are afraid
of the
consequences
of not
doing so,
but realizing
what the
good news
means,
what the
good news
tells us.
It tells
us of the
wonder of
salvation
in Christ.
The wonder
of forgiveness
for our
sin through
him.
That we
turn from
these worthless
things,
these things
that cannot
save us,
these gods
as they have
made them,
that are
dead.
They can't
hear,
they can't
do anything.
But we
look to
the living
God,
to the
risen Lord,
to the
Son of
God who
is at
the right
hand of
God on
high,
the Lord
who is
making
intercession
for us.
We look
to the
living God.
That is
the good
news.
That if
the Lord
returns
tonight,
if he
knocks on
our door
tonight,
that we
can be
ready by
the gospel,
by faith
in Jesus
Christ.
Oswald
Chambers,
in one of
his books,
he says
this,
it is not
repentance
that saves
me.
Repentance
is a sign
that I
realize what
God has
done in
Christ Jesus.
The danger
is to put
the emphasis
on the
effect instead
of on
the cause.
Is it my
obedience that
puts me
right with
God?
Never.
I am
put right
with God
because prior
to all
else,
Christ died.
When I
turn to
God and
by belief
accept what
God reveals
instantly,
the stupendous
atonement of
Jesus Christ
rushes me
into a
right relationship
with God.
By the
miracle of
God's grace,
I stand
justified,
not because of
anything I have
done,
but because
of what
Jesus has
done.
The salvation
of God
does not
stand on
human logic.
It stands
on the
sacrificial
death of
Jesus.
Sinful men
and women
can be
changed into
new creatures
by the
marvelous work
of God
in Christ
Jesus.
That is
the wonder
of the
grace of
God through
his gospel,
the good
news.
Men and
women,
sinful men
and women
changed into
new creatures
by the
marvelous work
of God
in Christ
Jesus.
The grace
that he has
shown to
us.
Grace is to
put our
trust in
him who
is able to
save,
for we
cannot save
ourselves.
We see
grace at the
start of
this chapter
when they're
speaking there
of how
they bore
witness to
the word
of his
grace in
verse 3.
It is
grace that
ends this
chapter as
well.
As they
returned,
as they
went back
to the
place from
which they
were sent,
the church
had declared
in them
how the
grace of
God
had been
commended to
them,
it says in
verse 26,
where they
had been
commended to
the grace
of God
for the
work that
they had
fulfilled.
It is
grace that
sent them.
It is
grace that
kept them.
And so it
is this
grace that
we need to
be a living
church, to
look to a
living God.
There is
common grace
that leaves us
without excuse,
but it is a
special grace
that reminds us
of all that we
have in
Christ.
We so
often in
our lives,
we step
into the
unknown.
We don't
know what's
ahead of us,
but we know
one who
does.
A little
story, just
as we finish,
of a couple
who took
their children
on holiday.
Young
children, a
son who
was 11,
and a
daughter who
was 7.
This was in
America, and
they took
them to one
of the big
national parks
there.
And one
day they
took them
to explore
some of
the deep
caves in
this national
park.
And they
were part
of a party
that was
being led
by a guide
deep under
the earth
into these
caves.
And at
one point
when they
were way
into the
cave in
one of
the deepest
parts,
just to
make the
effect more
dramatic,
the guide
switched off
his light.
And the
whole cave
was plunged
into darkness.
No one
could see
a thing.
The little
girl was
scared, and
she started
to cry.
Then she
heard her
brother's voice
saying,
don't cry.
Somebody here
knows how
to turn on
the lights.
And that's
the wonder
of the
gospel.
There are
times when we
are taken
into a place
where there
seems to be
just darkness
all around
us.
But the
good news
is that we
have a
living God.
A living
God who
pours his
light upon
us.
Yes,
they were so
close to the
truth here.
The gods
have come
down to
us in the
likeness of
men.
We know
through grace
that God
has come
down in
the likeness
of man,
in his
son,
Christ
Jesus.
The one
who is the
light of
the world.
And it is
his grace,
it is his
favor that
we seek.
We see
in this
passage the
same old
problems that
keep repeating
themselves again
and again.
How quickly
we can turn
from the
living God
and look to
the idols
of this
world.
But we
see we
are without
excuse.
But praise
God we
see his
grace in
the good
news that
we can turn
from these
vain things
to the
living God
who is the
God of
all grace
and the
God of
all miracles.
May we
praise his
name and
seek his
blessing.
Let us
pray.
our
father in
heaven we
do rejoice
in your
goodness to
us.
We thank
you for
your grace
and the
wonder of
it.
Undeserving
as we
are you
have poured
it out
upon us.
And we
thank you
that it is
so shown
to us at
the cross
where we
see your
love in
giving your
son that
he would
bear our
sins.
We thank
you for
that good
news of
a living
God.
And so
turn our
hearts away
from the
idols that
we so
easily put
there and
help us to
fix our
eyes on
the living
God that
you would
go before
us in
all things
pardoning
our sin
in Jesus
name.
Amen.
We're going
to conclude
by singing
to God's
praise in
Psalm 145.
This is
in the
Scottish
Psalter
version
page
442.
Psalm 145
the first
version at
verse 7
and we
sing down
to verse
9.
The tune
is Effingham
The memory
of thy
goodness
great
they largely
shall express
with songs
of praise
they shall
extol thy
perfect
righteousness
the Lord
is very
gracious
in him
compassion
flow
in mercy
he is ever
great
and is
to anger
slow.
We'll sing
from verse
7 to 9
to God's
praise.
Amen.
The memory
of thy
goodness
great
they
harshly
shall
sight
prayer
means
the
world
is
stead
In him compassion's hope.
In mercy he is very late,
And is to anger store.
The Lord Jehovah unto all,
His goodness of delay,
And over all his other works,
His tenderer, Jesus.
After the benediction, I'll go to the main door.
We'll close the benediction.
Now may grace, mercy, and peace
from God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
be upon you all, now and forevermore.
Amen.