Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / Christ's Final Public Appeal
Transcript
- 0:00Well, let's turn now to John chapter 12. John 12, we can read at verse 35.
- 0:14!
- 0:30It's an amazing gospel, the gospel of John. He takes what are very simple things, particularly
- 0:47as Jesus himself spoke them as on this occasion, light, darkness, things that we can understand,
- 0:55things we know by experience, things which are themselves an everyday part of human life.
- 1:02But in the gospel of John, these are taken and made into profound teachings, because John's
- 1:10use of these concepts, such as light and darkness, really brings profound theological meaning and
- 1:16theological teaching before us as his gospel unfolds. You can see especially light and
- 1:23darkness used in the very beginning of the gospel, chapter 1, verses 4 to 9, chapter 3,
- 1:29verses 19 to 21, as Jesus speaks to Nicodemus. Chapter 8, verse 12, Jesus explaining that he is
- 1:38the light of the world. Whoever walks in following him will not be in darkness. Chapter 9, where you
- 1:46find one of his miracles set out by way of light and darkness, a man receiving sight, coming to have
- 1:54light pouring into his mind, into his heart, into his body, which previously he had been unable to see.
- 2:02And in all of these concepts, you find wonderful theological teaching, truth about Jesus himself,
- 2:09truth about the salvation that Jesus came to provide for us.
- 2:14And here in chapter 12, we find that light and darkness is used in respect to the difference that
- 2:23faith makes, the difference that believing makes to any individual. Because believing is something that
- 2:31ushers us out of the darkness into the light that you find in Jesus himself and in our salvation. And
- 2:38it's interesting that, in fact, it's significant that this point in John's gospel is the point at which
- 2:45the public ministry of Jesus comes to an end. Because from chapter 13 onwards, Jesus is dealing
- 2:53especially with the disciples and with their teaching, with their preparation for his leaving of
- 2:59this world and for the cross, especially followed by his resurrection. So the public ministry of Jesus,
- 3:06Jesus speaking to the wider public, is brought to an end here in chapter 12. And we'll see that that's
- 3:15significant in the context in which he's here calling upon people to walk while you have the light,
- 3:21because while you have the light, believe in the light. In other words, Jesus is saying,
- 3:26as I am the light, I'm not with you for very much longer. So believe in the light while you have the light.
- 3:34While you have the privilege of my presence, of my teaching, believe. Trust in me. Accept God's word.
- 3:44In other words, really for the people in general, in John's gospel at this point, this is a final appeal to them.
- 3:52You can take this as Jesus' final appeal to the wider public in John's gospel. And of course,
- 3:59because the gospel itself offers to us this Jesus as our Savior, because we are today recipients of
- 4:06the gospel, and because this gospel is the word of God, accurate and dependable, it is for you and
- 4:13for me today, just as if you are standing there listening to Jesus at that point in history,
- 4:18where he's saying to us through his word, while you have the light, believe in the light, that you may
- 4:25be or become the sons of the children of light. Here's the great opportunity. It's the final
- 4:33opportunity in Jesus' public ministry. But what a great opportunity it is. And what an opportunity you
- 4:41and I have today to meet with God, to hear God's voice, to respond to this appeal of Jesus himself
- 4:50through the gospel, to believe in the light while we have the privilege of that light being with us.
- 4:58Why did the light come into the world? Let's look at this opportunity, first of all.
- 5:02Why did Jesus, why does light come into the world? Well, in verse 46 of this chapter,
- 5:09I have come into the world as light, or as a light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in
- 5:18darkness. We are in darkness as we are born into this world. We're born into the darkness of a sinful life.
- 5:30We're born into the darkness of our lostness. And you know, that lostness is so profound.
- 5:39Our minds, as darkened minds by sin and by our fallenness, are so dark that we don't realize we're
- 5:47in the darkness. Here's one of the solemn things about the darkness in which we exist and are born into
- 5:54naturally. We don't realize, we don't accept the fact that we actually are in darkness.
- 6:01We think we're in the light. The world out there today thinks that it's actually walking in the light.
- 6:08It's following human mandates. It's following human wisdom. It's following human understanding in itself.
- 6:16And it's following the kind of ideas that appeal to human beings, that make human beings like ourselves
- 6:23things that we're actually making progress when we're just descending more into the light, into the darkness
- 6:28rather than the light. That's how profound that darkness is. And that's why Jesus is appealing
- 6:35through the gospel to us today, while we have the light, believe in the night. In other words,
- 6:40we're born into darkness, but we're born again into the light. Which is why when you go to chapter 3,
- 6:48you'll find in his interview with Nicodemus and the following verses after that, that Jesus
- 6:55drives home the points that he's making to Nicodemus. This is the judgment he says in verse 19,
- 7:03that light has come into the world and people love the darkness rather than light because their deeds
- 7:09were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light,
- 7:16lest his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be
- 7:24clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God. Out there in the world today, people think
- 7:34they're walking in the light. They're actually stumbling in the darkness. And you and I have the
- 7:40privilege of the gospel, of Christ speaking to us through the gospel, saying, I am the light of the
- 7:45world. I came into this world so that you would no longer walk in darkness, so that you would have the
- 7:51light of life instead of the darkness that applies to you naturally as a human being.
- 7:58I remember back, I'm old enough nowadays to remember when there were no streetlights,
- 8:05especially in the village areas of the island. And you had to make your way very tentatively at times
- 8:12along the narrow streets in the country because there were no streetlights. And because there were
- 8:18no streetlights, it was just completely dark unless you got some light from some of the houses that you
- 8:23were passing. But there were long stretches with no houses at all. And you had to be very careful.
- 8:28In fact, I remember going back home in town at one time, even from the houses nearest to us,
- 8:35there was still a fair gap. And walking along, just trying to feel where the ditch was so I wouldn't
- 8:40fall into it because it was totally dark. And Jesus is using that as an illustration of our natural
- 8:47darkness. And here we are today with the advantage we have of the gospel telling us that Christ himself
- 8:54in the gospel offers himself to us as the light of the world so that we no longer walk in darkness,
- 9:00so that we are actually redeemed from our own stupidity, from our own foolishness, from our lostness,
- 9:06from our darkened minds. And you see he's saying, for a little while, the light is with you.
- 9:18Verse 33, so Jesus said the light is with you for a little while. Walk while you have the light,
- 9:26less darkness overtake you.
- 9:56saying to us through the gospel, the light is with you for a little time longer. These people
- 10:01were not going to hear Jesus again speaking publicly. Are you banking on it today that you'll
- 10:09hear the gospel again and you'll maybe think of trusting in Christ then? Well, don't bank on it.
- 10:16It may never happen. This is your opportunity.
- 10:22This is where you're hearing Jesus saying to you, the light is with you for a little while.
- 10:27Walk while you have the light. Believe in the light so that you may become the children of light.
- 10:32Because for me, my time is running out. For you, your time is running out.
- 10:37We're like the description in Psalm 103.
- 10:40Frail man. His days are like the grass, which grows in the field for a short time. And then what?
- 10:50The wind blows over it and it is gone.
- 10:52In my garden at Tongue, I've been growing gladioli this year for the first time. And they're beautiful.
- 11:05But the wind breaks them and smashes them. They're only there for a short time.
- 11:15A symbol of your life and of mine.
- 11:22And that's why he's saying, today is your opportunity.
- 11:26Don't let it be your final opportunity.
- 11:32While you have the light, believe in the light.
- 11:37That you may be the children, the sons of light.
- 11:41And the appeal is to walk while you have the light.
- 11:45There's the opportunity. What's the appeal?
- 11:48Jesus says, walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you.
- 11:52Now, when the Bible speaks about walking in this way, it really is talking, as you well know, I'm sure, of a course of life.
- 12:00It's not just literal walking. We do that daily.
- 12:03But it's walking spiritually, walking morally.
- 12:06In other words, what Jesus was saying to them was effectively saying,
- 12:09set the course of your life by the light.
- 12:14Set the course of your life by what I am offering to you, by what you find in me.
- 12:19The course of your life has already been set in one way or another.
- 12:26And if it is set by the light, then you're in a way that is safe.
- 12:31A way that leads directly to eternity, to heaven when you die.
- 12:37If that's not the case, well, there's only one other direction.
- 12:40If you've set the course of your life by something else, and just because you and I are in church,
- 12:47whether it's occupying a pulpit or a pew, that in itself does not guarantee that we're saved.
- 12:55Set your life, your life's course, by the light that is Jesus himself.
- 13:01Because as he says himself later on in the gospel, he is the way, the truth, and the life.
- 13:10That's why he's come into the world.
- 13:14So that you and I would set the course of our life by him, by the light.
- 13:21I mentioned chapter 8, verse 12 already.
- 13:22But that's what Jesus there very tellingly says, that he is the light of the world.
- 13:31In chapter 8 and verse 12,
- 13:34I am the light of the world.
- 13:36Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
- 13:43Following Jesus is equivalent to accepting Jesus.
- 13:46You can't follow Jesus until you've accepted him and received him and trusted him.
- 13:51All of these descriptions amount to the same thing.
- 13:54Having him as your personal savior.
- 13:59That's why he's come.
- 14:01As the light of the world into the world.
- 14:05In other words, he's saying, while you have the light, believe in the light.
- 14:09You set the course of your life by believing in Christ, by trusting in Christ.
- 14:14By giving over your life to him to be your savior, your ruler, your king.
- 14:21By willingly depositing yourself into the hands of the light.
- 14:25Into the wonderful custody of the light.
- 14:27So that darkness will not ever get a hold of you again.
- 14:35Believe in the light.
- 14:38Some people think that believing in Jesus amounts to believing certain things about him to be true.
- 14:46Believing what the gospels say about him to be true.
- 14:51That he definitely lived in this world.
- 14:53That he did the things the Bible speaks about.
- 14:56And you believe these things.
- 14:57And that's fine.
- 14:59That's what they're for.
- 15:01But remember, believing in Jesus is a lot more than just believing things about him.
- 15:07Believing in him means trusting your life to him.
- 15:13Trusting your eternity to him.
- 15:15Believing in him means that you actually take him as he's offered in the gospel.
- 15:21You lay and lean all your weight upon him.
- 15:24All the weight of your life and its burdens.
- 15:27Your death, your eternity, everything else.
- 15:30Has to be laid upon him to take the weight of it.
- 15:33To take you safely through to heaven.
- 15:35While you have the light.
- 15:39While you have the light.
- 15:41Believe in the light.
- 15:43And you have the light today.
- 15:44You have it here.
- 15:47Have you come to believe in him in this way?
- 15:51Have you come to give your life over to him?
- 15:54Are you willing that he rules your life?
- 15:58Are you willing that every detail of your life comes under the mastery of the king?
- 16:03Are you willing that he, especially, not anyone else, but he alone, directs your life?
- 16:12Gives you encouragement.
- 16:16As the light of your life.
- 16:18That's how it is throughout the Bible, isn't it?
- 16:23That you walk while you have the light.
- 16:26You set the course of your life.
- 16:28By what you find and have in Jesus himself.
- 16:32Through trusting in him.
- 16:34Believe in the light.
- 16:36Don't just believe things about him to be true.
- 16:38The devil believes that.
- 16:42The devil believes in Jesus in the sense that he believes and knows that Jesus is real.
- 16:49That Jesus is the Son of God.
- 16:52That Jesus has a mastery over him.
- 16:56As James says in his epistle,
- 16:57You believe certain things.
- 17:00You do well.
- 17:01The devils believe, yet they tremble.
- 17:04They know what's coming.
- 17:06They believe the truth of God.
- 17:09We're required to believe in a much deeper sense than that.
- 17:14To believe in the sense of conveying your life over to him.
- 17:18For example, if you find, let's say, something like the Clifton Suspension Bridge over the gorge of the River Avon.
- 17:29Down south in England.
- 17:32A bridge designed by Isabar Kingdom Brunel.
- 17:36One of the famous engineers in history.
- 17:39A lot of people go to the Clifton Suspension Bridge just to take photos of it.
- 17:44And they can say when they've got home,
- 17:45That's a magnificent piece of engineering.
- 17:48He must have been a real genius of an engineer to have designed that.
- 17:53To have given all the directions by which that bridge came to be built.
- 17:58And that's true.
- 17:59You can admire that bridge.
- 18:01You can take photos of that bridge.
- 18:03You can go home and say,
- 18:04I have seen the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
- 18:06It's a marvel of engineering.
- 18:08You can say the same with the Forth Ward Bridge, whatever.
- 18:10But what are they for?
- 18:11Therefore, conducting people safely from one side of the river or the gorge to another.
- 18:21Their purpose is to be used for traveling.
- 18:24And so with the Lord himself.
- 18:29He is the way, the truth, and the life.
- 18:33By all means, admire him.
- 18:36By all means, adore him.
- 18:38In the way in which you see him as a significant figure in history.
- 18:42But he's not just there so that you can admire him.
- 18:48And say to people,
- 18:50I believe the things in the Bible about the Lord.
- 18:54I think they're true.
- 18:56They are true.
- 18:58But they are there practically for you to travel on.
- 19:04Walk while you have the light.
- 19:06Believe in the light.
- 19:09That you may become the children of light.
- 19:14Lest darkness overtake you.
- 19:18Walk while you have the light.
- 19:20Lest darkness overtake you.
- 19:23Well, Jesus got straight to the point always, didn't he?
- 19:26He never left in his teaching.
- 19:29He never left anything out that we require to know for our salvation.
- 19:33He made the important things very plain.
- 19:38And it's the responsibility of us to try to preach the word.
- 19:41To actually maintain that plainness in conveying the teachings of the Bible.
- 19:45And we hope we do that.
- 19:48And of that seems sometimes that we appear to be very blunt.
- 19:53And very tactless which we never want to be.
- 19:56That's because we want to be faithful to the truth.
- 19:59And conveying it in all its own native clarity.
- 20:02And here is Jesus saying,
- 20:05Believe lest darkness overtake you.
- 20:08Look at all the regimes in the world throughout history
- 20:10that developed in such a way,
- 20:13away from the light of truth,
- 20:15from the light of the gospel,
- 20:17from the light that God gives us in his word.
- 20:19What happened to them?
- 20:20What happened to the likes of what happened in the French Revolution, for example?
- 20:25Was that for the good?
- 20:26Did that bring in more light?
- 20:28No, it brought in darkness.
- 20:30Oppression.
- 20:30Persecution.
- 20:34The Soviet Union.
- 20:36North Korea.
- 20:38Same development.
- 20:40Darkness overtaking them.
- 20:43And sadly, it seems to be the case in our own country,
- 20:47that darkness is steadily creeping over the visible church in our land.
- 20:52Something which ought to concern us hugely.
- 20:57Walk while you have the light is Jesus' word to the church.
- 21:01Not just to individuals,
- 21:02but to the church in every age.
- 21:04Walk while you have the light.
- 21:07Lest darkness overtake you.
- 21:09Believe in the light.
- 21:10Don't believe in your own wisdom,
- 21:12he's saying to his church.
- 21:15Lest darkness overtake you.
- 21:17Because one thing is sure.
- 21:20When you put the light aside to one side or behind you,
- 21:25there's only one result.
- 21:27Darkness overtakes you.
- 21:30And the more you are concerned to put the light aside,
- 21:35to turn away from the light,
- 21:37to turn your back to the light,
- 21:40the darker you become
- 21:41in your life,
- 21:43in your thoughts,
- 21:44in your behavior.
- 21:45While you have it,
- 21:51believe in it,
- 21:53that you may become
- 21:54children of light.
- 21:56It says sons of light,
- 21:57it means sons and daughters.
- 22:00That you may become
- 22:01children of light.
- 22:07You know, in verse 36,
- 22:10it's a pity actually you have
- 22:11this break in the text
- 22:14here in this Gospel of John.
- 22:17This break in the text
- 22:18between
- 22:18verse 36 here.
- 22:24Between
- 22:25verses 36 and 37.
- 22:27While you have the light,
- 22:28believe in the light
- 22:29that you may become
- 22:30the sons of light.
- 22:31Then there's this unfortunate break
- 22:32because the next thing
- 22:34really should be
- 22:34intimately tied with what's there.
- 22:36When Jesus had said
- 22:37these things,
- 22:38he departed
- 22:39and hid himself
- 22:40from them.
- 22:42See what it's saying?
- 22:42While you have the light,
- 22:44believe in the light.
- 22:45And then they're seeing Jesus
- 22:46and he disappears.
- 22:48And they're left
- 22:49with this appeal
- 22:50by Jesus himself
- 22:52who's now gone out
- 22:53of their sight.
- 22:54This appeal,
- 22:55believe in the light
- 22:56while you have the light.
- 22:57And off he goes.
- 22:58And they don't see him again
- 22:59until the crucifixion.
- 23:04And then tellingly,
- 23:05it says,
- 23:06though he had done
- 23:06so many signs before them,
- 23:09they still did not
- 23:10believe in him.
- 23:13They refused the light
- 23:15while they had it.
- 23:17Darkness overtook them.
- 23:20What a sad spectacle that is.
- 23:23That people who have access
- 23:25to the light of the gospel,
- 23:27the light of truth,
- 23:28the light that Jesus is,
- 23:31still go on in darkness.
- 23:32Let that not be you.
- 23:35Let that not be me.
- 23:37While we have the light,
- 23:38believe in it.
- 23:40Trust in it.
- 23:41Give yourself to him
- 23:42that you may become
- 23:44the children of light.
- 23:46That's the third point.
- 23:47There's the opportunity.
- 23:49There's the appeal.
- 23:50And there's the objective.
- 23:52That you may become
- 23:53sons of light
- 23:54or children of light.
- 23:55That's an ethical term.
- 23:58It really essentially
- 23:59means that you may become
- 24:01disciples of the light.
- 24:03It was as the rabbis
- 24:04used to refer to
- 24:06becoming sons of so and so
- 24:07if they followed a certain rabbi.
- 24:09They were known as
- 24:10the sons of the rabbi.
- 24:11They were disciples.
- 24:13They were under his teaching.
- 24:14Well, Jesus is saying,
- 24:15here's the light.
- 24:17Here's the light
- 24:17that you find in me.
- 24:19Whoever follows me
- 24:20shall not abide in darkness.
- 24:22Walk while you have the light.
- 24:24Set the course of your life
- 24:25by the light you have in me.
- 24:29But though he had done
- 24:30so many things,
- 24:32they still did not believe in him.
- 24:34They refused the light.
- 24:42And the Bible speaks
- 24:43about God's people.
- 24:45In Ephesians chapter 5,
- 24:46verse 8, for example,
- 24:49you were once darkness.
- 24:54Notice, it doesn't say
- 24:55you were once in darkness.
- 24:57That is certainly true.
- 24:59But they were darkness
- 25:01in themselves.
- 25:02These pagan people,
- 25:03former pagan people of Ephesus,
- 25:05you were once darkness.
- 25:07Look in the past,
- 25:08he's saying,
- 25:09what were you?
- 25:10Morally and spiritually
- 25:11and ethically,
- 25:12you were darkness.
- 25:14But now,
- 25:15you are light
- 25:16in the Lord.
- 25:19See the difference.
- 25:21The stark difference.
- 25:22The contrast.
- 25:24You were darkness.
- 25:25darkness.
- 25:27And how many people today
- 25:29would not be offended
- 25:31by saying,
- 25:32you're actually in darkness.
- 25:33You are actually
- 25:34in yourself darkness.
- 25:36Because you're not in,
- 25:37you're not looking to God.
- 25:40You're not believing in God.
- 25:42You're rejecting God.
- 25:43You are darkness.
- 25:46It's not an easy thing
- 25:47to accept, is it?
- 25:49This sophisticated world,
- 25:52this world so full
- 25:53of wonderful technology,
- 25:54this world so crammed
- 25:56with human invention
- 25:57and human achievement,
- 25:59to go to some people
- 26:00like that,
- 26:00in a world like that,
- 26:01and say,
- 26:02you are darkness,
- 26:03it sounds ridiculous.
- 26:05But ethically,
- 26:07and morally,
- 26:07and spiritually,
- 26:08that's what we all are.
- 26:11It's not just where
- 26:12we all are in the darkness.
- 26:13We are darkness.
- 26:16But now,
- 26:18here's the contrast,
- 26:19in the Lord,
- 26:21you are light.
- 26:23Walk while you have the light.
- 26:24That you may become
- 26:26the children of light.
- 26:27That you may be lights
- 26:28instead of darkness.
- 26:32As he put it to the Philippians,
- 26:34when he wrote to the Philippian church,
- 26:37in Philippians chapter 2,
- 26:38You do all things without grumbling
- 26:40or questioning.
- 26:41That you may be blameless
- 26:42and innocent children of God,
- 26:45without blemish
- 26:46in the midst of a crooked
- 26:47and twisted generation,
- 26:50among whom you shine
- 26:51as lights in the world.
- 26:54You know,
- 26:57friends,
- 26:58that this world needs light.
- 27:01This dark,
- 27:02evil,
- 27:04godless,
- 27:05immoral world
- 27:06needs light.
- 27:09Where's it going to receive the light?
- 27:11How's it going to get the light?
- 27:13Through you.
- 27:16Through all of you
- 27:16who are in Christ,
- 27:18in the Lord,
- 27:20as children of light,
- 27:23you are light.
- 27:25You project light
- 27:26to this dark world.
- 27:28And the world
- 27:29needs more light.
- 27:32It doesn't just mean
- 27:33that you and I need Christ.
- 27:35That's fundamentally true.
- 27:36But this world needs you
- 27:37in Christ.
- 27:40They need the light
- 27:41that Christians are
- 27:43by the blessing of God.
- 27:46Let your light so shine
- 27:48before men,
- 27:49as Jesus put it,
- 27:51that they may see
- 27:52your good works
- 27:52and glorify your Father
- 27:54who is in heaven.
- 27:59I remember speaking to
- 28:00someone who had
- 28:02served in the forces
- 28:04in the Royal Navy
- 28:05during the Second World War.
- 28:09And he was telling me
- 28:10something about an incident
- 28:11in his own experience
- 28:13that happened in London
- 28:13during the blackout.
- 28:15No lights, of course,
- 28:16were allowed.
- 28:18And I know that
- 28:19he was telling me the truth
- 28:20because he was my father.
- 28:23And he said
- 28:23he was walking back
- 28:24to the ship
- 28:24in the docks
- 28:25in London.
- 28:27Total darkness.
- 28:29And they were walking along
- 28:31and then all of a sudden
- 28:33he stepped over the edge
- 28:34of the pier.
- 28:38Straight down
- 28:38into the water.
- 28:41Darkness.
- 28:43Life.
- 28:44Life.
- 28:44Almost gone.
- 28:47He walked into
- 28:48the darkness
- 28:50of the waters
- 28:52in the quay.
- 28:55And he told me that
- 28:56it was really the touch
- 28:58of the other man
- 29:00who was with him
- 29:00who was a good swimmer,
- 29:01fortunately.
- 29:03As he touched him
- 29:04under the water
- 29:05he came back to himself
- 29:06and they were rescued.
- 29:07He said
- 29:09of the light.
- 29:11But how many millions
- 29:12today
- 29:12throughout our lost world
- 29:15will walk over
- 29:18the precipice of time
- 29:19into the darkness
- 29:22of hell?
- 29:22don't be amongst them.
- 29:28While you have the light
- 29:29believe in the light
- 29:30that you may become
- 29:32the children
- 29:34of light.
- 29:36Let's pray.
- 29:37O Lord,
- 29:43we thank you
- 29:44for your word
- 29:44of truth.
- 29:46We pray
- 29:47you've forgiven us
- 29:48for every way
- 29:48in which we sometimes
- 29:49indeed often
- 29:51misshandle
- 29:51and
- 29:52don't bear up
- 29:54the truth
- 29:55in its clarity
- 29:56that your own word
- 29:57sets before us.
- 30:00We thank you,
- 30:01Lord,
- 30:01for this portion
- 30:02of your word
- 30:03today
- 30:03that reminds us
- 30:04so solemnly
- 30:06and yet so encouragingly
- 30:07of the need
- 30:08to believe
- 30:09in the light.
- 30:10You are the light
- 30:11of the world.
- 30:13We thank you
- 30:13that you shine
- 30:14into our lives
- 30:15through the gospel.
- 30:17We pray,
- 30:17O Lord,
- 30:17that you might shine
- 30:18in our hearts
- 30:19as well by your spirit
- 30:20to give the light
- 30:22of the knowledge
- 30:22of the glory of God
- 30:23in the face
- 30:25of Jesus Christ.
- 30:27Continue then,
- 30:28we pray,
- 30:28to bless us
- 30:29and to bless us
- 30:30in our age
- 30:31with the gospel
- 30:32and to bless us
- 30:33in a way
- 30:34that would
- 30:34further enlarge
- 30:36our people's understanding
- 30:38and our own understanding
- 30:40of the light
- 30:41of the world
- 30:42that Jesus himself is.
- 30:45Continue with us
- 30:46now,
- 30:46we pray,
- 30:47in his name
- 30:48and for his sake.
- 30:49Amen.
- 30:54We're going to sing
- 30:55now in conclusion
- 30:56in Psalm 36,
- 30:57Psalm number 36
- 30:59in St. Psalms
- 31:00and verses 5 to 9.
- 31:04Sing to a tune
- 31:05Kilmarnock
- 31:05as on page 44.
- 31:09Your steadfast love
- 31:10is great,
- 31:11O Lord,
- 31:11it reaches heaven high.
- 31:13Your faithfulness
- 31:14is wonderful,
- 31:15extending to the sky.
- 31:17Your righteousness
- 31:18is very great
- 31:19like mountains
- 31:20high and steep.
- 31:21Your justice
- 31:22is like ocean depths,
- 31:24both man
- 31:24and beast
- 31:25you keep.
- 31:27And I've read
- 31:27down to verse 9,
- 31:28a feast within your house
- 31:29and drink from streams
- 31:31of your delight.
- 31:32For with you
- 31:33is the source of life.
- 31:35In your light
- 31:36we see light.
- 31:39Verses 5 to 9.
- 31:41your steadfast love
- 31:51is great,
- 31:54O Lord,
- 31:56it reaches
- 31:58heaven
- 32:01high.
- 32:04Your faithfulness
- 32:09is wonderful,
- 32:10is wonderful,
- 32:12is wonderful,
- 32:13extending to the sky.
- 32:16is very great,
- 32:31like mountains
- 32:34mountains
- 32:35high and steep.
- 32:39Your justice
- 32:43is like ocean depths,
- 32:49both man and beast
- 32:54you keep.
- 32:57how precious is your steadfast love,
- 33:07what confidence it brings.
- 33:15O Zion
- 33:18O Zion
- 33:19O Zion
- 33:20find shelter
- 33:23in the shadow
- 33:28of your wings.
- 33:33They feast
- 33:36within your house
- 33:41and drink
- 33:43from streams
- 33:46of your delight.
- 33:48For with you
- 33:54is the source
- 33:59of life
- 34:01in your light
- 34:03in your light
- 34:05we see
- 34:07light.
- 34:11let me get to the door
- 34:12after the benediction
- 34:13to the main door,
- 34:14I'll see you there.
- 34:15Now, may the grace
- 34:16of the Lord Jesus Christ,
- 34:17the love of God
- 34:18the Father,
- 34:19and the communion
- 34:20of the Holy Spirit
- 34:21be with you now
- 34:22and evermore.
- 34:23Amen.
- 34:53may may may