Fear and Faith

There's a further notice about the vacancy. Our congregation has recently been made vacant, so I'll just read through that notice on the sheet.

The Kirk session met on Monday the 15th of July and agreed to follow the practice previously adopted during a vacancy by taking on the role of the vacancy committee.

The purpose of the vacancy committee is to arrange for the pulpit to be supplied with ministers who are considered suitable to fill the vacancy, but the final choice belongs to our communicant membership.

The vacancy committee would like to stress that they are seeking to secure the full scope of congregational interest so that the process of contacting ministers and arranging dates for them to preach can begin.

The initial meeting of the vacancy committee is scheduled for Monday the 26th of August, and over the next five weeks, as we pray to the Lord for guidance,

the elders would like to encourage everyone in the congregation to speak to their own elder or to any of the elders and inform them of who you would like to be invited to preach in Stornoway.

Please bear in mind that certain procedural steps are required, namely the completion of a financial schedule as well as a congregational development plan.

It is hoped that both of these items will be presented to the congregation in September before being sent to the Presbytery and the Mission Board for approval.

That's something for us all to pray over.

Let us begin our time of worship by singing together in Psalm 40 of the Blue Praise Book in the Scottish Psalter version.

We have a Blue Praise Book available at the door if you don't have one.

Psalm 40 in the Scottish Psalter version.

You'll find that on page 259.

And we'll sing from verse 1 down to verse 5 and note that verse 5 follows over the turn of the page.

The words there are,

We'll stand to sing these words to God's praise down to the end of verse Mark 5.

I waited for the Lord my God and patiently did bear.

I waited for the Lord my God and patiently did bear.

And then to me,

He did apply my voice and kind to hear.

Just fruitfully did.

Forgive me from the fear for this,

And from the mighty pain.

And on our own He set my feet.

Establishing my way

He put a new song in my life

For God to magnify

Then he shall see it

And shall feel

And God the Lord rely

O blessed is the man

Whose trust upon the Lord relies

Respect him not the proud

For such a stern aside to life

O Lord my God to many are

The wonders of the strong

Thy gracious thoughts

To us work from above

O hosts are gone

The northern unkind

Reck on them

To the effective way

And speak of them

I will

The more I can

Be number

The more I can

Be number

God

We'll now join our hearts together for a word of prayer.

Our heavenly Father we give thanks to you for this day.

We give thanks to you for this opportunity to come before you.

That we can return our thanks to you for all that you have done for us.

That we can come and read your word.

That we can sing your praises.

That we can come to you in prayer.

And you are a God that will hear us when we pray.

Even if we feel like we are in the depths and in the fearful pit like the psalmist.

You are a God that can draw near to us.

And put a new song in our heart.

And turn our lives around.

That we may come and joyfully sing praise to you.

For you have saved us from death.

You have redeemed us because Jesus Christ has died on the cross for each and every one of us.

And Lord we just pray this time for the young in our congregation.

We pray for those that are on holiday.

We pray that you would give them a time of enjoyment.

We pray for those that have gone to camp.

And we ask that you would be mindful of them in their worries that they might have.

But that they would be supported and encouraged by those that are there.

And that they would understand something new about Jesus and God.

And that they may have seeds sown in their hearts at a young age.

That you may bring them to grow.

And bring forth much fruit.

We pray for our planned holiday club.

We pray that you would go before us in all our plans.

And again as we seek to join together to have fun and to learn more about God.

We pray that you would bless us in our time together.

We remember our Sunday school in a time of break.

We remember our school teachers also.

That you would be with them.

Be with those who teach our children in our schools.

That they may point them in the direction that God has set out for us.

That God has revealed to us in the Bible.

That we should follow Jesus.

And that he will provide for us.

So be with us Lord as we turn towards your word.

Give us minds of understanding.

And ears to hear what you shall say to us.

And all these we ask in Jesus name.

Amen.

Now I want to say a word to the younger ones that are here with us this morning.

And I want you all to imagine an orchestra.

Orchestras consisted usually of lots of different people in lots of different things.

But they are all trying to play music together.

And they all have a bit of paper in front of them.

That tells them the music that they are playing.

The tunes that they are meant to play.

And while they have the music in front of them.

They are also looking towards the conductor.

They are following that man.

They are keeping an eye on that man that is in front of them as well.

And it consists of lots of different people playing lots of different instruments.

You may have the violinists.

They are a group of violinists.

And they might be playing very fast.

They might be getting very tired having to play hard.

And the conductor is telling them to play and play and play.

And then there might be someone at the side with trumpets just coming in and out.

When they are told.

And then someone with that trombone making a totally different noise.

Just every now and again.

And you might have someone at the very back.

Just standing there and waiting.

Till the very end.

To make a big crash with the cymbals.

And that's not the way that the violinist looks around to everyone else.

And says I am working very hard here.

And this man with the trumpets just putting me off.

And this man with the trombone is making a totally different noise to the noise that I am making.

And that guy at the back.

He is not doing anything.

But when the conductor instructs everyone to do everything at the right time.

To play the different tunes at the right time.

It all comes together.

To make a wonderful sound.

People come and listen to orchestras.

Play amazing music.

But the most important thing is that they follow the music.

And they follow the conductor.

And it's a lot like that in our own lives.

We are all different.

And we have all got different jobs.

The Lord will give us different jobs to do in our life.

We have different purposes.

But it's not that we look at everyone else.

And say.

Well he is not doing what I am doing.

And he is playing a different tune to me.

Something totally different.

And look at that guy.

He is not doing anything.

We are not to look at others.

We are not to judge others.

The most important thing for us in our lives.

Is that we follow the instructions that are set out for us in the Bible.

Almost like the Bible is like the piece of music that is set in front of you.

We follow what is in the Bible.

And as we read the Bible.

As we get to know the Bible.

And learn about the Bible.

We will see Jesus.

And we will see the man that is directing us every step in our lives.

And when we follow the Bible.

And when we follow the Bible.

When we listen to Jesus.

Something wonderful will happen.

We will give praise to him and glory.

And it is something that is so special to God.

And yes we are all different.

And yes we have all different jobs to do.

But that is not to say that we do our own thing.

It is not to say that we come with our own piece of music.

And go into the orchestra.

It would ruin it.

If we just decided to do what we wanted to do.

In our lives.

The best thing for us.

Is to follow the Bible.

And to follow Jesus.

So I pray that as we grow up.

Even as we grow old.

We continue.

To follow Jesus.

And to look at him.

I pray that will be blessed.

To each of you.

We will now say the Lord's Prayer together.

You will find it at the top of the bulletin sheet.

Let us join together in saying these words.

Our Father which art in heaven.

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth.

As it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts.

As we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation.

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom.

The power and the glory.

Forever.

Amen.

We will now continue in our praise.

And we will now sing our Gaelic item of praise.

Which you will find over leaf.

On the rear page of the bulletin sheet.

The words of Psalm 23 in English.

The Lord's my shepherd.

I'll not want.

He makes me down to lie.

In pastures green.

He leadeth me.

The quiet waters by.

In Gaelic it is here.

In Gaelic it is here.

Is the Gia feen.

Is the Bucheel go.

Chabimi aon in ni.

We will remain seated for this singing.

The Gaelic presenter will read the line out as we go through the psalm.

And the congregation repeat the line as we go.

Years ago.

They wouldn't have had the words.

Wouldn't be able to.

The Bibles and psalm books weren't there for everyone to have.

So this is the way that they sung their praises.

The presenter would read the line.

And the people would then repeat the words back.

So.

We'll sing this together.

often singing jatsung..

Propag format...

Blue。

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

The Gospel of John, chapter 14.

John 14 · chapter mention

Gospel of John, New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

Read at verse 4, chapter 14 at verse 15.

We have two readings this morning.

We'll turn to chapter 20 after reading section in chapter 14.

Gospel of John, chapter 14, reading at verse 15.

John 14 · chapter mention

And this is Jesus' words before he was led away to be crucified.

He's speaking to his disciples and instructing them.

He says there,

Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more.

But you will see me because I live.

In that day, you will know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you.

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, it's he it is who loves me.

And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

Judas, not Iscariot, said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world?

Jesus answered him, if anyone loves me, he will keep my word.

And my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.

And the word that you hear is not mine, but the Father who sent me.

These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,

he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Peace I leave with you.

My peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your hearts be troubled.

Neither let them be afraid.

You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you.

If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father.

For the Father is greater than I.

And now I have told you before it takes place,

so that when it does take place, you may believe.

I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming.

He has no claim on me.

But I do as the Father has commanded me,

so that the world may know that I love the Father.

Rise, let us go from here.

If you turn a few pages to chapter 20,

chapter 20, and we'll read from verse 19.

This is the account where Jesus appears after his death,

resurrected to the disciples.

Verse 19.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week,

the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,

Jesus came and stood among them and said to them,

Peace be with you.

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,

Receive the Holy Spirit.

If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven.

If you withhold the forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.

Amen.

May the reading of God's word be blessed to those who have heard it.

Let us join together once again in a word of prayer.

Let us pray.

Our Heavenly Father, we give thanks for this word that we have read.

And we give thanks that you are the Lord Jesus Christ who brings peace to his people.

And we just give thanks that you are one who has come to set us free from the power of death.

Help us to be mindful of what we do when we come to worship you.

When we come before the presence of God and seek his face.

That we may hear from you.

And although it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Lord God Almighty.

We pray that we may draw before you with our reverence and our fear.

Acknowledging you as creator of all things.

The one who sustains all things and keeps our very life.

And Lord, we pray as we come to this word.

And consider it.

We pray that you would give us understanding of it.

That you may speak to us.

We pray that the gospel may go forth with power by the power of the Spirit.

For we acknowledge that if we do it of our own strength, it will come to nothing.

So we rely on you, Lord God.

And the presence of the Spirit to be with us as we come to you before your word and before you.

That you may guide us and show us and instruct us.

And how we are to live our lives.

Lord, we pray for our nation.

We pray for our world.

We pray that the gospel may go out with power.

That it may persuade and enable people to receive and embrace Jesus Christ that is offered to them.

The Christ that went to the cross for them.

To die for them.

In order that we may not be found guilty before God.

That we may come before God knowing that our sins have been forgiven.

Confident in the blood of Jesus Christ as the sacrifice to pay for our sins.

All is done.

We can do nothing of ourselves.

We trust in Jesus Christ.

To whom else can we go?

Who else offers that peace when death is set before us?

You have promised us life if we believe in you.

And so help us in our unbelief.

Help us in this hour to understand who you are and to trust in you.

We pray for everyone that preaches your word this morning.

Across our world and nation.

That it may go forth with great effect.

We remember those people who have devoted their lives to you and your cause.

Who are missionaries in this world.

We remember Muriel from her congregation in Cambodia.

We pray for the work that she does with the Brow and Grung people.

And the girls that stay with her.

Lord, we pray that you would give her strength.

And enable her to speak about her Saviour.

And the change that has come about in her life.

Lord, we pray for those who are worried this morning.

Those who are fears.

Those who have uncertainties.

Those who are anxious over their health.

Those who mourn.

We pray that you would draw near to them.

And comfort them.

Lord, we just ask that you would be with us in our time together.

That the gospel of Jesus Christ may take root in our hearts.

And grow each and every day.

Be with us.

Guide us.

Keep us.

Keep the evil one from distracting us.

And let us see Jesus Christ.

With beauty and wonder and awe.

All this we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

We'll continue in our praise by singing in Psalm 56.

You'll find that on page 73 in the Sing Psalms version.

Psalm 56.

I have it marked as verse mark 5.

But I think we'll begin our singing from verse mark 9.

At the bottom of the page.

When I call on you to help me.

Then my foes will turn aside.

This is how I will be certain.

That God is on my side.

O relief.

In the Lord whose word I honour.

In my God I praise his word.

I will trust and not be fearful.

What can man do to me, Lord?

I have taken vows before you.

To my God I will be true.

Sacrifices of thanksgiving.

I will gladly give to you.

For you kept my feet from stumbling.

And from death you set me free.

So that I may walk before you.

And the light of life may see.

From verse 9.

We'll stand to sing.

When I call on you to help me.

Then my foes will turn aside.

Amen.

When I call on you to help me.

Then my foes will turn aside.

This is how I will be certain.

That my own is on my side.

When the Lord whose word I own.

Then my God I praise his word.

I will trust and not be fearful.

What can man do to me, Lord?

I will trust and not be fearful.

I will trust and not be fearful.

I will trust and not be fearful.

To my God I will be true.

Sacrifices of thanksgiving.

I will gladly give to you.

For you kept my feet from stumbling.

And from death you set me free.

So that I may walk before you.

And the light of life may see.

We turn back to the passage that we read in John chapter 20.

John 20 · chapter mention

I want us to consider this passage that we have with Jesus.

This resurrected body appears to the disciples.

And there in verse 21.

You'll see what Jesus says to them.

Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me.

Even so I am sending you.

Now the last time I was with you here in Stornoway.

We looked at the first resurrection appearance of Jesus.

That was the appearance that he made to Mary.

And we're walking our way through the resurrection appearances that are recorded in the Gospel of John.

We thought about Mary.

We thought about the love that she had for Jesus.

We thought about the love that she had lost as she came mourning over the loss of Jesus Christ.

But Jesus appeared to her there at the tomb of the bombshell moment of his first appearance.

And the love that she had lost had now been restored.

Because Jesus had conquered death.

Jesus had not died.

Jesus would live forever.

Her love would ever be present.

All her sorrows had been turned to joy in that account.

And Jesus' appearances after death form the foundations of the Christian faith.

And gives everyone who believes in him a hope in life after death.

The Bible says that though ye die, yet ye shall live.

And now we come to this second appearance in the Gospel of John.

We're on the same day still.

Mary has been at the tomb in the morning in the early hours just at sunrise.

And now we are told there in verse 19 that it's now the evening.

And he appears to the gathered disciples within this locked room.

But what John doesn't record is another account which Luke does.

Jesus walked with the two on the road to Emmaus between sunrise and the evening hours.

Now John doesn't record this.

And it's an interesting account.

We've got to ask, well, why doesn't John record it?

Why doesn't John record that fascinating account?

But John himself says, at the end of chapter 20 there, no, at the end of chapter 21 he says,

I can't record everything.

Supposing everything was to be written,

The whole world could not contain the books about Jesus.

So John here, when he puts his Gospel together, he's selective to record these accounts for a certain reason.

And I hope that as we come and consider why and the importance of it,

we'll understand the purpose of why John wrote this book.

The purpose is there at the end of chapter 20.

He writes all of this for the reader.

The reader this morning.

For you and for me.

That we may believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because as we'll see in the evening,

these men also doubted that Jesus could ever live.

They're amazed at what happens.

And so there's nothing else like it in this world.

They record all this in detail.

So that everyone who hears it may believe.

So let us consider this passage together.

And I want you to think in your life that you know fine that you can't do everything.

You can't do everything yourself.

And often you need to, if you have a job to do,

you need to delegate the task to someone else.

So if you think about a business, the boss can't do everything.

And usually he'll give the simpler tasks to other people.

And he'll hold on to the more vital aspects of the business himself.

But supposing you were that manager, you were that boss,

and the time came where maybe you had to retire.

Maybe you had to hand over the reins to someone else.

Someone else had to come and fill your boots.

You'd look for the most competent person you could find.

The most knowledgeable person on the subject.

The most person who had the most experience.

The person who was most trustworthy.

The most reliable person you had in the company or out with the company.

Someone that would fill your boots and ensure that the business would run smoothly.

Best person you could find.

And in this account here, we've got a handover going on.

Jesus has died.

He cannot stay in this world.

He started a work.

But he must return to be on the side of his Father in heaven.

He's handing the work over to the disciples.

And they must be people that go out boldly into this world,

facing all opposition and criticism,

to declare that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Saviour of sinners.

He is the man that can give you hope in the face of death.

They need to be bold, men and women.

But who does he have?

When you look at the passage here, who does he have?

He's got people who are scared, confused,

people who are inexperienced for the job that is required of them.

These disciples, when you read through the Gospels,

they've already proven themselves to be unreliable,

lacking in knowledge,

not at all competent to do the task that has been asked of them here.

But this is who Jesus has.

And if this was your business that you were handing over to people like this,

you would be thinking,

this isn't going to work.

What chance do I have?

It's going to be a mess.

And you would expect the work of Jesus to stop.

Because the people here aren't really top notch.

But strangely, the work continued.

And it's continued even up till this morning.

With similar men and women.

So, the work is not entirely reliant upon the men and women and their own strength.

Surely there's something more going on here

for the work to have continued throughout the ages till this morning.

And when you continue reading through the Gospels,

when you continue reading through Acts,

and the works that these disciples went on to do,

the leaders of the day complained against these men.

Because they said,

they're turning the world upside down

with the message that they're bringing.

These people who were in this locked room,

their lives being turned upside down

by meeting Jesus.

They go out boldly.

And this appearance,

I believe, is a preparation

for the work that he has for them to do.

And the disciples receive three things

from Jesus here in this passage.

And the first thing

that they receive from Jesus is peace.

The disciples are gathered in this locked room

and Jesus comes into their presence

and he says,

peace be with you at the end of verse 19.

And I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall

in that locked room

to weigh up and to evaluate

and to watch these disciples

considering what's going on.

They're scared of what's going to happen.

But Mary's come from the morning

and she's reported that

I have seen the Lord Jesus.

Maybe the two from the road to Emmaus

have now returned and said to them,

we've seen Jesus too.

And they're probably weighing it all up

and asking,

what's happened?

Where's Jesus' body gone?

Has Jesus risen?

We'll have more of the questions

that they asked this evening

when we consider Thomas.

But here the disciples,

they're all locked in.

And they're locked in for fear.

And it's a fear of death.

Because what would happen is

when the Romans condemned someone to die,

when they condemned a movement,

they would seek after,

well, the leader first.

But then all the followers

that were associated

with that man

that had been condemned,

they'd try and obliterate them.

So that movement

would no longer cause

any issues amongst the people.

And the Jews

weren't exactly their best friends either.

The Jews did not like

what Jesus had been teaching.

So if they had seen

any of the disciples

out and about,

they would have been straight

reporting them

as followers of Jesus Christ,

that they would be captured

and silenced.

So you can see straight away

that there is absolutely

no peace in this camp.

They are fearful for their lives.

They're locked in a room.

It highlights their fear

that they're locked in.

It highlights something

of the body of Jesus.

And the body,

the appearance that he comes in,

the physical attributes of Jesus,

that he can just appear.

We don't really have time

to go into that this morning.

But he appears

out of nowhere

to people that are already

scared for their lives.

Which is quite interesting.

And it's interesting to note

that it doesn't record any fear,

any extra fear on their part.

they're joyful

to see the man

that comes in peace.

If you remember that count,

Jesus was taken away

to be crucified.

The soldiers came

to capture Jesus before.

And where did the disciples go?

They ran away.

They were scared

of the soldiers.

They were scared

that they would die too.

Jesus was captured.

And Jesus doesn't mention this,

that you abandoned me.

Where were you

when the soldiers came for me?

He doesn't mention that.

But they didn't want to die.

The disciples didn't want to die.

They had a fear

of dying at that moment.

Jesus comes with peace.

Peace be with you,

he says.

Peace.

A peace that is not like

any other peace in this world

that we read in John chapter 14.

John 14 · chapter mention

He brings peace

when things are terrifying.

Peace in the midst

of absolute fear

when their world is upside down.

And in many ways

the world is upside down today.

And I believe the world

is looking for peace.

We all want to have peace.

We all want peace.

It's almost like

we're programmed

for peace.

We try to make

our own peace.

But there's always something

that will come across

and spoil it.

Jesus is here

saying that he brings

peace

in the midst

of fear.

His presence

brings peace.

And you can maybe imagine

when you were a little

boy or girl

and something

had happened to you.

You were fearful

of something.

You were scared

of something.

You had a nightmare.

Your parent would come in

and their presence

would bring you peace.

Maybe you've started

working

and you're learning

your trade

and you make

a complete blunder

and you're fearful

of the outcome.

What's going to happen?

And someone more experienced

comes in

and says,

it's okay.

We can fix it.

That person's presence

brings peace to you.

Jesus brings peace

to them

because he knows

what to do.

And it's a peace

not like this world.

Jesus is called

the Prince of Peace

elsewhere in the Bible.

And that is something

that the Christian,

the believer,

receives.

They have a certain

and special peace

in life.

Maybe you've seen it

in action.

Maybe you've seen

a Christian

go through

the most horrendous

experience

and you wonder,

well,

how on earth

can they have

so much peace

in the midst

of something

so terrifying,

fearful?

The Christian

has peace

in life,

but also the Christian

receives peace

in death.

They have peace

knowing

that Jesus

has conquered

death

for them.

they have a special

and certain peace

through their life

because they know

that although they die,

Jesus

has provided

for them

and prepared

for them

a place

for them

to be.

He has made

peace

for this

disciple.

Jesus Christ

has made peace

for you.

Peace

for the one

who is scared.

Peace

for the one

who is full

of fears

in this life.

Peace

for the one

whose life

is upside down.

Peace

for the one

who feels

like locking

themselves

away from

the world.

Peace

for the one

who fears

death.

Jesus

brings

peace.

It's a great

treasure to have

peace in your life.

But Jesus

also brings

something else

to the disciples

here and he brings

a purpose

to them.

The second

point.

He brings

peace

and he brings

purpose to

them too.

Now you

know in

your life

if you don't

have a purpose

you feel

a bit lost

and when

you think

you have

no purpose

in this

life

you yourself

can feel

as someone

having

no purpose

which can

have sad

consequences.

Having

purpose

is personally

a huge

thing.

Have you

ever asked

why am

I here?

What is

my purpose?

And a

group of

godly men

knew the

value of

people knowing

their purpose

when they

wrote the

small book

the shorter

catechism

that taught

people about

God.

The first

question that

they had

there posed

was what

is man's

purpose?

What is

the chief

end of

man?

Is the

way it

was written.

They knew

the value

of it.

They put

it first

and the

purpose of

man is to

glorify God

and enjoy

him forever.

In our

passage here

Jesus comes

to the

disciples and

he gives

them a new

purpose.

They would

go and

glorify

God.

They would

go out

with the

gospel.

Jesus

says to

them peace

be with

you again

in verse

21.

It's

repeated

because he's

got something

really important

to say to

them.

He's saying

as the

father has

sent me

so I

am sending

you.

This is

the hand

over.

They are

going to

carry on

the work

that God

sent Jesus

to do.

And in

many ways

they could

not.

they

wouldn't

do the

work of

Christ in

the sense

of redeeming

people and

forgiving

sins.

But the

first thing

that Jesus

did when

he came

into this

world,

you can

read about

in the

gospel of

Mark,

is that

he came

and proclaimed

the gospel

of God.

Calling

people to

repent and

believe in

the gospel.

And that

is what the

disciples are

now being

instructed to

do.

Go out

with the

gospel of

Jesus

Christ and

call them

to believe

in him.

That they

may have

life.

The man

that died

on the

cross for

you and

for your

sins.

So that

you may be

set free

from eternal

punishment in

hell and be

received into

heaven and to

be with

Christ forever

to the

eternal

enjoyment.

He died

for you.

These men

in this

account went

out completely

changed after

they saw the

risen Lord

Jesus.

Their purpose

in life had

changed.

They went

out even

if it meant

facing a

brutal death

death, which

it did for

most of

them.

They had a

new purpose

in life to

fulfill and

their lives

were turned

upside down

by seeing

this man.

It's kind

of proof in

a sense that

Jesus did

appear to

them.

They were

so scared

to die in

the first

instance and

now they're

going out

boldly as

completely

different

people.

With the

gospel message

with confidence

and even

if they die

they know

they shall

live.

And I'm

sure they

said of

themselves

well I

can't do

it.

I'm not

the man

for the

job.

But this

is the

Christian

church of

the day.

This

small number

is the

Christian

church.

church, the

few that

are gathered

in this

locked room

they feel

so weak,

they're asking

what's going

on, they've

isolated

themselves,

they've lost

all courage.

The church

should never

lock themselves

away from

the world.

We have a

purpose to

go out with

the gospel of

Jesus Christ.

The Lord is a

work for

everyone and

it's a different

work as we

were saying to

the children.

Doesn't mean

that we'll all

stand and

preach, doesn't

mean that we

go out and

put the

Bible down

people's

throats, but

at very least

it means that

we live

Christ-like

lives.

We live

like Christ

lived in

this world and

continue his

work in that

way, if

nothing else.

We forgive

others.

We give,

we help

those who

are poor,

we love

one another,

we love

our neighbours,

we talk to

those who

are despised,

we do not

judge one

another.

We imitate

Christ as

Paul saw

to do.

God has

his purpose

for everyone.

And the

funny thing

is that when

you come to

believe in

this man,

you've got

your own

purpose for

your life

already sorted.

But when

you meet

with Jesus

and you

believe in

Jesus Christ,

he puts a

new purpose

in your

life.

And the

things that

you thought

you'd never

do, you

may well

end up

doing.

Because you

are fulfilling

his purpose

for his

glory.

You

yourself have

a new

purpose in

this life.

It is

his purpose.

And the

peace that

we have is

his peace.

And the

last thing I

want to say

to you today

is that

these disciples

received power

as well

when they

met with

Jesus

Christ.

Power in

the sense

of strength

because they

felt so

weak to do

the job

that was

asked of

them.

People like

to feel

strong enough.

We feel

like we're

sometimes we

do feel like

we're strong

enough.

Sometimes we

do feel like

we have

power.

but there

are definitely

times where

we feel

weak.

There are

definitely

times when

we feel

so weak

that we

have nothing

left to

give.

We feel

like we're

so weak

that we

don't want

to go

into this

world.

Jesus

knows our

weakness.

Jesus knew

that these

disciples needed

help.

They needed

strength and

so he would

send that

Holy Spirit

we read

about as

the helper

for his

people.

He has

promised to

give his

people strength.

They cannot

do anything

on their

own strength.

It's clearly

evident that

they have no

strength of

themselves.

They lock

themselves away

in this room.

They can't

face the

world.

But they

changed so

dramatically

to go out

confidently to

declare the

gospel.

And it's

the same

for the

church today

that we

must rely

on the

power of

the Spirit,

the strength

of the

Spirit.

It's the

same for

every single

believer that

we rely not

on ourselves

but we rely

on his

strength that

he gives us

through the

Spirit.

Because it's

not easy.

And there

are days

where you

will make

a mistake.

There are

days where

you will

blunder.

Not that

you want

to.

But the

Spirit will

also teach

you,

correct you.

That's what

the Spirit

will do in

your life as

well.

Give you

strength but

also teach

you every

step of the

way.

And instruct

you and

guide you so

that you may

keep going.

and the

most elderly

Christian here

will say

that, well,

I have not

remained a

believer because

of my own

strength.

I would have

quickly gone

off track

if there

had not been

for the

strength that

I received

from the

Lord Jesus

Christ.

And you

work through

this passage

here.

They receive

something of

the Spirit

that raises

questions,

a few

difficult

questions that

are raised

in the last

few verses

here.

They receive

the Spirit

but the

Spirit comes

at Pentecost

later on.

And people

ask, well,

what did they

receive here

at this

moment?

Was it a

promise of

the Pentecost

to come?

Was it a

measure of

Spirit at

this moment?

We're running

out of time.

We don't have

time to

consider it.

The second

thing that it

says is that

they would

have the

power to

forgive sins.

And really

that is not

that they

themselves can

forgive sins.

Only the

Lord Jesus

Christ can

forgive sins.

But they

are going

out with

the strength

and the

power of

the gospel.

They are

going out

as changed

men and

it is the

gospel that

has the

power to

forgive sins.

They present

the gospel to

people as it

is presented

to each and

every one of

us here this

morning.

If we receive

it, our sins

will be forgiven.

If not,

forgiveness is

withheld.

The gospel

can change

your life.

And though we

feel so very

weak at times,

the presence of

Jesus can turn

us around,

turn our world

upside.

day.

Jesus is

here as a

man that

died on the

cross for

each and

every one of

us, saying

that he can

give you

peace, he

can give you

a purpose,

and he can

give you

strength for

the day and

strength for

life.

And there

are three

aspects of

our lives

that I

think we

all want

to have.

We all

desire to

have and we

long to have

it.

maybe we

chase after

peace,

purpose,

strength,

power.

The world

promises to

give us all

these things and

at the end of

the day,

we are left

weak.

we exhaust

ourselves finding

things that

satisfy us

when really

it is to be

found in the

gospel of

Jesus Christ.

And it is

nothing of

ourselves.

It is a

gift of God.

It is whose

peace that is

given to us.

it is whose

purpose that we

find ourselves

doing.

And it is

whose strength

that we find

the strength to

go on every

day.

Jesus prepared

the disciples

for life and

for death.

Jesus will

prepare you

for life and

for death

with his

peace,

with his

purpose,

and with his

power.

I pray that

we believe in

the risen Lord

Jesus.

Amen.

We will

conclude by

singing in

Psalm 118 of

the Scottish

Psalter.

Find that on

page 397 of

the blue

praise book.

We will sing

from the

beginning of

that psalm.

We will sing

four stanzas

down to

verse Mark

6 in

conclusion.

The words

there are,

O praise

the Lord

for he is

good.

His mercy

lasteth ever.

Let those

of Israel

now say,

his mercy

faileth

never.

Now let

the house

of Aaron

say,

his mercy

lasteth

ever.

Let those

that fear

the Lord

now say,

his mercy

faileth

never.

I in

distress

called on

the Lord.

The Lord

did answer

me.

He in a

large place

did me

set,

from trouble

made me

free.

The mighty

Lord is

on my

side.

I will

not be

afraid for

anything that

man can do.

I shall

not be

dismayed.

The eternal

abiding

mercy of

God do

we receive

it.

Let us

stand to

sing praise

to him.

O praise

the Lord

for he

is good,

his mercy

lasteth

ever.

O praise

the Lord

for he

is good,

his mercy

lasteth

ever.

Let

those

of

his

that

free

come

again

Let those that fear the Lord Christ take His mercy favor never.

I am this faithful of the Lord, the Lord did answer me.

He in the dark place did me set, from trouble make me free.

The mighty Lord is on my side, I will not be afraid.

For anything that thou can do, I shall not be blessed.

We'll close in prayer, remain standing.

Our Lord and our God, may we know the eternal abiding love and grace known through Jesus Christ.

As we part with one another, we pray that you would remain with us, watch over us and guide us in every step of life.

That we may consider Christ and give us hearts that are willing to receive Him.

Be with us as we part, forgive us our sins, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.