Well, let's come and worship God together by singing to His praise.
We begin by singing in Psalm 36 in the Sing Psalms version.
Psalm 36, page 44 of the Psalm books.
We're going to sing from verse 5 down to verse 10.
Your steadfast love is great, O Lord.
It reaches heaven high.
Your faithfulness is wonderful, extending to the sky.
Your righteousness is very great, like mountains high and steep.
Your justice is like ocean depths, both man and beast you keep.
We'll sing from verse 5 to 10 to God's praise.
Your steadfast love is great, O Lord.
Your righteousness is wonderful, extending to the sky.
Your righteousness is very great, like mountains high and steep.
Your righteousness is like ocean depths, both man and beast you keep.
My preciousness, your steadfast love, what confidence it brings.
O Lord, I can hope, I'm sheltering, the shadow of your wings.
With peace within your house and drink from streams of your delight,
For with you is the source of light, in your light we see light.
To those who know you as their God, your steadfast love impart,
Maintain your righteousness to those of pure and upright heart.
Let's unite our hearts in prayer. Let us pray.
Our Father, in heaven your word tells us that this is the day that you have made,
And that we are to rejoice and to be glad in it.
And we do thank you for your wisdom, a wisdom above any wisdom that we have,
And for your ways that are far above our ways.
For from the beginning, Lord, since you created the world,
You gave a day set aside for the very purpose of worshipping and praising your name.
A day of rest.
A day to refresh our souls and our bodies.
A day where we can come and draw near to you in a special way.
That we can come and unite our hearts together as your people.
That we can join together in the peace of your sanctuary.
And that we can find that place of refuge and rest with you.
Even as the psalmist describes it, both high and low.
Find shelter in the shadow of your wing.
And we thank you, Lord, that we come into your presence anew today.
With boldness and confidence, not in ourselves, but in the one who we come to praise and worship.
The one who we come to remember this day.
For all that he has done for us.
The one who gave his life as a ransom for many.
So we praise you, Lord, for your goodness to us.
We praise you for your steadfast love.
The love that we have sung about.
The love that we read about.
The love that we see even set before us here at the table today.
As we survey it all, we see how precious you are.
And how precious your people are to you.
That you sent your own son.
Not just to live in this world.
Not just to proclaim the gospel in this world.
But to fulfill every aspect of it.
To come to lay down his life.
That his body and blood may be seen even before us this day.
In a way where we remember his death until he come.
And so we thank you, Lord, that we can come loving you.
Because you first loved us.
And we ask, oh Lord, your blessing on all that we do together here this day.
We thank you to be able to praise you.
To offer up our songs of praise to you.
And we pray, Lord, that from the very depths of our hearts.
We will lift up our voices in praise and worship.
We thank you for the one who leads us in it.
And we pray you will bless him and uphold him.
And help us all to join in that great praise.
And offer it up as your people.
Not just a people here.
But joining in the praise that goes on throughout the world this day.
We thank you, Lord, for the calling of your people.
From the rising of the sun to its setting.
That your name is to be praised.
And so we join in with all your saints.
Near and far.
Offering up our delight.
And rejoicing in you.
We thank you for your word.
The precious truth that we have before us.
And we ask that as we open it up.
As we share from it together.
That your word will be blessed to us.
That you will minister to all our needs through it.
That you will speak to us here.
And even tuning in online, Lord.
That we will know your presence with us where we are.
That not just through word.
But in the sacrament too.
You will minister to us.
And speak to us as your people.
And to those who look on us well, Lord.
We pray that the proclamation of your truth.
Both in word and sacrament.
Would be blessed to all.
That you will stir us up in our hearts.
To come to consider the love that we see in Christ Jesus.
And to have a longing and a desire to know more of him.
So we pray, Lord.
That in all that we do.
The glory will be yours.
And that all praise and honour will be given to you.
Remember your church, oh Lord.
As you build it up.
We thank you for every member here.
And we especially thank you for new members in our midst at this time as well.
We particularly remember Ellie just now.
And pray.
And thank you for her profession of faith.
We pray your blessing on our, upon our family too.
That you will surround them and uphold them.
In all the days that lie ahead.
And each of your people here.
Whose name you know.
Whose names are written in the book of life.
We thank you for each one.
And pray that we would indeed encourage one another.
And remember one another.
We pray for your church far and wide.
Throughout our land.
And throughout the nations of the world.
We thank you, Lord.
That the day that you have made is for all people.
And we pray that many would come to realise.
And know their longing and their need of you.
So we ask, O Lord, for you to bless the ministry of your word.
Through all ends of the earth.
We ask, O Lord, your blessing on our young people too.
We pray for our Sunday school and creche.
And twinies as they meet just now.
Bless them and be with them.
And those who lead them and teach them as well.
And as they join in with the service later.
May it be a blessing and a witness to them too.
To encourage them in their young years.
To know the Christ who we speak of.
And who we share about.
That they would come to know him as a precious saviour for themselves.
May you bless each one.
Bless our homes and our families.
And our communities at large.
We ask, O Lord, that you will draw near to us.
In all our different needs.
Our physical needs.
Our spiritual needs.
All our different needs at this time, Lord.
Remember those unable to be with us.
Bless them, Lord, and be with them.
Comfort those who need you in particular ways.
Strengthen those who are unwell.
Surround those who need you in particular ways at this time.
We thank you for your steadfast love to your people.
It reaches heaven high.
We thank you for the way it goes out with power.
And your people will know it.
And so we commit ourselves into your hands.
Into your keeping.
That you will go before us now.
Bless us and guide us.
As we ask all things confessing our sins anew.
But thank you for the one who has made atonement for our sins.
Our redeemer.
Our only redeemer.
Of God's elect.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
May the praise and glory be his.
As we come to do all in remembrance of him.
So bless us now and go with us, we ask.
We ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
We can turn to read God's word together.
We're going to read in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
We're going to read in chapter 3.
And read together the whole of this chapter.
Ephesians chapter 3.
Reading from the beginning of the chapter.
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, on behalf of you Gentiles, assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you,
how the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
As I have written briefly.
When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power.
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
And to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things.
So that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through the Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Amen.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.
And may God bless that reading from his word to us.
We're going to sing together again now.
It's a change to the order that's on the bulletin.
It's a Gaelic singing we're going to have just now.
We're going to sing in Gaelic in Psalm 103.
And the first two verses of that psalm.
Psalm 103 in Gaelic.
The first two verses of the psalm.
O manim bianich he usernish in yeh Jehovah môr,
molochach ni'n hofst a yehom, an am nöwe maris khor.
Sing these two verses to God's praise.
Amen.
As we focus our minds on God's word and the sacrament before us, we want to look at some of the verses towards the end of this chapter where Paul prays for the people of Ephesus.
He says in verse 14,
that this prayer would speak to them that this prayer would speak to them and minister to their hearts.
And the prayer is that they may come to know the wonder of the love of God through Christ Jesus.
Paul here is writing to the people of Ephesus.
Paul here is writing to the people of Ephesus, a people he has met with and worshipped with in the past, who he has seen coming to faith and professing the Lord as their Savior.
And as they go on, he wants them to go on in his strength.
And together as God's people and as a people who come to worship today, whether we're sitting at the table here, whether we're watching from behind the table, whether we're tuning in from home.
What a wonderful prayer for us all here today, to know this love more and more.
And it's so powerful when you look at his prayer for his people here.
What does he pray for them?
You might imagine that he would pray that they may be guarded in the midst of their suffering.
You might imagine that he would pray for their physical, material, financial good and well-being.
You might imagine that he'd pray for healing for the sick or comfort for those who are going through hard times.
That they would be delivered from persecution or any of these things.
You might imagine he would pray for them.
And indeed, he probably did pray these things for them at different times.
But his prayer here doesn't focus on these things.
It focuses on one thing in particular.
The comprehension of the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge.
And the question for ourselves today is, do you know this love?
Do you understand some of the depth of it?
There's a mystery in it, isn't there?
Even as Paul is writing to the church here, he is speaking about the mystery of the gospel being revealed.
The mystery of the gospel made known even to Gentiles, as he says, those who are unworthy of the least of the mercies of Christ.
And yet he's revealing it to them that God's love has this height and depth and length and breadth that reaches out to people far and wide.
And if you're sitting at the Lord's table today, what has brought you there?
It's a realization of that love.
Even if only in part just now.
Maybe you only know a small amount of it.
But what a wonderful love it is.
It's an unsearchable love.
A love that is sometimes hard to put into words.
But it is a wonderful love.
A love that we should rejoice in today.
We may like listening to love songs, whether it's on the radio or sitting down just to listen to some music.
You may be listening to love songs and you can enter into that spirit of love that this world speaks of.
Some of them are very beautiful songs.
Whatever language we listen to, we hear so many different kinds of songs.
But there is no song in this world that has a depth of the love of Christ Jesus.
The song of salvation.
Think of the psalm that we sung together.
Psalm 36.
And the love that it speaks of.
The steadfast love of God.
Your steadfast love is great, O Lord, the psalm says.
It reaches heaven high.
He goes on to say in verse 7,
How precious is your steadfast love.
What confidence it brings.
Does your love in Christ bring you confidence?
In many ways, maybe we lack that confidence at times.
We lack that assurance.
But what gives us confidence is His steadfast love towards us.
A love that never changes.
Our love towards Him we can feel maybe goes hot and cold at times.
We feel our sin, which means that maybe if we can't love Him as we should.
And yet as we look into His word, we see that His love is steadfast, sure towards His people.
So Paul prays that the people may grasp the love of Christ.
How long, how high, how deep, how wide it is.
Can we grasp that love for ourselves?
Where do we see that love?
We see it before us even here today.
We see it in God's word.
We see it in the sacrament that's prepared for us to share in.
We see it in God's people who come to proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.
We come to do this in remembrance of Him.
To love really is to know Christ Jesus as our Lord.
Is there a word that you could describe this love with?
As you think to yourself today of the love of Christ towards you,
is there any word that you could use today that describes that love fully?
So many words would come to our mind.
So many words we may think of even at this time.
How magnificent His love is.
How breathtaking His love is.
How costly His love is.
Even how undeserving His love is.
There are many words that come to mind.
But that word that we sang, steadfast love.
That's the word that we want to focus on.
The steadfast love of God.
That unchanging love of God.
That is what Paul prays that they will grasp.
The love that surpasses knowledge.
The love that we just cannot find the right word to describe it because we are unworthy of it.
But when we see this love, we should recognize that as John says in this letter, 1 John,
we love because He first loved us.
We want to think of this love that we see Paul praying for the people to know in Ephesus and for ourselves today by considering how we see this mystery, this love shown in other parts of Scripture.
We're going to turn to three different texts together this morning as we consider the height and depth and length and breadth of this love.
We could turn almost anywhere in Scripture and see this love.
It's there from the beginning to the very end.
The love of God that surpasses knowledge.
But I want us just to consider three things about it.
And the first thing is this.
The love that left all behind.
As we focus our attention on the love of God, it always brings us to a central point.
And that point is the cross.
Where Christ laid down His life for His people.
And that is what we want to come and see today.
And just see the love of Christ towards us.
The steadfast love of God in giving us His Son.
The first thing we think of is this love that left all behind.
The height and depth and length and breadth of this love.
And just, if you can, turn with me to 2 Corinthians 8 verse 9.
The love that left all behind.
2 Corinthians 8 verse 9.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.
So that you through His poverty might become rich.
The love that left all behind.
Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.
What you automatically think of there when you read these words.
Though He was rich.
We so often think of riches in terms of money.
The world revolves around the riches of this world.
The wealth and prosperity that money brings.
But that is not the riches of Christ.
It is not money.
It is not financial gain.
It's none of these things.
The love of God in Christ Jesus.
The love of God in Christ Jesus is seen in that He left behind all things.
Though He was rich.
Yet for your sake He became poor.
Did He leave behind financial wealth to become a poor beggar in this world?
That's not what He's talking about here.
It's the riches that He left behind for your sake.
For your sake and mine.
That we through His poverty might become rich.
So He left it so you might have it.
He left the love that left all behind.
His relationship with the Father.
The unity and oneness that they enjoyed from the beginning.
He left it behind.
He came into this world.
He took the form of a man.
He came into this world and lived in a sinful fallen world.
He endured so much in this world.
He was despised and rejected by His own.
He came into this world having left all behind.
And He was obedient to His Father.
Obedient even to the point of death.
And that death on a cross.
All the glory that He had.
All that He enjoyed in that close relationship with the Father.
God sent His Son into this world.
Because God loved this world.
And that love through Christ Jesus left it all behind.
In a marriage, vows are taken.
And part of these vows are that we will stay together.
Whatever the circumstances, for richer or for poorer, is often a phrase that is used.
But how many marriages are broken down when financial hardships come?
How many marriages are broken down when a financial windfall comes?
When people become rich, the marriage dissolves.
But here is a love that runs so much deeper than any of that.
God made a covenant with His people.
God made this promise with His people.
The steadfast love of God.
What confidence it brings.
Because the steadfast love, it reaches heaven high.
But the love has come down to us.
The Word, it says, became flesh and dwelt among us.
Though He was rich, yet for your sakes, He became poor.
Professor Donald MacLeod's got a book.
And the title of that book just says so much, even in just the title.
From Glory to Golgotha.
From glory that was left behind, He came into this world to go to Golgotha.
The place of the skull.
The place of the cross.
He was rich.
But because of His love for lost people, He became poor.
And we are reminded of that in another of Paul's letters.
Letter to the Philippines.
Where in chapter 2, verse 5, he says,
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
who, though He was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but made Himself nothing,
taking the form of a servant,
being born in the likeness of men,
and being found in human form.
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on the cross.
What great love.
What a height and depth and length and breadth to that love.
That love that surpasses all knowledge.
Because how can we understand that?
That Christ Jesus would come from glory to Golgotha.
And yet it was for your sake and mine.
This love came at a great cost.
He laid down His life.
And how precious our lives were and are to Him,
that He gave His all for us.
There's a story told during the time of Oliver Cromwell.
It was during the 17th century,
where once He sentenced a soldier to be shot
due to the crimes that He had committed.
And the execution was to take place
at the ringing of the evening bell
when curfew came.
So that time in the evening came,
and everyone was waiting for the bell to strike,
and watching then this man who would be put to death.
But the bell didn't ring.
And the minutes went on,
and the bell still didn't ring.
Eventually, they went up to the bell tower
to see what the fault was.
And what they found there was something
that made a deep impression
on so many and on Oliver Cromwell himself.
What they found was
the soldier's fiancée had climbed into the bell tower.
And she was clinging on to the bell clapper
so that the clapper wouldn't strike the bell and ring.
It was causing her so much pain.
She was bleeding from the exertion.
And yet she held on with dear life
so that her fiancée would not be put to death.
She was summoned to come and see Oliver Cromwell.
And he saw her bruised and bleeding hands.
And his heart was touched, and he said,
Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice.
And that is the love that Christ Jesus has shown to us,
that we are spared even from death, eternal death,
because of what he has done for us.
When Jesus met with Thomas and the disciples,
what did he say?
Behold my hands.
His hands were pierced.
His side that was speared.
What great love.
How can we understand it?
That love that left all behind.
The height and depth and length and breadth.
We cannot comprehend it,
but as Paul prays here,
he prays that this love of Christ
may dwell in your hearts through faith.
So come by faith today,
knowing this love that left behind all.
The second place we want to turn to and see this love
is a love that reached out.
I want to turn to Romans 5, verse 8.
And there we read in that verse,
God demonstrates his own love for us in this.
While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
Someone once put it like this,
the Lord Jesus did not come into the world
to meet with his friends.
He came to die for his enemies.
And these words should hit us powerfully.
But maybe you say to yourself,
I'm no enemy of Jesus.
But if you're trusting your life and soul to him,
you recognize that there was a time
when you were an enemy.
But the more you go on through faith,
the more you see how precious his steadfast love is.
This love that God demonstrates,
his own love for us in this,
that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
There was a time,
maybe in your life,
when Christ meant nothing to you.
There was no love in your heart for him.
But even these words that we read,
how powerful they are,
that even in that time when you were an enemy,
an enemy of his,
when you were still a sinner,
Christ died for us.
What a love that is.
The love that reached out to us,
poor lost sinners.
Even when we were cursing him,
even when we were rejecting him,
Christ died for us.
How wide, how long,
how high, how deep,
the love of Christ for sinners such as we are.
There's a power in this love.
While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
He came to die for a people who rejected him.
He came for a people confident in their own self,
and their own self-righteousness,
just as we were once.
Maybe just as you are today,
you think you're no enemy of Christ,
but you're sitting,
maybe behind the table,
thinking all is well.
It's not,
unless you have faith in the Lord Jesus.
And it's to comprehend this love.
This love that passes all knowledge,
that's so hard to understand,
so hard to explain.
But by sitting at the table,
you come to proclaim this love,
that you love because he first loved us.
He came to die for nations,
for people who turned away
from the truth of the gospel
to the lie of this world.
There is this huge,
massive chasm between God and us.
We are at enmity with God.
We are separated from him.
When we are enemies of him.
And it's only through the love of Christ
that this divide can be bridged.
That is how we come to know Christ,
through faith.
In all that he has done for us,
he died for us.
This Christ who the gospel proclaims,
we are not to lose heart,
as Paul says here.
Don't lose heart
in anything that's going on around us.
Because even the enemies
that we see around us,
maybe they will one day turn to Christ.
And that is our prayer.
But to know this Christ for yourself.
To come and do this
in remembrance of him.
Is to remember the love
that reached out to you.
The love that he showed
when you were an enemy of his.
When you rejected him.
When you cursed him.
When you turned away
from him and his word.
The love that took hold by grace.
And brought you to himself.
The love that Paul goes on in Romans
to speak of.
In that wonderful chapter,
Romans 8.
When it speaks of the love of God
through Christ Jesus.
And says,
nothing can separate us
from the love of God
in Christ Jesus.
What a powerful love it is.
That love that reached out
took hold.
And as it says,
now as he holds on to you,
nothing can separate you
from the love of Christ
in Christ Jesus.
Nothing in this world.
Nothing that can come our way.
Not even death itself.
Because he died for sinners
such as we are.
that we might know
the precious love
and gift of eternal life
through him.
If you've ever done
the Christianity Explored course,
you may have heard
this phrase in the course.
It reminds us just
how sinful we are,
but also how loved we are.
It says,
we are more sinful
than we ever realized.
Maybe that's how you come
today to the table.
Maybe you're realizing
more and more
just how sinful you are.
We all feel it.
We all know it in our hearts.
Our hearts are sinful.
We are more sinful
than we ever realized.
But the quote goes on
to say this,
but more loved
than we ever dreamed.
And the more we go on
in this world
in faith,
the more we want to see
and understand
the height
and depth
and length
and breadth
of this love
that reached out to us.
The love that we see
bearing our sins
on the cross.
John Stott,
in writing on this text
in Ephesians,
he explains
Paul's language
in this way.
he says,
the love of Christ
is broad enough
to encompass
all mankind,
long enough
to last for eternity,
deep enough
to reach
the most degraded sinner
and high enough
to exalt him
to heaven.
When we know
Christ's love,
there are no boundaries
outside of which
we may step
to the love
of Christ.
it reaches
far and wide.
That is the love
that we see
when we look
to Christ.
The love
that reached out
to his own.
The love
that has
such height
and depth
and length
and breadth.
The final thing
I want us to see
here of this love,
it's the love
that gives life.
And for that,
we want to turn
to a text
in the Gospel
of John,
chapter 10,
verse 10 and 11.
There we read
these words,
the thief comes
only to steal
and kill
and destroy.
I have come
that they may
have life
and have it
to the full.
I am the good shepherd,
the good shepherd
lays down
his life
for the sheep.
The greatness
of his love
is expressed
in the ultimate way.
He came
to give
his life.
When you look
at the holiness
of God
who hates
all sin,
how could we
possibly come
and approach
this holy God?
How could we
possibly come
and sit
at the Lord's
table today
when we see
the nature
of our sin?
Only through
the righteousness
of Christ.
Only through
faith
in him.
Faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ
who died
and gave himself
for us.
There's no
other way.
Psalm 130
speaks of it
just like we were
thinking about
last evening
when we were
looking at
Isaiah.
When he saw
the glory
of God
he said
woe is me
for I am
a man
of unclean
lips.
He felt
so unworthy.
Psalm 130
expresses that
very same
thought as well.
It says in
verse 3
if you
O Lord
should mark
iniquities
O Lord
who could
stand?
Who could
possibly stand
before this
holy God
if he marked
all our
iniquities
against us?
But it
says
but with
you
there is
forgiveness
that you
may be
feared.
And how
is that
forgiveness?
It is
through him
who lay
down his
life
for his
sheep.
Greater
love hath
no man
in this
that he
lay down
his life
for his
friends.
You are
my friends
if you
do as
I command
the Lord
says.
Are you
day to
day
doing as
the Lord
commands?
Are you
obedient
to his
call
to his
command
to love
him with
all your
heart
and to
do this
in remembrance
of me?
Psalm
130
goes on
to say
in verse
7
O Israel
hope in
the Lord
for with
the Lord
there is
steadfast
love
and with
him is
plentiful
redemption
and he
will redeem
Israel
from all
his
iniquities.
What
love it
is that
God would
give his
son
his only
son
to suffer
and die
in our
place
on the
cross.
C.S.
Lewis once
said
on the
whole
God's
love
for us
is a
much
safer
subject
to think
about
than
our
love
for him.
And that
is Paul's
prayer to
us today.
Yes
we are
sinners
and the
more we
go on
we realise
just how
sinful
we are.
But may
we come
to go
on and
not think
of our
sin and
just focus
on that
but to
look to
Christ
the one
who was
lifted up
on the
cross
the one
who bore
our
sins
and may
we think
more about
his love
for us
his steadfast
love
for that
is a
much
safer
subject
a much
more
powerful
subject
to think
about
today
and every
day
to remember
as Paul
prays
to comprehend
with all
the saints
with the
height
the breadth
and length
and height
and depth
and to
know
the love
of Christ
that surpasses
knowledge
that you
may be
filled
with all
the fullness
of God
Christ
love
without
his grace
is beyond
understanding
but by
his grace
by his
mercy
may we
come to
understand
more and
more
this
wonderful
powerful
steadfast
love
for
undeserving
sinners
such as
us
how deep
the
Father's
love
for us
how vast
beyond
all measure
that he
should give
his only
son
to make
a wretch
his treasure
that is
us
wretches
undeserving
sinners
but God
sent his
son into
this world
for sinners
such as
we are
how deep
the
Father's
love
as we
think of
this love
and as
we pray
God's
blessing
on all
that we
do
today
may we
pray
Paul's
prayer
to grasp
the wonder
of this
love
that surpasses
all knowledge
that this
love would
not grow
cold
in our
hearts
that we
never lose
sight
of Christ
and all
that he
has done
for us
that our
focus
our eyes
will be
fixed on
him
we come
as
unworthy
sinners
but we
come
maybe even
today
realizing
more and
more
loved
more than
we ever
realized
or even
dreamed
may we
come
through
faith
to receive
more of
this love
and to
be
strengthened
by it
a love
that surpasses
knowledge
may we
know it
may we
come to
realize it
more
and may
we share
it
as we
go on
let us
bow our
heads
in a
word of
prayer
father we
thank you
for the
wonder
of your
love
towards
undeserving
sinners
such as
we are
but we
thank you
that your
love
has that
steadfast
nature
behind it
for you
are a
God of
promise
you are
a God
of covenant
and all
that you
have said
you would
do
you have
done
for us
through
Christ
Jesus
we thank
you that
you did
not spare
him
but that
you gave
your only
son
that you
gave him
that he
would come
into this
world
leaving behind
the glory
that he
enjoyed
to come
and experience
the wrath
that we
deserved
to experience
the curse
of sin
and to be
obedient
even to the
point of
death
on the
cross
may we
marvel at
the love
of Christ
towards
us
and may we
Lord rejoice
in that love
too
and go before
us we pray
Lord help us
to go on in
your strength
help us to go
on never
cold to that
love
but that
love
would burn
up within
our hearts
and strengthen
us along
our journey
day by day
and draw us
closer to you
that wherever we
sit or are
this day
whether we
come to the
table
whether we
sit behind
whether we
are tuning
in at home
that the
love of
Christ
would dwell
in our
hearts
richly
we ask it
all with
forgiveness
of our
sins
in Jesus
name
Amen
we're going
to sing
now as we
come
to the
table of
the Lord
as we
come
to do
this in
remembrance
of him
we're going
to sing
in the
psalm
118
and singing
at verse
15
down to
verse
21
dwellings
of the
righteous
is heard
the melody
of joy
and health
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
we'll sing
from verse
15
to God's
praise
of
the
right
helps
The
glory
of
joy
and
The Lord's right hand, the pale of higher King.
The bright hand of the mighty Lord, exalted in so high.
The bright hand of the mighty Lord, the forever quiet be.
I shall not die, but live, and shall the words of God discover.
The Lord hath me just I said so, but not to death give no word.
What 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 I give, the just shall enter in.
Thee will thy grace, for love we hurt, and has my safety been.
Well, it's good to welcome the young ones in from the Sunday school just now as well.
It's good to see you sitting upstairs.
And we join together here to partake in the Lord's Supper as God's family, as God's people.
Whether we're at the table having professed God's love towards us,
or if we're looking on, that we may know and see more of the love of God to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
As you look on maybe just now, especially maybe thinking of the young ones sitting upstairs,
you maybe wonder just what we're doing.
And I want to try and explain that to you, just a little bit to explain to us all what we're doing here together
just now as we come to remember the Lord's death.
You maybe see things and wonder, what's everybody doing, and what part is everybody playing here?
Standing beside me, it maybe looks like I've got bodyguards.
So I maybe look like picked up guys who are here to protect the minister,
but they're here to serve.
To serve, just like we are all to be servants to God, to Christ.
They are here to serve the things that we have before us.
And what we have before us is the bread and the wine.
And in a moment we're going to read what we call our warrant,
our instruction to come and remember the Lord's death till He comes.
And we read that in 1 Corinthians chapter 11.
But as we read these words, it reminds us of three different things
that we see as we come to do this in remembrance of Him.
I'll read these words just now.
1 Corinthians 11 verse 23.
But I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you.
But the Lord Jesus, on the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread.
And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,
Take, eat.
This is my body, which is broken for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
In the same manner, He also took the cup after supper, saying,
This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
This do 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 till He comes.
There's three things in these verses that we want to think about as we come to take the Lord's Supper.
First thing is this, what we see.
What we see before us is the bread and the wine that represent to us the body and blood of Christ.
The body that was broken, the body that was given for our life, for our eternal life.
Jesus came to lay down His life.
We see these things before us.
They remind us of the wonderful love of Christ to His people.
The second thing that we are reminded of in these words is that we take.
We are to take of these elements.
He says,
This do in remembrance of me.
We are not here to bring glory to ourselves.
We are here to bring glory to Christ.
To be obedient to His command.
We love because He first loved us.
And so He says,
Take, take these.
If you love me with all your heart,
take and do this in remembrance of me.
The third thing that we see here is,
We take, we proclaim.
It says,
As you take,
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup,
You proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.
Those who will take, you proclaim.
You show your love towards Christ.
And may all who watch on see everyone who takes,
Proclaiming the Lord's death.
Proclaiming your love towards Him who first loved you.
We see, we take, we proclaim.
And as we go from here today,
May we go proclaiming God's love to us.
To show that we love the Lord because He first loved us.
So as the Lord Jesus gave instruction,
As we come to partake in the Lord's Supper,
We begin first by giving thanks,
Following the example of our Lord.
Let us give thanks.
Our gracious Father in Heaven,
The wonder of your love towards us
That is beyond all knowledge.
Help us even now to grasp it.
To seek to understand it more.
To see what lies before us.
The elements that are prepared for us.
The bread and the wine
Symbolizing your body and blood
Given and shed for us.
We thank you for your wonderful sacrifice.
And may we see what has been done for us.
And may it stir us up in our hearts
To love you more.
Help us, Lord, those who will take.
To take this.
To take it because we know the love of Christ
That dwells in our hearts.
And may you build us up
Through the richness of your love.
That steadfast love
That would help us to go on
In your strength.
And to do this
In remembrance of you.
Giving all glory to you.
And may we indeed proclaim
The Lord's death.
May we show it forth.
May we not be ashamed
Of your love for us.
May we not be ashamed
Of the testimony that we have.
That you have loved us
With all
And given all for us.
So, Lord, help us
To return our thanks to you.
A thanks that seems
So weak and frail.
But help us, Lord,
With thankful hearts
To come
And partake in this.
Bless us, Lord.
Bless all of us here.
Bless those who watch on us well
In here and at home too, Lord.
Surround us
With your steadfast love.
Keep us secure
As we ask all things
For the forgiveness of our sin.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, as we read
There in our warrant
On the night that Jesus was betrayed
He took bread
And having given thanks
He broke it and said
Take, eat.
This is my body
Which is given for you.
In the same manner
He also took the cup
And saying
This cup
Is the new covenant
In my blood
This do 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
Till he comes
Well, as we come to rise
From the table
How are we going to come away
From it?
And how are we going to go in
To the days that lie
Before us?
We pray we'll be strengthened
In the knowledge
Of the love of Christ for us
And that we'll go forward
With our eyes fixed
On the Lord Jesus Christ.
There's a story told
Of a very powerful man
He was a leader
Of a great empire
Many years ago
And on conquering
Another land
And having taken
Many prisoners
He asked for one
Of the princes
That he had captured
To come before him
That he might see him.
And as the prince
Came before him
He asked him a question
This powerful leader
He said
What would you give you?
What would you give to me
If I released you?
And he said
I would give you
Half of my wealth.
And then he asked him
What would you give to me
If I released
Your children?
He said
I would give you
Everything I have.
And then he asked him
A third question
He said
What would you give to me
If I would release
Your wife?
And he said
I would give you
Myself.
And the powerful leader
Was so moved
By his response
That he freed
The whole family.
They were afraid
To go back
To their homes.
As the family
Was making their way
Back home
The prince said
To his wife
Wasn't that man
That powerful leader
Wasn't he such
A handsome man?
And his wife's response
Was this
She said to him
I never noticed
I only had my eyes
On you
Who was willing
To sacrifice
Himself
For me.
As we go
Into this world
There will be
Many things
That will vie
For our attention
Many things
That will clamor
For our love
But as we rise
From the table
And as we go
Into the days ahead
May we not be
Distracted
But have our eyes
Fixed on Jesus
The one who loved us
And gave himself
For us
As Hebrews 12
Verse 1 and 2
Says
Let us run
With endurance
The race
That is set before us
Looking to Jesus
The founder
And perfecter
Of our faith
And for the joy
That was set before him
Endured the cross
Despising the shame
And is seated
At the right hand
Of the throne
Of God.
May we rise
And continue to fix
Our eyes
On him
We're going to conclude
By singing
To God's praise
In Psalm 72
In the Scottish Psalter
Psalm 72
And at verse 17
His name forever
Shall endure
Last like the sun
It shall
And shall be blessed
In him and blessed
All nations
Shall him call
We'll stand to sing
Verse 17
To the end
Of the psalm
To God's praise
Faith
And shall be blessed
In his parlance
In Israel blessed, all nations shall live all.
I blessed be the Lord, the Lord, the Lord of Israel.
For me alone, the wondrous works, in glory I excel.
I blessed be His glorious name to all eternity.
The whole earth is glorified. Amen.
So let it be.
Now may grace, mercy, and peace from God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
rest upon and abide with us all, now and forevermore. Amen.