Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / The Peace Filled People
Transcript
- 0:00We're going to begin our worship this evening by singing to God's praise. We're singing in Psalm 40, the Scottish Psalter Version, page 259, Psalm 40.
- 0:11! I'm going to sing from verse 1 down to the end of the double verse 5.
- 0:16I waited for the Lord my God and patiently did bear. At length to me he didn't climb my voice and cry to hear.
- 0:24He took me from a fearful pit and from the miry clay and on a rock he set my feet, establishing my way.
- 0:32And we thank God that he gives us a new song. He put a new song in my mouth.
- 0:37Our God to magnify. Many shall see it and shall fear and on the Lord rely.
- 0:43We'll stand to sing to God's praise. Psalm 40, verse 1 to 5.
- 0:54I waited for the Lord my God and patiently did bear.
- 1:09A day to me he didn't climb my voice and cry to hear.
- 1:27He took me from a fearful pit and from the miry clay and on a rock he set my feet,
- 1:53He put a new song in my heart.
- 2:11Our God to magnify.
- 2:13Our God to magnify.
- 2:18Then he shall see it and shall hear and on the Lord rely.
- 2:36O blessed is the man whose trust upon the Lord rely.
- 2:54Please, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are, if you are
- 3:24Thou hast done, thy gracious thoughts to us were far.
- 3:39Above all thoughts are gone.
- 3:46In order none can let on end, till ye at end ye bear.
- 4:04And speak of them, I would be more than can be number one.
- 4:25Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer. Let us pray.
- 4:29Lord, our gracious God, we come before you and you this evening thankful for these words that we have sung.
- 4:41Thankful for the reminder to us of all your gracious ways towards us, your gracious thoughts.
- 4:47To us were far above all thoughts are gone, the psalmist says.
- 4:51It just reminds us, Lord, that as we come, we want to give thanks and praise to you for your graciousness towards us in this day.
- 5:01For your goodness to us, Lord, that we have been blessed by you in so many ways.
- 5:06But as we look back to you, Lord, we see that your gracious ways towards us has been throughout our lives, throughout our experiences.
- 5:14The way that you have been patient with us, the way that you have watched over us, the way that you have guided us in every step, even when we're unaware of you.
- 5:26And we do pray and thank you, Lord, for your goodness to us in all of these things.
- 5:32And we thank you, Lord, that you are the one who we have come to wait upon, that you are worth waiting for.
- 5:40And for when we realize, Lord, what a God you are and what you have done for us in Christ Jesus.
- 5:48And what we've been remembering together here this day of the one who was condemned for our sins.
- 5:54And when we think of all that he bore for us, all the suffering, all the shame, all the mocking, all of these things, Lord, that he endured for his people.
- 6:06We can only but come humbly before you, recognizing how unworthy we are.
- 6:13And yet worthy is the lamb who was slain.
- 6:16And we thank you that the praise and glory is to him.
- 6:20And the way that he brings us to that place where we know what it is to trust, what it is to believe,
- 6:28when we are brought from that fearful pit and from the mighty clay,
- 6:32and have our feet set upon that rock, that rock that is Christ.
- 6:37And we thank you for all here this evening who know that security, that faith in him,
- 6:44and that it is not in anything worthy of ourselves that we come boasting,
- 6:49but boasting only in the cross of Jesus Christ.
- 6:53And we thank you this night, Lord, that you have remembered us in these things.
- 6:57And we pray, Lord, that you will give us that song, that new song to praise you,
- 7:03that new song to glorify your name, and to praise you with all our hearts.
- 7:08And we ask, O Lord, that even this evening as we gather for worship,
- 7:13that you would not just give thanks, that we would not just give thanks as people who have believed,
- 7:18but also those who are still waiting on you,
- 7:22those who are still waiting to trust in you or to confess you,
- 7:27those who may be long for it in their hearts.
- 7:30We pray, Lord, that tonight you would give them a new song,
- 7:33and that they would be able to praise and magnify your name in a new way and with a new song.
- 7:40And we do thank you, Lord, for the fellowship of your people.
- 7:44We thank you for the blessings that there are in that unity together,
- 7:48in that fellowship we enjoy,
- 7:51even the peace that we have had this day together.
- 7:53We thank you for that.
- 7:55And we just pray for that peace to continue over us,
- 7:58that as we go from here this night and into the week ahead,
- 8:02that we would go as a people who know your peace with us and among us,
- 8:08that peace that passes all understanding.
- 8:11But there would not be a peace that makes us complacent,
- 8:15but a peace that makes us recognize our dependence is upon you day by day,
- 8:21and that we long to see your blessing over us as a people.
- 8:25We long to see your spirit moving in our midst.
- 8:28We long to see your church being built up in more and more ways and in more and more places.
- 8:36And we do thank you, Lord, that your word reminds us that you are indeed building,
- 8:41that you are a God who is always building.
- 8:44In times you are rebuilding, but always building your church, O Lord,
- 8:49that it would be for your glory throughout all the ends of the earth,
- 8:52that your name would be proclaimed,
- 8:55and that your people would be brought in to you and to the number who are being saved.
- 9:02And so we thank you, Lord, for the church that is yours and the head that is Christ,
- 9:07and the spirit that works all around the world,
- 9:10the spirit that calls, the spirit that convicts,
- 9:13and the work of salvation that we see going on in so many places and so many ways.
- 9:19We thank you that there is one God,
- 9:21and that you are God and Lord of all.
- 9:24And help this world to acknowledge and to recognize that.
- 9:28Help us to always have your name on our lips,
- 9:31confessing you and speaking of you,
- 9:34the wonders of your grace,
- 9:36the wonders of your power,
- 9:39and the wonders of the purpose which we have in this world.
- 9:42For our chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.
- 9:48And yet so often we are distracted from that.
- 9:50So often there are other things that come into our experience and into our lives,
- 9:56and into our communities, and even into our churches,
- 9:58that keep us from giving that glory to you.
- 10:02And yet we pray, Lord, that you will help us to glorify you and to enjoy you day by day.
- 10:08We thank you, Lord, for all that we are involved in as a church in this community.
- 10:15We thank you for all the meetings of prayer.
- 10:18We pray that you will encourage us in our prayers,
- 10:20that we would always pray and not lose heart.
- 10:25We can often feel that prayers are unanswered,
- 10:27or prayers are not having the impact we would want.
- 10:31We can often be mocked even for prayers offered up that seem to be unanswered.
- 10:37But we thank you, Lord, that your word reminds us that we are always to pray that your will be done.
- 10:44And teach us, Lord, that will.
- 10:46Teach us to know what it is.
- 10:48Teach us to be a people that are able to live in your will,
- 10:52and to delight even in the will of God for us,
- 10:55even when it seems so absurd or so ridiculous to us at times,
- 11:00that we would rejoice in things that seem to bring the church down.
- 11:05And yet, O Lord, as we are reminded so often in your word,
- 11:08it is often in these times when, in our weakness as we see it,
- 11:13that you remind us that you are indeed God,
- 11:16and that you alone are the one who is able to do what is impossible for man.
- 11:20And that is where we come in prayer, Lord,
- 11:23looking to you to help in all our different needs,
- 11:26whether they be personal to ourselves,
- 11:29whether they be very intimate to ourselves,
- 11:33might be things that are unknown to anybody else.
- 11:36And yet we thank you that we can come to you in prayer.
- 11:39And we thank you that collectively we come,
- 11:42that we come as a people who share one another's burdens,
- 11:45who are able to pray for even those who are unable to pray for themselves.
- 11:49And we thank you that we can bring all our cares and our concerns to you in that way.
- 11:55We do ask, O Lord, that you will hear our prayers for those around us,
- 11:59for those who are unwell at this time,
- 12:01for those who are in their homes,
- 12:03those who have maybe had difficult news even in this past week,
- 12:07for those who have been going through or are awaiting surgery,
- 12:11and for those who maybe are very uncertain as to what the future holds for them.
- 12:16And yet, O Lord, we pray that you will bring comfort and help
- 12:20and the presence and peace that only you can in the midst of all such experiences.
- 12:26Remember, Lord, our people around us then.
- 12:30We thank you too, Lord, that our prayers extend throughout our community.
- 12:35We again bring before you all that's been going on in our community
- 12:39with the search for that missing boy, Alexander,
- 12:43and just continue to pray for an outcome that would be in many ways a surprise to us, Lord,
- 12:51but something that we would be able to rejoice in.
- 12:54We thank you for all who have been helping in the search,
- 12:56for all that's been done looking for him and helping the family as well.
- 13:00And we just pray your nearness to all of them,
- 13:04that your peace would be with them.
- 13:06And Lord, we do pray for our communities
- 13:08when we see the direction our community and our islands and even our nation is going.
- 13:16Lord, we spoke so confidently in the past of this being a Christian community.
- 13:22And yet in these days, we recognize that we are in so many ways far from you,
- 13:27and there are so many with no interest in you.
- 13:29And we just pray, Lord, that you will help us to be a people with a purpose to share the gospel,
- 13:37to proclaim the good news, and to show forth the wonders of your work,
- 13:42the wonders that the psalmist speaks of,
- 13:45the wonders that thou hast done that are so numerous and numberless.
- 13:49Lord, we cannot number them for they are so many.
- 13:53But we pray, Lord, for others to see it as well,
- 13:56to see the greatest need in this world and in this life is to find that peace with God.
- 14:03And so we pray, Lord, for all endeavors to reach out to pray for these people.
- 14:09We pray for our nation again, Lord.
- 14:11We commit it to you.
- 14:13We thank you for every congregation of your people up and down our land who are faithful to your word,
- 14:19to your truth, and proclaim it day by day and week by week.
- 14:24We thank you, Lord, that in so many different places we find places of worship,
- 14:30maybe unexpectedly at times, when we think of a people or a place at times,
- 14:36maybe we have visited and we've been surprised to see numbers attending church
- 14:41or numbers believing in you.
- 14:43It is a reminder to us, Lord, that you have your people in every city, in every town,
- 14:48and every village, and that you are building your church throughout our land.
- 14:53And so, Lord, in days when things seem dark,
- 14:56we thank you for the light of the gospel that shines in so many places in so many ways.
- 15:01And we pray for a great harvest in our nation,
- 15:05a great turning of our people, Lord,
- 15:07that we would come to rejoice in you once more.
- 15:11We do pray for your help towards this world.
- 15:14We thank you, Lord, that it is yours,
- 15:17that the earth belongs to the Lord and all that it contains.
- 15:20And we thank you, Lord, that you are God over all.
- 15:23And we just pray for places and people to know the power of your salvation
- 15:28and the power of your word being blessed to them.
- 15:31We thank you, Lord, for our fellowship here,
- 15:34and we pray that you will continue with us in this day.
- 15:37We thank you for the fellowship to meet after the meeting this evening,
- 15:41and pray for Paul and Elizabeth as they come to speak to us.
- 15:46We thank you for their faith and for their witness for you.
- 15:50We pray that we will be encouraged together in that time of fellowship,
- 15:54that you will continue with us into the rest of the evening
- 15:57and even into the week that lies ahead, Lord,
- 16:00that you would guide us and help us, protect us and keep us.
- 16:04We have been encouraged.
- 16:05We have been blessed.
- 16:06And we know that so often when that is the case,
- 16:09we so often come under attack within the moments of leaving here
- 16:13and going into the workplace, going into the community, Lord.
- 16:17We know that we will be vulnerable in so many ways.
- 16:21And we are reminded, Lord, that we are in a battle.
- 16:23But we thank you for the armor of God.
- 16:25We thank you for all the protection you give us by your word, by your spirit,
- 16:30by your truth, and by your promise of presence with us.
- 16:34So hear our prayers, Lord.
- 16:36Continue with us and watch over as we pray.
- 16:38Bless your word to us as we open it up, as we share from it once again.
- 16:43That we will be blessed to each of us in the singing of your praise,
- 16:47that we will lift up our voices to you with that joy in our hearts,
- 16:51that joy of salvation.
- 16:53Hear our prayers, Lord.
- 16:55Continue with us and pardon all our sin as we ask all these things in Jesus' name.
- 17:00Amen.
- 17:03We're going to sing again to God's praise.
- 17:08Psalm 119.
- 17:10And let's sing Psalm's version.
- 17:12Page 167 of the psalm books.
- 17:17Psalm 119.
- 17:18We're singing at verse 161.
- 17:23Psalm 119.
- 17:26Verse 161.
- 17:29We'll sing the whole of this section.
- 17:31The rulers hound me without cause.
- 17:34My heart fears nothing but your word.
- 17:36For in your promise I rejoice.
- 17:38Like one who finds great spoil, O Lord.
- 17:41All falsehood I abhor and hate.
- 17:44With all my heart I love your law.
- 17:46I praise you seven times a day for your commands.
- 17:50I hold in awe.
- 17:51Great peace have those who love your law.
- 17:55They will not stumble in the way.
- 17:58I wait for your salvation, Lord.
- 18:01And your commands I will obey.
- 18:04We'll sing this section of the psalm.
- 18:06Psalm 119.
- 18:07Verse 161.
- 18:09We stand to sing to God's praise.
- 18:11O ruler's end me without cause.
- 18:25My heart fears nothing but your word.
- 18:34For in your promise I rejoice.
- 18:43Like one who finds grace for you, O Lord.
- 18:52All falsehood I abhor and hate.
- 19:02With all my heart I love your law.
- 19:11I praise you seven times a day.
- 19:21For you commands I hold in awe.
- 19:30Great peace have those who love your law.
- 19:40They will not stumble in the way.
- 19:49I wait for you salvation, Lord.
- 19:59And your commands I will obey.
- 20:07I will obey.
- 20:09I will obey your statutes, Lord.
- 20:18My love for him is great and true.
- 20:27Your laws and precepts I obey.
- 20:35For all thy ways are known to you.
- 20:45We'll turn to read together now in the Gospel of Luke once again.
- 20:55We're turning into chapter 24 this evening.
- 21:00Chapter 24.
- 21:02We're going to take up our reading at verse 28.
- 21:05So as we come into this chapter, we see Jesus has been buried at the end of chapter 23.
- 21:17And then beginning on chapter 24, we see the day of the resurrection and how there was a mixture of fear and trembling and delight and joy and unbelief in the midst of it all.
- 21:29It says in verse 11 of chapter 24, but these words seemed to them an idle tale and they did not believe them.
- 21:38So even as people were hearing that the Lord was risen, they wouldn't believe it.
- 21:42And then as we come up to verse 28, we come into the middle of the journey on the road to Emmaus, where two of them were going to that village called Emmaus.
- 21:53And the Lord Jesus came alongside them and started to speak to them.
- 21:56But even in the midst of that, their hearts were downcast and they were wondering who this was.
- 22:03But we come to verse 28 and pick up our reading there.
- 22:08So they drew near to the village to which they were going.
- 22:12He, that's Jesus, acted as if he was going further.
- 22:15But they urged him strongly saying, stay with us, for it is towards evening and the day is now far spent.
- 22:23So he went in to stay with them.
- 22:25When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.
- 22:32And their eyes were opened and they recognized him.
- 22:35And he vanished from their sight.
- 22:38They said to each other, did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?
- 22:46And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem.
- 22:50And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying,
- 22:56The Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon.
- 23:01Then they told what had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread.
- 23:07As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
- 23:15Peace to you.
- 23:17But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.
- 23:22And he said to them, Why are you troubled?
- 23:24And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
- 23:27See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
- 23:32Touch me and see.
- 23:34For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.
- 23:39When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
- 23:44And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them,
- 23:49Have you anything here to eat?
- 23:51They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.
- 23:59Then he said to them, These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
- 24:05that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.
- 24:12Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures and said to them,
- 24:17Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
- 24:25and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations,
- 24:31beginning from Jerusalem.
- 24:34You are witnesses of these things.
- 24:36And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you,
- 24:40but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.
- 24:45Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them.
- 24:51While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.
- 24:57And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy
- 25:01and were continually in the temple, blessing God.
- 25:06Amen.
- 25:07And may the Lord add his blessing to that reading of his word.
- 25:11Again, we'll sing to God's praise this time in Psalm 73,
- 25:15the Scottish Psalter version, Psalm 73,
- 25:20at verse 23 to the end of the Psalm,
- 25:24page 316 of the Psalm books.
- 25:26Nevertheless, continually, O Lord, I am with thee.
- 25:33Thou dost me hold by my right hand and still upholdest me.
- 25:38Thou with thy counsel while I live, wilt me conduct and guide,
- 25:42and to thy glory afterward receive me to abide.
- 25:46We'll sing from verse 23 down to the end of the Psalm.
- 25:49To God's praise we stand to sing.
- 25:51O Lord, I am with thee.
- 26:15Thou dost me hold by my right hand and still upholdest me.
- 26:32Thou dost me hold by my right hand and still upholdest me.
- 27:02Please, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray, if you pray
- 27:32The night is high, besides me there is none.
- 27:42My flesh and heart hath gained and failed, but God hath failed me never.
- 28:00For of my heart, God is the strength and portion forever.
- 28:17For, Lord, we are far from thee, forever perish thou.
- 28:36Then that thou rolling from below, thou hast destroyed all.
- 28:53But surely it is good for me that I draw near to God.
- 29:10In God I trust that all thy works I may declare, Lord.
- 29:31Well, we can turn back together to a reading in Luke's Gospel, chapter 24.
- 29:36Let me read again at verse 36.
- 29:44As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
- 29:51Peace to you.
- 29:54Peace to you.
- 29:58As we've come together over this weekend, last evening and today,
- 30:02we've been seeing different ways that Jesus was with the people at the time of his crucifixion.
- 30:10We saw last evening how he was before Pilate and before the crowd.
- 30:15And we were thinking of the prevailing voices that were there then.
- 30:19But the voice of the Lord, especially, that was over it.
- 30:23And then this morning we've been at the cross.
- 30:25We've been looking on Jesus as he was pierced for our transgressions.
- 30:31Our Saviour died on the cross.
- 30:35So we've come.
- 30:36We've come towards the cross.
- 30:39We've been at the cross.
- 30:41But now we're maybe coming away from it in a sense as we come away this evening.
- 30:44And we want to ask, well, how are we going to come away?
- 30:48When you see people coming away from the cross here in the Gospels,
- 30:53and as we look at the Gospel of Luke, you see many of them came away despondent,
- 30:58despairing, doubting, all of these things going on in their minds.
- 31:04But then there was a great change.
- 31:08The most significant thing happened.
- 31:11They met with Jesus.
- 31:13And it says there, as they were talking about these things,
- 31:17Jesus himself stood among them.
- 31:21This shouldn't happen.
- 31:23They had watched him be put to death,
- 31:26watched him on the cross there die,
- 31:29watched him be taken down and buried.
- 31:32But now he has appeared before them.
- 31:35And all of a sudden, there is delight.
- 31:38And all the doubts, all the despair,
- 31:41all the downcast spirit that they had,
- 31:44suddenly there's joy, suddenly there's delight.
- 31:48Why?
- 31:49Because he is risen.
- 31:52And today we have been remembering the Lord's death.
- 31:57But we don't come away just mourning his death.
- 32:01We come away remembering the great fact that he is risen.
- 32:06He is risen.
- 32:07Because that changes so much for us.
- 32:11If we were only worshipping someone who had died,
- 32:14like other religions do,
- 32:17we would be without hope.
- 32:19And yet here we have that great reminder
- 32:22that he is risen.
- 32:25That he died for our sins.
- 32:27But that he is risen.
- 32:29And there are some events that happen in the world.
- 32:32Sometimes it's just a small event that gets spoken about in the news.
- 32:37It may last for a few days.
- 32:40There are other events that are remembered for maybe a longer time.
- 32:44Significant events in the world
- 32:45that are spoken about maybe for months or even years after the event.
- 32:50But they still tail off after a time.
- 32:53Although there's some significant events
- 32:56that maybe appear on an anniversary or something like that.
- 32:59We hear about them occasionally.
- 33:03But what about the resurrection?
- 33:06As we read of the resurrection here,
- 33:08it's not something that's been forgotten about.
- 33:11It's not something that's tailed away.
- 33:13It's something that's spoken about all the time.
- 33:19It's one of the greatest things we have to speak about.
- 33:22The wonders that God has done for us.
- 33:24We cannot number them.
- 33:26And yet here in these chapters that we've been looking at,
- 33:29we see how Jesus came for his people.
- 33:33How he was mocked and rejected by many.
- 33:36But how he was condemned.
- 33:38And yet caring, concerned for his people.
- 33:41How he was the chosen one.
- 33:42But it didn't just end there.
- 33:46And when you look through the Gospel of Luke,
- 33:49you see at different points,
- 33:51Jesus reminds us of what had to take place.
- 33:54In chapter 9, verse 22, he says,
- 33:57The Son of Man must suffer many things
- 33:59and be rejected by the elders,
- 34:01the chief priests and the scribes.
- 34:04We've seen that.
- 34:05We've been looking at that.
- 34:06How he was rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes.
- 34:10How you will be killed.
- 34:12We've looked at that.
- 34:13And you see it even here,
- 34:16as the angel appears to the woman at the tomb earlier in this chapter.
- 34:23In verse 7, it says that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified.
- 34:31So it's there again.
- 34:33It's repeated for us.
- 34:35But there's something else that Jesus said.
- 34:38In chapter 9 and here in verse 7 as well,
- 34:42Well, it's this, on the third day he may be raised.
- 34:46He would be raised.
- 34:48On the third day he would rise.
- 34:52And so there's the wonder of this.
- 34:55That he is risen.
- 34:57You see, the death of Christ,
- 35:00it wasn't just, it wasn't the end.
- 35:03It wasn't that everything was accomplished that needed to be through his death.
- 35:06No, there was more still to come.
- 35:10He would rise on the third day.
- 35:13He had told them so.
- 35:15And yet you find the two on the road to a maze, for example, going away, downcast.
- 35:20Even though they've started to hear whispers that he was risen.
- 35:24The disciples themselves, in verse 11 it says,
- 35:28These words seemed like an idle tale.
- 35:31And they did not believe them.
- 35:32It was unbelievable.
- 35:33This just couldn't register with them.
- 35:38He is risen.
- 35:41And there is power in that for us.
- 35:43The resurrection of Christ.
- 35:47But do we know that power?
- 35:50Do we have that power for ourselves?
- 35:52That as we come away from the Lord's Supper today,
- 35:55as we go away this evening,
- 35:57as we go into the week ahead,
- 35:58are we remembering,
- 35:59Yes, Christ died for our sins.
- 36:02We have remembered that.
- 36:04But that we remember, too, that he is risen.
- 36:08And that because he is risen, he goes with us.
- 36:12R.C. Sproul once said,
- 36:14Our natural inclination is to hide ourselves from God.
- 36:18And we see that so often in our own experience,
- 36:22in our past.
- 36:23We see it here in the Gospels,
- 36:25as Jesus was being crucified.
- 36:27The natural reaction to so many was to shun back,
- 36:31to hide back.
- 36:32You think of Peter and his denial.
- 36:34You think of those who we mentioned this morning,
- 36:36who watched on from afar.
- 36:39In verse 49 of chapter 23,
- 36:43the woman and those who had followed him from Galilee
- 36:46stood at a distance,
- 36:48watching these things.
- 36:49Our natural inclination is to hide ourselves sometimes.
- 36:54And for the disciples here,
- 36:56and those who had been followers of him,
- 36:58they'd kind of hidden themselves away.
- 37:01They had gathered together in a room,
- 37:03just the disciples and a few others.
- 37:06The two on the road to Emmaus had gone away,
- 37:09heading off to another place,
- 37:11another village.
- 37:12They'd all turned away because Christ had died.
- 37:16But what changed everything
- 37:18was the fact that he is risen
- 37:20and that he appeared to them.
- 37:23Even as they were talking about these things,
- 37:26Jesus himself stood in their midst
- 37:27and said to them,
- 37:29Peace to you.
- 37:32And what great peace that is
- 37:33to know that he is risen.
- 37:37The resurrection changes everything for us
- 37:40when we think of what that means for ourselves,
- 37:43for ourselves today,
- 37:45and for ourselves even in the future.
- 37:48Because there is no peace apart from God.
- 37:51But the peace that we know is that he is risen.
- 37:54And because he is risen,
- 37:56we have that hope of the resurrection ourselves.
- 37:58That we will not die,
- 38:01but live,
- 38:02as it says in the gospel so often.
- 38:05We live because he lives.
- 38:08Because he is risen.
- 38:10But what does that mean for us
- 38:12as we come away from this communion weekend?
- 38:15Well, there's three things
- 38:16I want us to take with us
- 38:17as we go from here this evening.
- 38:20And they're all based on this idea
- 38:21of this peace be with you.
- 38:23And this peace-filled people
- 38:25that we begin to see here
- 38:28at the end of Luke.
- 38:29And as you go on into the book of Acts,
- 38:32you see Luke continuing
- 38:34to show what these peace-filled people did,
- 38:37what the resurrection did
- 38:38for them as a people.
- 38:40But we get an indication of it
- 38:42here at the end of Luke
- 38:44in chapter 24.
- 38:46And the first thing that we see about them
- 38:48is the peace that they had.
- 38:50And then that leads us
- 38:52to see the purpose
- 38:53it gave them.
- 38:55And then the third thing we see
- 38:56is the power
- 38:57that was with them.
- 39:00This is all based on the fact
- 39:01that Christ died
- 39:02for our sins,
- 39:04but on the third day
- 39:05he rose.
- 39:07So we just want to look
- 39:08at these things.
- 39:09First of all,
- 39:09the resurrection brought
- 39:11this peace
- 39:12to the people.
- 39:14The disciples
- 39:15and those who had been
- 39:17at Calvary,
- 39:18coming away from there,
- 39:19they were like mourners.
- 39:21They had been to a death,
- 39:22they had seen the Lord buried
- 39:24and they came away
- 39:25as mourners.
- 39:27And the days following
- 39:28the crucifixion,
- 39:31they rested
- 39:32on the Saturday,
- 39:33on the Sabbath
- 39:34as it was,
- 39:35but they didn't have
- 39:37that rest.
- 39:38They didn't have that peace.
- 39:40Because,
- 39:41as you see,
- 39:42with the two on the road
- 39:43to Emmaus,
- 39:44when you read verse 18,
- 39:45it says there,
- 39:46one of them named Cleopas
- 39:48answered him,
- 39:49are you the only visitor
- 39:51to Jerusalem
- 39:52who does not know
- 39:54the things that have
- 39:54happened there
- 39:55in these days?
- 39:57And he's saying,
- 39:57you know,
- 39:58what things?
- 39:59And they said to him,
- 40:00concerning Jesus of Nazareth,
- 40:02a man who was a prophet,
- 40:04mighty indeed,
- 40:05and word before God
- 40:06and all the people,
- 40:07and how our chief priests
- 40:09and rulers
- 40:09delivered him up
- 40:10to be condemned to death
- 40:11and crucified him.
- 40:13And you see there
- 40:14that they've got two
- 40:16out of the three things
- 40:17there,
- 40:18of what Jesus had taught
- 40:19and what they had seen,
- 40:21that he had been delivered
- 40:22and that they'd been crucified,
- 40:24but the third bit
- 40:25is missing.
- 40:26Because what they say is,
- 40:28but we had hoped
- 40:29that he was the one
- 40:31to redeem Israel.
- 40:33We had hoped,
- 40:34but it's like their hope
- 40:35is gone.
- 40:38But like Jesus had said,
- 40:41on the third day
- 40:42he will rise.
- 40:44But they had forgotten
- 40:45that it was like
- 40:46their hope was gone.
- 40:47The resurrection
- 40:48changes all of that.
- 40:51And that's why we see
- 40:52the amazing way,
- 40:54the amazing power
- 40:55of what Jesus says
- 40:56in verse 36.
- 40:58Their mourning
- 40:59has been turned to joy.
- 41:01And Jesus stood among them
- 41:03and said,
- 41:04peace to you.
- 41:06Here he was,
- 41:07here he was beside them all,
- 41:09with them all,
- 41:10speaking these wonderful words,
- 41:13peace to you.
- 41:15and what a difference
- 41:16that made to them.
- 41:19And we've reflected
- 41:20on how so much
- 41:21of what we read here
- 41:22about the death of Jesus,
- 41:25we also go back
- 41:26to Isaiah 53.
- 41:28And again,
- 41:29this evening,
- 41:29as we think of Jesus
- 41:30saying,
- 41:31peace to you,
- 41:32we go back to Isaiah 53.
- 41:35And in verse 5,
- 41:36we are reminded there,
- 41:37he was wounded
- 41:38for our transgressions,
- 41:39he was crushed
- 41:41for our iniquities.
- 41:42Upon him was the chastisement
- 41:44that brought us peace.
- 41:48That brought us peace.
- 41:51And with his stripes,
- 41:53we are healed.
- 41:55And so as we look here
- 41:56and see that Christ
- 41:58was brought before the scribes
- 42:01and the Pharisees
- 42:02as he was crucified,
- 42:04but on the third day he rose.
- 42:07there is peace.
- 42:12There is a peace
- 42:13that Jesus brought
- 42:14to his people then
- 42:16and there is a peace
- 42:17that he brings to us now
- 42:19to know
- 42:19that he has risen.
- 42:22Another example
- 42:23of what a difference
- 42:24it made
- 42:24into those
- 42:25who were around him
- 42:26in these days
- 42:27was the Gospel of John
- 42:28speaks about
- 42:29the account of Mary
- 42:30meeting Jesus
- 42:31at the tomb.
- 42:32in another way
- 42:34it goes into more detail.
- 42:37She was weeping
- 42:37over Jesus.
- 42:39She was looking
- 42:39for his body.
- 42:42And Jesus himself
- 42:43came to her
- 42:44and in John 20
- 42:46verse 15
- 42:46it says,
- 42:48if you have carried him away
- 42:49tell me
- 42:50where you have put him
- 42:51and I will get him.
- 42:52She didn't know
- 42:53it was Jesus.
- 42:55But Jesus said to her,
- 42:57Mary,
- 42:58one word.
- 43:00And she turned to him
- 43:01and cried out
- 43:02in Aramaic
- 43:03Rabboni
- 43:04which means teacher.
- 43:06Her despair,
- 43:07her tears
- 43:08are turned to joy.
- 43:11She turns there
- 43:12and sees him
- 43:13Rabboni teacher.
- 43:16Suddenly there is joy,
- 43:17there is peace.
- 43:20And what did this
- 43:21lead her to do?
- 43:22Well she threw herself
- 43:23at his feet
- 43:24and clung to him.
- 43:25She didn't want
- 43:26to let go.
- 43:28But when she left him
- 43:29she met with the disciples
- 43:31and said,
- 43:31I have seen
- 43:32the Lord.
- 43:33I have seen him.
- 43:34And these are the words
- 43:35that they are saying
- 43:36were just idle tales
- 43:38and they did not believe
- 43:39until they saw him
- 43:40himself.
- 43:42She had something
- 43:43worth talking about
- 43:45and so do we.
- 43:46So do we have something
- 43:47worth talking about
- 43:48when we think of this peace
- 43:49that the Lord
- 43:51is able
- 43:51to give.
- 43:53Peace for life,
- 43:55peace for death,
- 43:56peace for
- 43:57eternity.
- 43:58one of the saddest things
- 44:02I have seen
- 44:02on the television
- 44:03in these last few days
- 44:04has been
- 44:05as we have been
- 44:06seeing the vote
- 44:07that took place
- 44:07in the parliament
- 44:08and the response
- 44:09to it.
- 44:11One lady broke my heart
- 44:12as she spoke
- 44:13on television
- 44:14saying,
- 44:15I can now die
- 44:16in peace.
- 44:17peace.
- 44:19And it breaks
- 44:20your heart
- 44:20when you see
- 44:21because that is
- 44:21someone with
- 44:22no thought
- 44:23of Christ,
- 44:24no thought
- 44:25of God,
- 44:27no thought
- 44:27of eternity
- 44:28but saying,
- 44:30I can now die
- 44:30in peace.
- 44:32peace.
- 44:33But there is
- 44:34no peace.
- 44:35There is no peace
- 44:37apart from Christ.
- 44:39Somebody once put it
- 44:40like this,
- 44:41the most unhappy
- 44:41person in the world
- 44:42is not someone
- 44:44who didn't get
- 44:45what he or she
- 44:46wanted.
- 44:47The most unhappy
- 44:48person is the one
- 44:49who got what he
- 44:50or she wanted
- 44:51and then found out
- 44:52it wasn't as wonderful
- 44:54as expected.
- 44:56And that's the reality
- 44:57of our situation
- 44:59today.
- 45:00People have got
- 45:00what they wanted.
- 45:02But it will never
- 45:03be as wonderful
- 45:04as they expected.
- 45:06You see,
- 45:06the secret isn't
- 45:07getting what you want
- 45:09but getting what you need.
- 45:13And what we need
- 45:13is this peace
- 45:15of Christ,
- 45:16the peace
- 45:17that he speaks
- 45:18because this is the peace
- 45:20that changes lives.
- 45:21This is the peace
- 45:22that brings us
- 45:23to see the world
- 45:24in a different way,
- 45:26to see our lives
- 45:27in a different way,
- 45:29to look at the cross
- 45:30in a different way
- 45:31even and see
- 45:32he died for our sins
- 45:33but he rose again.
- 45:35He's victorious
- 45:36and therefore
- 45:38we have hope
- 45:39in his death
- 45:40and his resurrection.
- 45:42We find peace
- 45:43in that
- 45:44because that is the peace
- 45:45that is ours
- 45:47through faith in Christ
- 45:48and the peace
- 45:50that leads us on.
- 45:53So we look
- 45:54to this part
- 45:55and we see
- 45:55the peace
- 45:56that Jesus gives
- 45:58to his people.
- 45:59but we also see
- 46:01the resurrection
- 46:02and the peace
- 46:03it brings.
- 46:03It brings a new purpose
- 46:05to the people
- 46:06as well.
- 46:08When the disciples
- 46:09met with Jesus
- 46:10after the resurrection
- 46:11it gave them
- 46:13a new purpose.
- 46:15You think of Mary
- 46:16who we spoke of
- 46:17as soon as she
- 46:18met with Jesus.
- 46:19What did she want to do?
- 46:20She wanted to go
- 46:20and tell others
- 46:21he is risen.
- 46:23And you look
- 46:24at the two on the road
- 46:24to Emmaus
- 46:25and suddenly
- 46:26their eyes are opened
- 46:27and what do they want to do?
- 46:28They want to go back
- 46:29to Jerusalem
- 46:30and tell others
- 46:31that they have seen
- 46:32the Lord.
- 46:34We have seen him.
- 46:35He is risen.
- 46:37And so their lives
- 46:38are transformed.
- 46:39Their hearts
- 46:39were burning
- 46:40within them
- 46:41just wanting to burst
- 46:43and go and tell others.
- 46:46And you see it go on
- 46:48with the disciples
- 46:50at the end
- 46:51of this chapter
- 46:52and then as you go
- 46:52into the book of Acts
- 46:53you see Peter
- 46:55in all boldness
- 46:56standing before the crowds
- 46:58proclaiming the gospel
- 47:00proclaiming the good news
- 47:02of Jesus Christ.
- 47:04The Christ
- 47:05who was condemned
- 47:06by the scribes
- 47:07and the Pharisees
- 47:08the Christ
- 47:10who was crucified
- 47:11the Christ
- 47:12who is risen
- 47:13the Christ
- 47:15who is risen.
- 47:18You see Paul
- 47:18and his purpose
- 47:20in life
- 47:20transformed
- 47:21by meeting Jesus
- 47:23from one
- 47:24who was condemning
- 47:25the Christians
- 47:25in his day
- 47:26to going out
- 47:27and proclaiming
- 47:28the Christ.
- 47:29And again and again
- 47:30he makes that point
- 47:31in his letters.
- 47:32We do not preach
- 47:33ourselves
- 47:34but Jesus Christ
- 47:35as Lord.
- 47:37Woe to me
- 47:38if I do not preach
- 47:39the gospel.
- 47:40And what is at the heart
- 47:41of this
- 47:42is the resurrection.
- 47:43The resurrection
- 47:44that Christ
- 47:45is risen.
- 47:48And that's the
- 47:49peace filled people
- 47:50that we see.
- 47:51Lives that were
- 47:52so despondent
- 47:54so dismayed
- 47:55transformed
- 47:55because
- 47:56he is risen.
- 47:59It is
- 47:59the peace
- 48:00that Christ
- 48:01gives
- 48:02as Paul says
- 48:03in Colossians
- 48:04chapter 3
- 48:05verse 15
- 48:06let the peace
- 48:07of Christ
- 48:07rule your hearts
- 48:09to which indeed
- 48:10you were called
- 48:10in one body
- 48:12and be thankful.
- 48:12Let the word
- 48:13of Christ
- 48:14dwell in you
- 48:15richly
- 48:15teaching and admonishing
- 48:17one another
- 48:18in all wisdom.
- 48:19You see the peace
- 48:20that he gives
- 48:21it gives us
- 48:21something worth
- 48:23talking about.
- 48:24It gives us
- 48:25that purpose.
- 48:28And they go
- 48:29from being
- 48:29startled and
- 48:31frightened
- 48:31even as you see
- 48:32here
- 48:32in verse 37
- 48:34they were startled
- 48:35and frightened
- 48:36and thought
- 48:37they saw
- 48:37a spirit
- 48:38they didn't know
- 48:39what they were seeing
- 48:40and yet in verse 41
- 48:42it says
- 48:42while they still
- 48:43disbelieved
- 48:44for joy
- 48:45and they were
- 48:46for joy
- 48:48and were marveling
- 48:49he said to them
- 48:50have you anything
- 48:51to eat.
- 48:52They're transformed
- 48:54they're brought
- 48:54from startled
- 48:57and frightened
- 48:57to joy
- 48:58even in the midst
- 48:59of disbelief
- 49:00they can't believe
- 49:01what they're seeing
- 49:02and that's the wonder
- 49:05of the gospel
- 49:06it's a wonder
- 49:08that we see
- 49:08and the purpose
- 49:09that it gives
- 49:10something so
- 49:12unbelievable
- 49:13something so
- 49:14amazing
- 49:15something so
- 49:16wonderful
- 49:17and yet Christ
- 49:18has spoken
- 49:19to us
- 49:20and Christ
- 49:21has given
- 49:22to us
- 49:23that peace
- 49:23and that hope
- 49:25Christ
- 49:28is good news
- 49:30Christ
- 49:31is the good news
- 49:32that our world
- 49:32needs
- 49:33and even as we think
- 49:34of the month
- 49:35that comes
- 49:36ahead of us
- 49:37as we think
- 49:38of the run up
- 49:38to Christmas
- 49:39when so much
- 49:40is about
- 49:40distraction
- 49:41from the real
- 49:42meaning
- 49:42of Christ
- 49:44and what he means
- 49:45to this world
- 49:46it's being pushed
- 49:47out
- 49:48yet what an
- 49:49opportunity
- 49:50it is for us
- 49:51to tell the story
- 49:52of Christ
- 49:53who came into
- 49:54this world
- 49:55to save sinners
- 49:56because we realize
- 49:58that Christ
- 49:58died for us
- 49:59and rose again
- 50:00and when people
- 50:01come to understand
- 50:02that as you see
- 50:03here
- 50:03it changes
- 50:04everything
- 50:05and so this is
- 50:07worth speaking
- 50:09about
- 50:09this is worth
- 50:10telling others
- 50:12about the
- 50:13resurrection
- 50:13gives us
- 50:14purpose
- 50:15when we know
- 50:17the peace
- 50:17of Christ
- 50:18in us
- 50:19it gives us
- 50:20purpose
- 50:20to go and
- 50:21share
- 50:21with others
- 50:23the gospel
- 50:24it's central
- 50:26to our mission
- 50:28it's central
- 50:28to what we are
- 50:29as a people
- 50:30what we are
- 50:30as a church
- 50:31these three things
- 50:33that Christ
- 50:35must suffer
- 50:36at the hands
- 50:36of sinful men
- 50:37be crucified
- 50:38and on the third
- 50:40day
- 50:40rise
- 50:41the importance
- 50:43is there
- 50:44because Jesus
- 50:44himself told
- 50:46it so often
- 50:47and so the
- 50:48purpose
- 50:49as he says
- 50:50to them
- 50:50here now
- 50:50as he comes
- 50:52into their midst
- 50:53and speaks
- 50:53this word
- 50:54of peace
- 50:55he says
- 50:56then in verse
- 50:5644
- 50:57these are my
- 50:58words
- 50:58and I spoke
- 50:59to you
- 50:59while I was
- 50:59still alive
- 51:00that everything
- 51:01written about
- 51:02me in the law
- 51:03of Moses
- 51:03and the prophets
- 51:04and the Psalms
- 51:05must be fulfilled
- 51:06and then he
- 51:08opened their minds
- 51:08to understand
- 51:10the scriptures
- 51:11and then he
- 51:13goes on to say
- 51:14thus it is written
- 51:15that the Christ
- 51:15should suffer
- 51:16and on the third
- 51:17day rise
- 51:19from the dead
- 51:20and the purpose
- 51:22then is
- 51:22that repentance
- 51:23and forgiveness
- 51:24of sin
- 51:25should be
- 51:25proclaimed
- 51:26in his name
- 51:27to all nations
- 51:28it is the purpose
- 51:30given to the church
- 51:31to the people
- 51:32of God
- 51:33to proclaim
- 51:34this message
- 51:36of a risen
- 51:37saviour
- 51:37to a world
- 51:39that is perishing
- 51:40so we see
- 51:42the resurrection
- 51:44and the peace
- 51:45it brought
- 51:45we see the resurrection
- 51:46and the purpose
- 51:47it brought
- 51:48but finally
- 51:49we see the resurrection
- 51:50and the power
- 51:51that was brought
- 51:52as well
- 51:53the resurrection
- 51:55reminds us
- 51:56of the power
- 51:56of Christ
- 51:58his power
- 51:59over sin
- 52:00and death
- 52:01that he has conquered
- 52:02and the power
- 52:03that he has
- 52:04to save
- 52:05to the uttermost
- 52:06you see
- 52:08he is saying
- 52:08there
- 52:09the repentance
- 52:09and forgiveness
- 52:11of sin
- 52:11should be proclaimed
- 52:12to all nations
- 52:13beginning in Jerusalem
- 52:14you are my witnesses
- 52:15to these things
- 52:17and behold
- 52:17I am sending
- 52:18the promise
- 52:19of my father
- 52:20upon you
- 52:21that he is going
- 52:23to be with them
- 52:23that the Holy Spirit
- 52:24is going to come down
- 52:26upon them
- 52:27and be with them
- 52:28so
- 52:31the resurrection
- 52:32and the mission
- 52:33of the church
- 52:34are so connected
- 52:36with the promise
- 52:37of the power
- 52:39of Christ
- 52:39with his people
- 52:41the Holy Spirit
- 52:42poured down
- 52:44upon them
- 52:45and that is the way
- 52:47that we see
- 52:48the gospel
- 52:48this amazing way
- 52:50it transforms
- 52:50people's lives
- 52:52the way the gospel
- 52:54opens hearts
- 52:55the way the gospel
- 52:56brings us to see
- 52:58a new purpose
- 52:59in this life
- 53:00instead of
- 53:01worshipping self
- 53:02and the gods
- 53:03of this world
- 53:04we come
- 53:05to worship
- 53:05the true
- 53:06and the living God
- 53:08the resurrection
- 53:09brings power
- 53:11Paul again
- 53:14writing in
- 53:151 Corinthians
- 53:16says
- 53:16the word of the cross
- 53:18is folly
- 53:18to those who are perishing
- 53:20it is foolishness
- 53:21to those who are perishing
- 53:23the cross
- 53:23means nothing
- 53:25but he goes on
- 53:27to say
- 53:27but to us
- 53:28who are being saved
- 53:29it is the power
- 53:31of God
- 53:32the cross
- 53:34is the power
- 53:35of God
- 53:36God's word
- 53:37is powerful
- 53:38God's word
- 53:40is active
- 53:41God's word
- 53:43is able
- 53:44to save
- 53:45in a world
- 53:47that sees
- 53:47so much folly
- 53:48in the cross
- 53:49we should never
- 53:50lose heart
- 53:51instead there is
- 53:52the power
- 53:53of God
- 53:53the power
- 53:54of God
- 53:55to salvation
- 53:56that is our hope
- 53:59that is the gospel
- 54:00that we are called
- 54:02to proclaim
- 54:02with purpose
- 54:04and with power
- 54:06all for the glory
- 54:08of God
- 54:09John Wesley
- 54:12was a great
- 54:13evangelist
- 54:14and his vision
- 54:16was never
- 54:16a small
- 54:17vision
- 54:18and he once
- 54:19said this
- 54:20I want the whole
- 54:22Christ
- 54:22for my saviour
- 54:24I want the whole
- 54:25Bible
- 54:26for my book
- 54:27I want the whole
- 54:29church
- 54:29for my fellowship
- 54:31and I want the whole
- 54:32world
- 54:33for my mission
- 54:34field
- 54:35he never
- 54:37underestimated
- 54:37the power
- 54:38of God
- 54:39the power
- 54:40of God
- 54:41to save
- 54:42and the peace
- 54:44filled
- 54:44people of God
- 54:45are always
- 54:46to be a people
- 54:47of purpose
- 54:48and a people
- 54:49of the power
- 54:50of God
- 54:50with them
- 54:51because we have
- 54:53something
- 54:53to talk
- 54:55about
- 54:55we have
- 54:56something
- 54:56to tell
- 54:57the world
- 54:58around
- 54:58about
- 54:59that
- 55:01Christ
- 55:01came
- 55:02he came
- 55:03to be
- 55:05put into
- 55:06the hands
- 55:07of sinful
- 55:08men
- 55:08to be
- 55:09crucified
- 55:09but on the
- 55:11third day
- 55:11to rise
- 55:13and that is
- 55:15a reminder
- 55:15to us
- 55:16that for
- 55:17everyone around
- 55:18us
- 55:18for us all
- 55:19here
- 55:19for us all
- 55:20everyone we see
- 55:21around us
- 55:22that the day
- 55:22will come
- 55:23when we must
- 55:24appear
- 55:25before the
- 55:26judgment seat
- 55:26of Christ
- 55:27the day
- 55:29of the
- 55:30resurrection
- 55:31the final
- 55:32resurrection
- 55:33and what
- 55:35then
- 55:35where will we
- 55:37stand
- 55:37then
- 55:37will the cross
- 55:39then be
- 55:40foolishness
- 55:40will it be
- 55:42folly to us
- 55:43on that day
- 55:44when we see
- 55:45indeed
- 55:46Christ appearing
- 55:47in our midst
- 55:48will it be
- 55:50foolishness
- 55:51to us
- 55:51or will it
- 55:53be too
- 55:53late
- 55:53the cross
- 55:57is the
- 55:58power of
- 55:59God
- 55:59to salvation
- 56:00it's the
- 56:02cross
- 56:02that we
- 56:03look to
- 56:04the cross
- 56:05where we
- 56:06see the
- 56:07one who
- 56:07was pierced
- 56:08for our
- 56:09transgressions
- 56:10the one who
- 56:12we look to
- 56:12in the midst
- 56:13of a world
- 56:13that's calling
- 56:15in so many
- 56:15different voices
- 56:16to go this
- 56:18way to go
- 56:18that way
- 56:19to shun
- 56:20God
- 56:20to turn
- 56:21away from
- 56:21him
- 56:22are we going
- 56:23to listen
- 56:23to these
- 56:24voices
- 56:24or will we
- 56:26listen to
- 56:26the voice
- 56:27of the
- 56:28Lord
- 56:28the voice
- 56:30of the
- 56:30Lord
- 56:30who even
- 56:31this evening
- 56:31we could
- 56:32say
- 56:32is here
- 56:33with us
- 56:34he is here
- 56:35with us
- 56:36through his
- 56:37word
- 56:37and his
- 56:39word this
- 56:39evening is
- 56:40peace
- 56:40to you
- 56:42peace
- 56:44but do
- 56:46you have
- 56:46this peace
- 56:48do you
- 56:49have that
- 56:50peace
- 56:50that can
- 56:51only be
- 56:51found
- 56:52in Christ
- 56:53nothing
- 56:55in this
- 56:55world
- 56:56can offer
- 56:57the peace
- 56:57that he
- 56:58gives
- 56:58because it
- 57:00is a
- 57:00peace
- 57:00for today
- 57:01it is a
- 57:03peace
- 57:03for tomorrow
- 57:04it's a
- 57:05peace
- 57:05that passes
- 57:06understanding
- 57:07and it's a
- 57:08peace
- 57:09that will
- 57:10see us
- 57:10through
- 57:11into
- 57:12eternity
- 57:12there is
- 57:14a peace
- 57:15for us
- 57:16but it's
- 57:17only found
- 57:18in Christ
- 57:19we despair
- 57:21for those
- 57:22who would
- 57:23say
- 57:23that to
- 57:24die
- 57:24without
- 57:25Christ
- 57:25is to
- 57:27be able
- 57:27to die
- 57:28in peace
- 57:29it never
- 57:31is
- 57:31the only
- 57:33way to
- 57:33die
- 57:34in peace
- 57:35is to
- 57:36die
- 57:36with
- 57:37Christ
- 57:38in your
- 57:39heart
- 57:39and that
- 57:40assurance
- 57:41of believing
- 57:42in him
- 57:43the one
- 57:45who was
- 57:45condemned
- 57:46the one
- 57:47who was
- 57:47crucified
- 57:48but the
- 57:50one who
- 57:50is risen
- 57:51the one
- 57:52who rose
- 57:53on the
- 57:53third day
- 57:54and the
- 57:55one
- 57:56who will
- 57:57come
- 57:57again
- 57:57the one
- 57:59who is
- 58:00victorious
- 58:01the one
- 58:02who is
- 58:02building
- 58:03his church
- 58:04the one
- 58:06who would
- 58:07want to
- 58:07come and
- 58:08say
- 58:08my
- 58:09lord
- 58:10my
- 58:10god
- 58:11my
- 58:12king
- 58:12may we
- 58:14find our
- 58:14peace
- 58:15in him
- 58:16let us
- 58:17pray
- 58:17lord our
- 58:21gracious
- 58:22god we do
- 58:23thank you for
- 58:23all that you do
- 58:24for us
- 58:25all that you
- 58:25have done
- 58:26as we have
- 58:27reflected so
- 58:28much on the
- 58:29cross and
- 58:30all that you
- 58:31suffered
- 58:31there
- 58:32yet we
- 58:33thank you
- 58:33that as we
- 58:34come this
- 58:34evening we
- 58:35see too
- 58:36that just as
- 58:37you had
- 58:37spoken to
- 58:38your people
- 58:39that you
- 58:39would rise
- 58:40on the
- 58:40third day
- 58:41so it
- 58:42was that
- 58:42you appeared
- 58:43to them
- 58:44even though
- 58:45it brought
- 58:45disbelief
- 58:46in so many
- 58:47even though
- 58:48there were
- 58:49so many
- 58:49who were
- 58:49frightened
- 58:50and startled
- 58:51yet we
- 58:52thank you
- 58:52that there
- 58:52was joy
- 58:53there was
- 58:54joy in
- 58:55the one
- 58:55who was
- 58:55risen
- 58:56in the
- 58:57one who
- 58:57they saw
- 58:58in disbelief
- 59:00at times
- 59:00and yet the
- 59:01one who
- 59:02they rejoiced
- 59:02in
- 59:03and we
- 59:04thank you
- 59:04that you
- 59:04are the
- 59:04lord who
- 59:05is risen
- 59:05today
- 59:06that we
- 59:07look to
- 59:08the one
- 59:08who rose
- 59:09from the
- 59:09grave
- 59:09who ascended
- 59:10to heaven
- 59:11who is
- 59:11even now
- 59:12at the
- 59:12right hand
- 59:13of god
- 59:13the father
- 59:14making
- 59:15intercession
- 59:16for us
- 59:16and the
- 59:17one who
- 59:18we know
- 59:18will come
- 59:19again
- 59:19and to
- 59:20bring that
- 59:20day of
- 59:21peace
- 59:21that we
- 59:22long for
- 59:22but we
- 59:23thank you
- 59:24today lord
- 59:25that with
- 59:25you
- 59:25that there
- 59:26is peace
- 59:27to be
- 59:27found
- 59:27and we
- 59:28pray that
- 59:29we will
- 59:29know that
- 59:29peace
- 59:30going forward
- 59:31this evening
- 59:32and into
- 59:32the days
- 59:32ahead
- 59:33and that
- 59:34that peace
- 59:34would give
- 59:35us a
- 59:35great
- 59:36purpose
- 59:36in sharing
- 59:37the message
- 59:38of the gospel
- 59:39with others
- 59:39and that
- 59:40that peace
- 59:41would remind
- 59:41us of the
- 59:42power that is
- 59:43ours through
- 59:44christ
- 59:44so hear our
- 59:46prayers
- 59:46continue with us
- 59:47and forgive
- 59:48our sins
- 59:49as all we ask
- 59:50we ask in
- 59:50jesus name
- 59:51amen
- 59:52we're going
- 59:56to conclude
- 59:57by singing
- 59:57to god's
- 59:58praise
- 59:58in psalm
- 59:5916
- 1:00:00in the
- 1:00:00sing
- 1:00:01psalms
- 1:00:01version
- 1:00:02psalm
- 1:00:0616
- 1:00:07in the
- 1:00:07sing
- 1:00:07psalms
- 1:00:08version
- 1:00:08we'll sing
- 1:00:08from
- 1:00:08verse 8
- 1:00:09to
- 1:00:10verse
- 1:00:1011
- 1:00:11and these
- 1:00:14words are
- 1:00:14the words
- 1:00:15that remind
- 1:00:15us how we
- 1:00:16go from
- 1:00:16here
- 1:00:17setting the
- 1:00:18lord
- 1:00:18before us
- 1:00:19but also
- 1:00:20speaks to
- 1:00:21us too
- 1:00:21of the
- 1:00:22peace
- 1:00:22that it
- 1:00:23gives to
- 1:00:23us as
- 1:00:24we go
- 1:00:24on
- 1:00:24before me
- 1:00:26constantly
- 1:00:26i set
- 1:00:27the lord
- 1:00:28alone
- 1:00:28because he
- 1:00:29is at
- 1:00:29my right
- 1:00:30hand
- 1:00:30i'll not
- 1:00:31be
- 1:00:31overthrown
- 1:00:32therefore
- 1:00:32my heart
- 1:00:33is glad
- 1:00:34my tongue
- 1:00:35with joy
- 1:00:36will sing
- 1:00:36my body
- 1:00:37too
- 1:00:38will rest
- 1:00:38secure
- 1:00:39in hope
- 1:00:39unwavering
- 1:00:41we'll sing
- 1:00:41from verse
- 1:00:418 to
- 1:00:42the end
- 1:00:42of the
- 1:00:42psalm
- 1:00:43to god's
- 1:00:44praise
- 1:00:44voy voy
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07!
- 1:01:05voy
- 1:01:07Because it is that my right hand I'll not be overdone.
- 1:01:25Therefore my heart is loud, my tongue which I will sing.
- 1:01:44Thy body too will rest in pure in hope and withering.
- 1:02:03For you will not allow my soul in death to save.
- 1:02:21For when you leave your holy blood to see the truth today,
- 1:02:38you have made hope to me.
- 1:02:49Where hath the light divine,
- 1:02:59This shall I hope that you're right hand,
- 1:03:09Joy from your face will shine.
- 1:03:19We'll give thanks for the food we're going to have next door,
- 1:03:23and then the benediction, and after that I'll go to the main door.
- 1:03:27Lord, our gracious God, we ask you to continue with us now in our fellowship together.
- 1:03:31We thank you for all that's been prepared for us.
- 1:03:35The food that we are about to receive, Lord, bless it to our bodies
- 1:03:38and continue to bless our fellowship around your word
- 1:03:41and the encouragement that we have in sharing and hearing of your goodness
- 1:03:46in the lives of your people.
- 1:03:48We pray that you'll bless both Paul and Elizabeth as they speak to us
- 1:03:52and all that we do in your name this evening.
- 1:03:55Now may grace, mercy, and peace from God,
- 1:03:58Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with you all now and forevermore.
- 1:04:06Amen.
- 1:04:08Amen.
- 1:04:09Thank you.