Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / Easter Family Service

Transcript

Easter Family Service · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

0:00
Well, we're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise.
0:03
We're going to sing in Psalm 84, the Scottish Psalter version, Psalm 84.
0:16
! We're going to sing from verse 1 to verse 6.
0:19
!
0:30
We'll sing from verse 1 to 6, and we stand to sing to God's praise.
0:41
O Lord, I'll host to thee,
0:58
The tabernacles of thy grace,
1:05
How pleasant are they me?
1:11
My thirsty soul on bitterly,
1:18
It pains thy course to see.
1:22
My heavy heart and flesh by air,
1:30
O living God for thee.
1:37
If all the sorrow findeth thine,
1:43
And I'm sent to rest.
1:49
The swallow also for herself,
1:56
Hath purchased head and head.
2:01
In thine old altar's prayer, she say,
2:09
Her young was born, they bring.
2:14
O thou almighty Lord of hosts,
2:21
Who art my God and King.
2:27
Let power be in my house that dwell,
2:35
They ever give thee grace.
2:40
Blessed is the one whose strength thine art,
2:48
In whose heart are thy wings.
2:53
Who passing thorough make us clear,
3:00
Then into Jacob wells.
3:06
The soul of the rain that falleth down,
3:13
That puteth water fill.
3:18
Amen.
3:26
We'll bow our heads now in a word of prayer.
3:28
Let us pray.
3:31
Lord, our gracious God,
3:33
We do thank you for this, your day,
3:35
The day that you have made,
3:36
And help us to rejoice and to be glad in it.
3:40
We thank you that it's a day that reminds us
3:42
Of the wonder of our risen Saviour,
3:45
The one who came into this world,
3:48
The one whose name was Jesus,
3:50
Because he came to save his people from their sins.
3:54
And we thank you that in order to save,
3:56
He came not just to live in this world,
3:59
But to give his life,
4:01
To lay it down,
4:02
To die for our sins.
4:05
But we thank you that death had no hold on him,
4:08
That the grave could not keep him,
4:10
And that we come today reminded again of the great news
4:15
That Jesus is risen,
4:17
That he is alive.
4:19
We know we have that message every day,
4:21
Every Lord's Day,
4:23
On the first day of the week,
4:24
We are reminded of it.
4:26
But we are thankful for the significance of this weekend,
4:29
An Easter weekend,
4:30
Where there is our particular focus on Good Friday,
4:35
Which may seem a strange name when we think of Jesus dying,
4:38
And yet it was because it is good news for us.
4:41
And we think of the Saturday and the silence of that day
4:44
As he lay in the tomb.
4:46
But then we know that on the first day of the week,
4:49
The grave was open.
4:50
He was not there,
4:51
For he was risen.
4:53
And so today we thank you
4:54
That we come to worship our living, risen Saviour,
4:58
Who is Jesus Christ, our Lord.
5:00
And so we pray, Lord,
5:01
That you will bless our time,
5:03
And the word that we look at together today,
5:06
We thank you for it,
5:08
And for the blessing that it is to all our hearts,
5:10
To hear the good news of Jesus.
5:14
And we pray that together as families,
5:16
Friends, and visitors here today,
5:18
That together your spirit will be with us,
5:21
To guide us and help us in all that we do.
5:24
We thank you for that desire you put in our hearts,
5:26
To come and draw near to you.
5:29
We thank you for our young people,
5:30
We thank you for all present here today,
5:33
And all maybe who are away on holiday just now as well.
5:35
We pray for them,
5:37
For you to bless them and to keep them,
5:39
In school, in the homes,
5:41
In the communities around us, Lord,
5:42
That they would know your protection and your help.
5:45
And together as families,
5:46
Even here today,
5:47
We would know your peace upon us.
5:50
Bless the young ones as they go through
5:51
To the holiday tweenies,
5:53
And also those in the creche as well.
5:55
We thank you for all who care for them there,
5:58
And help them to understand your word.
6:01
And we just pray that together,
6:02
We will know that help,
6:04
That even Jesus speaks of,
6:06
In the passages that we read today,
6:08
That the spirit would help us to understand,
6:11
All that is written in the prophets,
6:13
The psalms,
6:15
In the word of God,
6:16
As we have it before us.
6:17
Lord, we need your help.
6:19
So remember us,
6:19
Remember those unable to be with us,
6:21
Remember those belonging to us,
6:23
As a people who are mourning at this time,
6:26
Those who are unwell,
6:28
Those who are confined to their homes.
6:29
Lord, we continue to pray for each one,
6:32
In all their different needs,
6:33
And ask that you will bless them,
6:35
Surround them as well.
6:37
And so may you be with us now,
6:38
And all your people today,
6:39
As so many gather to worship,
6:42
To all ends of the earth.
6:44
We thank you that from the rising of the sun,
6:46
To its setting,
6:47
Your name is praised.
6:49
Be with us throughout the day,
6:50
Into the evening service.
6:51
Remember Callum,
6:52
As he preaches here in this evening,
6:55
Remember us in the praise night as well,
6:57
Lord,
6:57
And for all who have prepared for that as well,
6:59
That we would see,
7:01
And hear of your goodness in all of these things.
7:04
So bless us,
7:05
Watch over us,
7:05
Go before us,
7:07
Pardon all our sins,
7:08
That's all we ask,
7:09
We ask in Jesus' name,
7:11
And for his sake.
7:12
Amen.
7:13
Well, it's Easter Sunday,
7:19
So it's an important day for us,
7:21
As we remember that Jesus,
7:24
Although he came into this world,
7:25
And died on a cross,
7:27
We remember today,
7:29
That he rose from the grave,
7:31
That he is risen.
7:33
So Easter Sunday,
7:34
What's maybe the first thing that comes to mind,
7:37
When you think of Easter Sunday?
7:39
What kind of things come into your thinking,
7:42
As you think,
7:42
What is Easter Sunday?
7:44
What does it mean?
7:45
There may be certain things that come to you,
7:47
You think Easter eggs,
7:50
Anybody had an Easter egg today?
7:52
Hands up,
7:53
Oh, there's a few hands going up already,
7:55
Yeah,
7:56
I'm sure many of you had Easter eggs,
7:57
Does anybody like hot cross buns?
8:00
Hands up,
8:01
Or you like hot cross buns?
8:02
I'm sure there's a few,
8:03
Who like hot cross buns,
8:04
Yeah,
8:05
One elder at the front there,
8:06
Or nameless,
8:08
I won't say who it is,
8:09
So the hot cross buns,
8:11
You probably had some of them,
8:12
During this week,
8:13
You think of holidays,
8:14
When you think of Easter,
8:15
We think of holiday time as well,
8:18
So there's all these things,
8:18
That come to mind,
8:19
But what about Jesus?
8:22
Where does he fit into Easter,
8:25
As you think of Easter,
8:26
And all that it means?
8:29
Does he fit into everything,
8:30
That you're thinking about,
8:31
When you think of Easter?
8:33
It's a little like Christmas as well,
8:35
When we think of Christmas,
8:36
What comes to mind then?
8:40
We maybe think of presents,
8:42
We think of the Christmas tree,
8:44
We think of turkey,
8:45
We think of the holidays,
8:46
We've got all these things,
8:47
That we think of,
8:48
When we think of Christmas as well,
8:49
But we ask the same question,
8:51
Where does Jesus fit into that?
8:54
Where does he fit into Christmas?
8:56
Where does he fit into Easter?
8:58
Where does he fit in our lives,
9:00
As we think about all of these things?
9:02
Is he just part of it,
9:04
That we put to the side,
9:05
And just take out when we want?
9:07
Or is he the most important thing,
9:09
In it all?
9:11
Well if you go back to,
9:13
Christmas time,
9:14
We had a Christmas family service,
9:17
And we were together,
9:18
Thinking about Jesus being born,
9:20
Into this world,
9:22
That amazing story,
9:23
That Jesus was born,
9:25
Into this world,
9:26
And they gave him the name,
9:27
Jesus,
9:28
Because Jesus is such an important name,
9:31
It means,
9:32
He will save his people,
9:34
From their sins,
9:35
So Jesus is important,
9:38
And then,
9:40
That leaves us with a question,
9:41
Well if he's going to save his people,
9:43
From their sins,
9:44
How?
9:45
How is he going to save his people,
9:48
From their sins?
9:48
Well that's when we see,
9:50
The importance of Easter,
9:53
Because Jesus came,
9:55
As we remember at Christmas time,
9:57
Each year we remember his birth,
9:59
He came to live,
10:00
But in order to save his people,
10:04
He had to die,
10:06
He died on the cross,
10:08
He gave his life,
10:09
And that sounds so strange,
10:11
To us,
10:13
It can sound a little strange,
10:14
To think,
10:15
Why did Jesus have to die?
10:17
Was there no other way?
10:19
It might sound like,
10:20
Things were a little out of control,
10:23
That things had got beyond God,
10:25
That he had no control,
10:26
Over what was happening,
10:27
And that Jesus dying,
10:28
Was a mistake,
10:29
And even to the people,
10:33
Who were around Jesus at that time,
10:34
Even his closest people,
10:36
His followers,
10:37
They were called the disciples,
10:39
They were confused by it all,
10:41
And so many people had questions,
10:42
Why is this happening?
10:46
Well that's what we see today,
10:47
As we think of Easter,
10:48
Because we remember,
10:49
God had a plan,
10:52
And this was all part,
10:53
Of God's plan,
10:55
That people would need,
10:57
Saving from their sins,
10:58
And in order to be saved,
11:00
He had to send Jesus,
11:01
Into the world,
11:03
It was all part,
11:04
Of his plan,
11:06
A plan that we see,
11:07
Right through the Bible,
11:10
Even when we think of going back,
11:11
Into the Old Testament,
11:12
We see,
11:13
God had a plan,
11:14
All the time,
11:16
In the book of Jeremiah,
11:17
In the Old Testament,
11:18
There's a verse,
11:19
In chapter 29,
11:20
And verse 11,
11:21
It says,
11:21
I know the plans,
11:23
I have for you,
11:24
Declares the Lord,
11:25
Plans for your welfare,
11:27
And not for evil,
11:28
To give you a future,
11:30
And a hope,
11:32
God had a plan,
11:34
All the time,
11:35
Who likes playing with Lego,
11:39
Anybody like playing with Lego,
11:41
Hands up,
11:41
Yeah,
11:41
There's a few hands going up,
11:43
That like playing with Lego,
11:44
You can make all kinds of things,
11:46
With Lego,
11:46
It's amazing,
11:47
And it's been around,
11:47
For years it seems,
11:49
It can be quite annoying,
11:50
If you stand on a bit of Lego,
11:52
When you're walking barefoot,
11:53
Through the living room,
11:54
But it's great fun,
11:56
To play and make different things,
11:57
With Lego,
11:59
What kind of things can you make,
12:01
You can build racing cars,
12:03
Out of Lego,
12:04
You can build boats,
12:05
Out of Lego,
12:06
You can build houses,
12:07
And castles,
12:08
Even football stadiums,
12:10
You can make them out of Lego,
12:11
You can do all sorts,
12:13
With Lego,
12:14
But what's important,
12:16
When you're playing with Lego,
12:17
What's the key,
12:18
That's in the box,
12:19
Not just the Lego pieces,
12:22
But there's a bit of paper,
12:23
With the plans,
12:25
The instructions for you,
12:26
And how to build these things,
12:29
If you don't follow the plan,
12:31
You go wrong,
12:33
It can be good fun,
12:34
Sometimes just to try,
12:35
And do things yourself,
12:36
But if you want to have,
12:38
The finished product,
12:39
You need to follow,
12:41
The instructions,
12:42
That's just the way,
12:43
We are sometimes in our life,
12:45
We don't always listen,
12:46
To what the plans,
12:47
The instructions say,
12:49
And instead we make our own plans,
12:51
We try and do things ourselves,
12:52
And so often our plans,
12:54
Can just go wrong,
12:56
Think about the kind of plans,
12:58
That we've made,
12:58
Maybe even in the last few weeks,
13:00
Over holiday times,
13:01
You've made plans,
13:02
To go away on the ferry,
13:04
And you get a text,
13:05
Technical fault,
13:07
It's not sailing,
13:08
Plans change,
13:09
Plans go wrong,
13:11
Maybe you make plans,
13:13
To have a plan for the week ahead,
13:16
What you're going to do each day,
13:17
And you think,
13:17
I'll do this,
13:18
I'll do this,
13:18
I'll do this,
13:19
And you wake up on Monday morning,
13:21
And you're full of the cold,
13:22
Or you've got the flu,
13:23
And all of a sudden,
13:24
Plans have gone wrong,
13:26
There's so many ways,
13:28
That our plans go wrong,
13:30
Even when we think of,
13:30
Maybe building things,
13:32
Building a house,
13:33
Or building a shed,
13:34
Whatever it might be,
13:35
We think,
13:35
I'm going to do it like this,
13:37
And you realize,
13:38
I can't afford it,
13:39
I can't do it like that,
13:40
There's much more to it,
13:41
Than I thought,
13:42
Our plans,
13:43
Can so often go wrong,
13:45
God's plan,
13:48
Never went wrong,
13:49
Even though things,
13:50
Might seem strange to us,
13:52
And to so many people,
13:53
That Jesus came to die,
13:55
Wasn't that his plan went wrong,
13:58
His plan was in place,
13:59
All of the time,
14:01
Nothing takes God,
14:02
By surprise,
14:04
And that's the wonder,
14:05
Of all that we have today,
14:06
To look at in the word,
14:07
Of God,
14:08
That we come,
14:09
With God saying,
14:10
Trust my plan,
14:12
I've got everything in hand,
14:14
What you have to do,
14:15
Is believe,
14:16
And trust in me,
14:18
Believe,
14:19
In the son,
14:20
Who I have given,
14:21
Jesus,
14:22
Who came to save,
14:23
His people from their sins,
14:25
By dying on the cross,
14:28
But today,
14:28
We remember too,
14:30
He is risen,
14:32
He is risen,
14:33
He is alive,
14:35
And that is our hope,
14:36
So we are going to look,
14:37
At God's plan,
14:39
In a few different ways,
14:40
But before we do,
14:41
We are going to sing again,
14:42
To God's praise,
14:43
In Psalm 16,
14:45
And the sing,
14:46
Psalms version,
14:48
Psalm 16,
14:50
The sing,
14:50
Psalms version,
14:51
We are going to sing,
14:52
From verse 7,
14:53
Down to the end of the psalm,
14:55
To verse 11,
14:56
And during this singing,
14:59
The children who are going out,
15:00
To the holiday,
15:01
Twinnies can go out,
15:02
Through the door,
15:03
To my left here,
15:04
And go through,
15:05
To the halls,
15:06
We are going to sing,
15:07
Psalm 16,
15:08
At verse 7,
15:08
The tune is,
15:09
Golden Hill,
15:10
I'll praise the Lord,
15:11
My God,
15:12
Whose counsel,
15:13
Guides my choice,
15:14
And even in the night,
15:15
My heart,
15:16
Recalls,
15:17
Instruction's voice,
15:18
We stand to sing,
15:20
These verses,
15:20
To God's praise,
15:21
The Lord,
15:31
My God,
15:35
Whose counsel,
15:38
Guides my choice,
15:44
And even in the night,
15:51
My heart,
15:54
We lost its passion's voice
16:03
Before we constantly
16:10
I said, the Lord my Lord
16:21
Because the earth's at my right hand
16:32
And all the overthrows
16:41
Therefore my heart is mine
16:51
My child with joy will stay
17:00
My Lord eternal and secure
17:10
In hope and will I live
17:19
For you will not allow
17:28
My soul in debt to stay
17:38
Nor will you hear your holy one
17:49
To see the tombs decay
17:58
You have made good to me
18:07
The power of my divine
18:15
This shall I know
18:22
At your right hand
18:28
Joy from new faith will shine
18:37
We're going to read our first passage of Scripture together
18:47
Just now we're turning to the book of Acts chapter 2
18:50
I'm reading from verse 21 to verse 28
18:54
Acts chapter 2 at verse 21
19:02
Using the church Bible you find it around page 1097
19:06
We've got three different readings today
19:13
But they're all really focused on the fact
19:15
That Jesus is risen
19:17
And that being God's plan
19:19
In the midst of all things
19:21
So Acts chapter 2 at verse 21
19:23
We take up our reading
19:25
Roughly halfway through Peter's sermon
19:27
At this time on what they call the day of Pentecost
19:30
And Peter was preaching to a large crowd
19:34
And he had these words to say to them
19:36
So at verse 21 we read
19:38
It shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord
19:42
Shall be saved
19:43
Men of Israel hear these words
19:46
Jesus of Nazareth
19:48
A man attested to you by God
19:50
With mighty works and wonders and signs
19:52
That God did through him in your midst
19:55
As you yourselves know
19:57
This Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan
20:01
And foreknowledge of God
20:03
You crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men
20:07
God raised him up
20:09
Loosing the pangs of death
20:11
Because it was not possible for him to be held by it
20:15
For David says concerning him
20:17
I saw the Lord always before me
20:20
For he is at my right hand
20:23
That I may not be shaken
20:25
Therefore my heart was glad
20:27
And my tongue rejoiced
20:28
My flesh also will dwell in hope
20:31
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades
20:34
Or let your Holy One see corruption
20:37
You have made known to me the paths of life
20:40
You will make me full of gladness with your presence
20:45
And may God bless that reading
20:48
You notice as we read in these verses
20:51
The middle of verse 25 there
20:54
The psalm that we just sung
20:55
Psalm 16 is being quoted
20:57
So you think of God's plans
20:59
And you see how God's plans
21:01
Are really there for us in the Old Testament as well
21:04
We see all so clearly
21:08
So a plan was made
21:11
God had a plan
21:13
Do you like the thought of having to stand in front of a large crowd of people to speak
21:22
Hands up here
21:24
If that would fill you with a sense of excitement
21:28
Standing in front of a large crowd and speaking
21:31
I don't know if any hands would really go up
21:33
It doesn't thrill you does it
21:34
What about the thought of coming up here to the pulpit
21:38
And coming to preach in this pulpit to the congregation here
21:41
Any volunteers
21:43
Anybody want to come up and give it a go
21:45
I've got a couple of ministers in the congregation today
21:47
They might want to just come up and show me how it's done
21:51
Anybody want to come up here and preach
21:54
It's a scary thought
21:55
It is
21:57
Every Sunday coming here is a scary thought
22:00
Standing in front of everybody to speak
22:02
But it's a wonder being able to speak about the word of God
22:05
And what God has done for us
22:08
Well what if you had done this before
22:10
And it had been a disaster
22:13
It had all gone wrong
22:14
And you were made to feel so stupid
22:16
You had said all the wrong things
22:18
Nothing had gone right
22:20
The thought of coming to do it again would be terrifying
22:22
Again if you ask the ministers here myself included
22:27
We'll see every Sunday you think
22:29
Why did I say that?
22:30
Do I have to go back and do it again?
22:32
We always feel like we can't do it right
22:36
We often make mistakes
22:37
But still we can come and tell of the wonder of God
22:41
And when you look at this passage
22:43
And you think of Peter
22:45
And Peter who was preaching this sermon
22:48
And you think well he must have been so confident
22:52
He must have been so assured
22:54
With what he was doing
22:56
So courageous there to stand up and speak
22:59
And yet when you look at the life of Peter
23:01
What had he done previously?
23:03
He had made mistakes himself
23:06
He had been made to look quite stupid in many ways
23:11
And the thought of maybe coming to speak in front of people
23:15
Because when Jesus was going to go to the cross
23:19
What did Peter do?
23:21
What did Peter do?
23:22
People started turning to him and saying
23:23
Are you not friends with Jesus?
23:26
Are you not one of his followers?
23:28
What did Peter do?
23:29
Did he say yes, I'm one of his followers?
23:32
No
23:34
He denied him
23:35
He says I don't know this man
23:37
No, not once
23:41
But three times
23:42
He did that
23:43
And he felt a failure
23:44
Failure
23:45
He felt he had let down his Lord
23:47
But his Lord Jesus
23:50
When he rose
23:51
Restored Peter
23:53
And he said to him
23:54
Feed my sheep
23:56
Go and tell the people
23:59
And that's what we see now
24:00
Peter doing
24:02
And what makes the difference
24:03
Even though he had failed in the past
24:05
Even though he had denied
24:06
The Lord Jesus
24:08
It's because now he knows
24:09
He knows
24:10
He knows fully
24:11
He knows fully
24:12
That what God had said in his word
24:13
What Jesus had told him
24:15
It is all true
24:17
Even when he thought
24:19
Things were going wrong
24:20
That they were taking Jesus away
24:22
To put him to death
24:23
That he would never see him again
24:25
What's the difference?
24:26
Well he knows now
24:28
He is risen
24:30
He has seen him
24:32
And so now he's able to come
24:35
And speak to them about this Jesus
24:37
Who is risen
24:38
Have you ever heard someone say
24:39
I knew that would happen
24:42
Or they would say
24:43
I knew that person would say that
24:46
When do you hear people saying that?
24:48
So often it's after the event
24:50
And they're making themselves to look
24:53
As if they know everything
24:54
Oh I knew that would happen
24:56
Like yesterday
24:58
I was able to say for sure
25:00
Before it happened
25:02
Aberdeen will beat hearts
25:03
And get to the cup final
25:05
Definitely it's going to happen
25:06
Not that confident actually
25:09
But it did happen
25:11
There are so many things
25:12
We can be uncertain about
25:15
But do we really believe it?
25:17
Until it actually happens
25:19
We're maybe not entirely sure
25:21
Well here is Peter now preaching
25:24
This sermon
25:26
And what does make the difference for him
25:28
Is these words that we find in verse 23
25:30
23
25:32
And 24
25:33
Where it says
25:34
This Jesus
25:36
Delivered up according to the definite plan
25:39
And foreknowledge of God
25:41
You see Peter says here
25:43
This was the plan
25:46
The definite plan
25:48
This was going
25:51
There was no other way
25:53
It was all part of God's plan
25:55
And in order to show that
25:58
He quotes from that psalm
26:02
That this is what was going to take place
26:05
The grave could not hold on to our Saviour
26:08
You will not let your Holy One see corruption
26:11
Basically means that Jesus was going to rise
26:15
From the grave again
26:17
And so Peter realizes this is all part of God's plan
26:21
And now he's preaching about God's plan
26:24
This plan is made
26:26
This plan is certain
26:28
It's secure in Jesus
26:30
And as he stands to preach
26:33
He shows them the depth of this plan
26:36
How great this plan is
26:37
Even though it seems strange
26:39
The definite plan and foreknowledge of God
26:42
This Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan
26:46
You crucified and killed
26:48
In the hands of lawless men
26:49
You did it he says
26:52
But he says God raised him up
26:56
God raised him from the dead
26:59
This was part of God's definite plan
27:03
And the wonder of that too
27:06
It's such a deep plan
27:08
But in many ways there's a simplicity to this plan as well
27:12
Because what it says now to the people is
27:14
In verse 21
27:15
It shall come to pass
27:17
That everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord
27:20
Shall be saved
27:22
Because of the depth and the wonder of God's plan
27:26
The definite plan
27:28
This is what people can do
27:30
In order to be saved
27:32
They call on the name of the Lord
27:36
Many things in life are exclusive
27:40
That means we can't get them
27:44
Unless you've got maybe the right amount of money
27:46
Or the right ticket
27:47
You can't get it
27:48
Think of just walking through an airport
27:51
You ever walk through an airport
27:53
And you see a place with a sign
27:55
Executive lounge
27:57
But they won't let you in
28:00
Because you're not important enough
28:02
You don't have the right credentials
28:04
So you're not allowed to go in
28:05
All you can do is just walk past
28:08
And have a wee look in
28:09
To see what it looks like
28:11
Or maybe then you go onto the plane
28:13
You're going onto a big plane
28:16
Hundreds of people on it
28:17
And you have to go to the right
28:19
To standard class
28:20
But to the left is first class
28:23
But you don't have the ticket
28:25
You can't get in
28:26
And all you can do is just have a wee peep
28:28
And see what it looks like
28:30
All these big seats that they have
28:31
That they can put in to recline
28:32
And sleep on
28:34
And you have to go down
28:35
And be crushed in the midst
28:36
With everybody else
28:38
We don't have the right access to get in
28:43
But the wonder of the gospel
28:45
As we see here is
28:47
Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord
28:51
Nobody's excluded
28:53
It's for all of us here today
28:55
If you've called, great
28:57
If you know that salvation
28:59
How wonderful it is
29:02
But if you haven't
29:03
Well here's the instructions
29:07
God has a definite plan
29:10
He has done everything
29:11
According to his foreknowledge
29:15
And he says
29:16
Call upon the name of the Lord
29:18
To be saved
29:20
The plan is made
29:23
God had a definite plan
29:25
And the next thing we want to see
29:26
Is how this plan
29:28
Is actioned
29:30
And for that we're going to read
29:31
In another part of scripture
29:33
We're going to read
29:34
In the Gospel of John
29:36
Chapter 19
29:40
And just a few verses
29:42
In that Gospel
29:44
Verse 28 to 30
29:46
Just a few pages back
29:51
John 19
29:52
John 19
29:55
And we read at verse 28
29:57
So here is
30:02
We come to the cross here
30:04
And the death of Jesus
30:07
After this
30:08
After this
30:09
Jesus knowing that all was now finished
30:12
To fulfill the scripture
30:15
A jar full of sour wine
30:18
So they put a sponge full of sour wine
30:21
On a hyssop branch
30:24
When Jesus had received the sour wine
30:28
It is finished
30:30
And he bowed his head
30:31
And gave up his spirit
30:32
Just these few verses
30:36
But they say
30:38
So much to us
30:40
And what we want to see here
30:46
Put into action
30:48
What's your plans?
30:50
That's a common question
30:52
That we're asked, isn't it?
30:53
What's your plans for the weekend?
30:55
What's your plans for the holiday?
30:57
What's your plans tonight?
30:59
We're so often asked that question
31:00
What about this question?
31:03
What's your plans for being saved?
31:05
Can we do it ourselves?
31:09
Are you going to save yourself?
31:13
We can't
31:15
So what's your plans for being saved?
31:19
Who is able to save us from our sins?
31:22
Well, we've already said, haven't we?
31:25
Who is it?
31:26
Who is able to save us from our sins?
31:28
What's the name that we think of
31:29
When we think of
31:30
Who is able to save us from our sins?
31:31
Who wants to shout out that name?
31:36
Isn't it?
31:38
Jesus saves us from our sins
31:40
But not just the Jesus we think of
31:43
Thinking back to Christmas
31:44
The one who was born into the world
31:46
But the Jesus that we read of here
31:49
As he goes to the cross saying
31:52
It is finished
31:54
It is finished
31:55
So someone referencing
31:58
A football manager this week
32:02
Some of you may be too young to remember
32:03
He was manager of Arsenal
32:05
A number of years ago
32:06
Very successful manager
32:08
And he said at one point
32:10
As he was managing the team
32:12
He said when looking at the games to be played
32:14
Christmas is important
32:16
But Easter is decisive
32:19
What did he mean by that?
32:20
What did he mean by that?
32:21
Well at Christmas time
32:22
You find that the teams
32:23
You have to play a lot of games
32:24
In the same period of time
32:26
Maybe four or five games
32:28
Maybe in two weeks
32:29
And it is important
32:31
It is important that they do well
32:33
But the way he looked at it was
32:35
Christmas is important
32:36
But then you look at Easter
32:37
Which can be a busy time
32:38
And it is coming to the end of the season
32:40
And he is saying
32:41
Easter is decisive
32:43
That is when things are really decided
32:46
And what the person was saying
32:49
And what the person was saying
32:50
Is he was talking about this
32:51
In a football way
32:53
But we can think of it
32:54
From the scripture as well
32:56
Christmas is important
32:58
Jesus came into the world
33:00
That is so important
33:02
But Easter is decisive
33:05
Because without the death
33:08
And the resurrection of Jesus
33:11
Our faith would mean nothing
33:14
The resurrection is so important
33:19
Easter is decisive
33:21
He was born into this world
33:24
But he came to die
33:26
And rise from the grave
33:27
That was the definite plan
33:31
But Jesus' dying on the cross
33:34
Can seem like a plan that had gone wrong
33:37
That God had failed
33:38
And maybe this was kind of plan B
33:41
How are we going to make things right?
33:42
We've got to find another way
33:45
Like we, when we're doing things
33:46
We can go wrong
33:47
And we think, right, what's plan B?
33:49
How are we going to fix this?
33:50
How are we going to change this?
33:53
But all along
33:55
This was God's plan A
33:59
And that's what we see
34:01
As you go right through the Old Testament
34:04
It's always pointing towards Jesus on the cross
34:08
Because he had to die for our sins
34:12
But how do we know
34:15
This is plan A?
34:17
Well, there's a word used in these few verses that we've read
34:22
These three verses that we've read
34:24
It's the word finished
34:26
You see it there in verse 28
34:29
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished
34:34
Said to fulfill the scripture, I thirst
34:37
And then when Jesus had received the sour wine
34:42
He said, it is finished
34:44
And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit
34:47
So the word finished
34:49
Is so important for us
34:52
There's a number of words or phrases that maybe stick with us when we hear them
34:59
Words that we can associate with something
35:01
For example, the Titanic
35:05
You think of the ship, the Titanic
35:07
That sank back in April 1912
35:10
It was the anniversary just earlier this week
35:13
Of the sinking of the Titanic
35:15
Many people when that ship was built
35:18
They looked at it and thought
35:21
They used that word
35:23
Some people used that word
35:25
Unsinkable
35:26
But on its first proper voyage
35:29
It sank
35:31
A tragedy occurred
35:33
There was another time when a spaceship went up to space
35:38
There was a mission, Apollo 13
35:40
There's a film made about it
35:42
And the words that were used at one point was
35:44
Houston, we have a problem
35:47
And these kind of words, they stick with us
35:50
Because we think that we associate them with something
35:53
Unsinkable
35:54
Or Houston, we have a problem
35:55
And we think of
35:58
Plans that had not worked out
36:01
Plans that had gone wrong
36:03
And for many people
36:06
Jesus' words here in these verses
36:10
People think that
36:12
He'd lost control
36:14
It was done
36:16
It was finished
36:17
He'd failed
36:19
That's the way many people see it
36:21
That's why many people saw it at the time
36:22
As they looked on Jesus dying on the cross
36:25
They thought, we're done
36:27
The one we had hoped had come to save us
36:32
Many people look on it in the same way
36:36
Jesus means nothing
36:38
But what we have to see is
36:42
This word finished
36:44
And it's a word I want you all to remember
36:46
Because it's such an important word
36:49
It's one of the most important words
36:50
It's one of the most important words
36:51
That Jesus said
36:53
It is finished
36:55
It's one word in Greek
36:57
Tetelestai
36:59
And I want you to remember that word
37:02
Young and old alike
37:05
It means
37:08
And behind that word is
37:11
Everything is paid in full
37:13
Everything is paid in full
37:16
And it's only used in the New Testament here
37:20
These two times
37:22
It's the only place it's used
37:24
One of Jesus' last words on the cross
37:27
Tetelestai
37:29
It is finished
37:31
Other people have used it in a different way
37:34
But it always points towards something that is complete
37:38
A servant who was maybe doing work in a house for someone
37:42
They would use that word when their task was finished
37:46
Tetelestai
37:48
It's finished
37:50
An artist would use it
37:52
When they put the last touch to a masterpiece
37:55
Tetelestai
37:57
It's finished
37:59
It's done
38:01
Or people in trade would use it when they've come to an agreement
38:04
When a deal has been struck
38:06
The deal is done
38:08
Tetelestai
38:09
It is finished
38:10
It is finished
38:13
But here Jesus uses this word
38:16
In a sense of everything that he had come to do
38:20
Everything about God's plan
38:22
Everything was finished with him
38:24
All
38:26
Is done
38:28
The price is paid
38:32
Have you ever been to the castle
38:35
Here in Stornoway
38:38
Have you ever gone inside
38:40
Even just looking outside is amazing now
38:42
But when you go inside
38:44
The transformation since it lay derelict for so many years
38:49
Just falling apart
38:50
But then people got together and said
38:52
We're going to renovate it
38:53
We're going to redo it
38:55
And a lot of money was put into it
38:57
Maybe about 20 million pounds was spent on bringing it back
39:00
Into what it had been previously
39:01
And you go in now
39:03
And you see it
39:04
It's amazing to see
39:06
Weddings are held in there
39:09
You can stay a night in the castle
39:11
It's an amazing place
39:13
So imagine someone coming up to you and saying
39:17
It's yours
39:19
There's the keys
39:21
What would your first reaction be
39:24
You say I can't afford it
39:26
20 million just to do it up
39:27
What's it worth now
39:28
Hundreds of millions
39:31
I can't afford it
39:33
But someone comes and says
39:38
What would you do
39:40
If you got those keys
39:42
Keep it to yourself
39:45
Come and see my new house
39:48
70 bedrooms
39:50
Anybody want a job cleaning it
39:53
You can't imagine that happening
39:55
Everything being paid for you in that way
39:59
And yet here
40:01
As you look at the word of God
40:03
You got something even better
40:05
Where Jesus says
40:07
It is finished
40:09
He is saying
40:11
Here is the keys to life for you
40:14
I have done it all
40:16
Paid in full
40:19
This is the plan of God for salvation
40:22
For salvation
40:24
He died
40:26
So that we might live
40:29
And he says
40:32
It's for you
40:34
The plan
40:36
Was actioned
40:38
It was done by Jesus
40:43
But is that it
40:45
Well we want to thirdly think of
40:48
What does this mean for us today
40:51
And we want to do this
40:53
By just reading a few more verses
40:56
In the Gospel of Luke
40:58
We are going to read in chapter 24
41:00
Luke chapter 24 verse 44 to 53
41:06
And as we read these words
41:17
What we see now is
41:19
Here is Jesus
41:20
Having been on the cross
41:22
Where is he now?
41:24
He has risen from the grave
41:26
They went to the tomb
41:28
On the Sunday morning
41:29
And the stone had been rolled back
41:31
The grave was empty
41:33
The woman met the gardener
41:36
Who said
41:37
He is not here
41:38
He is risen
41:40
And then Jesus met
41:42
With his people
41:43
In different ways
41:44
And here is one occasion
41:45
When he met with them
41:46
As we are reading in Luke 24
41:48
Then he said to them
41:50
These are my words
41:51
That I spoke to you
41:52
While I was still with you
41:54
That everything written about me
41:55
In the law of Moses
41:57
And the prophets
41:59
Must be fulfilled
42:00
Then he opened their minds
42:02
To understand the scriptures
42:04
And said to them
42:06
Thus it is written
42:07
That the Christ should suffer
42:08
And on the third day
42:09
Rise from the dead
42:11
And that repentance
42:12
For the forgiveness of sins
42:15
Should be proclaimed in his name
42:18
Beginning from Jerusalem
42:20
You are witnesses of these things
42:22
And behold
42:24
I am sending the promise
42:25
Of my Father upon you
42:26
But stay in the city
42:27
Until you are clothed
42:28
With power on high
42:30
And he led them out
42:32
As far as Bethany
42:34
And lifting up his hands
42:35
He blessed them
42:37
While he blessed them
42:38
He parted from them
42:39
And was carried up into heaven
42:41
And they worshipped him
42:42
And returned to Jerusalem
42:43
With great joy
42:45
And were continually
42:47
In the temple
42:48
Blessing God
42:49
Jesus is risen
42:57
And what does that mean
42:59
For us today
43:01
Well go back to the castle
43:03
And the offer of the keys
43:04
To it being yours
43:06
For that to be complete
43:08
What needs to happen?
43:10
You have to move in
43:12
You have to accept it
43:15
Until you do that
43:16
Until you do that
43:17
It's not yours
43:18
It's not yours
43:19
You're not living there
43:20
You're not part of it
43:22
And that's like it is
43:23
With the kingdom of God
43:24
As well
43:26
The offer is there for us
43:28
Everything is done
43:29
It is finished
43:31
It's Jesus said
43:33
But in order to live
43:35
Life to the full
43:36
We need to believe
43:38
And understand the scriptures
43:40
All that is written
43:42
And that's what we see
43:43
In these words here
43:44
That Jesus is speaking
43:45
To the crowds
43:46
Who are there with him
43:48
He says
43:50
These are my words
43:51
That I spoke to you
43:52
While I was still with you
43:53
That everything
43:54
Written about me
43:55
In the law of Moses
43:56
The prophets
43:57
And the Psalms
43:58
That's the Old Testament
43:59
As we have it
44:01
Must be fulfilled
44:03
And then he opened
44:04
Their minds
44:05
To understand the scriptures
44:09
That's what we long for today
44:11
That the Lord would open our minds
44:13
To understand the scriptures
44:17
To understand the importance
44:19
Of this message
44:21
It is finished
44:23
It is done
44:24
It is paid in full
44:26
But do you understand that today?
44:30
Do you understand the importance
44:32
Of that today for yourself?
44:35
That in order to live with God
44:38
You need to believe in Jesus
44:40
The resurrection
44:43
Affects our whole life
44:46
And our eternal life as well
44:49
What we believe today
44:51
Is what will matter
44:53
In the future
44:55
Even as we think of ourselves
44:56
Living in this world
44:58
We know we are just passing through
45:00
And the day will come
45:02
When we are called away ourselves
45:05
But are we ready?
45:07
That's always the question
45:10
Are we ready for that day?
45:14
Well, it is the word of God
45:18
It is trusting in Jesus
45:21
And the finished work
45:22
Of all that he has done
45:24
There was a lot of confusion
45:26
At the time of Jesus' death
45:28
Peter, as we said
45:30
Was confused by what was happening
45:32
He denied knowing Jesus
45:33
And the disciples left
45:35
Even before
45:37
They could see what had happened
45:38
And when they were told
45:39
That he has risen
45:40
They didn't believe it
45:42
We will be hearing more of that
45:44
But just before this part of Luke 24
45:49
You have two who were on the road to Emmaus
45:53
And they tell us that
45:55
Everything just seemed to have got out of control
45:57
God's plan had failed in many ways
46:00
They didn't understand what was happening
46:04
They were saying
46:05
This Jesus has been crucified
46:07
He has been put to death
46:09
And we had hoped that he was going to be our savior
46:12
They couldn't understand
46:14
And while they were discussing all of these things
46:17
Jesus came alongside
46:19
And it says in verse 16
46:21
Their eyes were kept from recognizing him
46:23
They didn't see him
46:24
They didn't understand who he was
46:26
They were kept from recognizing him
46:28
But what they do then is
46:31
Later on
46:33
Their hearts are opened
46:35
As he preaches the word
46:37
Did not our hearts burn within us?
46:40
As he opened up the scriptures to us
46:44
And when you see that in light of what he says here
46:48
Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures
46:53
You see it's all about Jesus
46:55
He is the one who helps us to understand
47:00
Their eyes were kept from seeing him
47:02
Until their hearts burned within them
47:05
And for yourself today as well
47:10
It's what are you trusting in?
47:12
Are you trusting and seeking to understand from these words
47:17
That here is the way to eternal life
47:20
Here is the way to be saved from our sin
47:23
It is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
47:27
There was a man
47:30
Who used to go out in the streets of the cities
47:33
Different cities around America
47:36
And he was always preaching about Jesus
47:39
Telling people about Jesus
47:41
But he said I would often be interrupted by the crowd asking a question
47:46
And so often he was saying the same question kept coming up
47:48
They would say there are hundreds of religions in this country
47:53
How can we know that the truth that you are telling the truth?
47:59
And the man would answer the question something like this
48:03
Did I hear you say there are hundreds of religions?
48:07
I'll say this to you
48:10
There's only two
48:11
And he said yes there may be different shades of religions
48:18
But there's ultimately only two
48:20
And one he said covers all who expect salvation
48:25
By doing it themselves
48:29
That's one religion
48:31
You are saved by what you do yourself
48:32
The other he says covers all who say
48:33
They are saved by something that was done by another
48:42
Jesus
48:47
Are you saved by what you do yourself?
48:50
That's one religion
48:52
And it's a religion that's so common in this world
48:54
We don't need Jesus
48:56
It's about what we do, how we live
48:58
That we're good people
48:59
We live that we're good people
49:00
All of these things
49:02
But that's not what counts
49:04
Through religion
49:06
Is found through faith in Jesus Christ
49:09
Believing in something that was done by another
49:13
But we couldn't do ourselves
49:16
We couldn't save ourselves from our sins
49:20
But that's why Jesus said
49:24
It is finished
49:25
It is done
49:26
It is done
49:28
And that's why we need help from Jesus
49:32
To open our minds to understand these scriptures
49:35
To understand all that is written
49:39
Jesus paid it all
49:42
All to him I owe
49:44
Sin had left a crimson stain
49:47
He washed it white as snow
49:51
That's what the hymn writer says
49:53
Jesus paid it all
49:57
We all like a good bargain
50:00
We all look for the best deal
50:03
Is that how you're living your life?
50:06
Looking for cheap grace
50:10
Somebody wants to put it like this
50:13
There are no victories at discount prices
50:16
Jesus paid it all
50:19
It is finished
50:23
Do you believe this?
50:26
God
50:27
had a plan
50:29
He put his plan
50:31
into action
50:33
This plan
50:35
is completed
50:37
Do you believe it?
50:39
What has Jesus done?
50:42
He said he would come
50:44
We can say
50:46
Tetelestai
50:47
Finished
50:48
He said I will die
50:50
We can say Tetelestai
50:53
It is finished
50:56
He said I will resurrect
50:59
We can say Tetelestai
51:00
It is finished
51:02
There's one part yet
51:05
He said I will come again
51:09
It is time
51:13
To get ready
51:15
And to believe
51:17
That God's plan
51:19
The instructions
51:22
Now help us Lord
51:25
To understand
51:26
These scriptures
51:28
And to believe
51:30
That all is done
51:32
All is paid
51:34
He is risen
51:35
And he will come
51:36
Let us pray
51:38
Our Father in heaven
51:41
We do rejoice
51:43
In all that is done for us
51:45
That it is finished
51:47
That the price is paid in full
51:49
And we ask
51:50
O Lord today
51:51
That you will help us
51:52
To understand these scriptures
51:54
So that our hearts
51:55
May burn within us
51:56
And rejoice
51:57
In the hope that is found
51:58
In Jesus Christ
52:00
The one who defeated death
52:03
Who rose from the grave
52:04
Who was ascended on high
52:06
And the one who will come again
52:08
Hear our prayers
52:09
And continue with us
52:12
We ask in his precious name
52:17
We're going to conclude
52:19
By singing to God's praise
52:21
In Psalm 33
52:23
In the Scottish Psalter
52:24
We'll sing from verse 8
52:25
To verse 11
52:30
Page 245
52:31
Of the Psalm books
52:34
At verse 8
52:37
This Psalm reminds us
52:39
That the word of God
52:40
Is true
52:41
It stands forever
52:43
Let earth and all
52:45
That live therein
52:46
With reverence fear the Lord
52:48
Let all the world's
52:50
Thread him with one accord
52:52
For he did speak the word
52:53
And done
52:54
It was without delay
52:55
Establish it
52:56
It firmly stood
52:57
Whatever he did see
53:00
We'll sing from verse 8
53:01
To 11
53:02
We stand to sing
53:03
To God's praise
53:05
Let voyance
53:06
Let voyance
53:07
Let voyance
53:08
Let voyance
53:09
Let voyance
53:13
Let voyance
53:15
Let voyance
53:16
Let voyance
53:25
Let voyance
53:27
Let Him with one accord.
53:35
For He did speak the word undone,
53:43
it was without delay.
53:50
Establish it, it firmly stood
53:56
whatever he did say.
54:02
What love the council bring to naught
54:10
which He then hoped to take?
54:17
And what the people do delight
54:24
of the defective day?
54:30
Oh, that the council of the Lord
54:37
does stand forever sure
54:43
and all His heart the purposes
54:50
from age to age and true.
54:56
Amen.
54:56
After the benediction, I'll go to the main door.
55:00
We'll close the benediction.
55:02
Now may grace, mercy, and peace from God,
55:05
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
55:07
rest upon and abide with you all
55:10
now and forevermore.
55:12
Amen.
55:18
Amen.
55:19
Amen.
55:22
Amen.
55:26
Amen.