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What Do We Have to Offer Scotland? · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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If you're able to turn to the book of Acts and follow in Acts chapter 13, that will be very helpful.
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I mentioned before we read that this is part of the record of the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas recorded in the book of Acts.
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And they were initially in the Mediterranean Islands in Cyprus and they left Paphos.
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And when they were in these islands, Barnabas took the lead.
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He was from Cyprus and probably it was natural and more comfortable for him as someone from those islands to be the first to speak and to engage with the people of Cyprus.
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But when they left and went to the mainland of Asia Minor to what we would call Turkey today, Paul seemed to step up and to be the leading spokesman of that missionary team of three who arrived there.
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Sadly, the team of three soon became a team of two because John Mark bailed out.
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He abandoned his uncle Barnabas and his great friend Paul and went home to Jerusalem.
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Later on, he would be an effective servant of Christ.
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But Paul certainly had his confidence in Mark shaken by that.
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But the work went on.
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And so we read that they went on a Sabbath and they had two Sabbath, continuous Sabbaths in the area of Antioch in Pisidia when they were able to speak to the Jewish people and the people who were interested in their faith who gathered with the Jews in the synagogue.
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So in the middle of verse 14,
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Paul is the same rabbinic style.
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He's like a rabbi preaching in the synagogue and he's using his body as well as his words to get attention and to speak.
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And he says in the middle of verse 16,
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There are lots of speeches in the book of Acts.
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Sermons, we might even call them.
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Or defences before kings and princes and rulers who held the lives of God's servants in their hands.
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The book of Acts is a great encouragement to us in the day that we're living in.
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Because we are called like Paul and Barnabas to be missionaries, to be on mission, to be those who are excited by the gospel and its power and who want to share it.
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And this book of Acts is different really from all the other books in the word of God.
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There's nothing quite like it in the Old Testament.
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And the gospels and the letters that make up the rest of the New Testament are different again.
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But Acts is a handbook on church life from the first years of the spread of the gospel.
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John Calvin spoke about the value of this book to us.
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And he said that this book, Acts, is the beginning of the reign of Christ and the renewal of the world.
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I think that's a beautiful phrase.
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The story of how God will make the world new is being told in this book of Acts.
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And the story of how Jesus ascended to heaven, seated at the right hand of God, is ruling as king of nations, king of the church.
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The story of the reign of King Jesus starts in the book of Acts.
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He ascends in chapter 1, but he says, wait for the Spirit.
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And the Spirit comes on the church in power and in the leading and empowering of the Spirit.
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Mission takes place.
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Thousands are saved.
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Many are called to serve God as missionaries.
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Peter, in the first 12 chapters, is the main leading apostle.
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And most of his ministry is directed to Jerusalem and the Jewish people and Samaria.
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And then from chapter 13 onwards, the shift and the focus moves.
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Peter is still there, but there's more about Paul.
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And Paul becomes the towering figure in the second half of the book of Acts.
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And his mission breaks out beyond the Jews to Gentiles and comes to Europe.
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Comes into the Roman Empire and eventually will reach our shores as well.
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We can learn so much from the first steps that the Lord caused his church to take that will help us to take sensible steps in our day and generation.
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So I want to answer a question this morning.
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And that is, what do we have to offer?
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What do we have to offer Stornoway?
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What do we have to offer Lewis?
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What do we have to offer Scotland in 2026?
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2,000 years after the time of Paul and the apostles.
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The scriptures and books like Acts tell us what we have and what we can share.
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What we have to offer.
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So let's look at Paul's approach, his method.
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Two thoughts this morning about Paul and his offer that will maybe shape us.
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And our offer to our nation today.
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So the first thought this morning is that Paul's first sermon, as the leading apostle to the Gentiles,
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Paul's first sermon offered facts and fulfillment.
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Facts and fulfillment.
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What do we have to offer?
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The same as Paul.
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We want content in our faith.
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Content, truth in our message for our town, for our nation, for our generation.
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We don't dumb things down.
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We don't run away from deep truth, from things that will cause our minds to be filled with glory and worship and praise.
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But we want to be stretched.
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And we want our eyes and our hearts to be opened.
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The synagogue rulers said to Barnabas and to Paul,
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Do you have a word of exhortation?
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That's in verse 15.
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A paraklesis.
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A word of encouragement.
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The New Testament letter to the Hebrews.
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The whole letter is described in Hebrews 13.2 as a word of exhortation.
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A word of encouragement.
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And it's kind of shorthand for what teaching and preaching and evangelism and disciple making is all about.
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We take the word of God to mold and shape people.
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We take the message of Jesus, the message of the word Old and New Testament,
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and it is a word of strengthening.
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It is a word of encouragement.
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It is a word where God comes alongside you and fills you and makes you fruitful.
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He is the comforter, the paraclete, the paracletos, the encouragement,
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the exhortation of the word.
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It's got to have content.
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It's got to address the head and the heart.
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It's got to fill your mind with the truth of the gospel and of Jesus,
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and that will change your emotional and your will response to these truths.
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If we just go for an emotional high,
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if we just go for comfort,
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without the content of truth like the cross and the resurrection,
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people will soon run out of steam.
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They will soon be running on empty.
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But if our hearts are filled with the glorious word and promises of God,
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the devil can do what he wants.
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The devil can do his worst.
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We are standing on the rock,
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and God is our refuge,
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and God is our strength.
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The style of meeting that Paul was in in the synagogue in Antioch,
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Pisidian Antioch, would be very familiar to us.
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The way the Jews then worshipped was very like the simple style of Protestant and Reformed worship
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that we still see practiced around the world today.
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There is a call to worship.
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There is a reading of the scripture.
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There is a meditation and a teaching from that scripture.
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There is a response in songs of praise.
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There are, the Psalms were prominent in the synagogue worship,
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as they ought to be prominent in our worship and in our praying as well,
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shaping the heart.
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The liturgy of the Bible becoming the liturgy of the heart.
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There is confession of sin,
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and there is the sense that sin is being declared forgiven
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by the gospel being preached.
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That feels familiar to us, doesn't it?
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Well, let's never go away from that.
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Let's never replace that.
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The ordinary means of grace.
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The gathering of God's people on the Lord's Day.
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The sacraments.
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What a blessing they are supposed to be to us as we approach them by faith.
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Gatherings for prayer.
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Times to encourage one another.
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The paraklesis.
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The exhortation.
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The encouragement.
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When the word gets dug into our hearts.
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The way we dig our gardens and we feed our plants.
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We do that spiritually.
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When we open the Bible,
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we let it speak.
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And we understand its message.
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And how did Paul go about this in Antioch of Pisidia?
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Well, he gave them fact after fact after fact.
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Content.
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Information.
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He explained the history of salvation.
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What God did through the centuries for Israel.
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And in this, he's actually copying the approach that the apostles took.
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In the first half of the book of Acts,
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Peter did the same on the day of Pentecost.
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Peter quoted the same Psalms and the same prophecies
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that Paul would be quoting to his audience a decade or two later.
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And whether they were speaking to Jews who knew the scriptures,
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or whether they were building a bridge to non-Jews, Gentiles,
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who had very little awareness of the scripture.
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The facts were the same.
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The doctrine was the same.
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The creator who has worked in redeeming, rescuing, saving.
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The God of the Exodus.
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The God of the monarchy under David.
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The God of the promise to David that there would always be a king on David's throne.
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These are the things that Peter stressed, that Paul stressed,
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and that we today need to be aware of.
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We need to have the same approach.
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Stephen, in Acts 7, got martyred for giving a speech
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to those who took up stones and killed him.
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But it's the same.
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It's the history of salvation.
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It's facts.
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Who is God?
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What has God done?
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And then drawing conclusions that lead people,
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challenge people to repent and to believe the gospel.
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So we've got facts, but we've also got fulfillment.
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We've got information, content.
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This is what God has done.
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But one of the things the early church was very aware of
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was that the story of salvation
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is a story that proves the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God.
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that God spoke in Isaiah.
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That God spoke in the book of Psalms, in the second Psalm, in Psalm 16.
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And then God fulfilled what he said.
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The promise was fulfilled.
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So facts and prophecy fulfilled.
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I wonder if you like that kind of teaching
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and if you like that kind of preaching
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that is rich in Scripture
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and making connections between Old and New Testament
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and showing you Jesus from all the Scripture.
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The New Testament scholar Don Carson
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summed up the life of the early church like this.
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He said,
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Above all, they preach Jesus,
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Jesus crucified and risen,
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Jesus who pours out his spirit,
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Jesus who inaugurates the kingdom,
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Jesus who's drawing in Jews and Gentiles alike,
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Jesus who's transforming men and women,
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Jesus who's anticipating his own return,
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Jesus who is already ascended to glory
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and who will come again.
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He is the man who is God,
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who was promised,
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and he has come,
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and crucially,
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he is an answer to death.
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He has been raised from the dead.
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So our first thought in looking at this passage
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is what do we have to offer Scotland?
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What do we have to offer our generation?
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We offer facts and fulfillment,
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the truth of the gospel
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and the fulfillment of prophecy.
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But the second thing that Paul's first sermon
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in Pisidian Antioch offered
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and that we have to offer
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is resurrection hope through Jesus.
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A huge amount of the New Testament teaching
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is future focused.
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It's focused on the return of Jesus.
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It's focused on the resurrection of the body.
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And it grounds all of this
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in the historical fact
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that Jesus uniquely
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has been raised from the dead.
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Jesus is not just another rabbi.
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He's not just another teacher.
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He is the one
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who has been raised from the dead.
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And so as Paul speaks to the people
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in the synagogue,
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he says in verse 28 and 29,
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though they found in him
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no guilt worthy of death,
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they asked Pilate to have him executed.
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And when they'd carried out
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all that was written of him,
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they took him down from the tree,
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the tree of curse,
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and they laid him in a tomb.
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Verse 30,
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but God raised him from the dead.
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He appeared to many.
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The witnesses are speaking about it.
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Verse 32,
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we bring you the good news,
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the gospel,
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that what God promised to the fathers,
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this he has fulfilled to us
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in their children by raising Jesus.
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And he quotes Psalm 2
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and Psalm 6,
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Isaiah 55
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and Psalm 16,
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you will not let your Holy One
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see corruption.
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The resurrection
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is a huge deal
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for Paul
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and for the early church.
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And I think
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when he went to Gentile groups
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in Athens
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and in other places,
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he had the same basic message,
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same basic approach,
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whether people knew
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the storyline of the Old Testament
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or not,
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he would speak about
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Jesus,
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Jesus,
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Jesus,
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his death
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and resurrection.
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And so often,
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the resurrection hope
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was
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where people parted
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and where people said,
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we can't accept that,
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we don't believe that,
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we don't want to hear this.
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It seemed
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too incredible
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to them.
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let me tell you
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a little bit
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about my
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recent ministry
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in Inverness
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and I hope
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it will encourage you.
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One of the
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opportunities
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that I have
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is to get into
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one of the local
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high schools,
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the academy
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at Milburn.
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It's a good school
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and it's a really
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interesting group
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of staff
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and of
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young people.
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and yet
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most of them
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have no connection
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with a gospel church.
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So there are
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limited ways
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to get involvement,
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occasional assemblies,
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a hot chocolate club
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at lunchtime
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that chaplains
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go and run
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maybe at Christmas
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or at Easter
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that might run
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a little video
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or something
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that we put together
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that's shown
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in the morning
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assembly times,
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but it's pretty limited.
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But occasionally,
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I'll get asked
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to meet
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the first year pupils,
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go into their
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classrooms,
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spend a period
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or two
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just answering
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questions.
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I have to tell you,
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I'm amazed
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at the questions
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young people
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have.
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2025,
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2026,
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they're not
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really asking
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about political
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stuff.
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They're not
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asking about
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woke stuff.
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They're not
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asking about
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gender ID
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stuff.
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The young people
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are asking,
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why are you
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a Christian?
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Why are you
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a minister?
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Is there
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a heaven?
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What happens
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when you die?
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What is a soul?
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What's life
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for?
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these are
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the right
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questions
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and they
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are the
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questions
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that people
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have always
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been asking
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and they
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are the
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questions
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that the
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gospel
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answers
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and I
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suspect
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that they
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are the
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questions
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that the
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vast majority
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of people
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that you
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know
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are asking.
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are we
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spending
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enough time
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in the
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Bible
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and in
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prayer
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to know
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the answer
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and be
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able to
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give a
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reason for
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the hope
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that is
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in us?
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Are we
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spending
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enough time
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with people
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who are
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not yet
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Christians
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so that
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they trust
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us and
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know us
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and will
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want to
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come with
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their
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question?
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That's a
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school and
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that's a
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cohort of
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young people.
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I wouldn't
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say that
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they're
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necessarily
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unique or
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unusual but
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I find it
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so encouraging.
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But I
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also could
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tell you
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story after
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story of
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people in
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their
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twenties who
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walk in
21:42
the door of
21:43
a city
21:44
centre church
21:45
full of
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questions.
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And they're
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not people
21:49
often who've
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grown up
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with a
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Christian
21:51
faith.
21:52
They're
21:52
often people
21:52
who have
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grown up
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with
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atheist
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parents and
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atheist
21:56
grandparents
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and they've
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gone through
21:58
a secular
21:59
education that
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did not
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offer them
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any spiritual
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challenge or
22:04
information at
22:05
all.
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And yet
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they've
22:06
arrived at
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18,
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they've
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arrived at
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20,
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22,
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24,
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and they're
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saying,
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what's the
22:14
point of
22:15
life?
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What
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explains
22:18
beauty?
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What
22:19
explains the
22:20
variety of
22:22
life and
22:23
beauty?
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Isn't there
22:25
a bigger
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story?
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Isn't there
22:27
a deeper
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purpose?
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And they're
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going online
22:30
and they're
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going to
22:31
YouTube and
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they're going
22:32
to websites
22:33
and they're
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going on
22:34
TikTok and
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sometimes they
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don't find
22:37
rubbish
22:37
answers.
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By the
22:39
grace of
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God,
22:39
they find a
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Christian
22:41
answer.
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They find
22:43
something that
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points them to
22:45
the Bible.
22:45
So they go to
22:46
Amazon and
22:47
they buy a
22:47
Bible and
22:48
they say,
22:48
let me find
22:49
a church.
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That's
22:53
happening in
22:53
France.
22:54
It's
22:55
happening in
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Portugal.
22:56
It's
22:57
happening in
22:57
Spain.
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It's
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happening in
22:59
England.
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It's
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happening in
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Scotland.
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It's
23:02
happening in
23:03
Canada.
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It's
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amazing.
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Are we
23:08
praying that
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people who
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are one or
23:13
two or
23:14
three generations
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away from
23:16
the gospel
23:17
would be as
23:19
open as
23:20
many were
23:21
in the
23:22
book of
23:22
Acts?
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To at
23:24
least hear
23:24
about the
23:26
resurrection.
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To at
23:27
least hear
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that there
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is a
23:30
savior and
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that we
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need a
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savior.
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That the
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universe has
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a purpose
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and that
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there is
23:36
a king.
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Has this
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got through
23:40
to your
23:40
heart?
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I don't
23:42
assume that
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everybody here
23:44
in Kenneth
23:45
Street is a
23:46
Christian.
23:46
I hope
23:47
there are
23:48
many who
23:48
are not
23:50
Christians who
23:52
are here in
23:52
this gathering.
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But I hope
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the fact that
23:55
you're here is
23:56
not just to
23:57
please a
23:58
relative or
23:59
a spouse,
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but that
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you're here
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because you
24:03
look for
24:04
truth and
24:06
you look
24:07
for meaning.
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You will
24:11
find it in
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Jesus Christ.
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Christ.
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Paul might
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not have
24:17
been an
24:18
easy man.
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He lived
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through much
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suffering.
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He lived
24:24
through beatings
24:26
and shipwrecks
24:27
and all kinds
24:27
of things that
24:28
might have
24:29
made him
24:30
cynical about
24:31
people or
24:32
hardened, but
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it didn't
24:33
because the
24:35
Lord Jesus
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showed him
24:37
when he was
24:37
converted
24:38
all that
24:40
was ahead
24:40
of him
24:41
and all
24:42
that he
24:42
must suffer.
24:44
But his
24:45
calling
24:46
was go
24:47
and be
24:48
my witness.
24:50
Jesus does
24:51
the saving.
24:52
Paul's job,
24:54
go and be
24:55
my witness.
24:57
That's my
24:58
job.
24:58
That's your
24:58
job.
24:59
That's the
25:00
job of the
25:00
Christian church.
25:02
Go and be
25:02
my witness.
25:03
go and
25:06
say,
25:07
there's an
25:07
answer to
25:08
death.
25:10
There's an
25:11
answer to
25:12
the meaning
25:12
of life.
25:15
We have a
25:16
faith in
25:17
Jesus Christ
25:18
that is quite
25:19
different from
25:19
all other
25:20
belief systems,
25:21
quite different
25:21
from all
25:22
other faiths.
25:24
If you
25:25
have Muslim
25:26
friends,
25:27
and I hope
25:27
you do,
25:28
and I hope
25:29
you're a good
25:29
friend to
25:30
them,
25:31
at some
25:32
point,
25:32
ask them
25:34
what they
25:34
believe,
25:35
and maybe
25:35
they'll ask
25:36
you what
25:37
you believe.
25:38
The
25:39
fundamental
25:40
difference
25:41
between the
25:42
Christian faith
25:43
and perversions
25:46
of Christianity
25:47
and distortions
25:48
of Christianity
25:49
in the sects
25:50
or whatever,
25:51
and the
25:52
fundamental
25:52
difference
25:53
between
25:54
Christianity
25:54
and Islam
25:56
are the
25:58
facts
25:58
that we
26:00
believe,
26:01
the
26:02
fulfillment
26:03
in Jesus
26:04
that we
26:05
believe,
26:06
and crucially,
26:08
the story
26:09
of the
26:09
death and
26:10
resurrection
26:11
of Jesus.
26:14
Islam
26:15
denies that
26:17
Jesus died
26:18
on the cross.
26:19
Do you know
26:19
that?
26:21
Islam says
26:23
that God
26:23
would never
26:24
allow a
26:25
true prophet
26:25
of God
26:26
to suffer
26:26
death by
26:28
crucifixion.
26:29
well,
26:31
the facts,
26:32
Old and
26:33
New Testament,
26:35
predict it,
26:36
and it is
26:38
fulfilled in
26:39
history,
26:41
and there
26:41
is no
26:42
salvation
26:43
for the
26:44
world
26:44
unless a
26:46
good and
26:47
perfect man,
26:48
a new
26:49
Adam,
26:51
suffers and
26:52
dies in the
26:52
place of
26:53
imperfect
26:54
men and
26:55
women,
26:56
and leads
26:57
a new
26:58
humanity,
26:59
back to
27:00
the tree
27:00
of life,
27:01
back to
27:02
relationship
27:02
with God,
27:03
back from
27:05
death to
27:06
life.
27:07
That's
27:07
Jesus.
27:09
Islam says,
27:10
no, no,
27:10
he didn't
27:11
die,
27:11
there's no
27:12
death,
27:12
there's no
27:13
resurrection,
27:14
he's just
27:15
a prophet.
27:17
Jesus is
27:18
not just
27:20
a prophet,
27:22
he's God
27:23
in the
27:23
flesh,
27:25
who died
27:26
and defeated
27:27
death,
27:29
who died
27:30
and rose
27:30
again.
27:32
Other
27:32
religions
27:32
will tell
27:33
you,
27:33
go and
27:34
be a
27:34
better
27:34
human,
27:35
go and
27:36
be a
27:36
more loving
27:36
human,
27:37
go and
27:38
be nice,
27:39
go and
27:39
be forgiving,
27:40
go and
27:40
be kind.
27:41
Well,
27:41
how are you
27:41
going to
27:42
do that?
27:43
Because all
27:43
the religions
27:44
of the world
27:45
that tell
27:46
you to be
27:46
kind and
27:47
nice,
27:48
they don't
27:48
give you
27:49
the power,
27:50
they don't
27:51
give you
27:51
the ability
27:52
to be a
27:54
better human.
27:57
But if you
27:57
are joined
27:58
by faith
27:59
to Jesus,
28:01
he has
28:02
defeated
28:02
sin,
28:03
he has
28:03
defeated
28:04
lies,
28:05
he has
28:05
defeated
28:06
death,
28:07
and he
28:09
lives inside
28:10
of his
28:10
people.
28:12
Don't
28:13
make the
28:13
mistake of
28:14
John Mark,
28:15
who left
28:17
the battlefield,
28:19
left the
28:20
mission field,
28:21
and just
28:23
went home
28:24
to comfort.
28:26
Later,
28:27
John Mark,
28:27
thank God,
28:29
came back
28:30
to the
28:30
battle,
28:31
came back
28:31
to the
28:32
mission field,
28:33
was restored.
28:35
Paul found
28:35
him useful
28:36
later on.
28:39
But look
28:40
at the
28:40
world,
28:41
the way
28:42
Paul looked
28:43
at the
28:43
world.
28:45
This
28:46
world
28:46
belongs
28:47
to Jesus.
28:49
Let's
28:49
go and
28:49
get it
28:50
for him.
28:50
this
28:52
town,
28:53
this
28:53
island,
28:55
has a
28:56
great need.
28:59
Will they
28:59
hear from
29:00
me and
29:01
you and
29:01
from the
29:03
people of
29:03
God in
29:04
this
29:04
island,
29:05
how much
29:07
God has
29:08
done in
29:08
history,
29:10
in salvation
29:11
history,
29:12
and how
29:12
much he is
29:13
doing
29:14
still.
29:16
Verse 30,
29:17
God raised
29:20
him from
29:20
the dead.
29:23
You're
29:24
going to
29:24
know lots
29:26
of
29:26
hurting,
29:28
sad,
29:30
broken
29:31
folk
29:31
in the
29:33
year that's
29:33
ahead.
29:35
At some
29:36
point,
29:37
we have
29:39
to go
29:39
beyond just
29:40
being a
29:40
nice
29:40
neighbor,
29:42
asking how
29:42
you're
29:43
doing.
29:44
If you've
29:45
got a
29:45
hope that
29:47
has an
29:47
answer to
29:48
death,
29:50
you want
29:51
to share
29:52
that,
29:53
and you
29:53
want other
29:54
people to
29:56
have the
29:56
hope that
29:57
you have.
29:59
The great
30:00
evangelist
30:00
Billy Graham
30:01
was around
30:02
when the
30:04
space program
30:05
was getting
30:05
going,
30:06
and satellites
30:07
were getting
30:07
launched,
30:09
and for the
30:09
first time
30:10
in the
30:11
50s and
30:11
in the
30:12
60s,
30:13
photographs
30:13
were being
30:15
published in
30:16
newspapers and
30:17
on television
30:18
of the
30:19
whole globe
30:20
photographed
30:21
from space
30:22
for the
30:23
first time.
30:25
Billy Graham
30:26
was asked
30:27
what he
30:27
made of
30:28
it all,
30:29
these photos
30:29
of the
30:30
world,
30:32
and his
30:32
answer then
30:33
is one
30:34
that is
30:34
very attractive.
30:36
He said,
30:37
when I see
30:37
these pictures
30:38
of the
30:39
earth,
30:40
sitting in
30:41
the heavens,
30:43
I want to
30:44
reach out
30:45
and grab
30:47
the world
30:48
for God.
30:51
Have we
30:52
lost that?
30:53
Have we
30:54
lost that
30:55
sense that
30:56
this earth
30:58
belongs to
30:59
Christ,
31:00
that the
31:01
nations
31:02
belong to
31:03
him,
31:03
the Psalm
31:04
2,
31:05
vision of
31:07
reality,
31:08
the Psalm
31:09
16,
31:10
vision of
31:11
reality.
31:14
This is
31:14
my Father's
31:15
world.
31:17
This is
31:17
my Saviour's
31:18
world.
31:20
I want to
31:21
grab it
31:22
for him
31:23
so that
31:25
he will
31:27
get the
31:27
glory.
31:29
What do
31:30
we have to
31:30
offer Scotland?
31:31
Why are we
31:32
planting churches
31:33
in the borders
31:34
for the first
31:35
time in a
31:35
hundred years?
31:36
churches?
31:37
Why are we
31:38
wanting to
31:38
return to
31:41
the inner
31:42
Hebrides that
31:43
we've left?
31:44
Why are we
31:44
wanting to
31:45
return to the
31:46
Clyde Islands
31:47
that we've
31:48
left?
31:48
Why are we
31:49
wanting to
31:50
have strong
31:51
churches in
31:52
the towns
31:53
of Fife
31:54
or of
31:56
Clackmanonshire
31:57
or Stirlingshire
31:58
or the
32:00
Central
32:00
Belt,
32:01
the East
32:02
Coast?
32:03
Why go
32:04
back to the
32:04
northern counties,
32:06
Caithness and
32:06
Sutherland,
32:07
where there's
32:08
been just a
32:10
decimation of
32:11
the gospel?
32:13
Why?
32:15
Because
32:16
souls are
32:17
precious
32:18
and Christ
32:20
gave us
32:20
all for
32:21
them.
32:22
What do we
32:23
have to
32:24
offer
32:24
Scotland?
32:27
Facts,
32:28
truth,
32:29
sweet
32:30
doctrine,
32:32
fulfillment,
32:34
and
32:34
resurrection,
32:36
life,
32:36
and hope.
32:38
There's
32:39
nothing else
32:40
that will
32:40
change our
32:41
land.
32:42
Change a
32:43
government in
32:43
May might
32:45
make things
32:45
better,
32:46
might make
32:46
things worse,
32:47
but it
32:48
won't save
32:49
the nation.
32:51
A
32:51
revolution
32:52
in Iran
32:53
or a
32:54
revolution
32:55
anywhere else
32:56
on the face
32:56
of the earth
32:57
will change
32:58
some things
32:59
but it
32:59
won't change
33:00
the
33:00
fundamental.
33:03
But the
33:04
gospel,
33:06
Jesus
33:06
says,
33:07
Acts 1,
33:08
8,
33:09
you shall
33:10
be my
33:10
witnesses
33:11
in Jerusalem
33:12
and in
33:14
Judea
33:14
and to
33:16
the ends
33:16
of the
33:17
earth.
33:17
It's
33:17
still the
33:18
same.
33:19
We are
33:19
sent,
33:21
we are
33:21
on mission
33:22
and it's
33:24
glorious.
33:25
May the
33:26
Lord help
33:26
you here
33:27
in Stornoway
33:27
Free Church
33:28
and your
33:28
sister
33:29
congregations
33:30
in the
33:30
town and
33:31
in the
33:31
island
33:31
to see
33:33
the
33:34
Lamb of
33:34
God
33:35
praised,
33:37
worshipped,
33:38
adored,
33:38
followed
33:40
and may
33:41
this be a
33:42
year of
33:42
good things
33:43
and of
33:44
blessing.
33:45
Lord,
33:46
receive our
33:46
thanks for
33:48
this passage
33:48
and grant
33:50
that it may
33:50
be an
33:51
encouragement
33:52
to us
33:53
to pray
33:53
big prayers,
33:56
mighty
33:57
requests
33:58
to the
33:59
great God
34:00
of heaven
34:01
who can
34:02
only do
34:03
great things.
34:05
We ask
34:06
for our
34:06
nation
34:07
to be
34:08
gifted
34:09
to Jesus.
34:10
We ask
34:11
for this
34:12
community
34:12
and island
34:13
to be
34:14
gifted
34:15
to Jesus
34:16
as his
34:17
reward.
34:18
We ask
34:19
that many
34:19
will come
34:20
to know
34:21
and love
34:21
and fear
34:22
the Lord
34:22
in this
34:23
generation.
34:25
We especially
34:26
remember the
34:27
young
34:27
and those
34:29
who have
34:29
questions
34:30
but yet
34:32
have not
34:33
received an
34:34
answer.
34:36
Show us
34:36
how
34:36
to be
34:38
quick
34:38
and ready
34:39
and clear
34:40
with the
34:42
answer that
34:42
is in
34:43
Jesus.
34:44
And if
34:44
anyone here
34:45
today
34:46
has come
34:47
to find
34:48
the answer
34:48
in recent
34:49
days,
34:50
strengthen
34:51
them
34:51
to go
34:52
forward in
34:53
a life of
34:54
discipleship
34:55
and to
34:56
commit
34:57
themselves
34:57
fully
34:58
to the
35:00
Lord.
35:00
We pray
35:01
in Jesus'
35:02
name.
35:03
Amen.
35:05
Our closing
35:07
praise this
35:07
morning is
35:08
from the
35:09
Sing Psalms
35:10
version of
35:10
Psalm 96,
35:12
a great
35:13
psalm of
35:14
praise and
35:15
worship and
35:15
thanksgiving.
35:17
Psalm 96
35:18
from verse
35:19
7 to the
35:20
end,
35:21
the vision
35:21
of the
35:22
world
35:22
belonging
35:23
to the
35:24
Lord who
35:25
is its
35:25
king.
35:25
The tune
35:26
is our
35:26
guile,
35:27
Psalm 96
35:28
in
35:29
version
35:30
A from
35:31
verse 7,
35:32
all nations
35:33
to the
35:33
Lord as
35:34
cry,
35:35
the glory
35:35
that is
35:37
due.
35:37
We stand
35:38
and sing.
35:43
All
35:44
nations
35:46
to
35:47
the
35:48
Lord
35:49
as
35:50
cry,
35:52
the
35:53
glory
35:55
that
35:57
is
35:58
due.
35:59
Glory
36:01
and
36:02
strength
36:03
ascribe
36:05
to
36:07
God
36:09
and
36:10
praise
36:11
his
36:12
name
36:14
and
36:15
you.
36:17
A
36:18
durnish
36:20
course
36:22
with
36:23
joy
36:24
and
36:25
ring
36:26
and
36:27
offer
36:29
him
36:31
with
36:31
you.
36:33
Worship
36:35
the
36:37
Lord
36:38
in
36:39
holy
36:41
clear
36:43
all
36:44
earth
36:45
he
36:46
poured
36:47
in
36:49
power.
36:49
!
36:50
Tell
36:52
every
36:53
land
36:54
the
36:56
Lord
36:57
is
36:59
king,
37:01
established
37:03
in
37:04
the
37:05
earth
37:07
And
37:09
God
37:10
man
37:10
of
37:11
good
37:12
the
37:13
Lord
37:13
will
37:15
judge
37:17
the
37:18
people
37:19
The
37:20
sing
37:21
his
37:23
truth!
37:23
Let
37:25
him
37:27
rejoice
37:29
On
37:31
earth
37:33
be glad!
37:35
with
37:36
joy
37:37
let
37:38
oceans
37:40
ring
37:42
The
37:43
fields
37:45
and
37:46
all
37:47
in
37:48
them
37:49
will
37:50
shout
37:51
At
37:53
water's
37:54
trees
37:56
will
37:57
sing
37:58
The
38:01
all
38:02
will
38:03
sing
38:05
before
38:06
the
38:07
Lord
38:08
Who
38:09
comes
38:11
to
38:12
judge
38:13
the
38:14
earth
38:15
He
38:16
will
38:17
judge
38:18
the
38:19
world
38:20
in
38:21
righteousness
38:23
The
38:24
people
38:25
sing
38:26
The
38:27
people
38:28
sing
38:30
His
38:32
truth
38:33
Receive
38:36
God's
38:36
blessing
38:36
Lord
38:38
you are
38:39
our
38:39
king
38:39
hold
38:41
us
38:41
in the
38:42
hollow
38:42
of your
38:43
hand
38:43
and send
38:45
your
38:45
blessing
38:46
upon us
38:47
and all
38:47
whom we
38:48
love
38:48
the
38:49
grace
38:49
of the
38:50
Lord
38:50
Jesus
38:50
Christ
38:51
the
38:52
love
38:52
of God
38:53
the
38:53
Father
38:54
and the
38:55
communion
38:55
and
38:56
fellowship
38:56
of the
38:57
Holy
38:57
Spirit
38:57
the
38:58
Comforter
38:58
rest
38:59
on
39:00
you
39:00
and
39:01
on
39:01
all
39:02
God's
39:02
people
39:03
everywhere
39:04
today
39:05
and
39:06
forever
39:07
Amen
39:22
God