our hearts to sing praise to God. Let us hear first of all these few words from the Bible.
Give thanks to the God of heaven for his steadfast love endures forever. Let us together worship him
in song from Psalm 122 from the Scottish Psalter, page 416 in our Blue Psalm books, Psalm 122,
singing from the beginning of this psalm. We'll sing the whole psalm to the tune free church.
I joy to enter the house of God, go up they said to me, Jerusalem within thy gates our feet shall
standing be. Jerusalem as a city is compactly built together and to that place the tribes go up,
the tribes of God go thither. Psalm 122, the whole psalm to the praise of God.
I joy went to the house of God, go up they said to me, Jerusalem within thy gates our feet shall
sound in me. Jerusalem as a city is compactly built together and to that place the tribes go up,
the tribes of God go up they said to me. Jerusalem as a city is compactly built together and to that place the
of the world of God. Jerusalem as a city is compactly built together and to that place the
the built-in thing and the protection of wherever the jerseys came from peace or the travelling
of Christ. Specifically, what worship seems to be so spoiled and to that place the
of Christ still remains true. Jerusalem as a city is compactly built together and to that place the
of Christ still remains peaceful within thy bones remain. Before worship may return high Him for the
And ever may thy goddesses prosperity retain.
Now for thy chains and reverence it is thee in thee I'll say.
And for the house of God our Lord I'll seek thy good always.
Let's pray together.
Gracious God our loving Heavenly Father how these words stir our hearts.
How it is we enjoy and rejoice in having this time together in worship this morning.
On the beginning of a new week on this your day in your house to sing praise to your name.
And may it be Lord today that this psalm would be our portion, our experience, our motto.
That we would truly in our hearts be full of joy in coming in here together today to worship before you.
Lord our God go before us in what we do here.
And we pray that in this morning's service of worship by word and by sacrament your name would be glorified.
The gospel of Jesus Christ would be upheld.
The wonder of Jesus would be extolled before us and within us.
And that the kingdom of righteousness would expand in our hearts and through our witness.
Be with us Lord as we spend this time together before you.
We bow in worship.
We acknowledge you.
We adore you.
We sing praise of your holiness, your justice, your goodness, your truth and above all.
We give thanks this morning for Jesus Christ, your son, the one who came into this world.
Having covenanted from all eternity to redeem a people to himself, he came.
And in that hour of suffering and as the hour of the cross loomed heavy upon him,
as the darkness closed in, as impending judgment came closer and closer,
we hear our Savior saying, Father, if it be your will, let this cup pass from me.
Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.
And so we say today, Hallelujah.
What a Savior.
Be with us as we remember the cost of our salvation.
Be with us as we remember what it cost our Redeemer
to secure the forgiveness of sin
that sets us aright with you, the living God,
that brings us from darkness and enmity to light and life,
that brings us from being far off and strangers of the commonwealth of Israel
and aliens to the promises of God,
right in to the very family of God.
What a Savior.
And we pray today that our songs of praise would unite our hearts,
that our sense of purpose and joy would be evident and felt amongst us and between us.
And when we go from here, we pray, Lord, then that you would draw near to us,
that you would bless your word to our hearts,
that you would undertake for us as we study together the scriptures
and as we remember the death of our Lord and Savior.
Be pleased, Lord, to bless us with your presence and your grace.
By word and sacrament, Lord, we come to you,
hungering and thirsting after righteousness.
So here as we pray this morning, young and old alike,
you know, Lord, our thoughts.
You know our concerns.
You know the things that worry us and leave us anxious,
that rob us of sleep and keep us from feeling a sense of peace in life.
Sometimes, Lord, life itself is so heavy.
And we pray today for any who are burdened and weighed down.
We pray, Lord, for those who are struggling in life,
who are experiencing difficulty, hardship, ill health,
unemployment, financial pressure and strain.
For those, Lord, who in these days and months have felt loneliness.
For those, Lord, struggling today with brokenness and addiction,
we pray, Lord, for them all.
That you would remember our communities, our island, our nation at this time.
We pray especially, Lord, for any joining with us today online,
those who are watching from home.
And we pray, Lord, for them.
We pray for those who cannot be with us.
And we pray, Lord, that above all, that your word would be blessed,
that the word would run free in hearts and lives,
and that Christ would be glorified,
the one who was lifted up,
that he might draw all men to him.
Hear us this morning, we pray,
as we seek forgiveness for our sin.
Cleanse us and renew us, we pray,
for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
Now, boys and girls,
I just want to say something to you today about choices.
Choices.
Got here a little menu card.
That's a little thing that comes very often to the post
for weddings.
And this wedding menu is sent along to people invited.
And what you have to do nowadays is you make your choices
and you send it back.
So that they know before you turn up
the meal that you're looking to have.
So I don't know, boys and girls,
what you would choose if you were given this menu.
This is what the choice you would have.
For the starter,
you could have either
homemade lentil soup
or salmon.
You would tick one of them
if you wanted a starter.
Then you'd be on to the main course
and you could have top side of beef
or chicken
Balmoral.
I'm sure there'd be another
vegetarian option somewhere
if that was your choice.
You would tick the box
and that would be served to you
on the day of the wedding.
And then the best bit,
desserts.
That's what it's all about, isn't it?
You could have meringue
with cream and berries
or you could have
strawberry cheesecake.
You would tick your choice,
you would put your name on the card,
in it goes,
and on the day of the wedding,
the choices you make
are served to you.
Isn't that nice?
It's good planning, isn't it?
You're making your choice
nice and early.
And the thing about choices
is that sometimes
you don't get much warning.
You have to make a decision
on the spot
and you make a choice.
And this is when it gets quite difficult.
If you're having a bad day,
if you've been told
to do your homework,
if you've been told
it's your turn for the dishes,
if it's your turn
to cut the grass
or wash the car
or walk the dog
and you don't want
to do any of these things,
well, you're faced with a choice.
Do what you've been asked to do
by mum or dad
or granny or granddad
or don't.
What are you going to do?
And I want to tell you today,
boys and girls,
that sometimes
it's good to prepare for choices
and we can do that
by asking God to help us.
The Bible says,
seek first
the kingdom of God.
We put them first
in our choices,
in little things like menus
and particularly in days
that are difficult
or trying,
if big brother's
getting on your nerves,
if little sister's
going off with your favorite object
and you're going to make
a choice to cause chaos
or just be a good brother
or sister,
that's another choice
you're going to have to make.
Ask yourself at that time,
what choice would God
want me to make?
And if we ask that question
as we make choices,
we are in a far better position
than if we don't
and we are really close
to God
and if we're close to God,
we're going to want to,
please him.
So the next time
choices come your way,
next time there's a decision
to be made,
say to yourself,
what choice would God
want me to make?
Well, let's read together
from God's word this morning
two passages
from the New Testament.
First of all,
from the Gospel of John.
The Gospel of John.
We'll read from chapter 10
and verse 7
and then we'll turn forward
in our Bibles
to 1 Corinthians
and chapter 15.
Reading first of all
into the Gospel of John
chapter 10
and verse 7.
So Jesus again said to them,
Truly, truly,
I say to you,
I am the door of the sheep.
All who came before me
are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep
did not listen to them.
I am the door.
If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved
and will go in and out
and find pasture.
The thief comes
only to steal
and kill and destroy.
I came that they may have life
and have it abundantly.
I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd
lays down his life
for the sheep.
He who has a hired hand
and not a shepherd,
who does not own the sheep,
sees the wolf coming
and leaves the sheep
and flees
and the wolf snatches them
and scatters them.
He flees
because he's a hired hand
and cares nothing
for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd.
I know my own
and my own know me.
Just as the Father knows me
and I know the Father
and I lay down my life
for the sheep
and I have other sheep
that are not of this fold,
I must bring them also
and they will listen
to my voice
so there will be one flock,
one shepherd.
For this reason,
the Father loves me
because I lay down my life
that I may take it up again.
No one takes it from me
but I lay it down
of my own accord.
I have authority
to lay it down
and I have authority
to take it up again.
This charge
I have received
from my Father.
There was again
a division among the Jews
because of these words.
Many of them said,
He is a demon
and is insane.
Why listen to him?
Others said,
These are not the words
of one who was oppressed
by a demon.
Can a demon
open the eyes?
of the blind?
I'm turning forward
to 1 Corinthians
in chapter 15,
reading this chapter
from the beginning.
Paul's letter
to the Corinthians,
his first letter,
chapter 15,
reading this chapter
from the beginning.
Now I would remind you,
brothers,
of the gospel
I preached to you,
which you received
and which you stand
and by which you are being saved
if you hold fast
to the word
I preached to you
unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you
as of first importance
what I also received,
that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures,
that he was buried,
that he was raised
in the third day
in accordance
with the Scriptures,
and that he appeared
to Cephas,
then to the twelve.
Then he appeared
to more than 500 brothers
at one time,
most of whom
are still alive,
though some
have fallen asleep.
Then he appeared
to James
and to all the apostles.
Last of all,
as to one untimely born,
he appeared also to me,
for I am the least
of the apostles,
unworthy to be called
an apostle,
because I persecuted
the church of God.
But by the grace of God
I am what I am,
and his grace toward me
was not in vain.
On the contrary,
I worked harder
than any of them,
though it was not I,
but the grace of God
that was with me.
Whether then it was I
or they,
so we preach,
and so you believed.
Amen.
May God bless his word
to our hearts,
and to his name
be the praise.
I'll sing again
to the praise of God
from Sing Psalms
and the 23rd Psalm.
On page 28
in our blue psalm books,
Sing Psalms
and Psalm 23.
We'll sing this whole psalm
together to the tune
Tarwathi.
The Lord
is my shepherd,
no want shall I know.
He makes me lie down
where the green pastures grow.
He leads me to rest
where the calm waters flow.
Psalm 23,
we will sing together
to God's praise.
Amen.
The Lord is my shepherd,
no want shall I know.
He makes me lie down
where the green pastures grow.
He leads me to rest
where the calm waters flow.
My wandering steps,
he brings back to his way.
Hence they pass off
my justness,
making me safe.
and this he has done
this great day
to display.
Though I walk in death,
how he hurt our messes near.
He wants you are with me,
no evil I fear.
your God and yourself
bring me comfort and cheer.
In the sight of my enemies,
and the evil you spread.
The oil of rejoicing you pour on my head,
my cup,
O earth,
those hand and graciously fed.
So surely your covenant,
and mercy and grace,
will follow me closely
in all of my ways.
I will go to heaven
in the highest
of the Lord
all my days.
We'll bow in prayer together.
Let us pray.
Lord, we bow this morning together.
We sing praise to your name.
We acknowledge your holiness in prayer.
We bring to you our petitions
and our supplications
with thanksgiving.
We pour out our hearts to you, Lord,
conscious of that great declaration
of the Christian church.
The Lord is my shepherd.
We pray this evening as we,
today as we reflect on
the truth of the gospel.
As we reflect on
the cost of our salvation.
As we remember our Lord
till he come again.
That you would be here with us.
We thank you that as we open
the scriptures,
we hear you speak.
We have before us
the very word of the living God.
And we pray today that that word
would take root
in our hearts and lives.
That we would grow in grace,
deepen our faith,
and further grow up into him,
the head of the church,
our King and Saviour.
Be with us, Lord,
today we pray through word and sacrament.
Our need is great.
And so we come, Lord,
seeking your blessing and filling.
We would seek you
with our whole heart today.
And we would ask that you would
address us
at the deepest point of our needs.
and that the Spirit would move
amongst us,
teaching us and leading us
to see the one
who gave himself for us.
Jesus, our King and friend.
The one who is the door.
The one through whom
we are bid come
and enter onto
the highway of holiness.
May we do so, Lord,
humbly and expectantly.
And so, Lord,
we gather in anticipation.
We look upward.
We look to Christ.
We come to the throne of grace
via the cross,
where we go for the forgiveness
of sin
that so often besets us
and entangles us.
Lord, we are conscious
this morning
of the gospel's declaration
that the wages of sin
is death.
But the gift of God
is eternal life
through Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
So, Lord,
come among us.
Bless us and do us good.
Open our hearts and minds
and bless us
by your word this morning
and the sacrament
as we share this meal
together at the table.
In Jesus' name we ask it.
Amen.
The death of Christ
in our place
to satisfy
the demands
of divine justice
and appease
the wrath of God
is of the very substance
of the gospel.
And that's what we find
when we turn together
in our Bibles
to 1 Corinthians
in chapter 15
where the apostle,
in writing to this church
that he was so intimately
aware of
and wanting to encourage them
and build them up
and keep them
on the right path,
that's what he's been doing
these previous 14 chapters,
teaching
and pleading
and exhorting
that they would
again appreciate
and come to a deeper
understanding
of the gospel of God.
And so,
we find him here
in chapter 15
beginning to wrap things up
and draw his conclusions.
And so,
he says,
now I would remind you,
brothers,
and that word there,
brothers,
adelphoi,
was a plural term
used in the ancient
Greek tongue
to refer to
brothers and sisters.
And so,
to read it
perhaps more accurately
would be,
now I remind you,
brothers and sisters
of the gospel
I preached to you
which you received
in which you stand
and by which you are
being saved
if you hold fast
to the word
I preached to you
unless you believed
in vain.
Why speak like that,
Paul?
Because there were
tensions here
and there were
divisions
and people were saying,
well,
Paul's not much
of a preacher,
is he?
And in that,
they were going after
the messenger.
And then you had
other schools of thought
that were saying,
well,
if you're saved,
retire.
Just live off
whoever's got money.
You don't need to do it.
You're a child of God.
Sit down.
You don't need to do
anything else.
And so,
what was happening there
was it wasn't the messenger
being attacked,
it was the message.
And this pincer movement
was coming against the church
as it is today.
Nothing has changed.
The devil will attack
messengers
and the message
in his attempt,
in his ferocious
enmity toward the gospel
to try and drive the gospel
out of hearts and lives
and keep sinners
from coming
to a knowledge
of their need
to be born again.
And so,
Paul is pleading here
that they would stand fast
or hold fast
to the word
I preach to you,
the gospel of grace.
And there's a wonderful
and very famous
description of
what he did
when he came among them
back there in chapters
one and two
of this wonderful letter.
Chapter one and two
of first Corinthians.
It would help if I didn't
turn to chapter one
of Romans.
And in first Corinthians two,
he says,
I came to you,
brothers and sisters,
I did not come proclaiming
to you the testimony
of God with lofty speech
of wisdom,
for I decided to know
nothing among you
except Jesus Christ
and him crucified.
And I was with you
in weakness,
in fear,
in much trembling.
And my speech
and my message
were not implausible
words of wisdom,
but in demonstration
of the spirit
and of power,
that your faith
might not rest
in the wisdom of men,
but in the power of God.
And so he zeroes in
on the focus
Christian men and women
need to retain
and work at
and develop
and our focus
must be
the cross of Christ.
Who died there?
Why he died there?
And what it means
for us all today.
And so he says
in verse three,
as he continues
to drive home
the need to get this right
and be specific
and zeroed in
on what the gospel is.
Verse three,
chapter 15,
for I delivered to you
as of first importance
what I also received,
that Christ
died for our sins
in accordance
with the scriptures.
And he was buried
and he was raised
on the third day
in accordance
with the scriptures.
The message
was under attack
in Corinth.
The message
is under attack
in Stornoway today.
this message
of Jesus Christ
the righteous,
the Son of God
who came into the world
to do what?
To seek and to save
the lost.
How did he do it?
He gave himself
for us.
So that statement
really does come
into its own
when we say
the death of Christ
in our place
to satisfy
the demands
of divine justice
and appease
the wrath
of God
is the very
substance
of the gospel.
It's good news.
It's good news
for Stornoway today.
It's good news
for Scotland today
that there is
a saviour.
And of course
the good news
follows the declaration
that there's
bad news.
And you see,
that's the thing
about the gospel.
The gospel
is neither a discussion
nor a debate.
It is a declaration.
I would remind you
brothers and sisters
of the gospel
I preach to you.
This is the apostolic
message,
the apostolic
preaching of the cross,
the apostolic
emphasis of our need
to be born again
by repentance
and faith in Christ
by coming to him
and trusting in him
as Lord and Saviour.
It's a wonderful simplicity
and yet an incredible
depth to what Paul
goes on here to see
in verses 3 and 4.
I deliver to you
as a first importance.
See where he started
with what they needed
to know most of all.
But then notice
that he delivered to them
what he received.
And that tells us
there's a wonderful
balance to be struck here.
And that balance
is that the gospel
is supreme.
The gospel is not
subject to the church
or authenticated
by the church.
It's not the invention
of the church.
The church of Christ
is subject
to the gospel
of Christ.
We are here
to declare him,
to point to him,
to say he is the one
through whom
men and women
and boys and girls
are saved.
This is the wonderful
gospel of Jesus Christ.
So I want us to think
today about what Paul
says here in this
summary,
this revision,
this calling
the Christian men
and women,
back to the fundamentals
of the gospel,
keeping them zeroed
in on the cross,
lest they fade away
and drift away
into uncertainty
and ambiguity
and agnosticism
and all these awful
things that are
doing the rounds
today as they were
back then.
And why do we find
this emphasis here
on the death
of Christ?
Christ.
Because he was
writing to a
Christian congregation
in a Greek city
some 2,000 years ago
that was full of
philosophy
and culture
and thinking
and teaching
and schools of thought
that utterly rejected
any concept of
resurrection from the dead.
It was in the DNA
of the city.
And that's where
the Christian church
had been planted,
that's where the
congregation had grown,
and began to experience
difficulty and troubles
and hard times.
And so Paul writes them
and he zeroes in
on this essential truth
that I think it was
John Stott that spoke
about,
the irreducible minimum
of the Christian gospel,
the death
and resurrection
of Christ
in the place
of sinners.
Verse 12
in this chapter
indicates the thinking
there that's
perhaps hindering
the Christians
from progressing.
If Christ is proclaimed
as raised from the dead,
how can some of you say
there is no resurrection
of the dead?
So the thinking
that surrounded the church,
the thinking in culture
and philosophy
and schools of thought
that surrounded the church
was beginning
to make its way
into the church.
The world
was beginning
to penetrate
into the thinking
and therefore
the theology
and therefore
the practice
of the Christian church.
It was ever thus.
It is a constant
source of attack
that we must be vigilant of,
that we don't allow
culture
to set the tone
for what we do
and what we believe
and how we operate
as the church of Christ.
Only Jesus does that
by and through
his word.
So let's think
about this
as we prepare
to share together
in our Lord's Supper
and remember
the death of Christ
till they come again.
What does Paul
want us to
take to heart today?
Verse 3 tells us,
first of all,
that the death
of Jesus
was promised.
The death of Jesus
was promised.
I delivered to you
as of first importance
what I also received
that Christ
died for our sins
in accordance
with the Scripture.
And so Paul,
having said
that this message
is authenticated
by its source,
the Almighty God
who gave his Son
that we might live,
so he has now
stipulated
that not being
a master
over the message
but a servant
of the message
of Christ,
he is now
underlining
this declaration
that Christ Jesus
came into the world
to save sinners.
Places the Bible
right at the center
of what he's about
to say,
doesn't he?
He says twice,
he uses that phrase
in accordance
with the Scriptures.
And that is a bedrock.
Again,
it's a bedrock
that we face
being under attack
and being undermined
today.
He can't believe that.
Surely you don't need
all this Old Testament
narrative.
You don't really need
these passages
in Romans
that questions
and challenges
our morality
and that addresses
issues of sexuality,
that speaks about marriage,
it speaks about
how we conduct ourselves.
No,
sure,
that's up to us.
We try our best.
We do what we are
to be upstanding people
in society.
And so what we find
constantly
is the world
chipping away
at this very phrase,
that our declaration,
which is made
in accordance
with the Scriptures,
that's out of sync today.
That's unpopular today.
That's old school.
That's Reformation.
Knox,
don't talk to us
about John Knox.
He was surely,
he was a bigot,
he was a secretarian,
he was a misogynist.
And so they destroy
the character
of the messenger
and then go after
the message.
You can't say that to me.
You can't tell me
I'm a sinner.
And yet,
what does God ask
of his church today?
Why has God raised up
and placed his church
on earth,
the church militant,
to assert,
maintain,
and defend?
And unless
and until
we are born again,
we remain
under the wrath
and curse of God.
And so we share
this message
in patience
and humility.
We share this message
in love
again
and again
and again.
And we refuse
to allow the world
to undermine
our grasp of Scripture
and our reverence
of Scripture
because it is from
the Scripture
that the Gospel
has been declared
to the world.
And that message
is Christ died
for our sins
in accordance
of the Scripture.
You see,
everything we know
of Christ today,
it comes from
God's Word.
It's a proclamation
that we find
long ago
at many times
and in many ways
God spoke to our fathers
by the prophets,
but in these last days
he has spoken to us
by his Son.
All Scripture
is breathed out
by God
and profitable
for teaching,
reproof,
correction,
and training.
This death of Jesus
was promised.
In the Old Testament,
we have anticipation
and straining forward
and looking forward.
God is saying
in the Old Testament
Scriptures,
I will send
a Redeemer.
And then we come
into the New Testament
and we're looking back
and through the New Testament
we hear God saying,
I have sent you,
my Son.
This is my beloved.
Hear Him.
And so we assert,
maintain,
and defend
on the basis
of being a Bible-based,
Spirit-filled,
Christ-centered church
that the death of Jesus
was promised.
We write at the beginning
of the Scripture,
we find the promise
that God will send
His Son
into this world.
And the New Testament
furnishes us
with the understanding
we need
as to the importance
and absolute centrality
of the death of Christ
in our place.
Secondly,
this,
the death was promised.
This death was real.
His death was real.
Verse 4
puts it as plainly
as is possible.
He was buried.
The Christian gospel
is a message
of deliverance
that comes
through the death
of the deliverer.
No other world religion
comes close to this.
No other world religion
even begins
to approach
the magnitude
of these words,
the solemnity
and depth
and wonder
and beauty
of what we're told here.
The Son of God,
the Lamb of God,
the Lord of glory,
through whom
all things were made.
The one who is
altogether sufficient.
The one who is
the rose of share
and the lily of the valley.
The one that is
the apple of God's eye.
What do we read here?
He was buried.
This is the gospel.
This is the good news.
That just as the babe,
Jesus,
was laid in the manger,
so the torn
and bloody body
of Jesus
in his early 30s
was laid
in a grave
without life
outside
Jerusalem.
What happened
on the cross
is abundantly clear
and you would need
to have
a heart of stone
and a mind
that resembles stone
to say,
well,
the Bible
doesn't say
that Jesus
died.
That is the
response
of the
Islamic world
to the claims
of the gospel.
They
revere Jesus.
They honor Jesus.
They say
Jesus was a great man.
But he didn't
really die.
And even if he did die,
he certainly
was not
the Son of God.
What happened
on the cross?
The Bible
says otherwise.
His vital
functions
shut down.
His heart
straining
for six hours
to pump
deoxygenated blood
around his body
finally arrested.
And ultimately,
after six hours
of suffering,
Jesus' breath
gave out
and he died.
With all his
vital functions
having stopped,
even then,
the world
was not finished
with him
because a Roman
soldier under
instruction thrust
a spear into
his chest
to confirm
death
had done
its work.
The death
of Jesus
was real.
Why do we
reflect on this?
What did Jesus
tell us to do?
Do this
in remembrance
of me.
The bread
and the wine
that we're
about to share
together
speak powerfully
and vividly
of this moment.
And they say
to each one
of us
as we
take our bread
and as we
drink our wine
that the cost
of our salvation
was nothing
less
and nothing
other
than the life
of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God.
He
was
buried.
his death
was real.
What else
can we say
of this?
We must say
this as we
move on.
That for
Christianity
to be genuine,
for the hope
of the gospel
to be held
out as a
life-transforming
message of
grace and
splendor and
wonder and
forgiveness,
it utterly
depends upon
the death of
Jesus being
genuine.
And it
begins to
push us
back from
that.
You say,
well,
why?
Why the
cross?
Why this
awful death?
Why was it
that he
breathed his
last on that
cross and
laid his
head and
gave up
his life?
As you
read there
in John's
gospel and
chapter 10,
for this
reason the
father loves
me,
because I
lay down
my life
that I
may take
it up
again.
No one
takes it
from me,
but I
lay it
down of
my own
accord.
I have
authority to
lay it
down and
I have
authority to
take it
up again.
charge I
have received
from my
father.
Jesus
himself
affirms in
these words,
his death
was real.
The Christ
of the
Bible was
buried
without
life.
His death
then was
promised and
his death
was real,
but we
don't fixate
on it.
We don't
stay there.
We don't
stay in the
graveyard.
We don't
stay at
the foot
of the
cross.
We don't
reflect
constantly
and permanently
with the
fixation on
the graphic
scene of
the cross.
Yes,
we survey
it.
We study.
We do
so humbly.
We do
so with a
sense of
awe and
wonder.
When we
survey that
scene and
see there
nothing other
than the
Son of
God
dead on
the cross
outside
Jerusalem,
this is the
message of
good news.
I think
it was
that
sentiment
that
perhaps
moved
McShane
to write
these
words
in one
of his
hymns.
When I
stand before
the throne
dressed in
beauty not
my own,
when I
see thee as
thou art,
love thee
with unsinning
heart,
then,
Lord,
shall I
fully know
not till
then how
much I
owe.
we owe
him
everything
because he
gave
everything.
He gave
himself
for us,
not just
by taking
on the
flesh of
the incarnation
and being
a good
man.
Jesus
was truly
man and
truly God
and he
died on
that cross
that the
sins of
the world
might be
taken away.
He gave
what the
Bible calls
propitiation
to the
Father and
of our
sin he
effected
expiation.
He removed
our sin
by bearing
its guilt
on himself
and he
paid the
price by
giving his
life.
His death
was real.
But then
there's this,
Paul's
summation,
his calling
the Corinthian
Christians,
his calling
us today
by the
providence
of God
to just
reflect on
the heart
of the
gospel and
this glorious
message of
grace.
Yes,
there's
death here,
but death
did not
have the
last word
with Jesus
of Nazareth.
Joseph of
Arimathea
and Nicodemus
did not
in their
act of
devotion and
tenderness
and service
have the
last say
on the
life of
Jesus of
Nazareth.
For verse
four goes
on,
he was
raised on
the third
day in
accordance with
the scriptures.
And so this
tells us thirdly
that the death
of Jesus was
victorious.
Victorious.
You see,
death could
not hold
him.
And this is
where the good
news takes
on such
incredible
significance
and wonder.
The wages
of sin
is death,
but the
gift of
God is
eternal
life through
Christ Jesus
our Lord.
And that
empty tomb
that followed
the cross on
the third
day, that
first Easter
morning,
is evidence
in God's
declaration
to the
world that
the sacrifice
of his
son in a
room instead
was pleasing
and acceptable.
And so he
came, as he
says to us
in John
in chapter
10, that
I laid
down my
life of
my own
accord.
I have
authority to
lay it
down and
I have
authority to
take it
up again.
This charge
I have
received from
my father.
And so we
survey this
wondrous
cross on
which the
prince of
glory died.
We are
humbled.
We're
awestruck.
We think,
how can it
be that he
was pierced
there for
our transgressive
possessions?
And then we
read on and
the gospel
moves on.
The gospel
moves from
the cross
and the
cemetery
into the
world.
It moves
from a
message of
the reality
and vitality
of Jesus'
death to
what impact
it has and
what meaning
it has for
you and I
today.
That he
was raised
on the
third day
in accordance
with the
scriptures.
There was
this thought
that maybe
maybe it's
not true.
Maybe there
isn't such a
resurrection and
maybe death
is death and
that's it.
We're all
finished.
Chapter 15
and verse 20
says,
in fact,
Christ has
been raised
from the
dead,
the first
fruits of
those who
have fallen
asleep.
If in this
life only we
have hoped
in Christ,
we are of
all people
most to be
pitied.
If the
message
stayed in
the cemetery,
if the
message was
just about a
good man
dying,
there would
be no
saviour
today because
a dead
saviour can
save nobody.
And so we
say today that
Jesus was
dead and
now is
alive.
And that's
how this
chapter goes
on as Paul
brings this
wonderful
reflection to
this glorious
conclusion.
Toward the
end of the
chapter in
verse 56,
he speaks of
death being
swallowed up in
victory.
Death, where
is your
victory?
O death,
where is
your sting?
The sting
of death
is sin,
and the
power of
sin is
the law.
But thanks
be to
God who
gives us
the victory
through our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
He died
that we
might be
forgiven.
He died
to make
us good,
that we
might go
at last
to heaven,
saved by
his precious
blood.
The death
of Jesus
is victorious.
the
women who
came in
their
devotion and
love and
brokenheartedness
that first
Easter morning
with arointments
and oils
seeking to
pay homage
and show
respect out
of pure
devotion and
sadness.
They had
nothing to
do, they
were redundant.
The oils and
the spices,
the pastes that
they were going
to anoint the
body with that
morning in the
tomb, they
were left
behind.
There was
nothing to
anoint because
the body
was not
there.
The grave
was empty
and the
angel said
to him,
why do you
seek the
living among
the dead?
Jesus'
death was
victorious.
It's the
pivotal point
in the
history of
God's
redemption.
He raised
his son from
the dead.
In this act
of resurrection,
satisfaction has
been rendered
and the
father's
declaration is
clear.
In Acts
chapter 2,
as Peter
preached to
those around
him, he
said God
raised him
up, loosing
the pangs
of death
because it
was not
possible for
him to be
held by
it.
This Jesus
God raised
up and
of that
we are
witnesses.
It's good
to remember
today that
we too,
like the
apostles on
the day of
Pentecost,
in our way,
right here,
right now,
at this
moment,
are witnesses
to the
truth of
this message
having taken
root in
our hearts
and lives.
And so we
acknowledge that
Christ is our
Lord and
Savior.
We take our
place at
his table,
not because
we're perfect
and wonderful,
great and
without problems.
We take our
place at his
table in
faith,
looking unto
him, the
author and
finisher of
our faith.
We take our
place at his
table because
we're sinners
in need of
forgiveness.
And we have
found that
forgiveness not
in our own
strength and
in our own
works, not
because of the
righteousness that
we have acted
and therefore
earned God's
grace, no,
because God's
grace is poured
out in our
hearts.
And we have
come to know
Jesus Christ as
our Lord and
as our Savior.
Paul would
later write to
the church in
Rome, and in
chapter 5 and
verse 1 he
puts it this
way,
therefore, since
we have been
justified by
faith, we
have peace with
God through
our Lord Jesus
Christ.
And so this
morning we
pause, we
reflect, we
remember, do
this in
remembrance of
me.
We remember
that the best
news the world
has ever heard
God comes
from a
graveyard.
Our faith
today is fixed
in a living
Jesus, one who
did die on
that cross and
one who was
physically buried,
but he has been
raised from the
dead and he is
Lord.
And we profess
our faith in
him, we
acknowledge that
we love him,
we trust him,
and we will
follow him, for
he gave his
all for us and
now says to
each one of us,
follow me,
follow me.
And the
wondrous thing
is that Christ
doesn't then
disappear over
the horizon into
the distance.
He says, lo, I
am with you
always to the
very end of
the age.
And so we
remember a dead
saviour can save
no one but a
living, personal,
reigning saviour.
That changes
everything.
And that's why
the language in
this section, it
goes, Christ
died, he was
buried, he rose
again.
He was seen.
And the
Christian church
for these 2,000
years has been
proclaiming this
wondrous message,
this good news
that has been
passed on to us
and we focus in
on what has been
given of first
importance, that
Christ died for
our sins in
accordance with
the scriptures.
The only
explanation for
the cross, the
only explanation
that holds water,
that makes sense,
that joins up,
is the seriousness
of sin, the
awfulness of sin.
And that sin had
created a barrier
between us and
God that was
impassable.
We couldn't get
round it, through
it, over it, or
under it.
And that left us
lost, lost, and
far off from God.
I wonder if you've
noticed how Paul
opens his letter
to the Romans,
that incredible
letter that goes
on to deal with
many of the deep
things of God.
But notice the
first sentence in
this incredible
letter.
Paul, a servant
of Christ Jesus,
called to be an
apostle, set
apart for the
gospel of God,
which he promised
beforehand through
his prophets in the
holy scriptures
concerning his
son who was
descended from
David according to
the flesh, and
was declared to be
the son of God
in power according
to the spirit of
holiness by his
resurrection from
the dead.
Jesus Christ, our
Lord, through whom
we have received
grace.
That wonderful
phrasing there,
set apart in
verse 1, set
apart for the
gospel of God.
It's a word that
speaks of being
marked out by a
boundary.
Isn't that
wonderful?
That today,
Christian friend,
God has set a
boundary.
And that boundary
marker has one
word,
redeemed.
Redeemed.
And you have
been set apart
for the gospel of
God.
Redeemed.
And it's as
redeemed we
gather at this
table.
It's as
redeemed that
we reflect on
how we came to
be on God's
side of the
boundary marker.
How it is we
came to be
marked out as
redeemed by
putting our
trust in Christ.
And that
alone, nothing
else.
There's no
other way but
to trust and
obey.
And so Paul
zeroes in here.
And he reminds
us that the
death of Jesus
is victorious and
that victory has
resulted in God
setting a
marker, a
boundary around
you, Christian
friend, that is
marked out as
redeemed.
And so we
look in
anticipation to
this supper to
receive more
grace in a
special, effective
way, remembering
that the cost of
that boundary
marker being
placed upon us
and around us
was nothing
other than the
death of Jesus,
the Son of God.
And this is the
last thing.
The death of
Jesus is
saving.
Our Savior who
was dead and
now is alive
through each one
of us today
says that we
are to proclaim
his death till
he come.
How do we do
that?
We take our
place at the
table.
We share
together the
bread and the
wine and we
look up.
And as we
look up, we
look out.
We look away
from our sins.
We look away
from the
struggles.
We look away
from the faults
and the failings
and we look away
from the sin that
so often entangles
us and trips
us up.
We cry out for
mercy and grace
to help us in
time of need.
And we cry out
for God's
strengthening.
And we remember
that the victory
is ours through
Jesus Christ who
gave himself for
us.
And we press
on.
We press on.
We cannot say
today that God
forgives us because
he is some kind
of light force
of love,
some kind of
blur in the
sky.
So many people
today, if they
even get close to
thinking about
God, that's about
as far as they
get.
They never open
his word.
But what do
they read?
They read you
and I.
They read our
lives.
They see us.
And so may it
be that as we
conduct ourselves,
this message
would shine
through.
That the light
of Christ would
be seen in how
we conduct
ourselves.
As he said
this morning to
the children,
in the choices
we make,
in the decisions
that form us,
in what we do
on Monday and
Tuesday and
Thursday and
each day in
work, private,
the family and
the community,
over the fence
with the
neighbours,
when we're at
home with our
children.
May it be that
it would be
evident that we
love the Lord
and that his
mark of
redeemed is
upon us.
Not to make us
special, not to
lord it over
anyone.
Of course not.
It's the opposite,
isn't it?
We're so aware
of sin.
We're so keenly
aware of sin.
That's what the
tender conscience
does.
It makes us so
awake to sin and
aware of sin that
we wouldn't dare
lord it over
anybody.
We are saved by
grace and through
faith and not of
ourselves.
It is the gift of
God.
Let's any of us
should boast.
There's no room
for pride in the
kingdom of heaven.
No room for pride
in the church of
Christ.
There's only room
for humility and
dependence.
sins because
were it not for
Jesus, every
single one of us
would still be
under the wrath
of God.
And so we give
thanks today that
this message of
hope and this
message of faith,
this message of
life revolves
around the
central event of
the death of
Christ.
He tasted its
awfulness and
disarmed it.
He felt its
sting and
defeated it for
us.
So our song in
our hearts is
hallelujah what a
savior.
He is risen from
the dead, he is
Lord.
He died that we
might be forgiven.
He died to make
us good that we
might go at last
to heaven, saved
by his precious
blood.
This is our king
and lord and
savior that we
now remember
together.
This is our king
and lord and
savior who bids us
come.
This is our king
and lord and
savior who says
of his table and
his supper, all
things are now
ready.
Do this in
remembrance of
me.
Let's pray together
for a moment.
our gracious lord, how
can we take in the
scene of the
cross?
How can we take in
the scene of an
empty tomb?
How can we take in
the meaning and
significance of
Golgotha?
And yet, lord, we
bless you for the
garden.
We bless you that
there in the
graveyard there was
no body to
anoint.
There was only an
angelic guard set on
the tomb to tell
those early
followers, why do
you seek the living
among the dead?
For he has risen, as
he said, come see the
place where he lay.
Lord, our God, we
bless you that at the
center of the
Christian message
today is the message
of a savior who
loved us and gave
himself for us even
to death on a cross.
How can we begin to
comprehend in our
lifetime the
significance and
wondrous depth of
that message?
And so, lord, in
faith, we gather
today, we follow the
instruction of our
lord in simple
obedience, reverently
and humbly.
And we come to this
table to be fed.
We come to be
nourished.
We come to be
enlivened.
We come for grace.
So be with us, we
pray.
In his precious
name.
Amen.
Now, before we share
together in the
Lord's Supper, we'll
sing again to God's
praise.
We'll turn to Psalm
118 in the Psalter.
Psalm 118 in the
Psalter, page 398.
And we'll sing from
verse 15.
And we'll sing to
verse 21, to God's
praise, to the
tuned coal sill.
Psalm 118, singing
from verse 15.
If anyone is still
in the church
present who loves
the Lord Jesus
Christ and who is in
full communion with
their own church and
is perhaps visiting or
otherwise detained,
so come into the
table and invite you
to take your place at
the Lord's table as we
sing these verses.
This is the table of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is not the table of
the free church.
And so you're welcome
in our Saviour's name
to join us.
We'll sing then from
verse 15 to verse
21.
And dwellings of the
righteous has heard
the melody of joy and
health.
The Lord's right hand
doth ever valiantly.
These verses to God's
praise.
of joy and health.
The Lord's right hand
doth ever valiantly.
Of joy and hell the Lord's right hand doth ever valiantly.
The right hand of the mighty Lord exalted is on high.
The right hand of the mighty Lord doth ever valiantly.
I shall not die but live and shall the works of God discover.
The Lord doth me just, I said so, but not to death give no heart.
O set ye open unto me the gates of righteousness.
Then will I enter into them, and I the Lord will bless.
This is the gate of God by it, that thou shalt enter in.
Thee will I please for thy leaders, and as my safety be.
Amen.
We gather at the Lord's table to share in his supper.
This opportunity that he provides to his church to receive his grace in this special way.
To remember his death till he come again.
We read from 1 Corinthians 11, words that we refer to as our warrant for why we do what we do here.
In verse 23, I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you.
The Lord Jesus in the night when he was betrayed took bread.
And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said,
This is my body which is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way also he took the cup after supper, saying,
This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord's death until he come.
And so we proclaim his death.
We proclaim that he was dead and now is alive.
We proclaim he is our hope, our joy, our peace,
as we share together in this supper.
Let us first of all pray together.
O Lord, we come in anticipation to your table.
We come to be fed, to be nourished, to be blessed, to receive grace.
And so we pray, Lord God, that through this bread and this wine,
set apart in your ordinance,
and by your providence and by your providence and in your mercy,
that they would be to us a feast.
They would be to us this day a banquet.
They would be to us nourishment to our souls,
that we be replenished and refreshed and revived in our spirit
by sharing together in this supper.
As we take the bread and as we take the wine,
as we share together at this table, at this meal,
we ask, Lord, for a sense of worship and wonder,
a sense of oneness and purpose,
a sense of drive and a sense of determination,
as we in your grace and mercy are enabled here
to proclaim our Lord's death till they come again.
Here as we pray in his name.
Amen.
Before I serve these elements,
let me just share with you these words
written by Gregory of Nazianzus,
a fourth century church leader
who wrote magnificently on who Jesus is
and what Jesus has done.
He began his ministry by being hungry,
yet is the bread of life.
He ended his ministry by being thirsty,
yet is the living water.
He was weary, yet is our rest.
He paid tribute, yet is the king.
He was accused of being a demon,
yet cast out demons.
Jesus wept, yet he wipes away our tears.
Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver,
yet he redeemed the world.
Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
yet he is the good shepherd.
Jesus died, yet by his death,
he destroyed the power of death.
This is my body which is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
The initiative in our redemption
comes from God the Father.
For that we give thanks and we praise him.
He's given me long enough to speak to you today,
so I just want to read the last verse
in the chapter we were thinking about this morning,
1 Corinthians 15 and verse 58.
Where in light of what we've thought about,
in light of the grace we've received,
at this table we hear these words,
therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters,
be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
May he bless us,
as together we serve him
and share something of the unsearchable riches of Christ
with the people around us,
professing to them that he is our Savior,
our Lord, our King, and our Friend,
and that through faith he can be that to everyone
who comes to him.
We're going to close our service this morning
by turning to the Psalter
and singing from Psalm 72,
words of adoration and proclamation,
words of praise and wonder.
His name forever shall endure,
last like the sun it shall,
men shall be blessed in him,
and blessed all nations shall him call.
Psalm 72, we'll sing to the end,
and if you give me a moment to get to the front door,
please, at the end of the service,
that would be appreciated.
Psalm 72 from verse 17 to the end.
His name forever shall endure,
last like the sun it shall,
men shall be blessed in him,
and blessed all nations shall them call.
Now blessed be the Lord our God,
the God of Israel,
for he alone doth wondrous works
in glory that excel.
And blessed be his glorious name,
to all eternity.
the whole earth let his glory fill.
Amen, so let it be.
Amen.