Preparation, Progress and Prayer

To be with you this evening for a time of worship as you prepare for your communion season.

And we'll begin our worship this evening beginning of singing from Psalm 33 in the Psalter.

! Psalm 33, we're going to sing from the beginning to verse 6 to the tune Irish.

Ye righteous in the Lord rejoice.

It comely is unright that upright men with thankful voice should praise the Lord of might.

Praise God with harp and unto him sing with the psaltery.

Upon a ten-stringed instrument make ye sweet melody.

We'll sing to the end of verse 6 to the praise of God together.

Ye righteous in the Lord rejoice.

It comely is unright that upright.

And half a bright men with thankful voice should praise the Lord of might.

Praise God with harp and unto him sing with the psaltery.

A song of the psaltery.

Upon a ten-stringed instrument make ye sweet melody.

A new song to him sing with the psaltery.

A new song to him sing and play with loud noise skillfully.

For righteous God's word.

All his words are done in mercy.

To judgment unto righteousness.

To judgment unto righteousness.

How love he may rest still.

The loving kindness of the Lord.

The air throughout the field.

The heavens by the word of God.

The heavens by the word of God.

In their beginning day.

The heavens by the word of God.

The heavens by the word of God.

The heavens by the word of God.

Their frame did take.

Lord these words remind us this evening.

That we are coming before you.

Creator and sustainer.

Sovereign ruler.

Almighty God.

And so we bow Lord this evening.

We acknowledge you.

We ask that as we join together for this hour of worship.

As we open your word.

And as Lord we spend this time in worship.

We pray that you would draw near to us, Lord, and do us good.

That we pray, that you pray, that you pray,

That you pray, that you pray,

That you pray, that you pray,

That you pray, that you pray,

That you pray,

Lord we spend this time in worship we pray that you would draw near to us Lord and do us good

that we might know the presence of the Holy Spirit here this evening and that he would in our hearts

testify to the wonder and beauty and splendor and depth and richness of your provision toward us in

Christ who has said he will testify of me and so Lord we ask tonight at the outset of this communion

weekend for your blessing upon word and sacrament upon fellowship and singing that you would hear

the prayers of your people and as they offer Lord to you their petitions as they bring to you the

concerns of their heart as they seek the blessing of the Lord upon the cause of Christ here in Stornoway

and across our island Lord be near them bless them keep them we pray and as they spend this time around

your word together tomorrow with Callum and over the weekend with David we pray Lord God that you

would draw near and bless we pray that there would be a real encouragement and a an enriching of spiritual

vitality a depth and a deepening of grace and faith by both word and sacrament being received in faith

Lord we thank you that you deal with us in such a way that we have here in our midst the very word of

life and we bless you that you speak to us and that the word of God continues to do the work of God in

hearts around our island and in their nation across the world this very evening we pray tonight for all

the prayer meetings being held across our island we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who will

be meeting just as we are with their Bibles open singing praise to the living God seeking your blessing

the word as it is explained and broken down and Lord we pray that here and all these meetings across

the land it would be to the benefit and blessing of your people that there would be real encouragement

tonight through fellowship and preaching and prayer and praise that as your people worship they would

be prepared Lord to meet you in that place of stillness and then ready to meet the world and tomorrow

and in the next day at times we are so grateful for these Wednesday nights to come together to gather

around the word brothers and sisters in Christ to remind ourselves whose we are and who we are children

of the living God and so Lord as we reflect on these wonderful truths and the vitality of the gospel we

pray for your blessing on your cause in Stornoway be with Calamurdo the elders and deacons the Sunday

school teachers all the activities and groups and plans that go toward making this place a place that is

dedicated to your glory and your praise and honour and Lord may that work reap a great harvest may your

people be enriched and encouraged and built up in the faith and may those who as yet are unconvinced and

unconverted Lord draw them we pray by your grace and in your power may there be conviction of sin in hearts

may eyes be opened to the awfulness of our situation out with Jesus where we would remain under the wrath and

judgment of God and so Lord we pray for the reality of our precariousness to be blessed to many and that

Lord as that work begins may your people come alongside to share a word in season a word of hope a word of grace

and remind those who may seek you of the invitation and summons of Jesus come to me

we are reminded of Philip's example when he spoke to that Ethiopian official he told him the good news

about Jesus and what news it is the son of God who came into this world to seek and to save the lost

he paid a price that we could not pay he stood in a place so that we would not have to experience

separation and darkness and the awfulness of that forsakenness that he felt on that cross

for he tasted that death which was due to fallen sinners and so we pray Lord that that

atoning sacrifice would be ever more precious to us in the days ahead and that we would in our own way

in time figure out ways to share and explain and describe the finished work of Christ in truthfulness

in love with a sense of awe and wonder and that we Lord as people who have come to know the Lord as our

saviour may our commitment to him in your grace and mercy become convincing to those around us for we know

Lord they watch our lives they they read our decisions they watch our conduct may our conduct be

as we as we are called to be holy may our conduct be one a pattern of reverence and awe that we might

have within us and out with us and about us a fear of the Lord that would speak to those around we pray

Lord then your blessing on your word tonight on the upcoming communion services across our island

and those as they preach Lord may they be endowed with the spirit from on high to show forth the praises

of Christ to declare a risen saviour who was dead and now is alive Lord we commit to you the cares and

concerns of our hearts tonight we pray for the congregation at this time of vacancy may they Lord be blessed to

engage with the work may they be encouraged to engage with the work and may you bless Lord their endeavours

in the cause of Christ at this time we seek your leading in these things as in all things and we pray

Lord that you would make your way known to the congregation here and to each one who has such a

concern for the cause that this congregation has stood for all these years and generations Lord we

require and need and plead for your blessing for without the Lord the labour is in vain and so we

we express Lord and acknowledge our dependence and we seek your blessing and we ask the forgiveness of

our sin and everything we do we ask in Jesus name amen

we'll return to sing psalms this evening we'll sing from psalm 34 and the beginning of the psalm psalm 34 and

sing psalms we're going to sing to verse 9 to the tune Jackson at all times I will bless the Lord

I'll praise him with my voice because I glory in the Lord let troubled souls rejoice together let us

praise the Lord exalt his name with me I sought the Lord his answer came from fears he set me free

psalm 34 we'll sing to verse 9 to God's praise

praise the Lord

at all times I will bless the Lord I'll praise him with my voice because I glory in the Lord let troubled souls rejoice

praise the Lord let them rejoice

praise the Lord exalt his name with me I sought the Lord his answer came from fears he set me free

I sought the Lord his answer came from fears he set me free

voyance voyance voyance

voyance

voyance

From him deliver and save.

The angel of the Lord surrounds and guards continually.

All those who fear and honor him, he sets his feet.

The angel of the Lord is good, who just in him is blessed.

O fear the Lord, you saints with me, you will not be oppressed.

I will turn this evening together in our Bibles to the first letter of Peter.

1 Peter, reading in chapter 1.

1 Peter, chapter 1, where we find the apostle fulfilling the commission given by the Lord

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

to feed the Lord's people, to teach the Lord's people and encourage the Lord's people.

And he writes to the elect exiles of the dispersion scattered across the Roman Empire

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.

And he writes and wishes grace and peace being multiplied to them.

He speaks then about our being born again to a living hope.

And having said something about that, we'll read from verse 13,

where he links into what he's just said about the living hope that belongs to every Christian.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded,

set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 13.

1 Peter 1:13

1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 13.

1 Peter 1:13

Sincere, brotherly love.

Love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again,

not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.

For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

May the Lord bless his word to our hearts this evening.

We'll think about that passage in a few moments together.

First of all, we'll sing again from Sing Psalm, Psalm 25.

Psalm 25, singing from verse 8.

And we'll sing to verse 15, to the tune Rockingham.

Because the Lord is just and good, he shows his paths to all who stray.

He guides the meek in what is right and teaches them his holy way.

We'll sing to verse 15 together to God's praise.

Because the Lord is just and good, he shows his paths to all who stray.

He guides the meek in what is right and teaches them his holy way.

He guides the meek in what is right and teaches them his holy way.

My great iniquity.

But then I'm going to clear the Lord.

He'll teach to them the chosen way.

That thing, 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

and deep will share.

My eyes are always on the Lord.

He'll be my feet from every stair.

Well, as we turn to 1 Peter again in chapter 1,

to think about something we've just sung about there

that speaks of there in verse 15,

my eyes are always on the Lord.

What a great description and definition that is of the Christian life.

My eyes are always on the Lord.

We'll bow in prayer for a few moments together.

Lord, that our eyes would always be fixed on you,

that we would heed the apostle's teaching

as he feeds the church through his apostolic writings

that have been blessed to our hearts down through the years.

We thank you, Lord, that the scriptures principally teach

what we are to believe concerning God

and the duty you require of us.

And so, Lord, as we take to heart your word,

we pray that your word would do its work in our hearts.

We ask, Lord, for understanding,

for insight, wisdom, patience, grace,

that we might apply to ourselves

what it is you would have us learn day by day

as we open our Bibles,

be it in public as it is this evening

or in private, Lord, we pray

that we might know your closeness

and have an eye to your glory

and have a desire,

a burning desire,

to serve and honour you.

Lord, take the glory to your name here this evening,

we pray in Jesus' precious name.

Amen.

Well, in 1 Peter in chapter 1,

precious words written with a very pastoral heart.

Peter fulfills the commission given by Jesus

that day on the beach when he said,

feed my lambs.

And here we find him doing just that,

wishing grace and peace

to be multiplied to his readers.

And as he goes on,

we'll find in the passage we read,

hopefully this evening,

that at the heart of what the New Testament

reveals to us all

is that when we come to Jesus

in repentance and faith,

when we respond as the Bible urges us to,

when we respond as the Spirit summons us to

and come to God's appointed means of salvation,

his Son, the Lord Jesus,

a change of heart is effected.

And that's where Peter is in verse 3.

According to his great mercy,

he has caused us to be born again

to a living hope.

He's immediately reminding these Christians,

many of whom were under the cosh,

struggling,

finding things hard,

that they needed to remember

or be reminded

who they were and whose they were.

And having mentioned that

at the beginning of the chapter,

we find him doing it again in verse 23.

Since you have been born again,

not of perishable seed,

but of imperishable

through the living word of God,

he's reminding us tonight

who we are and whose we are,

that there's been a change of heart.

This new birth has been effected

through the grace of God

and by the application of the Holy Spirit.

And now there's been a change of status.

Verse 4,

you have now been born again

to a living hope,

an inheritance

that is imperishable,

undefiled,

unfading,

being kept in heaven for you.

This is wonderful stuff

as Peter begins to draw out

the change of heart

and its implications.

It's not just a change of heart

because of the change of heart,

there's a change of status.

This inheritance is kept for you.

So brothers and sisters in Christ,

tonight we are being reminded

by the word

that our standing before God changes,

our focus on life changes,

our eternal destination changes

because of what the Lord has done

for us and in us

and through his son,

the Lord Jesus Christ.

It's a wonderful flow of language

that sets before us tonight,

this change of heart,

this eternal destination,

the standing.

It's ours

because of Christ Jesus,

our Lord and Saviour.

And that is made very clear

in verse 19

because all of this hinges on what?

the precious blood of Christ.

The precious blood of Christ.

As with Peter,

so Paul,

the two great teaching apostles

in their writing ministry

make the same emphasis.

You know well the words of Ephesians 2,

so famous and precious to Christians

down through the generations.

Once you were separated from Christ,

alienated,

strangers to the covenants of promise,

having no hope

and without God.

But now,

in Christ Jesus,

you who once were far off

have been brought near

by the blood of Christ.

And in his letter to the Colossians,

the same emphasis,

he has delivered us

from the domain of darkness

and transferred us

to the kingdom of his beloved son

in whom we have redemption,

the forgiveness of sins.

It's all about who Christ is

and what Christ has done.

And so Peter writes

to remind and encourage Christians

of this great reality

using the same powerful imagery

and language as Paul

and in so doing,

he places at the centre of it all

as Paul does

the precious blood of Christ.

Our change of heart

and the resultant fellowship

and status

and the eternal destination,

all these changes

that we can think through

and reflect on,

it all flows from

and are guaranteed by

the precious blood of Christ.

That is what we have been ransomed with.

Knowing that you were ransomed

from the futile ways

in verse 18,

inherited from your forefathers,

not with perishable things

such as silver and gold.

The world didn't do this.

Religion didn't do this.

The apostles didn't do this.

The temple didn't do this.

The sacrificial system,

the Aaronic priesthood,

none of these things

have done this for you,

Christian friend.

But nothing other

than the precious blood of Christ,

like that of a lamb

without blemish or spot.

And so tonight,

as we think about these things,

I want to reflect on you

with the centrality

of the blood of Christ

and the resultant

Christian way of life

that flows from this.

Our fellowship,

our worship,

the very character

that defines us,

our conduct,

which is mentioned here

twice in this passage,

all flows from

an acknowledgement

and a deep,

growing personal awareness

of our ransom price

being the blood of Jesus.

Many hymns have been written

to try and capture this.

One of the more famous ones.

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh, precious is the flow

that makes me white as snow.

No other fount I know.

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

And this is the heartbeat

of the New Testament.

The very pulse of every congregation

that names the name of Jesus,

that holds forth his praises.

It's all about the blood of Jesus,

which cleanses us

from all unrighteousness.

We profess our faith

and hope to be in him

and in him alone.

And so we have this

born again to a living hope

flowing straight into a passage

that says called to be holy.

So here's the implications

of this wonderful reality.

The precious blood of Jesus Christ

that makes us,

washes away our sin

and makes us whole again.

There's consequences.

There's an impact.

There's a result.

The Christian way of life.

There's a few things

to say about it this evening

as we spend a little bit

of time together.

Verse 13 says,

Therefore,

preparing your minds for action

and being sober-minded,

set your hope fully

on the grace

that will be brought to you

at the revelation

of Jesus Christ.

This Christian way of life

has the characteristic

of preparation.

Preparing your minds

for action.

Now this is not a

dodgy, weak link

to try and force in the word

preparatory.

It's at the heart

of the characteristics

that are listed

in the Christian way of life.

Preparation.

Preparing your minds

for action.

Being ready.

This is a call

to be prepared

and set your minds

to exert yourself.

It's almost as if

the picture is

of the athlete

in the blocks

waiting for the starter's gun.

Or you're fixing

your seatbelt.

You're ready to

rev the engine

and go,

let the handbrake off.

It's about this being ready

to go.

But to go where?

To do what?

Preparing your minds

for action

and being sober minded.

Clear the decks.

Clear the thoughts.

Clear the attention.

Clear the focus.

And set your hope fully

on the grace

that will be brought to you

at the revelation

of Jesus Christ.

And so we reflect

on who Jesus is

and what he's done

for us.

And the precious blood

of Jesus

that washes our sins away

and makes us

right and whole

again.

And as we commit ourselves

to the serious

sustained thinking,

this is how we begin

to achieve

a clearly committed

Christ-like

manner

or Christ-like

living.

So as we apply it,

the more we know him,

the more we study,

the more we rely on him,

the more we learn about him,

the more we love him,

the more we trust him,

the more evident

it will become

that we belong to him.

That we are his

and he is ours.

And that will be made

very evident

this Sunday morning

as you take your place

at his table.

You go there

on his summons.

You go there

called.

You go there

because in his love

he has prepared

a feast for you there.

And he sees

by his word

in his spirit

through grace

come

for all things

are now ready.

We've probably all

been in a position

where we've heard

that summons

and our hearts

have almost burst

with anticipation,

our love overflowing

and then suddenly

the focus shifts

and we come away

from our Lord's

finished work

and remember

our sin

and our weakness

and our failings

and our foibles

and our faults.

And we say

I can't go there.

That's for holy people.

Good people.

People better than me.

If they knew my heart,

if they knew my mind,

if they knew

the way my imagination works,

they would never be,

they would never allow me

near that table.

But friend,

it's not your sense

of righteousness

that brings you

to the table.

It is,

the words of verse 19,

your ransom price

is the precious blood

of Christ

shed

for you,

shed for me.

Because in and of ourselves,

lost,

destitute,

hopeless,

helpless,

strangers

to the commonwealth

of Israel,

go back to the language

of Ephesians 2,

once you were separated

from Christ,

alienated,

strangers to the covenants

of promise,

having no hope

and without God.

But,

now,

in Christ Jesus,

you who once

were far off

have been brought near

by the blood of Christ.

And it's having been

brought near,

we hear him say,

having come to me

in faith,

sit at my table.

I have a feast

for you.

And so,

the Christian way of life

has about it

a sense of preparation.

And as we prepare

and as we set our minds

on these things,

as we focus

and study

and reflect

and spend time

in fellowship

and listen to the word

and allow the word

to impact us

and change us

from the inside out,

and as we set our minds

on things that are above

and realise

and understand,

we are hidden in Christ.

The language

of the New Testament

is wonderful.

Set your hope

fully on the grace

that will be brought to you.

We are his.

And look what he says

as you think this through.

As obedient children,

do not be conformed

to the passions

of your former ignorance

where the devil

wants us looking,

especially at communion weekend.

He doesn't want us

focusing on the table

and the feast

and the preparation

and the lavishness

of the grace of our Lord.

He doesn't want us

thinking of his forsakenness

for us,

paying our price

that we could not pay,

going to that cross,

that darkness,

that awful judgment

that he experienced

so that we might have life

and forgiveness.

He wants us thinking

about our weakness,

our sin.

He wants us on the edge

of things.

He wants us fragile.

He wants us brittle.

He doesn't want us

at the table

because there's a feast there.

There's grace there.

There's strength there.

And we go there

as obedient children.

Do not be conformed

to the passions

of your former ignorance.

But as he who called you

is holy,

you will also be holy

in all your conduct.

And so we are to be obedient

and we are to be clear-minded.

We are to fix our attention

on our Lord and Saviour.

I want to share with you

a wonderful saying,

part of the writings

of the famous Oswald Chambers.

It's a saying I come back

to a number of occasions,

especially recently,

because it does a lot

in terms of clearing

the ground here,

making us just reflect

on what Peter is saying here

as in many other passages.

Oswald Chambers,

who had such a remarkable life

and achieved so much

in a relatively short time,

he wrote this,

shut out every other consideration

and keep yourself before God

for this one thing only,

my utmost for his highest.

I am determined

to be absolutely

and entirely for him

and for him alone.

That, friends,

is a wonderful summary

of the Christian way of life.

We've sung there

in Psalm 25,

For your name's sake,

O Lord my God,

forgive my great iniquity,

my eyes are always on the Lord.

He'll free my feet

from every snare.

As we keep our eyes

fixed on the Lord.

So we take Chambers'

resolution to heart

and say,

well,

if Oswald Chambers,

in 1919 or so,

or 1915 perhaps,

when he wrote these words,

I am determined

to be absolutely

and entirely for him

and for him alone.

Go ye and do likewise.

Could very much apply there.

As we look at

the Christian way of life

and the preparation

that we're called

to engage in,

how do we apply it

ourselves?

The diligent use

of the outward means

of grace.

Famous phrase used

in the Shorter Catechism.

The word,

sacraments and prayer.

Being in fellowship,

being in worship,

being in the word,

being in prayer,

communicating at the table

with our Lord and Saviour,

receiving the grace

and nourishment

and blessing

from that feast.

Obediently,

in humility

and dependence upon him,

we make diligent use

of the outward means

of grace,

so foundational

to our Christian way

of life.

So there's preparation here.

Secondly,

we'll go through the passage

in verse 15

and again in verse 17,

we'll see

there's progress here.

As ye who called you

as holy,

you also be holy

in all your conduct.

And then we go down

into verse 17 again

and we see the same emphasis.

If you call on him

as father,

who judges impartially

according to each one's deeds,

conduct yourselves

with fear

throughout

the time of your exile.

You see,

with Peter,

it's not all deep theology.

Same with Paul.

They don't just cram

theological realities

into a letter

and hope for the best.

They say there's an outlet

and there's a consequence

and a result

for all this theology.

It changes us

and it is seen

in our progress.

The word we have here

twice used is

conduct.

You also be holy

in all your conduct

and conduct yourselves

with fear

throughout the time

of your exile.

And so that there's

progress here.

We're to be holy.

There's to be something

about the separateness

of God himself

and his being holy,

his setting us apart.

We've been set apart

by God

and for God.

But also,

this separateness

has to have

as its nature

or characteristic

a fearfulness.

You see,

conduct yourself

with fear

throughout the time

of your exile.

That's a word

that speaks of

a sense of awe,

a sense of wonder,

a sense of adoration.

not timidity

and not being afraid

but a sense of joy

is here

that we would know

our God

and what he's done

for us

that would impact us

so powerfully

that our conduct

would reflect

our understanding.

Now we're okay

in the minds

because we've followed

the first example,

we've prepared

our minds for action,

we're sober-minded,

we're setting our hope

fully in the grace

that will be revealed

to us when Christ says

come,

come to me.

Well done,

good and faithful servant.

That is to come.

But God willing

and unless he comes back

before Sunday,

the next summons

you're going to have

from him

is to come to his table

and where we go

as obedient children.

And so we're making progress.

It's all about

their conduct

becoming more and more

Christ-like

and less and less

worldly.

and the more

we die to self

and die to sin

and die to the world,

the more our conduct

will reflect

the light of the gospel

and the nature

and character

of our loving

Heavenly Father

and the impact

of faith

in his Son.

That's what people

see in us.

That's what they hear.

That's what the world

is watching for

and you know

they're watching.

Go to the workplace,

you know they're watching.

You know they're listening.

They want to see you

trip and fall

and make mistakes

and they'll be on you

like a rash.

Lots of them are like that

wanting to see

how serious you are

about your commitment,

your conviction,

your confession.

Well let them see.

Let them hear.

Let them understand

through your being prepared,

through your mind

being ready

and set

for action,

being prepared

to always give a reason

for the hope

you have within you

and then

let your hope

be seen

in how you conduct

yourself.

So this passage,

this section,

this language,

it's about growth

in the Lord,

growth in the Gospel,

how we nurture

and develop.

It's a dominant theme,

developing

or growing up

with the nurture

and admonition

of the Lord.

We've all at one point

in our lives

been babes in Christ.

Maybe we still are

babes in Christ.

Maybe the progress

isn't what it could be.

Maybe it isn't

what it should be.

All the more reason

to be at that table

on the Lord's day

where the nourishment

and provision

and blessing

and grace

and strength

is there provided

by Jesus,

our Saviour.

So this dominant theme

of progressing

is a thing

that helps us

to get things right.

Verse 14 again,

do not be conformed.

That's where you used to be.

That's the darkness.

That's the world.

That's worldliness.

Worldly wise,

if you like,

to use Bunyan's

famous character.

Worldly wise

will tell us

all day and all night,

well, you know,

that's nice

that you're in the seminary.

Nice to have the Bible.

Nice to have Psalms.

But you know what?

Really?

Commitment?

Really?

Do you have to go that far?

Do you need to?

You know,

there's other ways

and means.

And listen,

he'll talk to us all night

about the other ways

and means.

Anything.

But Christ.

And the finished work

of Christ upon the cross.

Which is what

the table speaks of

and reminds us of

so powerfully.

Do not be conformed.

And you'll be aware

of the ministry,

the writings of

Dale Ralph Davis,

a tremendous American

commentator,

very much focuses

on Old Testament scriptures.

But he said this,

he was looking at

a particular time

in Israel's history

and he was applying it

to our day and age

and this is what he said

and it's something

for us to take on board

and apply

if it applies.

The church in the West

needs to recover

doctrinal purity,

vital worship,

a bold witness

holiness.

And personal holiness.

holiness.

That one right at the end there.

There's the key.

Personal holiness.

And so that keeps us

from burrowing away

into books

and becoming

if you like

professional theologians.

That doesn't cut it

with the Lord.

That's not what we're about.

This vital worship

and bold witness

will be fed

by a personal holiness

and that's where

we're going here

in this progression

we're called to make.

Guided by our conscience

that is tender

toward Christ,

we press on

toward the goal.

Here we are called

twice to consider

and reflect upon

that we're not

conforming to the passions

of our former ignorance

but in our conduct

we are being holy

and in our conduct

we are being fearful.

We have a sense

of awe and wonder

living to the glory

and honour

of our Lord and Saviour

Jesus Christ.

I mentioned

Pilgrim's Progress.

I wonder tonight

if when we begin

to think of progress

we can think

we're not

we're not where we want to be.

I'm not

where I thought I would be.

I haven't made the progress

that I really should have.

We could probably all

think about that

and take that on board

but let me remind you

and I hope to encourage you

by doing so

of the first chapter

and Pilgrim's Progress

as Pilgrim leaves

the city of destruction

under the guidance

of the evangelist.

What happens next?

Pliable.

An obstinate

get a hold of him

slow him down

distract him

trip him up

next thing

he's in the swamp

of despond

he manages to get out

of that in a right mess

and worldly wise

comes along

gets a hold of him

points him to the village

of morality

in the house

of Mr. Legality

he's in all sorts

of bother and trouble

and then the evangelist

comes along

and says

in a repeated conversation

what are you doing here?

What are you doing here?

There's the path

I told you

look for the light

walk toward the light

and you'll find

the narrow gate

and that's just

the first chapter

so maybe we could

having read that chapter

we could look at

the front cover

and think

pilgrim's progress

it's more like

pilgrim's lack

of progress

and that's what

makes the book

so timeless

so appealing

so real

because we're all

that pilgrim

the slough of despond

being distracted

by obstinate

and pliable

ending up

in the village

of morality

knocking on the door

of the house

of Mr. Legality

instead of sticking

to the king's highway

and pressing on

and that's what

Peter is calling us

here to do

in this passage

that we are to seek

a personal holiness

and a conduct

that reflects

progression

growth

on a personal basis

and so we look in

here

to get this right

and we say

Lord show me

your ways

that's where 25

the Psalm 25

starts

to you

oh Lord

I lift my soul

I trust in you

continually

do not let me

be put to shame

nor let my foes

gloat over me

Lord

reveal to me

your ways

and all your paths

help me to know

direct and guide me

in your truth

instruct me

in the way to go

with our Bibles

open

with our hearts

humble

the Lord

instructs us

on the way to go

and here tonight

that instruction

comes through Peter

saying

set your mind

on things that are above

look at this

work of preparation

be prepared

to exert yourself

to learn

and study

and get in about

the word

to feed your soul

your heart

and arm your mind

by being rooted

in the word

and then

with that preparation

there's progress

and that progress

is to be

you are holy

and you are to be

fearful

and we're to

press on

with our conscience

tendered toward Christ

last thing

in verse 17

if you call on him

as father

there's preparation

there's progress

there's prayer

perhaps there's nothing

that marks the Christian life

or the Christian way of life

quite as much

as prayer

I love the Lord

because my voice

and prayers

heeded here

I while I live

will call on him

who bowed to me

his ear

what a great

and glorious thing

it is

to be in prayer

to converse

with the living God

and right in here

in the midst

of this section

about

the Christian way

of life

here it is

if you call

on him

as father

who judges

impartially

according to

each one's deeds

Peter wants him

to be

a praying people

praying congregations

praying individuals

praying families

praying

calling on

the name

of the Lord

calling

it's a rich word

it's used here

it has a sense

to rely

on the one

that is named

and who is named

our loving

heavenly father

and we call

on him

we rely on him

we pray on him

we pray to him

we call out

to him

in Genesis 12

we have a very

similar phrase

used of

Abraham

and in fact

I think it might be

Genesis 4 or 5

the first description

of human beings

praying

uses this phrase

men called upon

the name of the Lord

and here it is

in 1 Peter

it's been well said

that if you pull a thread

in Genesis

the Bible

wrinkles in Revelation

calling upon

the name of the Lord

is a fundamental

of the Christian

way of life

we must rely

upon the one

that is named

here

as Abraham did

as he built

his third altar

at Bethel

he called upon

the name

of the Lord

it also

in that sense

it's interesting

in Abraham's

sense

it has the impact

of a word

that has a sense

of proclamation

and there's a bit

of thinking

that maybe

he wasn't just

praying

he was preaching

well maybe

we can't be

entirely sure

let's keep the focus

on prayer

call on him

as father

what's our father

done for us

tonight

for God

so loved the world

that he gave

it's not precious

to us this evening

do you know

what tomorrow

will bring

the weekend

will bring

there's challenges

difficulties

there's darkness

there's heartache

there's sadness

around us

quite often

isn't there

how do we deal

with it

how do we focus

we clear the mind

we make preparation

we make progress

but above all

we pray

we pray for wisdom

tact

patience

insight

understanding

we call upon

our father

in faith

and humility

and we do so

conscious of his

lavish provision

toward us

let me just read

to you these

wonderful words

in philippians

in chapter 4

do not be anxious

about anything

isn't that often

our undoing

we get so anxious

we forget to pray

or we pray

but our prayers

are skin deep

they don't go

through the ceiling

we don't lift up

holy hands

to our father

we hold on

to our worries

because we get

so anxious

don't we

do not be anxious

about anything

but in everything

by prayer

and supplication

with thanksgiving

let your requests

be made known

to God

and what happens

the peace of God

which surpasses

all understanding

will guard

your hearts

and your minds

in Christ Jesus

the promise of God

as we call on

our father

he pours out

to us

this peace

the peace of God

that passes

all understanding

Paul was so

determined

in that letter

the Philippians

that these ancient

Christians

and us tonight

would be reminded

of what God

longs to do

in our hearts

to pour out

his peace

his blessing

his joy

and communion

with the living God

and prayer

is right at the

centre of it all

you know well

the name of John Calvin

he was a great hero

of the Reformation

experienced

a vastly experienced

and capable

able church leader

and theologian

my goodness

wasn't he just

that man though

went through many trials

great heartache

in his life

he did not operate

in a vacuum

he didn't live

in an ivory tower

he knew

life often

inflicted

what he called

the ravages

of anxiety

and he said

it is by such

anxiety

that the

fervour

of prayer

is inflamed

you see

what the world

thinks we should do

and what anxious

is go to the world

for solutions

go to counsellors

for solutions

run a programme

don't go to the

throne of grace

why would you do that

and the Christian

says

but that's where

I'm going

I'm going to call

upon my loving

heavenly father

for he sent

his only begotten

son into this world

so that through him

we might be

born again

and given

a living hope

cleansed

and made right

by being

made new

and our understanding

our prayer life

our Christian conduct

what's the motivation

our ransom price

the precious

blood

of Christ

that's what the world

doesn't understand

that's what the world

doesn't get

out there

the world out there

thinks

we're engaged

in something religious

and we're engaged

in something

Presbyterian

we're engaged

in something

free church

but what we're doing

is we're engaged

in worship

gratitude

thanksgiving

for the ransom

price that's been

paid for our sins

a price we could

not pay

the things of this

world are

perishable

silver and gold

but the precious

blood of Christ

stands above

and beyond

all of it

and that is

a ransom

price

that was

paid

by our

saviour

for us

and so we

can

confess and

acknowledge our

lack of progress

our stumbles

and our falling

but we do so

in prayer

calling out to

our loving

heavenly father

we give thanks

to him for

the goodness

of his provision

toward us

and these

characteristics

flow

from our

deeper

the deeper

and more

clearer

our understanding

of the ransom

price

the more

preparation

will be seen

the more

progress

will occur

the more

prayer will

take place

what a thing

to be a

praying people

we have been

ransomed

friends from

the futile

ways

to the ways

of faith

and hope

our way

of life

is one

that is

infused

with our

saviour

Jesus

and it's

worth noting

just as we

close

that in this

passage alone

in 1st

Peter chapter

1 verses

1 to 20

8 times

the apostle

names

Jesus Christ

another 8

times

he refers

to him

as him

he refers

to him

directly

for instance

there in

verse 20

he was

foreknown

before the

foundation of

the world

but was

manifest in

the last

times for

your sake

who through

him are

believers in

God who

raised him

from the

dead and

gave him

glory so

that your

faith and

hope are

in God

by the time

we come

to verse

21

Jesus Christ

has been

named and

referred to

16 times

the church

of Christ

on earth

infused with

the name of

our saviour

and it's to

his glory

and his

honour and

his praise

that we

live out

our

Christian

lives

and may

the Lord

bless you

as you

do that

in these

days to

come

as you

gather

tomorrow

with

Callum

here in

the seminary

and David

at the

church services

over the

weekend

may the

Lord bless

you and

keep you

and feed

you and

encourage you

at this

time of

communion

through word

and sacrament

that God

would be

to you

your loving

heavenly

father

that you

would be

to him

an obedient

loving

child of

God

professing

your

faith

acknowledging

you need

to prepare

and make

progress

and pray

all the

time

we have

to increase

and improve

in these

characteristics

all of us

of course

we do

we're a

work in

progress

and may

God

bless

the progress

we make

tonight

to his

glory

to his

name

be

all the

praise

we'll bow

in prayer

for a moment

together

Lord our

God we

thank you

for your

goodness

toward us

we thank

you for

this

opportunity

the privilege

of

worshipping

together

Lord we

commit

to you

these days

to come

in this

communion

weekend

all the

services

all the

preaching

the serving

of the

sacrament

the

offer

the

remembering

of Jesus

offering

himself

which

the table

speaks to

us of

so clearly

so powerfully

hear us

Lord in

these things

grant us

grace to

prepare our

hearts and

minds for

action

grant us

Lord grace

and strength

to make the

progress we

need to run

the race

to set

before us

to fight

the good

fight

to look

unto Jesus

and that we

would at all

times be

people of

prayer

calling out

to our

Father

we thank

you that

you hear us

in Jesus

and we

pray for

your blessing

now this

evening upon

us

forgive our

sins Lord

and go

before us

in his

precious name

we ask

it

Amen

so we'll

turn to the

psalter this

evening to

close our

service

we'll sing

from Psalm

27

in the

psalter

Psalm

27

I don't

think we're

doing all

these verses

we're doing

verses 11

to 14

says here

1 to 14

that's the

whole psalm

that might be

a bit much

we'll go from

verse 11

O Lord

instruct me

in thy

way

to me

a leader

be

in a

plain

path

because

of

those

that

hatred

bear to

me

give me

not to

an enemy's

will

for witnesses

that lie

against me

risen are

and such

as breathe

out

cruelty

I fainted

had unless

it I

believed

had to

see

the

Lord's

own

goodness

in the

land

of them

that

living

being

in that

wonderful

phrase

wait

on the

Lord

and be

thou

strong

we'll

sing to

the end

to the tune

Calmarnock

we'll stand

together

O Lord

instruct me

in thy

way

to

me

the

leader

be

in a

plain

path

because

of

those