We begin our worship this morning by singing to God's praise.
We will be standing for our singings apart from the second one.
The second singing is a Gaelic singing and the words are on the notice sheet.
But the first singing, Psalm 90.
We're singing Psalm 90 in the Scottish Psalter, page 350 of the Psalm book.
Singing from verse 13 down to the end of the Psalm.
Turn yet again to us, O Lord, how long thus shall it be?
Let it repent thee now for those that servants are to thee.
With thy tender mercies, Lord, as early satisfy.
So we rejoice shall all our days and still be glad in thee.
We'll sing from verse 13 to the end of the Psalm to God's praise.
Turn yet again to us, O Lord, how long thus shall it be?
Let him repent thee now for those that servants are to thee.
O with thy tender mercies, Lord, as early satisfy.
And then hence be born, as early satisfy.
So we rejoice shall all our days and still be glad.
and then hence be upon us, O Lord, how long thus shall we?
O let thy work and power appear,
thy servants face before,
and show unto their children dear,
thy glory evermore.
And let the beauty of the Lord
our holy us upon,
our mighty works,
established now,
established in the Lord.
Amen.
Let's come to God in prayer.
Let us pray.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
as we come to worship you this day,
we thank you that you are the God of all our days and all our years.
Even as the psalmist reminds us here,
he speaks of the sorrows that we may have experienced in the past,
the days wherein we have had grief,
the years wherein we have seen ill.
But yet, O Lord, he reminds us that we can look to you and seek your face,
and that we may know your glory upon us,
the beauty of the Lord shining upon his people.
And we thank you for your promise to meet with us anew,
that as we come into your presence, Lord,
we come to magnify and praise your name.
And so we ask, O Lord, today that we will come in through reverence and fear of you,
but come with a sense of thanksgiving and rejoicing that you are God.
And so help us, Lord, as we begin a new year,
to commit our ways to you,
to seek your face, O Lord,
and to seek your blessing upon us, young and old alike,
that we will know, Lord, your leading and your guiding every step that we take,
that we would know, Lord, your establishing of your works in our midst,
that all that we do as a people, that you will bless our work, Lord,
for it is your work.
And so we ask, O Lord, that you will be with us all,
families, friends, loved ones, and all our community at this time,
that we will know, Lord, your blessing and your peace with us.
We thank you for all our young folks here today.
We thank you for a time of holiday for them from school.
We pray that you will bless them and watch over them even in these days
and as they return to school in the coming days as well.
May they be glad, O Lord, in their young years.
May they delight in you.
May they know you as their Lord and as their shepherd.
May you direct their steps and their paths, O Lord,
that they will seek to walk with you.
We ask, Lord, that for us all together as a people,
that you will show us your ways and teach us your paths,
and lead us in them.
So, Lord, we commit ourselves into your care and keeping
in our service of worship today and throughout this day.
May we give glory and praise to you.
Go before us, we ask, O Lord, and pardon all our sins,
as we ask it in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
That was good to have a number of young folks here today.
I hope you're enjoying your holidays.
I hope you're having a good time.
You'll be looking forward to going back to school this week.
I'm going to read a verse to you just now.
Just listen to what these verses say.
It's verses from the New Testament, Mark's Gospel,
reading in chapter 13 and at verse 35.
It's often a time of waiting for many different things just now.
And did anybody last night think to themselves,
I'm going to stay awake until the bells come, until midnight comes,
and we say Happy New Year to everyone.
Did anyone manage to stay up until midnight?
Yeah, a few people nodding their heads.
Did anybody fall asleep waiting?
Maybe a few parents will put, oh, there's one hand going up at least.
Maybe a few others as well.
You decide you're going to stay up and hear the bells coming in
and say Happy New Year to everyone.
But by the time maybe 10 o'clock or half past 10 comes,
you just fall asleep.
And what happens if you fall asleep?
Well, you miss everything, don't you?
You miss out on what's happening all around you.
And that's what these verses are telling us about here.
They're saying we have to stay awake,
but not for the bells coming at midnight,
but for the Lord's coming.
Do you know how long you will spend waiting in your lifetime?
It's said that if you live to the age of 70,
you'll have spent three years of your life waiting.
That might be waiting for someone to come.
It might be waiting in a waiting room like at a doctor's.
It might be waiting in a queue in the shop.
It might be putting on hold on the phone
when you're trying to phone through to a company.
It might be waiting on the plane or waiting on the ferry
because they're late.
We spend so much time waiting.
And someone said that if we live to the age of 70,
we spend three years waiting.
Can you imagine that?
If you look at it like this, on New Year's Day 2020,
if you'd started waiting then,
you'd have been waiting until today.
Sitting, doing nothing.
Just waiting.
Sounds crazy, doesn't it?
But waiting doesn't mean we do nothing.
And that's what the gospel here is telling us.
We're not just to wait for the Lord to come and do nothing.
We are to wait on the Lord, looking to Him, trusting in Him,
and doing everything for Him.
Believing in Him and then serving Him with all our heart.
Not knowing when He's going to come, but we wait.
We stay awake.
And that means that we stay awake.
We do work for Him.
We keep active.
We keep busy for Him.
Because He promises He's going to come.
Just like the bells of midnight came last night,
the Lord is going to come.
We don't know when, but He's saying to us all,
stay awake.
So let's not fall asleep today.
Let's stay awake, looking to and trusting in the Lord Jesus.
Well, we're going to say the Lord's Prayer together now.
So we'll say the Lord's Prayer.
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.
We're going to sing to God's praise again.
This time we're singing in Gaelic from Psalm 73.
Two verses from verse 23.
We're going to sing verse 23 and 24.
I'll read them in English as well.
Nevertheless, continually, O Lord, I am with thee.
Thou dost me hold by my right hand and still upholdest me.
Thou with thy counsel while I live, wilt me conduct and guide.
And to thy glory afterward receive me to abide.
In English as well.
Dean Tiesel low.
Can I sing sing?
wievend на jackets
autographed
Squishaw
ca?
Влад산
stuh
ура
Aw.
trials
Spikeert hyder
The peace.
O rei e serivai o�� e więcej
kom kumele suoscach imagine
CHOIR SINGS
In your hand, and our hearts, and our God of King.
We're going to turn to read God's Word together now.
Matthew's Gospel.
The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28.
We can read the whole of this chapter together.
Matthew 28, from the beginning.
Now after the Sabbath, towards the dawn of the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
Behold, there was a great earthquake,
for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven
and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow.
And for fear of him, the guards trembled and became like dead men.
But the angel said to the woman,
Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here, for he has risen as he said.
Come, see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead.
And behold, he is going before you to Galilee.
There you will see him.
See, I have told you.
So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy
and ran to tell his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them and said, Greetings.
And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him.
Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid.
Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee.
There they will see me.
While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had taken place.
When they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel,
they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said,
Tell people.
His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.
And if this comes to the governor's ears,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.
So they took the money and did as they were directed.
This story has been spread among the Jews to this day.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain which Jesus had directed them.
And when they saw him, they worshipped him.
But some doubted.
And Jesus came and said to them,
All authority in heaven and on earth is being given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,
and behold,
I am with you always to the end of the age.
Amen.
And may God bless that reading from his word.
Let's again join our hearts together in prayer.
Let us pray.
Our Father in heaven,
as we read in these passages before us, Lord,
that we are a people who so often stumble along the way,
a people who so often have maybe many doubts and fears and anxieties.
We thank you that we are reminded that we come to our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ, who is risen,
who is ever living,
to make intercession for his people.
That even today as we come and offer up our prayers together at the beginning of a new year,
we have that great assurance and that great hope that we are heard through him.
For we come to the one whose name is above every name.
We come to the one who is eternal,
the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.
And we thank you that just as all things were made by him and through him and for him,
that you continue to uphold us through him,
that in him we live, move and have our being.
And today as we worship and praise your name,
as we seek your face anew,
we ask, O Lord, that we may see you and worship you.
Take away any distractions that are in our minds today.
Take away the thoughts maybe pressing upon us for the week ahead.
That in this time together,
our attention, our focus will be upon you.
And that your spirit will be with us
to bless your word to us,
to bless us in our hearts and in our souls.
We do thank you, Lord,
that at the beginning of a new year,
when we see so many things that can be new for us,
and we maybe, Lord, pray for change in our world
and in our nation
and in our own personal lives as well.
We see so many things that we want to be different.
We pray for our world and its chaos
with the many events going on around us
in so many different parts of the world.
And we think of the natural disasters over this past year,
even over these past days,
as we've seen the severe storms in America,
the snowstorms there,
as we've seen and heard over these past months
of earthquakes and natural disasters of different kinds,
as we've seen, O Lord,
the terror of war in our world,
the fear it's brought not just to one nation
but to many nations,
the fear of escalation of it,
the fear of the world in which we live
and the power that belongs to so few in it.
But yet, O Lord, we look to you,
the one who has all power and authority
in heaven and in earth.
And we pray, Lord,
that in this coming year,
we will see your hand upon us as a people,
as nations of this world,
that we will see your hand in power,
turning us from the ways in which we are going
and turning us towards you.
O Lord, how we pray for you to come
in a day of your mighty power,
in a day of your reviving power,
in reviving your people,
that we will worship you
and trust in you with all our hearts.
We pray that for our nation too, O Lord,
which has seen so much change in our midst as well.
As we think of the passing of our queen earlier this year
and a new king being installed,
we pray for him, Lord,
that you will guide him,
that you will uphold him,
that you will bless him,
that you will use him, Lord,
for your glory,
that you will turn his heart towards you,
that he will honor you with his words,
that he will honor you with his actions,
and that all he would do
would be to glory in your name.
Lord, how we pray
that you will do that for our king
and also our prime minister
and first minister
and all who rule over us.
O Lord,
that you would make these places of power and authority,
places of praise and worship,
that we would even,
as we look back in our land,
as we have seen and heard of days
when prayer was called for,
that we would see these days once again,
when our nation would be still
and to know that you are God.
We pray for our own homes
and our families
and our communities too.
In the year that's gone,
O Lord,
we've maybe seen
so much personal change as well.
And we know that today
is often a day of much emotion,
looking back
and all the grief and sorrows
that so many have had,
looking back
and the joys
and the high points too,
but giving thanks
for your constancy in it all,
that you are the God
who is with his people,
that you will never leave us
or forsake us.
And so may you bless
all our people,
bless our communities,
we pray, Lord.
Comfort those who need you,
comfort those who are cast down
in their hearts
and their minds
and in their souls.
We pray, O Lord,
that you will lift them up,
that they will come
to praise your name
as the God who is good.
We pray, Lord,
for our ministry here
as well as a people,
that you will bless
the preaching of your word
in this coming year,
that it will build us up,
O Lord,
that it will encourage us
and strengthen us
as a people
to stand up
to the challenges
that we face
and to be a people
who will stand up
for the name of Christ
and offer a prayer
constantly to you,
that you will turn the tide
once more against us,
that we will see,
O Lord,
your name praised.
Help us in our outreach,
that you will bless
our every endeavour
to go out with your word,
that we will be a people
who seek to do
and to seek to do
to your glory
all things.
May you continue with us,
we pray,
throughout this day
and as we commit all to you,
may you guide us, Lord,
and be our Lord
and our shepherd
each and every step
of the way,
guiding us
by your light
and by your spirit
as we ask all things
for the forgiveness
of our sins,
looking to you,
the one who is able
to pardon,
the one to whom
we give all glory
and praise,
looking to the name
above all names,
the name of our Lord
and Saviour,
Jesus Christ,
for his sake.
Amen.
Well, again,
we'll sing
to God's praise.
This time,
we're singing
in Psalm 71
in the Scottish Psalter.
Psalm 71,
page 311
of the psalm books,
we're singing
at verse 14
down to verse 18.
These words remind us
again of looking
to the Lord
and trusting in him
for all that lies ahead.
But I with expectation
will hope continually
and yet with praises
more and more
I will thee magnify.
Thy justice and salvation
my mouth abroad
shall show
even all the day
for either of the numbers
do not know.
From verse 14 to 18
to God's praise.
Amen.
But I with expectation
will hope continually
and yet with praises
more and more
I will be magnified.
thy justice and salvation
my mouth and watch
shall show
and I will constantly
go on
and I will constantly
go on
instead of all
the Lord
and thine
your righteousness
divine
alone
I will
record
for even
from
my
years
so far
by thee
I have
been
taught
and
hither
to
I
have
declared
the
wonders
thou
hast
taught
and
the
glory
be
not
when I
whole
land
be
headed
grow
till
to
this age
thy strength
and power
to
all
to
come
my
show
my
show
can we turn back to our reading in Matthew's Gospel
chapter 28 we're going to look at the last few words of this chapter
just to set in its context we see here the account of the resurrection of Jesus
something that we're hearing a study on in our Lord's Day evening services
the wonder of the resurrection and the hope that it gives to God's people
and it was something that brought much fear to the people even then to think that Jesus is risen
but he is and we thank God that he is and as he rose he gave this great commission to the disciples and indeed to his church at verse 16
verse 16
now the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them
and when they saw him they worshipped him
but some doubted
and Jesus came and said to them
all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me
go therefore and make disciples of all nations
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you
behold I am with you always to the end of the age
particularly these words at the end
and behold I am with you always to the end of the age
these are words that you have maybe heard many a time before
maybe even just now in the last evening or so you've heard these words repeated
or read them again online
not the words we've read there but the words that were spoken
at the turn of the year in the Christmas broadcast of 1939
by King George VI
in that broadcast he said this
or he said these words that he was quoting
and I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year
give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown
and he replied
go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God
that shall be to you better than light
and safer than a known way
so I went forth and finding the hand of God
throgged gladly into the night
and he led me towards the hills
and the breaking of the day in the lone east
he quoted these words
that were from a poem by Minnie Haskins
and this was a time when our nation was on the cusp of the second world war
things were taking hold in our world at that time
that would bring much terror and fear to so many over a number of years
yet these words were spoken to give hope to a people
in the midst of all that was taking place
that as they were going forward at that time
that they would see that there was much that was unknown to them
but that they were trusted
that they were to entrust it all to a God who was known
and who knew all that was to come
and as we begin a new year ourselves just now
there's much that is unknown for us
be it in a personal level
there's maybe much uncertainty in our own lives at this time
be it as a church, as a denomination
again there's so much that we do not know
just what lies ahead for us
as a nation as we've seen so much change over these past years
and the great uncertainties that there are around us all the time
there's much that is unknown to us
and in our world that is in constant chaos
there's much that's unknown to us
but it is known unto God
God knows everything that lies ahead of us
and so we look to him
and we seek his face as we go forward into this new year
and it's going forward seeking to know this promise
that he gave to his disciples long ago
that we go forward as a people
who are seeking to worship and honour his name
in our worship that we give
and in our worship as we do
as we go out among the people of our towns and villages
as we seek to share the gospel with all around us
that we'll be bold for it
because we have this promise
behold I am with you always
even to the end of the age
New Year's Day is often an emotional day for so many people
I'm sure we have all maybe shed or will shed a tear at some point
last night or during this day
because looking back it often brings back many different emotions to us
some recent some maybe from more distant past
even today as we think again of the reminder of January 1919
and the great disaster that struck our island with the sinking of the Islay
or something that's been remembered today again
we can look in a near past and a near distant past
there's so much that brings so much emotion to us
things that have changed and are always changing
so we go in this sense of uncertainty
but are we going forward looking and wanting someone to lead us
even as these words that King George offered up to a nation so long ago
do we have that desire in our own hearts today
that as we go into the uncertainty into the unknown
that we will put our hand in the hand of God
and that we will go forward with him
we have one who is the light of the world
and we have the one who we are to go forward looking to and seeking to know his blessing
and his grace with us as we go forward
remembering that he is with us even to the end of the age
God with us
that is the heart of encouragement that we have in these words before us
and they were a people who needed so much encouragement
as you think of the disciples
as you think of the women who were at the tomb
as we read in this chapter as well
they were a people who needed encouragement
they had been through so much in following the Lord Jesus
they had seen many times of great blessing
and they had seen many times of great trial as well
culminating in seeing their Lord crucified
the most horrendous end to our Lord's life as in our eyes
and yet all planned by God
all with a purpose for God
the lowest point in their eyes
is really what we see as the highest point
that Christ died for our sins
but that he is risen
and as they met with the risen Christ
we see here in verse 17 that they met with him
and they worshipped him
on the mountain on which he had directed them to
but it says there too that some doubted
some doubted
they were still wondering what's going on
what's happening
what is the purpose in all of this
and again it reminds us of our own hearts as well
even as we come to worship God today
there could be an element of doubt in our own hearts
what is God's purpose in this world just now
what is his plans and purposes for us as a people
in this world when so many things don't seem to make sense
but he gives them these words
words and words with great authority
Jesus came and said to them
all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me
he has all authority in heaven and earth
and that is still true to this day
and this authority is the highest authority of all
and as we see here this authority it leads to a command
go therefore and make disciples of all nations
go into this world in the darkness of it
go and make disciples of all nations
show my name abroad far and wide
that my name will be glorified and praised
teach them to observe all that I had commanded
and then he gives them this promise
I am with you always
even to the end of the age
and so for a short time
I want us to think of this promise that he gives
the promise of his presence
and that this is the presence
that we would seek and look for going forward ourselves
into this new year
and the first thing about this promise is
the who of this promise
who is it that is giving this promise
when Jesus says
I am with you
what does he actually say
who is it that's actually going to be with them
it is a wonderful promise
and one that we have to see the great power
that's behind it
the authority that's behind it
the great I am
I am
I am with you always
we have to look at the name that is here
there is a name there before us
in the words
I am
it's a name that is powerful
and when you look at the names given in scripture
whether it's in the Old Testament or the New Testament
you often find that names had great significance
names told us a lot
not just about the person
but about the one who was giving the name as well
and so often throughout scripture you see a name given
and then the name explained
now we all have a name ourselves
but what does our name mean?
we all have a name given to us at birth
and if I was to say to you
my name is Calamurdo Smith
what does that mean to you?
maybe it doesn't mean much
maybe it doesn't explain much about me
and as people come to us
and we are meeting new people
we are often asking questions of one another
but the most common question
isn't just what is your name?
we will often ask as well
ko asa hau?
where are you from?
ko na dunyai?
who are your people?
because that tells us more
and I could tell you so much more about my name
by explaining where I am from
and who my people are
then you might know so much more about me
and be recognized as belonging to a certain place
and a certain people
and when you look in the names in scripture as well
you find so often that names given by God
have so much meaning behind them
you think of Abraham
whose name was changed by God
in his covenant with him
in Genesis 17 verse 5 it says
no longer shall your name be called Abraham
but you shall be called Abraham
for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations
his name has great purpose
God gave him a new name
because he will be the father of a multitude of nations
so many as the stars in the sky
and the grains of sand on the seashore
would be the people of God
Moses was given a name
Exodus 2 verse 10 it says
she named to Moses saying
I drew him out of the water
a name that had a meaning behind it
purpose behind it
Peter in the New Testament
was given a new name
he was Simon
but Jesus said to him
I tell you you are Peter
which means rock
and he said
and on this rock
I will build my church
and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it
names have so much meaning in scripture
and so Jesus himself was given a name as well
he was given many names
as we thought in this past week
of the birth of Christ
we have seen the name given to our Lord and Saviour
you see it in Matthew chapter 1 verse 23
it says the virgin will be with child
and will give birth to a son
and they shall call him Emmanuel
which means God with us
Emmanuel God with us
and here as we look at this verse
verse 20 of chapter 28
chapter 28
behold I am
he is the one who will be with us
Jesus' name means Emmanuel
God with us
that is the promise that we have here
Jesus' name means God will save
God is salvation
God is with us to this end
that he is a God who will save his people
I am
and you see this name begins back in the Old Testament
when Moses is commanded to go and lead God's people out of Egypt
Moses asks God
who will I say has sent me
and God says tell them
I am has sent you
God himself
God with us
I am
and then in the New Testament
when you see the life of Jesus
you see how often he says
I am
the I am sayings of Jesus
I am the bread of life
I am the resurrection
I am the life
I am the way
the truth
and the life
he is
the great I am
and so here as we look at this passage
and this verse in particular
who is it that is going to be with us
as we put our trust in him
I am
God
with us
just as he was
with Moses
just as he was with Joshua
who was in fear and trembling as well
and taking over the leadership from Moses
but God said to him
be of good courage
for I am with you
I am
there is so much in that name for us
God
with us
that is the promise
as we go forward
trusting in him
I am
is with us
God
is with us
the second thing we see here is
the when
we have the who
and then we have the when
I am with you
always
I am with you
always
it is good to have friends
and community around us
going into a new year
it is good to be able to share
with people
to have people
we can share so many things with
and especially at a time of year
when many feel lonely or sad
to be able to gather around one another
and share with one another
to be there to encourage
and to help
to help
but there is no one
who can be with us
always
there is no one who is always there for us
even our closest loved ones
there are times when they just cannot be there with us
but yet we have this assurance here
that I am is with us always
always
so as well as
the promise of the presence with us
there is also the promise
that he is going to be with us
always
every step of the way
that is a promise the Lord gives
to his people
that as we put our trust in him
he will go with us
always
it is a repeated promise
throughout scripture
of so often
never will I leave you
never will I forsake you
he says to his people
again and again
and this is not
a promise here
just for the early church
he is not saying
just to the disciples
I am with you
always
just for a short time
until you get the church established
until you manage to get things going
yourselves
then I will leave you to it
he is not just saying
this is for a short period of time
he is not saying either
I will come and I will be with you
now and again
I will come and be with you
from time to time
as I see your need
he is not saying that at all
he is not saying
well I will be with the church
in certain places
in certain parts of the world
at certain times
this is the great I am
the one who is able to be always present
with all his people
everywhere
and at all times
it is always
and everywhere
and that is something great for us
to remember too
that as we go on
looking to him
that he is with us always
to remember that every time
that we meet as God's people
he is with us
to remember that every time
even when we are not with others
as we are seeking him
he is with us
that great reminder
in Matthew 18 verse 20
for where two or three
come together in my name
there am I with them
he is in the midst
to bless
and we see that he speaks
these words
to his disciples
to pass on
to his people
down through all the generations
that he will be with his people
always
but you notice this is in the midst
of a command
being given as well
so the when is not just always
but the when is also
as we are going forward in his name
go therefore
and make disciples of all nations
go
be a people
who do
in my name
and then you will know
in an even greater way
my presence
with you
you see it
throughout scriptures
again so often
you think of
Moses as he was
going to the people
the children of Israel
and as God said
I am
has sent you
what was he doing
he was sending
Moses to lead a people
Joshua too
was to be a leader
of the people
and he was given
this promise
be strong and courageous
for I am with you
he is saying go
and do
and you maybe say to yourself
ah yes but they were people
who were specifically called
they had a great task
to do for the Lord
but so does every believer
every Christian
has a task from the Lord
the Lord
in Haggai
later on in the Old Testament
as the people
are again
downcast
and dismayed
and all that they are seeing
around them
the Lord calls
on his people
to work
in Haggai 2 verse 4
it says
be strong
all you people
of the land
declares the Lord
and work
for I am with you
declares the Lord Almighty
he gives
his people
a task
and he is still giving
his people
a task
today
he still gives
his church
a task today
to go
to all the nations
of the world
to be his witnesses
to be the people
who declare
his glory
and they go
and we go
with this promise
that I am with you
always
a preacher in America
was telling a story
about having been speaking
to a mailman once
and the mailman
was sharing with him
about how he felt
such a great sense
of security
as he was out
and about
delivering the mail
and the preacher
asked him
why do you feel
so safe
you are all by yourself
you are going out
delivering the mail
and sometimes
into very dangerous
parts of the city
well the postman
the postman said to him
well because I know
all the resources
of the government
are pledged
to support my work
even if all I am delivering
is just a simple postcard
in my bag
no one dares touch me
because of the power
that is behind
my protection
every police force
will come
and guard me
if someone would do so much
as come near me
there was this security
in his work
there was a protection
over him
and one of our greatest fears
as we go about
the Lord's work
is our own natural fear
how can we do it
we feel weak
we feel we have no strength
of ourselves
we cannot do it ourselves
but that story
with the postman
reminds me about ourselves
on the business of God
that as we deliver
as we deliver
this great gospel
to others
as we stand up
for this gospel
before others
that we have this promise
I am with you
always
I am with you
and so may 2023
be a year
when we are bold
to go
with the gospel
when we are bold
to commit to the gospel
when we are bold
to stand up
for the gospel
in the midst of
all the attacks
that come our way
in the attacks
to God's name
through our governments
and through so many people
in this world
who seek to destroy
and put away
the name of God
and the name of Christ
may we be bold
to stand up
to speak out
to stand up
for the truth
of the word of God
and why can we be so bold
because of this promise
I am with you
always
he will never
leave us
he will never
fail us
God is with us
whatever we do
so let us seek
to be a people
who do
who go about
the Lord's business
with this great assurance
that he is with us
the third
and the final thing
I want us to see here
is how long
the how long
I am with you
always
to the end
of the age
even
to the end
of the age
the disciples
themselves
had spoken about
the end
of the age
when would it come
so many of them
felt it was coming
soon
but the reality is
that no one knows
not even the Lord
Jesus himself
was able to tell them
just when it would come
Matthew 24 verse 3
the disciples
talking to Jesus
saying tell us
they said
when will this happen
and what will be the sign
of your coming
at the end
of the age
but Jesus
goes on to say
verse 10
at that time
many will turn away
from the faith
and will betray
and hate each other
but he said
he who stands
firm to the end
will be saved
there is this great uncertainty
as to when the Lord
will come
we don't know
but just as we were saying
with the young ones
earlier
we are to stay awake
to stay awake
to be on our watch
for when that time
will come
and while we have time
to be about
the Father's business
to be a people
of faith
because he says
I am with you always
even to the end
of the age
the Lord's strength
will never fail us
the Lord's strength
will always
be with us
as we sang
in Psalm 71
we are reminded there
of our own lives
verse 17
for even from my youth
O God
by thee I have been taught
and hitherto
I have declared
the wonders
thou has brought
when we are young
when we are vibrant
whether it is in years
or in faith
there is a sense
of strength
in the Lord
but as we go on
we maybe feel
more weary
and in verse 18
of that Psalm
the Psalmist says
and now Lord
leave me not
when I
old and grey headed
grow
till to this age
thy strength
and power
to all to come
I show
there is a sense
of prayer
in these words
Lord
leave me not
now when I am
frail in myself
weak in myself
leave me not
till to this age
thy strength
and power
to all to come
I show
there is this longing
in the Psalmist
to keep going
all his days
in the strength
of the Lord
and that is
not just a promise
and a desire
for that Psalmist
it should be our desire
too
that the Lord
would be with us
even to the end
of the age
when is the end
of the age
is there an end
of the age
well the word
reminds us that
though our time here
is temporary
there is eternity
always before us
and for God's people
they would ever sing
his praise
to all eternity
he will be with us
always
throughout all the ages
throughout all of time
throughout all eternity
so the question today is
how are we going forward
into this new year
are we going forward
putting our hand
into the hand of the Lord
trusting him
there is a story
there is a story about
a cathedral
that was built
in Italy
and on this cathedral
back many years ago
there were three entrances
into the cathedral
three great doors
and above each door
were words inscribed
into the stone
and pictures
above them as well
over one door
the door
was an ornately
carved wreath
of roses
and the words
underneath
said
all that
all that which pleases
is but for a moment
on the other side
there was another door
and above this door
was sculpted
a cross
and below this cross
were the words
all that which troubles
is but for a moment
a moment
but then there was
a third door
in the middle
the largest
of the three doors
and above this door
was the inscription
that only
is important
which is eternal
now for many of us
will be going through
one of these three doors
going into the new year
we'll be going forward
through a door
thinking of all the pleasures
of this world
all that we're enjoying
and it's reminding us
it's but for a moment
others are maybe going into this year
with many troubles
many sorrows
many sadness
in their hearts
but again
there is a reminder
as there isn't God's word
it's but for a moment
the best way
to go forward
is looking to God
and trusting
in Him
for that
which is permanent
is eternal
and God
is unchanging
and unchangeable
and we are to look
to that God
as we go on
into this new year
yes there will be joys
along the way
we make the most of them
but we don't depend on them
yes there will be troubles
along the way as well
but they are for a moment too
but with God
and Christ Jesus
His Son
is what is eternal
and it's to what is eternal
that we are to look
and to trust
the one who is
the great
I am
and the one who has promised
His people
and His church
I am with you
always
even to the end
of the age
may He be with us
going forward today
and always
that we would seek His face
and know His blessing with us
let us pray
our Father in heaven
we rejoice
that you are a God
of so many promises
promises of blessings
in this life
help us to enjoy them
not selfishly
not making them
our priority in life
but giving thanks
to you for them
we know too Lord
the many troubles
of this life
give us strength
to endure them
and to come through them
by your grace
and by your mercy
remembering too
that they are but for a moment
but help us above all
to know Jesus Christ
our Lord
the one who is eternal
and the one who gives the hope
of eternal life
through faith in Him
may we look to Him
and go forward
today and always
knowing Him
and seeking to serve Him
and knowing that great promise
that I am with you always
even to the end
of the age
guide us and keep us
we pray
and pardon our sins
in Jesus name
Amen
We are going to conclude
by singing to God's praise
in Psalm 46
in the Scottish Psalter
page 271
I'm going to sing
from verse 7
down to the end
of the psalm
The Lord of hosts
upon our side
doth constantly remain
the God of Jacob's
our refuge
us safely
to maintain
at verse 10
be still and know
that I am God
among the heathen
I will be exalted
I on earth
will be exalted
high
we sing from verse 7
to 11
to God's praise
The Lord of hosts
upon our side
doth constantly be within
O God of Jacob's
our refuge
has saved me
to maintain
come and behold
what marvelous words
are high the Lord
ye Lord
come see what
there so is
come see what
there so is
come see what
there so is
come see what
the
還
beyond
the earth
had brought
unto the
ends of
all the earth
of all
the earth
Hai
Till peace eternes
The holy grace
Thus here we pass
Then find the child's heart
Be still and know
That I am God
A God, Marie, the light
Where we exalted
Lord, cannot deny
On earth
Will be exalted
High
Out God, dear
In the intriguing-to- spar.
That Roncharis Kingrezyes.
Come to the refuge, I ever will abide.
After the benediction, I'll go to the main door.
Now may grace, mercy, and peace from God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, rest upon and
abide with you all, now and forevermore. Amen.