We begin our worship this evening by singing to God's praise in Psalm 96a.
! Sing Psalm's version, Psalm 96a, page 126.
! We sing from verse 1 to verse 9 on the tune is Gainsborough.
! Psalm 96a, we sing a new song to the Lord, sing praises to his name and his salvation day by day.
Let all the earth proclaim. We'll sing from verse 1 to 9 to God's praise and we stand to sing.
Let all the earth proclaim.
His glory and his mighty deeds to every land declare.
Our great and awesome is the Lord, within no gods come fair.
For the other gods are wooden stone, the Lord made heaven's might.
All power and majesty are his. He dwells in glorious light.
All nations to the Lord has cried, the glory that is true.
Glory and strength must cry to God and praise his name and you.
Worship the Lord, be holy, be holy, be holy.
Bear his glory, be holy, be holy, be holy.
He's close with joy and grace.
And offering with you.
Worship the Lord, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy.
Worship the Lord, be holy, be holy, be holy.
Worship the Lord, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy, be holy,
able to gather in worship. We thank you for our call to worship as we have sung from these words
that remind us of the worship and glory that is due unto your name. It reminds us of who you are
and that we are to come with that song anew to you for you are the one who gives us the song
of salvation. We are to proclaim it day by day and as we are reminded this morning singing together
in the words of Psalm 100 we are reminded too this evening that our praise together here is a
people not just here but throughout the world that you this day Lord have people calling upon you
in praise and worship through to all ends of the earth. For we are reminded Lord that glory
belongs to you that you are a great and awesome God that you are the one who has made all things
with you no gods compare as we have sung and we thank you for that great reminder that in this
world in this life in which we so easily and so often perhaps make idols when there are so many
things that take our attention away from you when there are so many things that would come between
through worship of you and distract us we thank you Lord that your word is our focus
your spirit is our helper and that we come to seek to worship you in spirit and in truth
and we know that we cannot do that in and of ourselves for it is only by your grace towards
us that you truly enable us to worship and to see you as you are to see you as the one who has all
power and majesty and glory and we pray Lord that together this evening we will be helped in that
to see you in all in all of these things and to know you and to love you with all our hearts and to serve
you with all that we are and so we ask oh Lord that as we come to you this evening as we come to your word
that you would open it up to us that you would help us in our understanding of it that you would help us
and that you would help us even as we go from here this evening to take these words with us and to live
by Christ for we thank you that we have his name to praise and we have the hope of salvation in him
the one who came to give his life and who gave it in such a humble way who humbled himself
in obedience to death and even death on the cross and as we think of that gruesome suffering that he
endured for us as we think of the remembrance of it as we have had it recently with communion season
and as we think of this time of year easter time when this gives us that focus of the reason why jesus
came that he came not to be served as he could easily have brought upon himself as he would have deserved
the service of this world all its kings and queens and all its people and yet he did not come for that
but he came to serve and to serve and giving his life as a ransom for many
and we thank you that we can look to him in that way and see in his humility and in his sacrifice that
there we find a call for ourselves to follow in that way as well to take up our cross daily
and follow him to be willing to to let go of the things of this world and be willing to to serve the lord
for some of the things of this world and the lord and the lord and the lord and the lord and the lord and
living for christ and the many blessings that arose in that but we recognize too that for many
it is a call to suffer a call to endure many hardships and trials and pains for some even it is that call to
to give life as well as we see so many throughout the world who are persecuted for their faith
and we think even of nations this evening who for many christians they live in fear of their very lives
and yet they love the lord and they're able to to praise him in that way i love the lord because my voice
and prayers he did here i while i live will call on him about to me his ear we thank you that your people
have these these words to offer up so that whatever our circumstances whatever our situation we have
that love towards you because you first loved us and so we do pray lord for your church we pray that
you will build your church up that you would be pleased oh lord to pour out your spirit upon us to
revive us to help us to to seek you while you may be found and this word says to call upon you
while you are near and we thank you that as we gather in your presence this evening that that is
the hope that we have to come and meet with our risen lord to meet with our savior christ jesus
and we do pray lord for all who serve you in your church we thank you for not just ministries
in congregation but we thank you for all who serve in so many different ways
throughout our congregations on our island here and throughout our denomination we thank you for
every congregation we have and throughout our nation here lord from the north to the south from the east to
the west we thank you that you have your people who are serving you in the cities and the towns and the
villages we thank you that you have your praying people those who are so faithful and diligent
in prayer and even though maybe not even able to attend the the times of worship still
in their homes offering up prayer for your cause and for your kingdom and we do thank you lord that
you have a praying people we thank you that you have a serving people those who help in so many
different ways the the tasks that are required for churches and congregations to function from
administration to road us to serving in different ways to door duty and visiting and so many other
different aspects of the congregation so much that goes on quietly and hidden and yet oh lord so
important and so precious that we would see that nature of serving each other and in that serving
you as our lord and as our god we thank you for those who are elders and deacons as well we thank you for
those who have been called to these positions and we pray for help and wisdom and guidance towards them
we thank you for those who help in preaching we know that especially at such times of vacancies as we
have just now that there is a great burden on on different people to be involved in helping with the
preaching whether it's ministers of congregations helping retired ministers or elders or lay preachers
we do thank you for those who go out with the gospel and pray that it will be blessed that you would use
each one and the hearers of it lord to be under your word and under your truth and help to grow in
faith and knowledge of christ jesus we thank you too lord for those who serve the church far and wide
throughout the world we think of muriel this evening thankful for the connections that there are with her
month by month able to meet with her online and just pray for her and with her and see her and
hear from her and all the different aspects of the work that she's involved in and we thank you for
the many encouragements that you have given to her we thank you for the the delight that she has in
serving you the joy that is so evident in her and we pray lord that you would continue to make that joy
her strength in serving you and that she'll be used not just to encourage the people there in
cambodia but also ourselves as we hear from our lord that would encourage us in our hearts not just to
pray for her but to pray for our own service in the lord as well that we would have that joy in serving
you whatever you places and whatever you have for us we remember too lord our people who of our
communities at this time lord as we prayed this morning so many going through the the valley of the
shadow of death at this time knowing the grief that it brings and the the pain and sorrows of heart and
we just ask lord for your comfort and blessing to each one we pray for those who are unwell and laid
aside at this time as well and just ask for your hand upon each one for good as well we thank you for
the care homes around us in their town and further afield as well thank you for the privilege of worship in
them as well and we pray that residents and staff there would be blessed under the ministry of the
gospel as well this day too lord we remember a day that is marked as mother's day and think of
the blessings that that entails the blessing and privilege of mothers who encourage and who love and
care for us in different ways but we recognize too lord that it can be a day that is difficult for
many as well those who have lost mothers those who mothers who have lost children and we think of the
pain and sorrow that these reflections can bring as well we remember those who may be who are unable to
have children and we recognize the pains involved in this as well and we just pray lord that in a day
that is marked with joy that would we also remember lord that there is comfort needed in us well and we
thank you that you are one who is able to supply in every need that we have so remember us lord we pray
watch over us we pray in these coming weeks as different preachers will come to the pulpit here we pray for
them as your word to be ministered even thinking of next lord's day thankful for reverend calum mcleod and
remembering him today in open as he preaches there and in his role as moderator of our denomination
just now lord we pray for strength and help to him remember donald mckinnon as well we thank you for
his willingness to come and preach the word and just pray for him as he prepares for that thankful too for
those from our own number who who preach here as well both in english and gaelic and help in the
prayer meetings and the sunday services for our own elders as well lord may you bless them and be with
them too so may you encourage us in prayer lord and strengthen us in our faith this evening and
continue to watch over us lord bless us our homes our families and us all together as we look to you for
help and strength in all things we do pray above all lord that you will hear us as we confess our sins
and you as well we recognize our shortcomings we recognize the sin that is within us lord and that
comes through in our in our speech in our actions and even in our thoughts and we just pray lord that
you will forgive us and pardon us anew so lord continue with us now in the praising of your name
in the hearing of your word and as we worship you together that all would be to your glory as we ask
all in the precious name of jesus our lord and savior amen
we'll sing again to god's praise this time in the scottish psalter version of psalm 103
psalm 103 page 369
we'll sing from verse 1 to verse 5 the tune is london new psalm 103 at verse 1
o thou my soul bless god the lord and all that in me is
bestowed up his holy name to magnify and bless we'll sing from verse 1 to 5 to god's praise we stand
to voy forbade voy forbade
voy
!
voy
!
voy
!
He said in the darkest holy name to magnify and bless.
Let all thy soul, the Lord thy God, and not forgetfully.
Of all his gracious benefits he hath bestowed on thee.
All I need in it, when he stood out, most gracious be forgiven.
To my dear Jesus, all and grace, not healed and healed.
To thou redeem thy life, but thou to death mayst not go down.
To thee with loving kindness, the hand of mercy's crown.
With abundance of good things, thou satisfy thy mouth.
So that dear lasting evil sage, renew it is thy good.
Amen.
We'll turn together to read in the New Testament in Paul's letter to the Galatians.
And we're reading in chapter 2.
Galatians chapter 2.
And we can read the whole of this chapter.
As Paul is writing to the church in Galatia, he's writing to a people who have been led astray and led in different ways to turn away from the Lord Jesus.
But he comes reminding them of what they have in Christ.
But he also comes defending his own standing, his own faith.
He has to almost prove himself, and especially before the church at Jerusalem.
But he says here that he has stood before them and that his gospel is the true gospel in Jesus Christ.
And we see as we read on, he also has words with Peter.
Peter, who he sees as having almost compromised himself by being a hypocrite before people and doing one thing in front of some,
but then another thing in front of others.
So he challenges Peter in the midst of that as well.
But at the end of the chapter, he says, this is how we are to live.
He's a reminder to all.
You think of Peter and his standing with the Lord, one who was restored by Jesus and who served Jesus.
But even Peter needed to be told at times, look, you live for Christ, not to impress others or to be in favor with others.
You live for Christ.
And that's the great reminder we have at the end of this chapter.
So we read the whole chapter together.
Then after 14 years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.
I went up because of a revelation and said before them, though privately before those who seemed influential,
the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain.
But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.
Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus,
so that they might bring us into slavery, to them we did not yield in submission, even for a moment,
so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
And from those who seemed to be influential, what they were makes no difference to me.
God shows no partiality.
Those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.
On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised,
just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised,
for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised,
worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles.
And when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars,
perceived the grace that was given to me,
they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me,
that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
Only they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing which I was eager to do.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, that's Peter,
I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned.
For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles.
But when they came, he drew back and separated himself,
fearing the circumcision party.
And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him,
so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel,
I said to Cephas before them all,
If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew,
how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners.
Yet we know that a person is not just justified by works of the law,
but through faith in Jesus Christ.
So we also have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ,
and not by works of the law.
Because by works of the law, no one will be justified.
But if in our endeavor to be justified in Christ,
we too were found to be sinners,
is Christ then a servant of sin?
Certainly not.
For if I rebuild what I tore down,
I prove myself to be a transgressor.
For through the law I died to the law,
so that I might live to God.
I have been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God.
For if justification were through the law,
then Christ died for no purpose.
Amen.
And may God bless that reading from his word.
Before we turn back to look at this passage,
we'll sing again to God's praise in Psalm 37,
the Scottish Psalter version,
page 252, Psalm 37 at verse 1.
For evildoers fret thou not thyself unquietly,
nor do thou envy bear to those that work iniquity.
And then verse 3,
set thou thy trust upon the Lord,
and be thou doing good,
and so thou in the land shalt dwell,
and verily have food.
We'll sing from verse 1 down to verse 6
to God's praise at Tunis, St. Andrew.
For evildoers fret thou not thyself unquietly,
nor do thou envy bear to those that work iniquity.
For eeder,
Like the green, a tender hair, they withered shall away.
Let thou thy trust upon the Lord, and with thy doing good.
And so thou in the land shall dwell, and there he hath food.
Delight thy strength, and God will give.
Thine heart's desire to lead.
Thy way to God forbid him trust, and bring to pass shall he.
And like unto thy light he shall, thy righteousness display.
And he thy judgment shall break forth, and in time of the day.
Amen.
We can turn back to our reading in Galatians chapter 2, and we're going to look at the end of the chapter, verse 20 and 21.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
There are many people in the scriptures who may be your go-to place.
Different characters, different people that we see in the scriptures, and we maybe can relate to them in different ways.
Maybe we can relate to them because of the kind of life they've had, or the things that they've done that very much speak to us.
And we can relate and learn from them.
For example, in the Old Testament, you have Moses, you have David, you have Esther, you have all these people, and you read about them,
and you think of all the different things that they did and experienced in life.
You look at the New Testament, and you see people, as we mentioned here, Peter, someone who was restored by the Lord Jesus, who denied knowing Jesus.
You see Lydia, a businesswoman who was converted so remarkably.
You see Bartimaeus, a blind beggar at the side of the street who was called by Jesus to follow him.
The list goes on.
And perhaps you've got your own individual, or maybe a few that you'd like to go back to and read their story again and again,
just because there's so much encouragement we can take from real people in real situations.
They're not just characters that we put on a pedestal.
They're ordinary people like you and I.
And what their lives tell us is the same thing.
They all point us towards Jesus and the need that we have of Jesus.
And the one I often come back to personally is Paul.
Paul's life is something I tend to go back to again and again and just see his own experiences that he had in life,
the different challenges that he came through, the different experiences that he had.
And despite, it's not just about himself, but it's always about Jesus.
And despite how he sees himself so often, he sees himself as chief of sinners and the least among all people,
as he looks to his past and even as present, he says the same thing.
But he always has his focus on Jesus.
And there's so many words that he brings to us that help us just to see his focus is on Jesus.
We live in a world where there are so many things grabbing for our attention.
So many adverts that come up on television or online or in magazines or on the phone.
We see them again and again and again, all grabbing for our attention.
And it's often just short slogans that they have just to try and catch our attention and keep a hold of us
and make us think that's something that I need.
For example, you have the sports manufacturer Nike.
And they have the slogan, just do it.
And if you watch their adverts so often, their adverts can be quite long, but those words keep appearing, just do it.
And it's maybe someone who starts training and gets up early.
And it's always about what they're wearing, what they're using, and not exactly what they're doing.
Just do it.
So in the sense that you'll go out and buy the shoes, the trainers, the boots, whatever it is.
You'll buy all the gear.
And that's what's going to help you to just do it.
But there's another slogan that often comes in that sort of goes against the grain in that way.
It's all the gear but no idea.
So you can have everything that you need.
And you can see this from time to time when you see people.
They can buy everything that's needed for doing or what they think is going to help them do something,
whether it's running a marathon, being the best footballer or rugby player, whatever it is.
They can have all the gear but just no idea what they're doing.
And so there's these kind of slogans that we see that we think,
well, that's what I need to be able to run a marathon.
I need these trainers.
That's what's going to do it.
But it's not.
It's what we are in and of ourselves and the work that we put into it in terms of training and listening
and all of these things and seeking to do it.
It's not just the trainers that are going to do it.
We need more than that.
But what about when it comes to the Christian faith?
When you hear about being a Christian,
when you hear what it is to live for Christ and the blessings that there are,
the joy that there is,
is that what grabs your attention when it comes to being a Christian?
You think, yes, that's something that I want to live as.
I want to live as a Christian.
But you've not grasped what it really means.
Because so often, even as we were looking at this morning,
and we were thinking of Jesus and speaking to the scribes about all these laws,
and they were thinking, well, it's all about what I can do.
Just do it.
Just do this.
Do that.
Do the next thing.
And that's what will make me good with God and right with God.
But it's not.
There's got to be more to it than that.
And you think of the people that we see in the Scriptures,
whether it's in the Old Testament or the New Testament,
and you see the kind of words that are applied to them.
And it reminds us that it's not about the individual, but the one who was with them.
For example, David.
If you look at the life of David, you see all the ups and downs in his life.
There's certain words that you can relate to him,
and you think there is just something that speaks so wonderfully.
David.
The apple of his eye, as it speaks of in front of God.
The apple of God's eye.
How precious he was to God.
And you think, oh, that's just amazing.
Or Esther.
You think of Esther, and it's probably these words for such a time as this.
There's these words that just, you can relate to her.
The same with the New Testament people with Peter.
We often think of Jesus asking, do you love me?
That's what maybe comes to us.
Or Bartimaeus, what do you want me to do for you?
Jesus asked him.
And when we look at that,
we realize that there's so much in the Christian life
that's more than just having all the ideas in our head.
It's more than just having a knowledge of it.
But it's about putting these things into practice.
And when you look at the Christian faith,
there are blessings, there are joys.
But there are also many different challenges
that we have to come up against as well.
For example, when we hear these words
that you are to take up your cross, deny yourself,
and follow him.
Does that change your outlook on what the Christian life means?
The plans that the Lord has for us
that interfere with our own plans,
our own desires.
When the rubber hits the road as it is,
when we think the going gets hard,
what are we going to do?
Are we going to carry on in the faith?
Or think, this isn't what I was expecting.
We need to see that the Christian life,
yes, is one of great joy
and will be eternally one of great joy.
But there is also a life that has a need for commitment,
for sacrifice, for faith,
in the midst of everything that comes our way.
And that's what Paul's life so often shows us
and highlights for us as well.
When you think of the kind of things
that Paul says as he's writing to the different churches,
he writes to the church at Ephesus
and says you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
but you're made alive in Christ.
You have these words that remind us
of what we were dead in our trespasses and sins,
but made alive together with Christ.
You know, it was led to the Philippines
and how often in that letter you see him
just saying a few words and you think,
well, there's the blessing of the Christian life,
but also the challenges of it as well.
For example, in Philippians 4,
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
You can have these words and think,
there is a slogan for me.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
But what's he talking about?
He's talking about poverty and persecution
and shipwreck and slavery
and all of these kinds of things,
as well as the joys.
But he can do it all through Christ who strengthens him.
There's the promise of Christ with him.
It's not about himself.
In Philippians 1, he says these words as well,
for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Again, can we take these words to heart ourselves?
Can we apply them to ourselves and our own,
seeking to walk with Christ?
For me to live is not myself, it is Christ.
And something very similar that we have here
in Galatians as well,
in verse 20 and 21.
And you read here that the Christian life
is all about Jesus.
I have been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me.
So we see here he's not living the Christian life by himself.
He's not living it just doing it himself.
He is living it looking to the Lord Jesus Christ
and knowing that it is only through him that he lives.
And as we think of a time of year when we remember
the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
we think this evening of the significance of that.
We always have it to mind,
but we think of just the significance of the life
that we have in Christ this evening.
Can we say, can you say this evening with Paul these words,
it is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.
It's not about me.
It's about Christ who lives in me.
That is the key to the Christian walk.
Self decreases and he increases.
And so there's three things I want us to look at
in these verses, these two verses.
I wish you think of the life that we have in Christ.
First of all, we live by Jesus.
We live by Jesus.
Secondly, we are to live like Jesus.
And then thirdly, we are to live for Jesus.
We have life by Jesus, life like Jesus, and life for Jesus.
And that's really what Paul is highlighting to us here
in these two verses.
It's very much in the context of what's come before us well,
both defending his own gospel ministry to the Gentiles.
And you see in verse 9 that James and Peter and John
had perceived, they were the pillars of the faith,
but they had given the right hand of fellowship.
They'd given the blessing to him
to go and minister to the Gentiles.
But yet in the next few verses,
you've got this opposition against Peter,
who was living hypocritically in front of the Gentiles.
And then when the Jews arrived,
he changed the way he lived.
So it's all in light of that.
And that's a challenge to ourselves as well.
How are we going to live not just before God,
but before man as well?
Are we going to be the Christian who's comfortable in here,
but who goes out there,
and then we suddenly live a different life?
Well, not if we live as Paul describes here.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
That is when we live for Christ in every place that we go,
in everywhere that we are.
So we are to live by Jesus, first of all.
And the question here is,
do you realize the life and power that we have in Jesus?
Do you realize the power that there is in the life that Christ gives to us?
Not the life that the world has to offer,
where it offers all these slogans and things
that can grab our attention and make us live to that end of,
just do it, just go and live your life,
live it to the full,
do what you want,
do what you please.
But the very fact that we live by Jesus,
that Jesus is the author of life,
that is in him,
we live,
move,
and have our being.
So that's the first thing that Paul is addressing here in these verses to the Galatians.
The people there who are being pulled away from faith in Christ,
being pulled back to the law and living their life by the law
and being under the burden of the law,
where it's all about keeping all the laws.
Well, Paul is almost calling them back again and saying,
no,
it is to live by Jesus,
to live by Christ.
And that's not about keeping all the laws.
It's by living by faith.
And you see that how he says in verse 20 here,
I have been crucified with Christ.
Christ.
And it's all the difference as we see this.
We see the focus is moved away from just keeping the law
to living by Jesus,
to living by Christ.
That we are in Christ,
we live by him.
And it starts with these words,
I have been crucified with Christ.
I have been crucified,
I have been put to death.
With Christ.
So there's almost like a past position here
as to how we are living.
I am crucified.
It's referring back to the crucifixion of Jesus.
Very much so in that we live because he gave his life for us.
And that's what affects her life.
Even now,
as we can read in the book of Romans,
chapter 6,
here it outlines just the significance for us.
In verse 4 to verse 6.
We were buried,
therefore,
with him by baptism into death,
in order that,
just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him
in a death like his,
we shall certainly be united with him
in a resurrection like his.
We know that our old self was crucified with him.
In order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing.
So that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
He's written it to the Romans as well.
We are crucified with Christ.
And if we deny that,
if we say that we can live by the law ourselves
and fulfill all the law by ourselves,
well,
we are deceiving ourselves.
But more than that,
as you see in verse 25,
we nullify the grace of God.
For if justification were through the law,
then we're saying Christ died for no purpose.
Christ's death means nothing
if we feel we can live for ourselves,
if we can just do it ourselves.
But instead we are to see
we are crucified with Christ.
His death was for us.
That once for all death.
And because we died with him,
it's a sense of we died too.
We died to our sin there.
And yet we know that through that we have hope
that Christ died for sinners.
And so like you read in Psalm 56, verse 3 and 4,
when I am afraid,
I'll trust in thee.
In God I'll praise his word.
I will not fear what flesh can do.
My trust is in the Lord.
The one who died for our sins.
The one we are crucified with.
We live by Jesus through his crucifixion.
But we see it's not just the death of Christ.
It's the fact that we live in him as well.
Because he was crucified with him.
But he says,
it is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.
So there is life.
There's the past that Christ died for our sins,
but the present as well.
We live by Jesus, by Christ even now.
Died for our sins,
but he rose again on the third day
to give us life.
That we might live to him.
And so we have that hope.
That hope of life in Christ
that's also life eternal.
When you think of eternal life,
when do you think of that being?
It's in the future, I'm sure you think of it.
Eternal life is something in the distance,
ahead in the future.
When we pass from this world,
we go into glory,
if we're believing in the Lord,
and there is eternal life.
But eternal life we have now.
We have that hope now.
So that even as you read in Psalm 23,
yea, though I walk in the valley
of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me.
There is that hope for now.
John 10, verse 28,
he says,
I give them eternal life,
and they will never perish,
and no one will snatch them
out of my hand.
We live eternally,
even now,
because we have that assurance,
that promise,
that we live by faith in Christ.
Crucified to him,
and we live by him.
We are alive in Christ,
and through him.
And there is the joy of the Christian faith.
There is the hope of the Christian faith,
that there is life in him.
Again,
we live by Jesus.
We live by Christ.
And then we read on,
and we see we are to live like Jesus.
I have been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me,
and gave himself for me.
You may be familiar with the phrase,
what would Jesus do?
For a number of years,
there were these bands you used to see
on so many people's wrists,
WWJD,
what would Jesus do?
But it's not just,
we ask ourselves,
what would Jesus do?
Like,
what would he do if he was here and now?
But what did Jesus do?
How are we to live
in light of this life
that he has given to us?
We are to live like Jesus.
And what does that mean for us today?
Well,
when we think of how Jesus lived,
we know we can never accomplish
that perfect life ourselves.
We can never reach that,
but it doesn't mean we are not to live like him.
And live towards his glory.
Paul goes on to remind us here
that we are able to live through him,
but that we are also to live like him,
because we have the power
of the resurrection in us as well.
It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.
Again, we go back to what we were thinking of
this morning.
And the challenge that Jesus gave
to the scribes,
as he was saying to them,
what's the greatest commandment?
Well, the greatest commandment is this,
that you love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
with all your strength.
Well, how can we do that?
Well, it is only through Christ
that we can do that.
And therefore,
we are to live like him.
We are to live like him
and in all the ways
that he shows us
through his word.
When you think of Paul writing
to the Philippines,
he wrote about the humility
of Jesus,
who humbled himself,
who thought others
more important than himself.
We have that example
given to us there.
Is that how you live?
Is that how I live?
Looking to others
and having them thinking
more importantly of them,
or humbly living before God.
When we think of faith,
we are to come humbly,
but we receive powerfully.
Just think of these words.
It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.
Do you know that yourself,
the power of that salvation
in your heart?
That he lives,
he is a resident in you.
That by faith,
he comes into you.
You have that promise
that Jesus gave
in the Gospel of John
that as he goes,
he is going to leave
his comforter,
the Holy Spirit,
the one who is called
alongside us
and the Spirit
who lives in us.
We are not alone.
It's not a case of saying to us,
just do it yourself.
No, it is like Paul says,
I can do all things
through Christ
who strengthens me,
the Christ
who lives in me.
That is the joy
that the Christian has.
Peter himself
knows that joy too.
Although he was
clashed with Paul here,
he too knew the joy
of salvation in Jesus.
In 1 Peter 1, verse 3,
he says,
he has caused us
to be born again
to a living hope
through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ
from the dead.
Born again.
There's that newness.
There's that life
in us
that's not our own
but the Christ
who lives in me.
And it's that life
that gives hope
and it's through
the resurrection
of Jesus Christ
from the dead.
Christ
who lives
in me.
That is the hope
that the Christian has.
We are to live
like Jesus
through him
who lives in us.
And what impact
does that have
in our lives?
Well, it should impact
in everything
that we do.
But as you see,
the example of Jesus
as he gives us
in prayer,
we are to pray
like Jesus.
Always to pray
and never give up.
In our worship,
that is to be our goal
at all times,
to live
for the glory of God
and to give glory
and worship to him
in all that we do.
It should come into
the way that we praise,
the way that we sing
our praise to the Lord,
the way we lift up
our voice.
When we think of Christ
who lives in us,
should that not make us
just want to burst out
in praise to God?
It should impact
the way that we love
as we were thinking
about this morning.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart
because Christ lives in you.
Surely as we have that,
then we cannot
but love God,
but also love
our neighbor
as ourself.
And as we live,
it is no longer
I who live.
So it's not our priorities,
it's not what we see
as important.
It is to live
for Christ.
So that everything
that we do
is with thanksgiving
and praise
to him.
Christ in us,
the hope
of glory.
When you think of why
Paul had to rebuke
Peter here,
why was it?
Well,
because he was not
showing Christ
to others.
He was okay
when it was just
the Gentiles there.
It says in verse 12,
for before certain men
came from James,
he was eating
with the Gentiles.
He was among them.
He was eating with them
quite happily.
But when they came,
he drew back
and separated himself.
So Paul rightly
had to speak to him.
He had to challenge him
and say,
you're not loving
your neighbor
as yourself.
You're being hypocritical.
And you're causing
others to live
hypocritical lives
as well.
So he challenges
you're not living
like Jesus.
And sometimes
we need that
rebuke ourselves
too,
to live
like Jesus.
To give that example
of what Jesus is
to others.
So we are to live
by Jesus.
We are to live
like Jesus.
And then thirdly,
we see we are to live
for Jesus.
We are to live
for Jesus.
Who are you living for?
That's the question
that Paul addresses here.
Are you living
to please God?
Or to please men?
And again,
you see this
going back to Peter.
Are you living
to please God?
Are you living
to please those
who will see you
eating with Gentiles?
And you might think
you might upset them
by doing it.
Well,
he's saying,
it's no longer
I who live
but Christ
who lives
in me.
And I live
by faith
in the Son of God
who loved me
and gave
himself
for me.
are we living
that kind
of life,
that sacrificial
life?
Because when we
see this,
we see that
there is the supply
of faith
that God gives.
And by that
we are to live
for Jesus
as well.
He will supply
the faith
that we need
for our journey
in this life.
So it's not
just you do it.
It is Christ
who lives
in us.
And we are
to live
for Jesus
in that faith
as well.
Faith is a
gift
of God.
And it's a gift
of God
that we are
to flan
into flame.
By the grace
of God
you have been
saved.
And you have
been saved
for works
to do
for the Lord.
And that
we have
that hope
of the faith
that dwells
in us.
And that
that leads
us to live
for the
Son of God
who gave
us life.
Who loved
me
and gave
himself
for me.
One person
put it like
this when you
look at faith.
You see faith
is like a
muscle.
A muscle
like in the
body.
And when
it's taken
into the
gym of
life it's
weak at
first.
It can
do little.
But as
it is
exercised
in the
little
things day
by day
it grows
considerably
until it's
able to
accomplish
great
things
through
Christ.
So there
is this
exercise
of faith.
Putting
our faith
into
practice
on a
daily
basis.
How do
we exercise
faith?
Well faith
comes by
hearing.
And hearing
by the
word of
God.
And so
we live
by this
word of
God.
Growing
in it.
But there's
also this
living by
the sacrifice.
By the
sacrifice that
has been
made for
us.
Our lives
are to be
sacrifices
too.
Paul says
that as he
writes to
the Romans
in chapter
12.
we are
a people
who are
to live
for him.
And so
we think
of these
three things
that we
have.
We live
by Christ.
Are you
this evening
living in
that way
by Christ?
We are
to live
like
Christ.
Are you
living
like
Christ?
Living for
the glory
of God.
And are you
living for
Christ?
Seeking not
just glory
for yourself
but glory
for God.
Even in the
ordinary things
that we have
in life.
Everything that
we do we are
to do for
the glory
of God.
And the
day will
come when
we will be
recognized for
what we have
done.
when we
will appear
before God
and he will
have before
him everything
that we have
done.
And how we
lived for
him.
During the
Second World
War
Winston
Churchill
often had
to go and
speak to
different people
in different
places.
He spoke
to soldiers,
he spoke
to sailors,
he spoke
to airmen
to encourage
them.
And there's
so many
words that
Winston
Churchill
spoke that
still resonate
to this
day but
he didn't
just leave
it to those
who were to
the forefront
of the
cause and
that sense
of soldiers
or sailors
or airmen.
He spoke
to those
who were
doing behind
the scene
work as
it were
as well.
And there
was a
time when
he had
to speak
to those
who were
involved
in the
mining
of coal,
the coal
miners.
Many of
them thought
that their
job was
almost
meaningless,
serving no
purpose when
it came
to the
cause of
the war.
But he
had to
go and
speak to
them and
remind
them that
they were
needed just
as much
as anything.
Because
without them
none of
the others
could do
the work
that they
were involved
in.
And they
weren't to
see themselves
as insignificant
in the
cause of
defending the
nation,
but to
see themselves
as vital
to the
defence of
the nation
because coal
ran so
much.
Everything
depended on
fuel,
whether it
was to
help the
soldiers,
the sailors,
the airmen,
coal was
essential.
And he
spoke to
them in
ways that
they recognised
the importance
of what they
were doing.
And he
said at
one point
that,
yes,
there will
be those
who would
say,
I fought
in the
war on
the front,
on the
front,
I fought
at sea,
I fought
in the
air,
but he
says you
will be
able to
say,
we fought
at the
coal
face,
we cut
the coal.
And they
began to
realise the
importance
of it.
And when
we see the
importance
of faith,
it's faith
to live
for Christ.
Whatever
we have,
whatever we
are able
to do
for him,
what we
can say
is it
is no
longer I
who live,
but Christ
who lives
in me.
And as
Christ
lives
in us,
we will
do
for him
and not
see anything
as unimportant
or little
in the scheme
of things,
but all
things working
together for
the glory
of God.
But it
begins by
recognising
what it
is to
have faith
in him,
faith
in the
son of
God
who
loved
me
and
gave
himself
for
me.
When we
see his
sacrifice,
we see
our lives
as a
living
sacrifice
for him.
So we
are to
live
for him.
We live
by him.
We live
by him
in the
sense of
he is
the one
who gives
us
life.
we live
to give
glory
to him.
We live
for him.
So we
be able
to say
like this
when Paul
says here
that this
is what
apply to
me,
that this
is what
I would
see as
important
for my
life and
for the
glory of
God and
for his
church,
that I
have been
crucified
with Christ.
it is no
longer I
who live
but Christ
who lives
in me.
And the
life I
now live
in the
flesh,
I live
by faith
in the
Son of
God who
loved me
and gave
himself
for me.
Are we
living
for Christ?
Because if
we are not,
then what
we are doing
is saying
that Christ
died for
no purpose.
if we
think we
can do
it
ourselves,
we are
saying his
death does
not matter.
So let
us see by
faith the
importance of
the fact that
Christ died
for us,
that we be
crucified with
him and
live for
him.
Let us
pray.
Our
Father in
heaven, may
you help
us to
have that
mind in
us that
is in
Christ,
that we
would live
in all
things for
him and
for his
glory.
Help us,
Lord, to
have these
words even
in our
hearts as
we go from
here this
evening,
recognising
that it is
nothing that
we do in
and of
ourselves,
that we
can only
live through
him and
that we are
to live like
him and
for him.
And so
help us,
Lord, that
we would
see that we
have life
in Christ
and he
lives in
us as
we come
to him
by faith.
May we
go on
strengthened in
our faith,
able to
live for
him and
all things
for his
glory as
we ask
it in
his precious
name.
Amen.
We'll
conclude by
singing to
God's
praise and
sing
Psalms
version of
Psalm 56
at verse
9,
page 73
of the
psalm
books.
Psalm 56
at verse
9,
singing down
to the end
of the
psalm.
When I
call on
you to
help me,
then my
foes will
turn aside.
This is
how I
will be
certain
that my
God is
on my
side.
We'll
sing from
verse 9
down to
the end
of the
psalm
and the
tune is
Sussex.
If I
call on
you to
help me
and my
foes will
turn
aside,
this is
how I
will be
certain
that
my
God is
on my
side.
In
the
Lord's
word
I
honor,
in
my
God
I
praise
his
word.
I
will
trust
and
God
be
!
I
will
be
!
I
will
be
true
!
I
have
taken
my
speed
for you
tell my
God
I
will
be
true
sacrifice
!
I
will
give you
!
I
will
gladly
get
to
you!
For
you
kept
my
feet
from
stumbling
and
from
death
to set
me
free
so
that
I
will
walk
before
you
and
the
light
of
life
next
to
me
after
the
benediction
I'll
go to
the
door
to
my
left
we'll
close
with
the
benediction
now
may
grace
mercy
and
peace
from
God
Father
Son
and
Holy
Spirit
rest
upon
and
abide
with
you
all
now
and
forever
more
Amen
voy
!
voy voy voy
!
voy
!
voy
Thank you.