To be with you this evening for a time of worship as you prepare for your communion season.
And we'll begin our worship this evening beginning of singing from Psalm 33 in the Psalter.
! Psalm 33, we're going to sing from the beginning to verse 6 to the tune Irish.
Ye righteous in the Lord rejoice.
It comely is unright that upright men with thankful voice should praise the Lord of might.
Praise God with harp and unto him sing with the psaltery.
Upon a ten-stringed instrument make ye sweet melody.
We'll sing to the end of verse 6 to the praise of God together.
Ye righteous in the Lord rejoice.
It comely is unright that upright.
And half a bright men with thankful voice should praise the Lord of might.
Praise God with harp and unto him sing with the psaltery.
A song of the psaltery.
Upon a ten-stringed instrument make ye sweet melody.
A new song to him sing with the psaltery.
A new song to him sing and play with loud noise skillfully.
For righteous God's word.
All his words are done in mercy.
To judgment unto righteousness.
How love he may rest still.
The loving kindness of the Lord.
The air throughout the field.
The heavens by the word of God.
In their beginning day.
The heavens by the word of God.
Their frame did take.
Lord these words remind us this evening.
That we are coming before you.
Creator and sustainer.
Sovereign ruler.
Almighty God.
And so we bow Lord this evening.
We acknowledge you.
We ask that as we join together for this hour of worship.
As we open your word.
And as Lord we spend this time in worship.
We pray that you would draw near to us, Lord, and do us good.
That we pray, that you pray, that you pray,
That you pray, that you pray,
That you pray,
Lord we spend this time in worship we pray that you would draw near to us Lord and do us good
that we might know the presence of the Holy Spirit here this evening and that he would in our hearts
testify to the wonder and beauty and splendor and depth and richness of your provision toward us in
Christ who has said he will testify of me and so Lord we ask tonight at the outset of this communion
weekend for your blessing upon word and sacrament upon fellowship and singing that you would hear
the prayers of your people and as they offer Lord to you their petitions as they bring to you the
concerns of their heart as they seek the blessing of the Lord upon the cause of Christ here in Stornoway
and across our island Lord be near them bless them keep them we pray and as they spend this time around
your word together tomorrow with Callum and over the weekend with David we pray Lord God that you
would draw near and bless we pray that there would be a real encouragement and a an enriching of spiritual
vitality a depth and a deepening of grace and faith by both word and sacrament being received in faith
Lord we thank you that you deal with us in such a way that we have here in our midst the very word of
life and we bless you that you speak to us and that the word of God continues to do the work of God in
hearts around our island and in their nation across the world this very evening we pray tonight for all
the prayer meetings being held across our island we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who will
be meeting just as we are with their Bibles open singing praise to the living God seeking your blessing
the word as it is explained and broken down and Lord we pray that here and all these meetings across
the land it would be to the benefit and blessing of your people that there would be real encouragement
tonight through fellowship and preaching and prayer and praise that as your people worship they would
be prepared Lord to meet you in that place of stillness and then ready to meet the world and tomorrow
and in the next day at times we are so grateful for these Wednesday nights to come together to gather
around the word brothers and sisters in Christ to remind ourselves whose we are and who we are children
of the living God and so Lord as we reflect on these wonderful truths and the vitality of the gospel we
pray for your blessing on your cause in Stornoway be with Calamurdo the elders and deacons the Sunday
school teachers all the activities and groups and plans that go toward making this place a place that is
dedicated to your glory and your praise and honour and Lord may that work reap a great harvest may your
people be enriched and encouraged and built up in the faith and may those who as yet are unconvinced and
unconverted Lord draw them we pray by your grace and in your power may there be conviction of sin in hearts
may eyes be opened to the awfulness of our situation out with Jesus where we would remain under the wrath and
judgment of God and so Lord we pray for the reality of our precariousness to be blessed to many and that
Lord as that work begins may your people come alongside to share a word in season a word of hope a word of grace
and remind those who may seek you of the invitation and summons of Jesus come to me
we are reminded of Philip's example when he spoke to that Ethiopian official he told him the good news
about Jesus and what news it is the son of God who came into this world to seek and to save the lost
he paid a price that we could not pay he stood in a place so that we would not have to experience
separation and darkness and the awfulness of that forsakenness that he felt on that cross
for he tasted that death which was due to fallen sinners and so we pray Lord that that
atoning sacrifice would be ever more precious to us in the days ahead and that we would in our own way
in time figure out ways to share and explain and describe the finished work of Christ in truthfulness
in love with a sense of awe and wonder and that we Lord as people who have come to know the Lord as our
saviour may our commitment to him in your grace and mercy become convincing to those around us for we know
Lord they watch our lives they they read our decisions they watch our conduct may our conduct be
as we as we are called to be holy may our conduct be one a pattern of reverence and awe that we might
have within us and out with us and about us a fear of the Lord that would speak to those around we pray
Lord then your blessing on your word tonight on the upcoming communion services across our island
and those as they preach Lord may they be endowed with the spirit from on high to show forth the praises
of Christ to declare a risen saviour who was dead and now is alive Lord we commit to you the cares and
concerns of our hearts tonight we pray for the congregation at this time of vacancy may they Lord be blessed to
engage with the work may they be encouraged to engage with the work and may you bless Lord their endeavours
in the cause of Christ at this time we seek your leading in these things as in all things and we pray
Lord that you would make your way known to the congregation here and to each one who has such a
concern for the cause that this congregation has stood for all these years and generations Lord we
require and need and plead for your blessing for without the Lord the labour is in vain and so we
we express Lord and acknowledge our dependence and we seek your blessing and we ask the forgiveness of
our sin and everything we do we ask in Jesus name amen
we'll return to sing psalms this evening we'll sing from psalm 34 and the beginning of the psalm psalm 34 and
sing psalms we're going to sing to verse 9 to the tune Jackson at all times I will bless the Lord
I'll praise him with my voice because I glory in the Lord let troubled souls rejoice together let us
praise the Lord exalt his name with me I sought the Lord his answer came from fears he set me free
psalm 34 we'll sing to verse 9 to God's praise
praise the Lord
at all times I will bless the Lord I'll praise him with my voice because I glory in the Lord let troubled souls rejoice
praise the Lord let them rejoice
praise the Lord exalt his name with me I sought the Lord his answer came from fears he set me free
I sought the Lord his answer came from fears he set me free
voyance voyance voyance
voyance
From him deliver and save.
The angel of the Lord surrounds and guards continually.
All those who fear and honor him, he sets his feet.
The angel of the Lord is good, who just in him is blessed.
O fear the Lord, you saints with me, you will not be oppressed.
I will turn this evening together in our Bibles to the first letter of Peter.
1 Peter, reading in chapter 1.
1 Peter, chapter 1, where we find the apostle fulfilling the commission given by the Lord
to feed the Lord's people, to teach the Lord's people and encourage the Lord's people.
And he writes to the elect exiles of the dispersion scattered across the Roman Empire
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
And he writes and wishes grace and peace being multiplied to them.
He speaks then about our being born again to a living hope.
And having said something about that, we'll read from verse 13,
where he links into what he's just said about the living hope that belongs to every Christian.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded,
set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 13.
Sincere, brotherly love.
Love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again,
not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.
For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
May the Lord bless his word to our hearts this evening.
We'll think about that passage in a few moments together.
First of all, we'll sing again from Sing Psalm, Psalm 25.
Psalm 25, singing from verse 8.
And we'll sing to verse 15, to the tune Rockingham.
Because the Lord is just and good, he shows his paths to all who stray.
He guides the meek in what is right and teaches them his holy way.
We'll sing to verse 15 together to God's praise.
Because the Lord is just and good, he shows his paths to all who stray.
He guides the meek in what is right and teaches them his holy way.
My great iniquity.
But then I'm going to clear the Lord.
He'll teach to them the chosen way.
That thing, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you
and deep will share.
My eyes are always on the Lord.
He'll be my feet from every stair.
Well, as we turn to 1 Peter again in chapter 1,
to think about something we've just sung about there
that speaks of there in verse 15,
my eyes are always on the Lord.
What a great description and definition that is of the Christian life.
My eyes are always on the Lord.
We'll bow in prayer for a few moments together.
Lord, that our eyes would always be fixed on you,
that we would heed the apostle's teaching
as he feeds the church through his apostolic writings
that have been blessed to our hearts down through the years.
We thank you, Lord, that the scriptures principally teach
what we are to believe concerning God
and the duty you require of us.
And so, Lord, as we take to heart your word,
we pray that your word would do its work in our hearts.
We ask, Lord, for understanding,
for insight, wisdom, patience, grace,
that we might apply to ourselves
what it is you would have us learn day by day
as we open our Bibles,
be it in public as it is this evening
or in private, Lord, we pray
that we might know your closeness
and have an eye to your glory
and have a desire,
a burning desire,
to serve and honour you.
Lord, take the glory to your name here this evening,
we pray in Jesus' precious name.
Amen.
Well, in 1 Peter in chapter 1,
precious words written with a very pastoral heart.
Peter fulfills the commission given by Jesus
that day on the beach when he said,
feed my lambs.
And here we find him doing just that,
wishing grace and peace
to be multiplied to his readers.
And as he goes on,
we'll find in the passage we read,
hopefully this evening,
that at the heart of what the New Testament
reveals to us all
is that when we come to Jesus
in repentance and faith,
when we respond as the Bible urges us to,
when we respond as the Spirit summons us to
and come to God's appointed means of salvation,
his Son, the Lord Jesus,
a change of heart is effected.
And that's where Peter is in verse 3.
According to his great mercy,
he has caused us to be born again
to a living hope.
He's immediately reminding these Christians,
many of whom were under the cosh,
struggling,
finding things hard,
that they needed to remember
or be reminded
who they were and whose they were.
And having mentioned that
at the beginning of the chapter,
we find him doing it again in verse 23.
Since you have been born again,
not of perishable seed,
but of imperishable
through the living word of God,
he's reminding us tonight
who we are and whose we are,
that there's been a change of heart.
This new birth has been effected
through the grace of God
and by the application of the Holy Spirit.
And now there's been a change of status.
Verse 4,
you have now been born again
to a living hope,
an inheritance
that is imperishable,
undefiled,
unfading,
being kept in heaven for you.
This is wonderful stuff
as Peter begins to draw out
the change of heart
and its implications.
It's not just a change of heart
because of the change of heart,
there's a change of status.
This inheritance is kept for you.
So brothers and sisters in Christ,
tonight we are being reminded
by the word
that our standing before God changes,
our focus on life changes,
our eternal destination changes
because of what the Lord has done
for us and in us
and through his son,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's a wonderful flow of language
that sets before us tonight,
this change of heart,
this eternal destination,
the standing.
It's ours
because of Christ Jesus,
our Lord and Saviour.
And that is made very clear
in verse 19
because all of this hinges on what?
the precious blood of Christ.
The precious blood of Christ.
As with Peter,
so Paul,
the two great teaching apostles
in their writing ministry
make the same emphasis.
You know well the words of Ephesians 2,
so famous and precious to Christians
down through the generations.
Once you were separated from Christ,
alienated,
strangers to the covenants of promise,
having no hope
and without God.
But now,
in Christ Jesus,
you who once were far off
have been brought near
by the blood of Christ.
And in his letter to the Colossians,
the same emphasis,
he has delivered us
from the domain of darkness
and transferred us
to the kingdom of his beloved son
in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
It's all about who Christ is
and what Christ has done.
And so Peter writes
to remind and encourage Christians
of this great reality
using the same powerful imagery
and language as Paul
and in so doing,
he places at the centre of it all
as Paul does
the precious blood of Christ.
Our change of heart
and the resultant fellowship
and status
and the eternal destination,
all these changes
that we can think through
and reflect on,
it all flows from
and are guaranteed by
the precious blood of Christ.
That is what we have been ransomed with.
Knowing that you were ransomed
from the futile ways
in verse 18,
inherited from your forefathers,
not with perishable things
such as silver and gold.
The world didn't do this.
Religion didn't do this.
The apostles didn't do this.
The temple didn't do this.
The sacrificial system,
the Aaronic priesthood,
none of these things
have done this for you,
Christian friend.
But nothing other
than the precious blood of Christ,
like that of a lamb
without blemish or spot.
And so tonight,
as we think about these things,
I want to reflect on you
with the centrality
of the blood of Christ
and the resultant
Christian way of life
that flows from this.
Our fellowship,
our worship,
the very character
that defines us,
our conduct,
which is mentioned here
twice in this passage,
all flows from
an acknowledgement
and a deep,
growing personal awareness
of our ransom price
being the blood of Jesus.
Many hymns have been written
to try and capture this.
One of the more famous ones.
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh, precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow.
No other fount I know.
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
And this is the heartbeat
of the New Testament.
The very pulse of every congregation
that names the name of Jesus,
that holds forth his praises.
It's all about the blood of Jesus,
which cleanses us
from all unrighteousness.
We profess our faith
and hope to be in him
and in him alone.
And so we have this
born again to a living hope
flowing straight into a passage
that says called to be holy.
So here's the implications
of this wonderful reality.
The precious blood of Jesus Christ
that makes us,
washes away our sin
and makes us whole again.
There's consequences.
There's an impact.
There's a result.
The Christian way of life.
There's a few things
to say about it this evening
as we spend a little bit
of time together.
Verse 13 says,
Therefore,
preparing your minds for action
and being sober-minded,
set your hope fully
on the grace
that will be brought to you
at the revelation
of Jesus Christ.
This Christian way of life
has the characteristic
of preparation.
Preparing your minds
for action.
Now this is not a
dodgy, weak link
to try and force in the word
preparatory.
It's at the heart
of the characteristics
that are listed
in the Christian way of life.
Preparation.
Preparing your minds
for action.
Being ready.
This is a call
to be prepared
and set your minds
to exert yourself.
It's almost as if
the picture is
of the athlete
in the blocks
waiting for the starter's gun.
Or you're fixing
your seatbelt.
You're ready to
rev the engine
and go,
let the handbrake off.
It's about this being ready
to go.
But to go where?
To do what?
Preparing your minds
for action
and being sober minded.
Clear the decks.
Clear the thoughts.
Clear the attention.
Clear the focus.
And set your hope fully
on the grace
that will be brought to you
at the revelation
of Jesus Christ.
And so we reflect
on who Jesus is
and what he's done
for us.
And the precious blood
of Jesus
that washes our sins away
and makes us
right and whole
again.
And as we commit ourselves
to the serious
sustained thinking,
this is how we begin
to achieve
a clearly committed
Christ-like
manner
or Christ-like
living.
So as we apply it,
the more we know him,
the more we study,
the more we rely on him,
the more we learn about him,
the more we love him,
the more we trust him,
the more evident
it will become
that we belong to him.
That we are his
and he is ours.
And that will be made
very evident
this Sunday morning
as you take your place
at his table.
You go there
on his summons.
You go there
called.
You go there
because in his love
he has prepared
a feast for you there.
And he sees
by his word
in his spirit
through grace
come
for all things
are now ready.
We've probably all
been in a position
where we've heard
that summons
and our hearts
have almost burst
with anticipation,
our love overflowing
and then suddenly
the focus shifts
and we come away
from our Lord's
finished work
and remember
our sin
and our weakness
and our failings
and our foibles
and our faults.
And we say
I can't go there.
That's for holy people.
Good people.
People better than me.
If they knew my heart,
if they knew my mind,
if they knew
the way my imagination works,
they would never be,
they would never allow me
near that table.
But friend,
it's not your sense
of righteousness
that brings you
to the table.
It is,
the words of verse 19,
your ransom price
is the precious blood
of Christ
shed
for you,
shed for me.
Because in and of ourselves,
lost,
destitute,
hopeless,
helpless,
strangers
to the commonwealth
of Israel,
go back to the language
of Ephesians 2,
once you were separated
from Christ,
alienated,
strangers to the covenants
of promise,
having no hope
and without God.
But,
now,
in Christ Jesus,
you who once
were far off
have been brought near
by the blood of Christ.
And it's having been
brought near,
we hear him say,
having come to me
in faith,
sit at my table.
I have a feast
for you.
And so,
the Christian way of life
has about it
a sense of preparation.
And as we prepare
and as we set our minds
on these things,
as we focus
and study
and reflect
and spend time
in fellowship
and listen to the word
and allow the word
to impact us
and change us
from the inside out,
and as we set our minds
on things that are above
and realise
and understand,
we are hidden in Christ.
The language
of the New Testament
is wonderful.
Set your hope
fully on the grace
that will be brought to you.
We are his.
And look what he says
as you think this through.
As obedient children,
do not be conformed
to the passions
of your former ignorance
where the devil
wants us looking,
especially at communion weekend.
He doesn't want us
focusing on the table
and the feast
and the preparation
and the lavishness
of the grace of our Lord.
He doesn't want us
thinking of his forsakenness
for us,
paying our price
that we could not pay,
going to that cross,
that darkness,
that awful judgment
that he experienced
so that we might have life
and forgiveness.
He wants us thinking
about our weakness,
our sin.
He wants us on the edge
of things.
He wants us fragile.
He wants us brittle.
He doesn't want us
at the table
because there's a feast there.
There's grace there.
There's strength there.
And we go there
as obedient children.
Do not be conformed
to the passions
of your former ignorance.
But as he who called you
is holy,
you will also be holy
in all your conduct.
And so we are to be obedient
and we are to be clear-minded.
We are to fix our attention
on our Lord and Saviour.
I want to share with you
a wonderful saying,
part of the writings
of the famous Oswald Chambers.
It's a saying I come back
to a number of occasions,
especially recently,
because it does a lot
in terms of clearing
the ground here,
making us just reflect
on what Peter is saying here
as in many other passages.
Oswald Chambers,
who had such a remarkable life
and achieved so much
in a relatively short time,
he wrote this,
shut out every other consideration
and keep yourself before God
for this one thing only,
my utmost for his highest.
I am determined
to be absolutely
and entirely for him
and for him alone.
That, friends,
is a wonderful summary
of the Christian way of life.
We've sung there
in Psalm 25,
For your name's sake,
O Lord my God,
forgive my great iniquity,
my eyes are always on the Lord.
He'll free my feet
from every snare.
As we keep our eyes
fixed on the Lord.
So we take Chambers'
resolution to heart
and say,
well,
if Oswald Chambers,
in 1919 or so,
or 1915 perhaps,
when he wrote these words,
I am determined
to be absolutely
and entirely for him
and for him alone.
Go ye and do likewise.
Could very much apply there.
As we look at
the Christian way of life
and the preparation
that we're called
to engage in,
how do we apply it
ourselves?
The diligent use
of the outward means
of grace.
Famous phrase used
in the Shorter Catechism.
The word,
sacraments and prayer.
Being in fellowship,
being in worship,
being in the word,
being in prayer,
communicating at the table
with our Lord and Saviour,
receiving the grace
and nourishment
and blessing
from that feast.
Obediently,
in humility
and dependence upon him,
we make diligent use
of the outward means
of grace,
so foundational
to our Christian way
of life.
So there's preparation here.
Secondly,
we'll go through the passage
in verse 15
and again in verse 17,
we'll see
there's progress here.
As ye who called you
as holy,
you also be holy
in all your conduct.
And then we go down
into verse 17 again
and we see the same emphasis.
If you call on him
as father,
who judges impartially
according to each one's deeds,
conduct yourselves
with fear
throughout
the time of your exile.
You see,
with Peter,
it's not all deep theology.
Same with Paul.
They don't just cram
theological realities
into a letter
and hope for the best.
They say there's an outlet
and there's a consequence
and a result
for all this theology.
It changes us
and it is seen
in our progress.
The word we have here
twice used is
conduct.
You also be holy
in all your conduct
and conduct yourselves
with fear
throughout the time
of your exile.
And so that there's
progress here.
We're to be holy.
There's to be something
about the separateness
of God himself
and his being holy,
his setting us apart.
We've been set apart
by God
and for God.
But also,
this separateness
has to have
as its nature
or characteristic
a fearfulness.
You see,
conduct yourself
with fear
throughout the time
of your exile.
That's a word
that speaks of
a sense of awe,
a sense of wonder,
a sense of adoration.
not timidity
and not being afraid
but a sense of joy
is here
that we would know
our God
and what he's done
for us
that would impact us
so powerfully
that our conduct
would reflect
our understanding.
Now we're okay
in the minds
because we've followed
the first example,
we've prepared
our minds for action,
we're sober-minded,
we're setting our hope
fully in the grace
that will be revealed
to us when Christ says
come,
come to me.
Well done,
good and faithful servant.
That is to come.
But God willing
and unless he comes back
before Sunday,
the next summons
you're going to have
from him
is to come to his table
and where we go
as obedient children.
And so we're making progress.
It's all about
their conduct
becoming more and more
Christ-like
and less and less
worldly.
and the more
we die to self
and die to sin
and die to the world,
the more our conduct
will reflect
the light of the gospel
and the nature
and character
of our loving
Heavenly Father
and the impact
of faith
in his Son.
That's what people
see in us.
That's what they hear.
That's what the world
is watching for
and you know
they're watching.
Go to the workplace,
you know they're watching.
You know they're listening.
They want to see you
trip and fall
and make mistakes
and they'll be on you
like a rash.
Lots of them are like that
wanting to see
how serious you are
about your commitment,
your conviction,
your confession.
Well let them see.
Let them hear.
Let them understand
through your being prepared,
through your mind
being ready
and set
for action,
being prepared
to always give a reason
for the hope
you have within you
and then
let your hope
be seen
in how you conduct
yourself.
So this passage,
this section,
this language,
it's about growth
in the Lord,
growth in the Gospel,
how we nurture
and develop.
It's a dominant theme,
developing
or growing up
with the nurture
and admonition
of the Lord.
We've all at one point
in our lives
been babes in Christ.
Maybe we still are
babes in Christ.
Maybe the progress
isn't what it could be.
Maybe it isn't
what it should be.
All the more reason
to be at that table
on the Lord's day
where the nourishment
and provision
and blessing
and grace
and strength
is there provided
by Jesus,
our Saviour.
So this dominant theme
of progressing
is a thing
that helps us
to get things right.
Verse 14 again,
do not be conformed.
That's where you used to be.
That's the darkness.
That's the world.
That's worldliness.
Worldly wise,
if you like,
to use Bunyan's
famous character.
Worldly wise
will tell us
all day and all night,
well, you know,
that's nice
that you're in the seminary.
Nice to have the Bible.
Nice to have Psalms.
But you know what?
Really?
Commitment?
Really?
Do you have to go that far?
Do you need to?
You know,
there's other ways
and means.
And listen,
he'll talk to us all night
about the other ways
and means.
Anything.
But Christ.
And the finished work
of Christ upon the cross.
Which is what
the table speaks of
and reminds us of
so powerfully.
Do not be conformed.
And you'll be aware
of the ministry,
the writings of
Dale Ralph Davis,
a tremendous American
commentator,
very much focuses
on Old Testament scriptures.
But he said this,
he was looking at
a particular time
in Israel's history
and he was applying it
to our day and age
and this is what he said
and it's something
for us to take on board
and apply
if it applies.
The church in the West
needs to recover
doctrinal purity,
vital worship,
a bold witness
holiness.
And personal holiness.
holiness.
That one right at the end there.
There's the key.
Personal holiness.
And so that keeps us
from burrowing away
into books
and becoming
if you like
professional theologians.
That doesn't cut it
with the Lord.
That's not what we're about.
This vital worship
and bold witness
will be fed
by a personal holiness
and that's where
we're going here
in this progression
we're called to make.
Guided by our conscience
that is tender
toward Christ,
we press on
toward the goal.
Here we are called
twice to consider
and reflect upon
that we're not
conforming to the passions
of our former ignorance
but in our conduct
we are being holy
and in our conduct
we are being fearful.
We have a sense
of awe and wonder
living to the glory
and honour
of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ.
I mentioned
Pilgrim's Progress.
I wonder tonight
if when we begin
to think of progress
we can think
we're not
we're not where we want to be.
I'm not
where I thought I would be.
I haven't made the progress
that I really should have.
We could probably all
think about that
and take that on board
but let me remind you
and I hope to encourage you
by doing so
of the first chapter
and Pilgrim's Progress
as Pilgrim leaves
the city of destruction
under the guidance
of the evangelist.
What happens next?
Pliable.
An obstinate
get a hold of him
slow him down
distract him
trip him up
next thing
he's in the swamp
of despond
he manages to get out
of that in a right mess
and worldly wise
comes along
gets a hold of him
points him to the village
of morality
in the house
of Mr. Legality
he's in all sorts
of bother and trouble
and then the evangelist
comes along
and says
in a repeated conversation
what are you doing here?
What are you doing here?
There's the path
I told you
look for the light
walk toward the light
and you'll find
the narrow gate
and that's just
the first chapter
so maybe we could
having read that chapter
we could look at
the front cover
and think
pilgrim's progress
it's more like
pilgrim's lack
of progress
and that's what
makes the book
so timeless
so appealing
so real
because we're all
that pilgrim
the slough of despond
being distracted
by obstinate
and pliable
ending up
in the village
of morality
knocking on the door
of the house
of Mr. Legality
instead of sticking
to the king's highway
and pressing on
and that's what
Peter is calling us
here to do
in this passage
that we are to seek
a personal holiness
and a conduct
that reflects
progression
growth
on a personal basis
and so we look in
here
to get this right
and we say
Lord show me
your ways
that's where 25
the Psalm 25
starts
to you
oh Lord
I lift my soul
I trust in you
continually
do not let me
be put to shame
nor let my foes
gloat over me
Lord
reveal to me
your ways
and all your paths
help me to know
direct and guide me
in your truth
instruct me
in the way to go
with our Bibles
open
with our hearts
humble
the Lord
instructs us
on the way to go
and here tonight
that instruction
comes through Peter
saying
set your mind
on things that are above
look at this
work of preparation
be prepared
to exert yourself
to learn
and study
and get in about
the word
to feed your soul
your heart
and arm your mind
by being rooted
in the word
and then
with that preparation
there's progress
and that progress
is to be
you are holy
and you are to be
fearful
and we're to
press on
with our conscience
tendered toward Christ
last thing
in verse 17
if you call on him
as father
there's preparation
there's progress
there's prayer
perhaps there's nothing
that marks the Christian life
or the Christian way of life
quite as much
as prayer
I love the Lord
because my voice
and prayers
heeded here
I while I live
will call on him
who bowed to me
his ear
what a great
and glorious thing
it is
to be in prayer
to converse
with the living God
and right in here
in the midst
of this section
about
the Christian way
of life
here it is
if you call
on him
as father
who judges
impartially
according to
each one's deeds
Peter wants him
to be
a praying people
praying congregations
praying individuals
praying families
praying
calling on
the name
of the Lord
calling
it's a rich word
it's used here
it has a sense
to rely
on the one
that is named
and who is named
our loving
heavenly father
and we call
on him
we rely on him
we pray on him
we pray to him
we call out
to him
in Genesis 12
we have a very
similar phrase
used of
Abraham
and in fact
I think it might be
Genesis 4 or 5
the first description
of human beings
praying
uses this phrase
men called upon
the name of the Lord
and here it is
in 1 Peter
it's been well said
that if you pull a thread
in Genesis
the Bible
wrinkles in Revelation
calling upon
the name of the Lord
is a fundamental
of the Christian
way of life
we must rely
upon the one
that is named
here
as Abraham did
as he built
his third altar
at Bethel
he called upon
the name
of the Lord
it also
in that sense
it's interesting
in Abraham's
sense
it has the impact
of a word
that has a sense
of proclamation
and there's a bit
of thinking
that maybe
he wasn't just
praying
he was preaching
well maybe
we can't be
entirely sure
let's keep the focus
on prayer
call on him
as father
what's our father
done for us
tonight
for God
so loved the world
that he gave
it's not precious
to us this evening
do you know
what tomorrow
will bring
the weekend
will bring
there's challenges
difficulties
there's darkness
there's heartache
there's sadness
around us
quite often
isn't there
how do we deal
with it
how do we focus
we clear the mind
we make preparation
we make progress
but above all
we pray
we pray for wisdom
tact
patience
insight
understanding
we call upon
our father
in faith
and humility
and we do so
conscious of his
lavish provision
toward us
let me just read
to you these
wonderful words
in philippians
in chapter 4
do not be anxious
about anything
isn't that often
our undoing
we get so anxious
we forget to pray
or we pray
but our prayers
are skin deep
they don't go
through the ceiling
we don't lift up
holy hands
to our father
we hold on
to our worries
because we get
so anxious
don't we
do not be anxious
about anything
but in everything
by prayer
and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests
be made known
to God
and what happens
the peace of God
which surpasses
all understanding
will guard
your hearts
and your minds
in Christ Jesus
the promise of God
as we call on
our father
he pours out
to us
this peace
the peace of God
that passes
all understanding
Paul was so
determined
in that letter
the Philippians
that these ancient
Christians
and us tonight
would be reminded
of what God
longs to do
in our hearts
to pour out
his peace
his blessing
his joy
and communion
with the living God
and prayer
is right at the
centre of it all
you know well
the name of John Calvin
he was a great hero
of the Reformation
experienced
a vastly experienced
and capable
able church leader
and theologian
my goodness
wasn't he just
that man though
went through many trials
great heartache
in his life
he did not operate
in a vacuum
he didn't live
in an ivory tower
he knew
life often
inflicted
what he called
the ravages
of anxiety
and he said
it is by such
anxiety
that the
fervour
of prayer
is inflamed
you see
what the world
thinks we should do
and what anxious
is go to the world
for solutions
go to counsellors
for solutions
run a programme
don't go to the
throne of grace
why would you do that
and the Christian
says
but that's where
I'm going
I'm going to call
upon my loving
heavenly father
for he sent
his only begotten
son into this world
so that through him
we might be
born again
and given
a living hope
cleansed
and made right
by being
made new
and our understanding
our prayer life
our Christian conduct
what's the motivation
our ransom price
the precious
blood
of Christ
that's what the world
doesn't understand
that's what the world
doesn't get
out there
the world out there
thinks
we're engaged
in something religious
and we're engaged
in something
Presbyterian
we're engaged
in something
free church
but what we're doing
is we're engaged
in worship
gratitude
thanksgiving
for the ransom
price that's been
paid for our sins
a price we could
not pay
the things of this
world are
perishable
silver and gold
but the precious
blood of Christ
stands above
and beyond
all of it
and that is
a ransom
price
that was
paid
by our
saviour
for us
and so we
can
confess and
acknowledge our
lack of progress
our stumbles
and our falling
but we do so
in prayer
calling out to
our loving
heavenly father
we give thanks
to him for
the goodness
of his provision
toward us
and these
characteristics
flow
from our
deeper
the deeper
and more
clearer
our understanding
of the ransom
price
the more
preparation
will be seen
the more
progress
will occur
the more
prayer will
take place
what a thing
to be a
praying people
we have been
ransomed
friends from
the futile
ways
to the ways
of faith
and hope
our way
of life
is one
that is
infused
with our
saviour
Jesus
and it's
worth noting
just as we
close
that in this
passage alone
in 1st
Peter chapter
1 verses
1 to 20
8 times
the apostle
names
Jesus Christ
another 8
times
he refers
to him
as him
he refers
to him
directly
for instance
there in
verse 20
he was
foreknown
before the
foundation of
the world
but was
manifest in
the last
times for
your sake
who through
him are
believers in
God who
raised him
from the
dead and
gave him
glory so
that your
faith and
hope are
in God
by the time
we come
to verse
21
Jesus Christ
has been
named and
referred to
16 times
the church
of Christ
on earth
infused with
the name of
our saviour
and it's to
his glory
and his
honour and
his praise
that we
live out
our
Christian
lives
and may
the Lord
bless you
as you
do that
in these
days to
come
as you
gather
tomorrow
with
Callum
here in
the seminary
and David
at the
church services
over the
weekend
may the
Lord bless
you and
keep you
and feed
you and
encourage you
at this
time of
communion
through word
and sacrament
that God
would be
to you
your loving
heavenly
father
that you
would be
to him
an obedient
loving
child of
God
professing
your
faith
acknowledging
you need
to prepare
and make
progress
and pray
all the
time
we have
to increase
and improve
in these
characteristics
all of us
of course
we do
we're a
work in
progress
and may
God
bless
the progress
we make
tonight
to his
glory
to his
name
be
all the
praise
we'll bow
in prayer
for a moment
together
Lord our
God we
thank you
for your
goodness
toward us
we thank
you for
this
opportunity
the privilege
of
worshipping
together
Lord we
commit
to you
these days
to come
in this
communion
weekend
all the
services
all the
preaching
the serving
of the
sacrament
the
offer
the
remembering
of Jesus
offering
himself
which
the table
speaks to
us of
so clearly
so powerfully
hear us
Lord in
these things
grant us
grace to
prepare our
hearts and
minds for
action
grant us
Lord grace
and strength
to make the
progress we
need to run
the race
to set
before us
to fight
the good
fight
to look
unto Jesus
and that we
would at all
times be
people of
prayer
calling out
to our
Father
we thank
you that
you hear us
in Jesus
and we
pray for
your blessing
now this
evening upon
us
forgive our
sins Lord
and go
before us
in his
precious name
we ask
it
Amen
so we'll
turn to the
psalter this
evening to
close our
service
we'll sing
from Psalm
27
in the
psalter
Psalm
27
I don't
think we're
doing all
these verses
we're doing
verses 11
to 14
says here
1 to 14
that's the
whole psalm
that might be
a bit much
we'll go from
verse 11
O Lord
instruct me
in thy
way
to me
a leader
be
in a
plain
path
because
of
those
that
hatred
bear to
me
give me
not to
an enemy's
will
for witnesses
that lie
against me
risen are
and such
as breathe
out
cruelty
I fainted
had unless
it I
believed
had to
see
the
Lord's
own
goodness
in the
land
of them
that
living
being
in that
wonderful
phrase
wait
on the
Lord
and be
thou
strong
we'll
sing to
the end
to the tune
Calmarnock
we'll stand
together
O Lord
instruct me
in thy
way
to
me
the
leader
be
in a
plain
path
because
of
those
that
hatred
send
them
to
me
give
me
not
to
mine
and
his
will
for
witnesses
that
lie
against
me
risen
and
sons
!
I
will
be
to
see
!
fainted
!
I
fainted
had
unless
that
I
will
him
have
to
Lord's
own
goodness
!
have
to
in
of
their
blood
living
being
Wait
on
the
Lord
and
be
the
strong
that
he
shall
spread
afford
and
to
thine
heart
give
to
the
which
I
say
upon
the
Lord
may
the
of the
Christ
love of
fellowship
Holy Spirit
you all
amen