Where Are You?

Well, begin our worship this evening.

We're going to sing to God's praise in Psalm 116,

the Scottish Psalter version on page 395 of the Psalm books.

Psalm 116, page 395.

We're going to sing from the beginning of the Psalm

down to the verse marked eight.

I love the Lord because my voice and prayers he did hear.

I, while I live, will call on him who bowed to me his ear.

Of death the chords and sorrows did about me compass round.

The pains of hell took hold on me, I grief and trouble found.

We'll sing from verse one to verse eight to God's praise

and we stand to sing.

I love the Lord because my voice

and where she did hear.

My wife, I live with all of him who bowed to me his ear.

Of death the chords and sorrows did about me compass round.

The pains of hell took hold on me, I grief and trouble found.

Upon the name of God the Lord.

Then did I call and say,

He delivered the Lord.

He delivered the Lord.

My soul, O Lord.

I do the humbling praise.

God merciful and righteousness.

He gracious is our Lord.

God merciful and sorrows did about me, I was brought home.

He did be held upon.

God merciful and sorrows did about me, I was brought home.

He sang to me, I was brought home to God.

In thy quiet rest

For God's below

The Lord to thee

His bounty hath expressed

For my distress

And soul from death

Delivered caused by thee

Thou gives my pouring eyes

From tears, my feet

Of falling free

We'll come to God in prayer.

Let us pray.

Our gracious Father in heaven,

as we come to offer up our praise

to you and you this evening,

we thank you for the words

which we have shared

in praise to you

that we can come

echoing the words of the psalmist

that we can love you

because you have heard

our voice and our prayer.

And we thank you

that your promise is

that you will always hear your people,

that your ear is towards

all who call upon you.

And we thank you

that there is such a great privilege

in prayer,

such a blessing to us

to know that in our needs

and in our helplessness

that you are a God

who hears

and is always there for us.

We thank you

that as we look through the psalms

we see the great experience

of the variety of psalmists

and the positions

and situations

that they found themselves in.

And so often, Lord,

we recognize ourselves in them,

whether it's going astray

and away from you,

whether it's in times

of sorrow and distress,

whether it's in times

of questioning

and uncertainty,

or whether it's in times

of great rejoicing and praise.

We thank you

that our experiences

are echoed

in these words so often.

And we pray tonight, Lord,

that we will enter in

to these words

and to the experience of them,

that we will hear

your words speaking to us,

that you are the one

who is able to deliver us

and to give us

great rest for our soul.

We thank you

that there is that reminder

that we are a people

who are perishing,

for we are a sinful people.

We are living

in the midst

of a sinful world,

and our hearts are wicked

beyond all

that we could imagine.

But we thank you

that your word reminds us

that you have sent your son

into this world

because of our sin,

that he came

to save us

from our sin.

And we thank you

that your word

is a word of hope,

a word of hope

even in our most troubled times.

So we pray

that you will bless

your word to us

together this evening,

and indeed bless it to us

in this week ahead as well

as we look forward

with a sense

of anticipation

and prayerful preparations

as we will come,

God willing,

to prepare ourselves

for the Lord's Supper

and all being well

to partake in it

next week.

We thank you, Lord,

for these seasons

and for being able

to meet once again

in this way

after a period

when things have been

so different.

And we pray

that there will be

a sense of urgency

and longing

for us to meet

with you

in the midst

of your word

and sacrament.

And so we pray

that you will help us

to prepare our hearts

for it,

to prayerfully approach

each day of the week

and pray for the services

to take place.

Your word preached

and those who will preach,

preach your word to us

in our fellowship together.

And in your people's hearts,

Lord,

may you encourage us

and build us up.

May you draw people

to yourself.

May you help those

even now

who may be wondering

of what they should do

of coming to the Lord's table,

feeling unworthy,

feeling unprepared,

feeling undeserving

of the least

of your mercies.

But yet that's the way

we all come.

We recognize

we do not deserve

it in and of ourselves,

but that we are

to look to Jesus,

the one who took our place,

the one whose death

we come to remember,

the one who we can trust in,

the one who we can

put all our hope in,

for he has done

all that we could not.

And so we pray

that you will encourage us

all in our hearts

to hear and see

of the wonder of Jesus Christ,

the one who died

for our sins,

but greater than that,

who rose again,

and whoever lives

making intercession

for us even now

at the right hand

of God the Father.

So as we come

in our prayers,

we come in his name,

seeking your goodness

and mercy upon us

and seeking your blessing

on us as a church

and as a church

throughout the world,

as your people

gather in your name

throughout this day.

We pray, Lord,

that your kingdom

will be blessed,

that you will be

bringing many sinners

into repentance

and into salvation,

into your kingdom.

We pray, Lord,

that you will continue

to pour out

your blessing upon us

as a nation

at this time,

undeserving as we are,

yet still we see

your hand upon us.

We see your hand upon us

in teaching

and rebuking,

but we see your hand upon us

in encouragement as well,

that there are people

who are seeking after you,

that there are those

who in the midst

of some of the greatest turmoil

maybe we've ever experienced

in our own lives,

who are looking to you

and recognizing

how frail a people we are,

but how great a God you are.

And so we pray

that as you continue

to teach us

many hard lessons,

that we will recognize

your grace and your love

and your mercy towards us,

and that if we as a nation

would repent and turn

and seek you as our God

and as our Lord,

what a blessing that would be

and the blessing that would be ours

poured out from heaven.

So, Lord, we pray

that you will rule over us

in the midst of these days,

rule over those

who are our nation's rulers,

that they would recognize

that they must bow the knee

before you,

give wisdom and guidance

to all who would seek

to lead us

in every aspect of life,

be it in our governments,

in our councils,

in any line of work

where there are decisions

that affect us

as a nation

and as a people.

We pray, Lord,

for your mercy and grace

when we think of

the trying times

we face in terms of

financial crisis

and pressures upon people.

We pray, Lord,

that the hearts of those

who are so often greedy

for more,

although they have so much,

it's never enough

and no matter

the consequences of others,

they seem to just want more.

We pray, Lord,

that you will change

the hearts that are greedy

for financial gain

in this world

to hearts that are filled

with mercy,

hearts that will show favor

and help

and kindness

towards others.

We know, Lord,

we live in a world

where we so often hear it said,

the rich are getting richer

and the poor are getting poorer.

But we know that

to know Christ

and to have him

would be to make us rich

beyond all comparison.

So we pray for

rich and poor,

young and old,

everyone to come

to know and to understand

the love of Christ,

that love that is beyond

all comparison.

So we pray, Lord,

your mercy upon us

and we pray, Lord,

that you will go before us

in this week ahead

as well as we look forward

to the time of communion season

in our midst.

We pray your blessing

on all the services

that will take place

and upon every preacher

who will minister in our midst.

May you help them

as they prepare

for the services

in these coming days.

We pray for each of them, Lord,

that you will bless them

and use them to your glory

and for our blessing here.

We pray for Reverend

Kenneth Ferguson

for the Thursday evening service.

We thank you

for his years of ministry

and his willingness

to serve in so many ways.

We pray that you will bless

that time around your word there.

We pray for Emma Critchie

and Paul Murray

as they come on the Friday evening.

May you bless them

and use them too.

We pray for Reverend

James McKeever

and Reverend Colin McLeod too

as they minister

over the weekend

and the sacrament

of the Lord's Supper.

May you bless them, Lord,

and encourage them.

And may we be ever

prayerful towards them.

We thank you

that even in this past week,

Mr. McKeever

has celebrated 35 years

in the ministry.

We pray you'll continue

to bless him

in his ministry here

and further afield as well.

Thanking you

for the congregations

he's been in in the past,

for East Kilbride

and for Point.

And we pray for the congregation

here as well,

Lord,

and his ministry here.

May you bless each one

and may you continue

to help us

to know your goodness

with us

all the days of our lives.

So we continue

to seek your face now

as we worship you

and as we turn to your word,

as we sing your praise.

May you draw near to us

as we seek

to draw near to you.

We ask all things,

confessing our sins

before you anew,

that we are a people

who fall short

of your glory,

who sin daily

in thought,

word,

and in deed.

But we thank you

that in Christ

there is rich forgiveness.

So we come

confessing anew

and looking to him,

asking for your mercy

upon us as a people,

that you'll go with us now.

We ask all in Jesus' name

and for his sake.

Amen.

We're going to sing again

to God's praise,

this time in Psalm 139

in the Scottish Psalter.

Psalm 139 on page 432.

We're going to sing

from verse 1

down to verse 10.

O Lord,

thou hast me searched

and known,

thou knowest

my sitting down

and rising up.

Yea, all my thoughts

afar to thee are known,

my footsteps

and my lying down

thou compassest always.

Thou also most entirely

art acquaint

with all my ways.

We'll sing

from verse 1 to 10

to God's praise

and we stand to sing.

Amen.

O Lord,

thou hast me searched,

and thus,

anche onen of the nations

and endure his name

again.

I have come to autre

the star of 632.

If one of the nations

или reach,

or 100% of the nations

may have come to Thee

and above the nations

and where he hailed

of mine as I know.

I have come to say

though God isMI

above us will.

Our Lord

My footsteps

And my lying

God

Thou God

Passest always

Thou also

Holds

My entire

Yard

I'll wait

With all my

Ways

For in

My tongue

Before

I speak

Not any

Work

Can be

But

All

Together

O

Lord

It is

Well

Long to

Thee

Behind

Before

The

Past

We

And

And

Live

On

Thee

Thee

Thee

Thee

Thee

Thee

Thee

Thee

From

Thy

Sand

Thine

Thee

From

Thy

Thee

Thee

Thee

Thee

Thee

Thee

Thee

There is in hell I lie.

Take I the morning wings and dwell

in utmost parts of sea.

In heaven, Lord, shall thy hand be me,

thy right hand hold shall be.

If we could turn together now, we'll read in God's word

in the beginning of the Old Testament in the book of Genesis.

I'm reading in Genesis chapter 3.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

I'm going to read the whole of this chapter.

Genesis chapter 3 and the whole of this chapter.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field

that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman,

Did God actually say,

You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?

And the woman said to the serpent,

We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,

but God said,

You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree

that is in the midst of the garden,

neither shall you touch it,

lest you die.

But the serpent said to the woman,

You will not surely die,

for God knows that when you eat of it,

your eyes will be opened,

and you will be like God,

knowing good and evil.

So when the woman saw that the tree

was good for food,

and that it was a delight to the eyes,

and that the tree was to be desired

to make one wise,

she took out its fruit and ate.

And she also gave some to her husband,

who was with her,

and he ate.

And the eyes of both were opened,

and they knew that they were naked,

and they sewed fig leaves together

and made themselves loincloths.

And they heard the sound of the Lord God

walking in the garden in the cool of the day.

And the man and his wife hid themselves

from the presence of the Lord God

among the trees of the garden.

But the Lord God called to the man

and said to him,

Where are you?

And he said,

I heard the sound of you in the garden,

and I was afraid,

because I was naked,

and I hid myself.

He said,

Who told you that you were naked?

Have you eaten of the tree

of which I commanded you not to eat?

The man said,

The woman whom you gave to me

to be with me,

she gave me fruit of the tree,

and I ate.

Then the Lord said to the woman,

What is this that you have done?

The woman said,

The serpent deceived me,

and I ate.

The Lord God said to the serpent,

Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock,

and above all beasts of the field.

On your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

between your offspring and her offspring.

He shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.

To the woman he said,

I will surely multiply your pain

and childbearing.

In pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be for your husband,

and he shall rule over you.

And to Adam he said,

Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,

and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,

you shall not eat of it.

Cursed is the ground because of you.

In pain you shall eat of it

all the days of your life.

Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,

and you shall eat the plants of the field.

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground.

For out of it you were taken,

for you are dust,

and to dust you shall return.

The man called his wife's name Eve,

because she was the mother of all living.

And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife

garments of skins and clothed them.

And the Lord God said,

Behold, the man has become like one of us

in knowing good and evil.

Now lest he reach out his hand

and take also the tree of life

and eat and live forever.

Therefore the Lord God sent him out

from the garden of Eden

to work the ground from which he was taken.

He drove out the man,

and at the east of the garden of Eden

he placed the cherubim

and a flaming sword that turned every way

to guard the way to the tree of life.

So I want to make God bless

that reading from his word.

Before we turn back to that passage,

we'll again sing to God's praise this time

in the Singed Psalms version of Psalm 56.

Psalm 56.

We find this on page 73.

We're singing from verse 1 to verse 9.

Oh my God, show mercy to me.

Men would take my life away.

Hostile forces press upon me.

They pursue me all the day.

Slanderers are close behind me.

They pursue me all day long.

In their arrogance they hound me.

They are numerous and strong.

We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 9.

To God's praise and we stand to sing.

O my God, your mercy to me.

Men would take my life away.

All sad forces press upon me.

They pursue me all day long.

All day long.

All day long.

All day long.

They are numerous and strong.

When they are no guards without me.

They are numerous and strong.

They are numerous and strong.

When they are no guards without me.

They are numerous and strong.

When I am afraid and trusting.

I will praise your faithful word.

I will trust and not be fearful.

What can man do to me, Lord?

All day long.

All day long.

All day long.

They platter hardly.

Twisting everything I say.

They will praise my heart.

They will praise the Lord.

And I will praise the Lord.

And I will praise the Lord.

And I will praise the Lord.

All day long.

All day long.

To take my life away.

Let them all dishing their anger, ring the nations down, O Lord.

In your hope, write my entreaties, in your scroll my tears record.

When I call on you to help me, then my faults will turn aside.

This is how I will be certain, that my God is on my side.

Amen.

Well, if we can turn together to our reading in Genesis chapter 3.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

I want us to read again at verse 8.

Genesis chapter 3, reading at verse 8.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.

And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, Where are you?

And so on.

But God willing, this coming week, we look forward to a time of communion season in our midst.

And we come to remember the Lord's death.

But we ask ourselves as we look forward to it, what is it that we are remembering in the Lord's death?

What is the reason for his death?

But we look at ourselves, we examine ourselves, and we turn to Scripture,

and we see what God is saying to us through his word is that we as a people are a fallen people.

That is, that our relationship with God has been marred by sin.

And in order to be made right once again with God,

something had to take place to restore that relationship,

to make right that relationship, a price had to be paid.

And the price that was paid was ultimately that the Lord Jesus came to give his life.

Everything that was foreshadowed in the Old Testament,

where you read through it and you see the whole sacrificial system,

where sacrifices were offered to have forgiveness of sin,

bringing it to the high priest once a year.

We see ultimately that pointing to a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

The way to God was barred to his people,

but a way was opened up once again through the death of the Lord Jesus.

And really it takes us back to the roots here in Genesis,

in Genesis chapter 3,

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

where we see the coming of sin into the world

and how we are all marred by this sin.

And the way back to God was cut off,

as you see at the end of chapter 3,

where the cherubim were there to protect the way to God.

And then we see that the man was cast out,

cast out of the garden to work the ground in hard toil.

But it's a chapter that reminds us too of the wonder of God's grace.

That God didn't give to them what they deserved,

but that he still showed mercy towards them.

And this is the mercy that is shown to us in Christ Jesus.

That in him we have one who is able still to take away our sins,

to make us right with God.

So as we look at this passage tonight,

I want to think about it in light of one of the questions

that we see in this chapter.

I want to ask ourselves that question this evening.

But first of all, what's the hardest question

you have ever had to answer?

What's the hardest question you've ever had to answer?

We all find ourselves maybe in situations

where we face up to questions,

be it from someone around us

or in a setting that we find ourselves in,

where someone asks us a question.

And we maybe think to yourself,

I'm just not sure how I might answer this question.

There'll be some teenagers in here tonight

or maybe listening in.

And over the last few months,

you've had to sit in a classroom situation,

sitting exams.

And sometimes when you sit in an exam,

you turn over the question sheet

and you look at the question,

you just think to yourself,

oh, I just didn't see that question coming.

I'm just not sure how I'm going to try

and answer that question.

Such a difficult question.

We're always maybe facing up to situations

where we have difficult questions

we have to try and answer.

Well, as we look at this chapter,

we are reminded of one of the most serious questions

that we have to face up to.

And maybe it's a question we've answered in the past.

And maybe you thought,

I'm okay.

I'm fine.

Everything's well in my life.

Everything's going fine.

But then you find yourself coming into a situation

where the Lord begins to open your eyes

and to open your heart.

And as he asks this question again,

you begin to think to yourself,

well, actually,

is everything okay in my life?

Is where I am now,

am I right with God?

Or is there something that needs to change?

What we find in this chapter,

in Genesis chapter 3,

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

is the account of what is called the fall,

where sin came into the world,

where man's relationship with God

was ruined in a sense.

And yet where God shows mercy.

The shorter Catechson puts it well

when he speaks about

what man entered into

in the beginning with God

is called a covenant.

This relationship,

this bond with God,

and it was called a covenant of life.

And everything was good and well in the garden.

But the covenant had a condition.

And the condition was perfect obedience.

And as you read through chapter 3,

you realize where this obedience was broken.

Where the serpent,

the crafty serpent,

came into the garden with his own questions,

leading them away from God.

And this question that brought them

to a place where they sinned.

They broke God's law.

They broke their covenant relationship with him.

The Catechson again says,

the fall brought mankind

into an estate of sin and misery.

And this chapter alone,

chapter 3,

makes it clear for us

what this misery was.

hard labor,

a relationship ruined with God,

cast out of the garden,

ultimately the pain of death.

It also brought with it

many other difficulties

and trials and temptations.

And they are all things

that we can relate to today as well.

We live in a world

where sin is all around us,

but it's not just out there.

Sin is in here.

Sin is in our heart.

In our own hearts tonight,

there is sin because we sin

daily in thought,

word and deed.

You don't have to think too hard

to think today,

well, how have I sinned?

I'm sure all of us

can immediately just think of ways

we've fallen short,

ways we've sinned,

something we've said,

something we've done,

or more often than not,

something we've thought.

The sins that we think

that nobody else sees,

but God knows.

So what's the solution for us

in this situation

where we think to yourself tonight

and we all think it may be,

well, here I am,

just a miserable sinner,

the chief of sinners

as Paul describes himself.

What can we do?

What's the answer for us?

Well, it's not to keep asking questions

of ourselves.

We can often ask questions

of ourselves,

but it's to hear the questions

that God asks.

And in the midst of the garden setting here,

when Adam and Eve had sinned against God,

when they disobeyed his command,

what happened to them?

They heard the sound of the Lord God.

He was walking in the garden

in the cool of the day

and they hid themselves.

That's not the answer for us.

It wasn't the answer for them,

as we will see.

The answer when we recognize

that we fall short,

when we're sinners,

is not to try and hide ourselves from God,

not to try and push God away,

the answer is to come near to God

and to see that he is a God

that is inviting us in,

inviting us back.

And that is what we see God doing here.

In the midst of everything that's happened,

God comes with this question

that we have in verse 9.

But the Lord God called to the man

and said to him,

Where are you?

And it's that question

I want us to ponder this evening.

It's one of the hardest questions

you'll maybe have to give answer to.

Where are you?

As we remember who is asking that question,

it is God, the Lord.

And there are three things

I want us to take from that question

this evening.

The first is this,

the nature of the question.

Secondly, the nurture of the question.

And thirdly, the need of the question.

So firstly, we see the nature

of this question.

What do we see of this question?

In the nature of it,

what kind of question is it?

The Lord God called to the man

and said to him,

Where are you?

It's very much a penetrating question.

It's a cutting question.

It's a question that Adam and Eve

are hearing,

believing they've hid themselves

from God.

But God's asking them

this penetrating question.

It's not like a question

that you or I would ask

when we don't know the answer.

Because God has a knowledge of us

that we can never have.

We maybe ask questions like this

in a frustrated situation

where we're thinking,

we're looking for our keys.

Where are they?

Where did I leave them?

Or maybe we're trying to drive

to a certain place

and we're saying to ourselves,

Which turning is it?

Where do we go?

Where do we turn?

We ask these questions

and we don't know

the answers to them.

But God asks the question here,

not because he doesn't know

where they are.

He knows exactly

where they are.

This is not a game of

hide and seek

that God is playing with them.

It's not like us

as small children

or little children

playing with our friends

and we try and go

and hide somewhere

and someone's trying to find us

and they're becoming frustrated

and they're,

where are you?

Will you not just come out?

This is not God

playing a game.

God is asking this question

in a much more serious way.

He knows

where they are.

And Matthew Henry

says in his commentary

on this verse

that he's not asking

this question

in the sense of

it's not

what place

are they.

What he's asking is

in what condition

are they?

Where are you

in the sense

of what condition

you're in?

And that's

the nature

of this question.

It's a penetrating

question.

God isn't asking you

tonight

where are you?

And your answer is

I'm sitting in the church

in Kenneth Street.

That's not the question

that God is asking you here.

The question

he's asking you here

is

where are you

in the sense of

what condition

are you in?

What condition

are you in

in your relationship

with God?

Do you realize

what you've done?

Adam and Eve

are hearing

this question.

God's question

has come as a result

of their response

to the question

that Satan

the serpent

had asked them earlier.

Did God

really say

that you would die?

He had come

with his crafty

questions.

He put doubt

into their relationship

with God

and saying

can God

really be trusted?

That's so often

the condition

we've been in

ourselves.

Maybe we've heard

of God

all our days

growing up

but now

we want to

put him away

and there's a doubt

that comes in.

Is God real?

Can God

be trusted?

But then

God comes

with his

own question.

God comes

and asks you

tonight

but where

are you?

Where are you

now?

What has

all of your life

done?

All that you thought

you could get away

with?

All the ways

you thought

you could run

away from me

and hide

and just

go on

with your life

in the way

that was pleasing

to yourself?

Where are you

now?

What condition

are you in?

What is your

relationship

with me?

Where

are you?

God's word

penetrates.

God's voice

penetrates

here in the garden

and it should

penetrate into

our own

hearts

tonight

asking us

that question

where are we?

The book of

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 4:12

4 verse 12

says the word

of God is

living and

active

sharper than

any two

edged sword

piercing

to the division

of soul

and spirit

of joints

and marrow

and discerning

the thoughts

and intentions

of the heart.

There's no

hiding place

from God

and his

word

penetrates.

His word

searches

into your

heart

tonight

asking you

that question

where are you?

And the

question

that goes

with it

is

what does

that

convict you

of tonight?

Where

are you?

Jesus'

question

so often

did the

same

when he

was with

his disciples

and people

were discussing

who Jesus

was.

Some people

were saying

that he was

John the

Baptist

others saying

one of the

prophets

but Jesus

asked a

searching

question of

his disciples

he said

to them

but what

about you

who do

you say

that I

am?

It's a

very similar

kind of

question

it's a

searching

question

it's a

piercing

question

who do

you say

that I

am?

where

are you?

I like

to watch

sometimes

crime

dramas

when a

crime has

been committed

and maybe

a team

is trying

to work

out who

committed

the crime

and they

have their

suspects

they bring

them in

one of the

questions

that they

often ask

is where

were you

at midnight

or a

certain

time

last night?

It's a

searching

question

it's a

question

that your

defense is

maybe going

to be based

upon

do you

have an

alibi

or can

you

do you

have no

answer to

that question

that's going

to convince

them that

you weren't

involved in

the crime?

Well God's

question comes

in the same

way tonight

as well

where are

you?

So can

you say

you've got

your alibi?

I am in

Christ

I am

entrusting

my soul

to him

I believe

in him

with all

my heart

or like

the psalmist

in Psalm

116

you're able

to say

I love

the Lord

because my

voice and

prayers he did

hear

I while I

live

will call

on him

who bowed

to me

his ear

is that

your defense

or are you

recognizing

your sin

in the sense

you've got

no defense

where are

you?

You're

outside

the camp

you're

away from

God

you're

running

you're

hiding

God is

calling you

not because

he doesn't

know where

you are

but he

knows your

condition

and the

nature of

his question

is a

piercing

one

where

are you?

But we

also see

with this

question

that there

is nurture

to this

question

God is

asking

this in

a

compassionate

way

he'll

be well

within his

rights to

come and

condemn them

for what

they've done

they've

broken the

covenant

they've

broken

the

relationship

with God

and God

was within

his rights

to cast

them away

but that's

not how

God

comes

so often

we maybe

see things

or hear

things where

a joke

has been

played on

someone

in my

younger

years

it was

Beatles

about

when

they

used

to

set

up

someone

to

maybe

have

their

card

thrashed

or something

like that

and just

filming them

and what

their reaction

would be

today it's

more

aunt and

deck

on a

Saturday

night

setting up

some

celebrity

when something

goes

wrong

and they're

just

filming them

to see

how they'll

react

there's

a funny

side

to it

but there's

not

humour

in the

way God

looks on

us

he's not

looking on

us and

thinking

well I'm

just going

to do

this to

see

how they

react

how does

God react

when we

have wronged

him

how did

Christ react

as Peter

denied him

how did

he react

on the

cross as

he looked

down and

saw those

who were

crucifying

him

the wonder

of compassion

and grace

and love

that he showed

towards his

own

so when you

look at the

question here

where are you

God within

his rights

to come

in immediate

judgment

on these

people

to condemn

them

say why

have you

done this

he could

give them

a lecture

and say

Adam

Eve

I can't

believe

what you've

done

how could

you

after all

I've done

for you

how could

you be

so stupid

but God

graciously

comes to

Adam and

Eve

asking

where

are you

there is

almost

a sense

of humor

here

when you

see

they're

trying to

hide

among

the trees

trying to

hide

themselves

from the

God

who

made

the

heavens

and

the

earth

it's

impossible

even as

we sang

in

Psalm 139

Psalm that

says you

know it

doesn't matter

where we go

in this

world

there's no

getting away

from God

whether you

take the

wings to the

utmost parts

of sea

even there

God is

there's no

hiding

there's no

getting away

from God

but God

is saying

here yes

sin must

be judged

he's not

letting that

go

and we see

that at the

cross as sin

was judged

finally as

Christ gave

his life

but God

does not

immediately

give what

sin

deserves

thank God

for his

grace

towards us

because where

would we be

without his

grace

where would

you be

tonight

without his

grace

where are

you tonight

in light

of his

grace

are you

leaning upon

it

are you

trusting

in it

we forget

the Lord

but as one

commentator

put it

he must

draw him

out of

hiding

that's what

he says

of Adam

he is a

good shepherd

who seeks

the lost

sheep

and it's

not what

God does

to us

when he

comes to

save us

from our

sin

he draws

us out

of our

hiding

place

wherever

you're

hiding

wherever

you're

running

to

you're

running

from

God

but he

will

come

and he

will

come

to draw

you

out

of

hiding

we so

easily

forget

the

Lord

our

God

and there's

consequences

for that

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 8:11

8

verse 11

says

take care

lest you

forget

the Lord

your God

by not

keeping

his commandments

and his

rules

and his

statutes

which I

command

you today

you know

he still

says to us

to keep

his laws

to keep

his commandments

but he knows

we cannot

keep them

perfectly

but even

when we

fail

in that

we have

a way

to salvation

that is

through

Christ

Jesus

because when

you come

into the

New Testament

you think

of the

words

of Jesus

in Matthew

Matthew 11:28

11

verse 28

come to

me

all you

who labor

and are

heavy laden

and I

will give

you rest

he calls

a people

to himself

so even

as he

asks this

question

that is

nurtured

in it

where

are

you

but

there's

warning

to

he's

saying

to us

will you

listen

will you

heed

this

question

will you

recognize

your

condition

how far

short

you're

falling

when you're

running

from me

what is

your

condition

tonight

in this

sense

do you

need

the grace

of God

as we

all do

or do

you

recognize

your

need

of the

grace

of God

or maybe

you're

saying

to yourself

I know

I need

it

but I

don't

deserve

it

none

of us

do

and yet

God

by his

mercy

is able

to show

grace

there's a

story told

of a man

who was

struggling

to believe

and to

find peace

with God

and he

came to

another

Christian

friend

one day

and he

said to

him

I am

such

a

helpless

miserable

sinner

there's

no hope

for me

I've

prayed

and I've

tried

my best

and I've

vowed

until I'm

sick of

my efforts

there's

just no

hope

in my

situation

his friend

said to

him

do you

believe

that Christ

died for

your sins

and rose

again

and he

said yes

of course

I do

believe

that

his

Christian

friend

said

to

him

well

if

he

were

here

on

earth

in bodily

form

invisible

what would

you do

he said

well I

would go

to him

at once

and what

would you

ask of

him

well I

would ask

him

to forgive

my sins

and what

would he

answer

and there

was a

silence

and then

he asked

him again

what would

he answer

and then

suddenly

the man's

eyes lit

up and a

smile of

peace

came on

his face

he said

he would

answer

I will

and that's

the wonder

of God's

grace

the devil

will have

us

troubled

by our

sins

forever

if he

could

but the

word of

God

the

nurture

of it

calls us

to himself

to find

one who

is able

to forgive

as it

says in

first John

one verse

nine

if we

confess

our sins

he is

faithful and

just to

forgive us

our sins

and cleanse

us from

all

unrighteousness

may we

see the

grace of

God

the