Christ's Legacy of Peace

We're going to begin our worship, and our first item of praise is Psalm 65.

Psalm 65, that's on page 82 of the Psalm books.

We're singing to a tune, Paisley, singing verses 1 to 7.

In Zion praise awaits you, Lord.

To you our vows will pay.

To you all people will come near.

You hear us when we pray.

When we were overwhelmed by sins and guilt upon us lay.

You pardoned all our trespasses and washed our guilt away.

How blessed are those you choose and bring within your courts of grace.

We're filled with blessings in your house, in your most holy place.

And so on, down as far as verse 7.

In Zion praise awaits you, Lord.

And we stand to sing.

In Zion praise awaits you, Lord.

To you our vows will pay.

To you all people will come near.

You hear us when we pray.

When we were overwhelmed by sins and guilt upon us lay.

You pardoned all our trespasses and washed our guilt away.

I bless you, Lord.

I bless you, Lord.

I bless you, Lord.

I bless you, Lord.

I bless you, Lord.

I bless you, Lord.

And bring within your courts of grace.

We're filled with blessings in your eyes, in your most holy place.

With awesome deeds of righteousness, you answer us, O God.

Our Savior, O God.

Our Savior, O God.

Our Savior, O Father, the sea and all the earth have brought.

By strength and power you formed the earth.

You hashed the ocean's voice.

You can the true love of their ways.

And still the people's joy.

We're now going to call upon the Lord in prayer.

Let's join together and call upon God in prayer.

O Lord, our God, we give thanks for the truth of these great words that we have been singing

in your praise, for the way that we come to you tonight, knowing that you are the one

who pardons our sin as we come seeking your forgiveness.

You are the one who washes us from our guilt and sets us in your presence in a way that is

acceptable to yourself.

We thank you for the manner in which you have chosen to do this, through all that the Lord

Jesus Christ has done to provide us, O Lord, with the ground on which we can approach you,

the salvation that we enjoy in our possession of it.

And we thank you tonight that as you are the God who created the creation that we have around us

and ourselves, you are the one who formed and fashioned us, even in our mother's womb.

You are the one who brought into being all that exists around us and all the universe,

even the farthest planets which we cannot see and which we are assured exist in various galaxies

throughout the universe.

We thank you that they are all known to you, that you gave names to the stars, each and every one,

for you, O Lord, brought them into being.

And so we marvel tonight that this great and glorious and holy God, who is so immense that

we cannot but touch the very fringes of his being in our knowledge of him.

And yet, Lord, your interest in us as human beings, as fallen sinful human beings, has been to provide us

with redemption.

We thank you, Lord, for the saving touch of your hand upon us,

the way in which you bring to your people the necessary comfort and guidance and teaching,

all that we require, Lord, in this life to overcome all that stands against us.

We give thanks that you are also the one who overcomes all that is true of our own limitation.

You are the one who does not give us as we deserve, or else we would not be approaching you this evening.

But, O Lord, in your mercy, you have provided us with redemption.

And it is on the basis of that mercy and on the merits of the Lord Jesus himself

that we come to you this evening.

Lord, bless us, we pray here, these moments that we are gathered together.

As we know, O Lord, how important it is for us to take from these moments

the blessing that would truly benefit us for this coming week,

but further blessed even towards eternity itself.

We ask that your Holy Spirit will actively bless us this evening,

that we may not be content with a mere attendance in this place of worship,

or with even an outward formality of gathering such a way as worshipers.

Lord, we ask that you would bless us inwardly.

Touch our hearts, we pray.

Instruct and enlighten us in our minds.

Give us in our will that we may have that urgency of seeking your glory

and seeking that we be dedicated and consecrated to you in all that we seek to do.

Lord, we thank you as we reflect upon all that you have been to us thus far.

We can truly say that you have blessed us abundantly

and that your blessings have exceeded our ability to number them,

for your blessings reach us day by day.

We thank you, Lord, for the blessings we have in the course of our ordinary life in this world,

the things that we have recourse to enjoy day by day,

the food that we eat, the shelter we have,

the blessing of having friends and family,

the many ways in which we are blessed under the gospel.

Lord, help us not to take these things for granted.

And even when we find how readily we can access food and clothing and provision,

O Lord, we pray that you would help us never to forget

that we have them by your own blessing,

lest we should indeed say that our own hand, our own ability,

and our own deservingness have brought these things to us.

You are the God who instructed your people Israel long ago

as they prepared to enter the promised land,

that when they came to inhabit houses that yet they had not built

and fields that they had not cultivated,

a land that flowed with plenty,

then, Lord, you gave them warning that they were not to conclude,

that it was by their own wisdom or own ability

that they had produced these things.

Help us too, we pray as a nation,

as we come before you and pray for the people that we belong to.

We ask, gracious one, that you would come with your blessing

and lift us up above all that is sinful,

all that is of human wisdom.

And we pray that you would give to those who rule over us,

especially as they be guided by your own word,

by your truth, by your laws, by your promises.

We pray for them, Lord, and ask that,

as you instruct us in your word and require of us,

to pray for those who are in authority.

So we do so now and ask,

as we pray for them, that you would bless them

and give them counsel and wisdom

that is greater than their own

and greater than any human being can produce.

And so we pray that you would bless also, Lord,

the situation we find ourselves in,

in your providence.

When we find so much that causes us concern,

we think of those, Lord, tonight

who are feeling the effects of the increase in costs

and the cost of living.

And we pray for those who have lost employment,

those who are anxious about that,

those who need to care for their families

and wonder maybe from day to day

if they're going to continue in employment.

We pray for them.

We pray, Lord, that you would grant

that the world that has affected matters so much

when so many nations are tied together

in terms of economic circumstances.

Lord, we pray that you would bring a cessation of war,

a cessation of violence,

and grant to nations and people tonight

that are beset with poverty,

that you would bless them and help us

from the resources that we have as a people

to care for them

and to be pleased, Lord,

to minister practically to them.

We ask that you bless tonight

those we know who are at this time

mourning the passing of loved ones

in this past week and in weeks gone by

and even years.

Lord, we know that the wounds

that are opened through these providences

are ongoing in a sore and difficult way

for many people.

And we do pray that you would bless tonight

those here under the gospel and elsewhere

who require, Lord, the peace of God

once again to come to calm their mind

and to bring them assurance

that you know their situation

and that your provision for them in grace

is always adequate to meet

with our needs at all times.

Bless our children,

our young people as they grow up

and as they come to be taught at home

in Sunday school,

in Tweenies and even in Cresce.

Oh, Lord, as they partake of gospel services here,

we pray that you would bless this to them

and make us thankful, Lord,

that we have them

for it gives us cause of optimism

for the future

that we see young families

and children coming

to take their place

in the church of God on earth.

And we do pray that they be

sanctified under your truth

and grow up to be

to be true and lasting witnesses

for you in the course of their life

and for your grace

in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Receive us now, we pray.

Hear us and cleanse us

from all our sin.

We ask it all in Jesus' name

and for his sake.

Amen.

Amen.

We're going to sing again

to God's praise.

Our psalm this time

is Psalm 37.

This is in the Scottish Psalter

on page 255.

Page 255 in the Blue Psalm books.

We'll sing from verse 34

down to verse 40.

June this time is St. Kilda.

Wait on the Lord

and keep his way

and thee exalt shall he

the earth to inherit

when cut off the wicked

thou shalt see.

I saw the wicked

great in power

spread like a green bay tree.

He passed.

Yea, was not.

Him I sought

but found he could not be.

Mark thou the perfect

and behold the man

of uprightness

because that surely

of this man

the latter end

is peace.

And so on to the end

of the psalm

from verse 34

wait on the Lord.

Wait on the Lord

and keep his way

and the exalt shall be

earth to inherit

when cut off the wicked

of the wicked

thou shalt see.

I saw the wicked

grieve in power

tread like a green bay tree.

He passed

ye was not

him I sought

what found he could not be.

Mark thou the perfect

and behold the man

of the brightness

of the third

shall bong

he is wont

the latter

the latter

endless

perish

yet

those

of the

overextrisory

shall be

be destroyed

together

the

larger

end of

wicked

men shall

be cut

off forever

but

thus

shall not

the just

is from

the Lord

above

he

in the

time of

their

distress

their

still

and strength

doth prove

the Lord

shall

help

and

lend

the

earth

he

shall

them

free

and

save

from

wicked

men

because

in him

their

confidence

they

have

let's

turn now

to read

God's

word

and we'll

find our

scripture

tonight

in

John's

gospel

and

chapter

14

gospel

according

to

John

John 14 · chapter mention

chapter

14

we're

going to

begin

reading

at

verse

15

and

we'll

read

on

down

to

the

end

of

this

chapter

chapter

and

of

course

this

is

part

of

the

teaching

that

Jesus

gave

the

disciples

as

he

was

with

them

in

the

upper

room

just

in

the

lead

up

to

his

arrest

and

on

to

the

cross

and

so

in

John

14

and

verse

15

we

read

as

follows

if

you

love

me

you

will

keep

my

commandments

and

I

will

ask

the

father

and

he

will

give

you

another

helper

to

be

with

you

forever

even

the

spirit

of

truth

whom

the

world

cannot

receive

because

it

neither

sees

him

nor

knows

him

you

know

him

for

he

dwells

with

you

and

will

be

in

you

I

will

not

leave

you

as

orphans

I

will

come

to

you

yet

a

little

while

and

the

world

will

see

me

no

more

but

you

will

see

me

because

I

live

you

also

will

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

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

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

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

I

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

Amen

may God

bless

to

us

reading

anew

of

his

word

before

we

turn

to

an

aspect

of

that

passage

let's

sing

once

again

this

time

Psalm

85

Psalm

85

and

that's

on

page

112

sorry

it's

113

we'll

sing

from

verse

8

down

to

the

end

of

the

psalm

the tune

this

time

is

Blaine

Worm

I

will

hear

what

God

the

Lord

says

to

his

saints

he

offers

peace

but

his

people

must

not

wander

and

return

to

foolishness

surely

for

all

those

who

fear

him

his

salvation

is

at

hand

so

that

once

again

his

glory

may

be

seen

within

our

land

love

and

truth

have

met

together

righteousness

and

peace

embrace

righteousness

looks

down

from

heaven

from

the

earth

springs

faithfulness

what

is

good

the

Lord

will

give

us

and

our

land

its

fruit

will

bear

righteousness

will go

before

him

and

his

royal

way

prepare

these

verses

I

will

hear

what

God

the

Lord

says

I

will

hear

what

God

the

Lord

says

to

the

saints

he

offers

peace

and

his

evil

must

not

wander

and

return

to

foolishness

surely

for

all

those

who

fear

him

his

salvation

is

at

hand

so

that

once

again

his

glory

may

be

seen

within

our

land

love

and

truth

have

met

together

righteousness

and peace

and

grace

righteousness

which

comes

from

heaven

from

the

earth

streams

faithfulness

what

is

good

the

Lord

will

give

us

and

the

rampage

good

will

bear

righteousness

will

go

before

him

and

his

royal

way

prevail

now for

a short

time let's

turn

together

to

Matthew

sorry to

John

John 14 · chapter mention

chapter

14

and

verse

27

so

it's

John

John 14 · chapter mention

chapter

14

and

verse

27

in

particular

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

it's

all too

obvious

isn't it

as you

look out

over the

world

and even

over our

local

community

as well

that our

troubled

world

needs

peace

it needs

a peace

that we

ourselves

however

cannot

produce

there are

so many

things

that you

see in

the events

of the

world

even

at

the

present

time

that

make

it

obvious

that

the

need

for

peace

is

acute

between

wars

terrorism

famine

diseases

pandemic

still

aspects

of that

pandemic

still

lingering

on

even

amongst

our

own

community

rise

in the

cost

of

living

the

shortage

of

material

goods

the

increase

obviously

of

anxiety

throughout

all

through

all of

these

and other

things

so many

things

in your

own

life

personally

and my

life

personally

that cause

us

anxiety

anxiety

and worry

over the

future

over loved

ones

over those

who are

ill

over the

loss of

loved ones

events

that take

place regularly

in human

life

but that

affect all

of us

at some

point

from time

to time

the world

and we

ourselves

in it

need

peace

we require

our hearts

to be

calmed

we

require

an assurance

from God

that all

is well

in his

hands

that whatever

we are

experiencing

he does

not make

mistakes

and here

tonight we

have a

verse that

tells us

of Christ's

legacy

of peace

the legacy

of peace

that he

brought

to the

disciples

notice

as he

spoke to

them here

peace

I leave

with you

my peace

I give

to you

and especially

as you look

out over the

world tonight

and a

search for

peace

and where

peace is

to be

found

sadly

all too

often

people

even at

the highest

level

of government

are looking

for peace

in all

the wrong

places

for all

the good

intentions

that people

have

of having

peace

between

nations

and peace

between

communities

for as long

as you look

mainly

to political

and economic

means

of achieving

peace

it will never

be the kind

of peace

that our

heart needs

it will never

be the true

and lasting

peace

that we were

designed

to enjoy

in our

creation

by God

and our

Christian minds

tell us

that there is

a peace

that surpasses

every other

peace

and it is

this peace

that Jesus

spoke of

and that he

is pleased

to give

to those

who trust

in him

to those

who are

his disciples

my peace

I am giving

to you

not as the

world

do I give

to you

there is the

great contrast

between the

search of

the world

and the world

in John

is the world

of human

beings

in rebellion

against God

mainly

the world

in its own

antagonism

to God's

truth

not as the

world gives

do I give

to you

my peace

I give

to you

the peace

the source

of peace

for us

tonight

this peace

is Jesus

this peace

that he

speaks of

here

as a legacy

that he has

passed on

to all

who come

to place

their trust

and confidence

in him

well of course

in verse 28

he tells us

something of

the situation

that caused

the disciples

here

anxiety

you have

heard me

say to you

I am

going away

and I will

come to you

now of course

at that stage

they couldn't

fully understand

what he was

actually saying

here

he was preparing

them for

his actual

physical

departure

from this

world

and of course

they could not

possibly imagine

what it would be

like to not

have him

present with

them

they were

anxious

thinking about

the very

matter

of Jesus

no longer

being with

them

teaching

them

directing

them

sometimes

correcting

them

but he is

there

and he is

there since

they became

disciples

and now

they have

the prospect

of him

going away

how are

they going

to cope

how will

they manage

all of

that is

causing

them

so much

anxiety

and that's

why Jesus

now directs

their thoughts

to the peace

that he is

going to leave

with them

the peace

that comes

through his

work of the

cross

through his

death and

resurrection

this spiritual

peace

the peace

that surpasses

every other

type of peace

we know of

and so tonight

that's what we

want to give

our minds

to for a

little time

looking firstly

at this

peace as

a legacy

of peace

a peace

that comes

as a

spiritual

legacy

to all

of God's

children

to all

of God's

people

and secondly

and more

fully

it's actually

a unique

peace

which he calls

here

my peace

I am giving

to you

it's unique

because

for one thing

it's Christ's

peace

that he's

passing on

to his

disciples

it's unique

because it

contrasts with

the peace

that the world

is able to

give

the kind

of peace

that is

able to

give

and it's

unique

because

it is also

a calming

peace

let not

your hearts

be troubled

he's saying

in the light

of the peace

that he's

going to

give them

so it's

also a

legacy

of peace

you notice

how he

begins

here

peace

I am

leaving

with you

my peace

I'm giving

to you

now that's

the language

of legacy

or will

making

or leaving

a legacy

to people

you know

yourself

very well

what that

entails

and when

somebody's

making out

a will

the will

specifies

that this

is what's

going to

happen

after I'm

no longer

here

after I'm

dead

after I'm

gone

this is

what I'm

leaving

this is

who I'm

leaving

it to

this is

my will

and testament

my last

will

and testament

and this

is what

you will

then

possess

that person

the testator

is saying

this is

what I'm

leaving

to you

this is

what you

will

possess

when I'm

no longer

with you

and this

is exactly

what Jesus

is saying

in spiritual

terms

he is

making out

a legacy

of peace

to them

that has

come through

his own

death

just as

it is

in the

ordinary

sense

in which

we have

a legacy

that's

made out

to those

that are

following us

those that

benefit

from our

last will

and testament

Jesus is

saying

here is

my last

will

and testament

for you

here is

my peace

that I'm

leaving

with you

that I'm

bequeathing

to you

that I'm

passing on

to you

and for that

of course

we need to

realize that

the death

of Jesus

and the

resurrection

of Jesus

is part

of his

will-making

process

peace

it is

through

that

that

he

comes

to

leave

that

he

came

to

achieve

this

peace

and

passes

it

on

to

his

people

remember

he

says

in

John

John 10 · chapter mention

chapter

10

in

verse

17

how he

says

there

that

he

is

laying

down

his

life

when

he

says

there

for

this

reason

my

father

loves

me

because

I

lay

down

my

life

that

I

might

take

it

up

again

no

one

takes

it

from

me

but

I

lay

it

down

of

my

own

accord

I

have

authority

to lay

it

down

and

I

have

authority

to

take

it

up

again

this

charge

I

have

received

from

my

father

you

see

what

he

is

saying

that

God

the

father

had

given

to

him

God

the

son

this

particular

authority

to lay

down

his

life

to

actually

give

his

life

for

his

people

to

take

the

death

which

we

deserve

for

our

sin

to

take

that

to

himself

and

then

by

his

resurrection

from

the

dead

overcome

death

triumphantly

and

therefore

obtain

and

receive

for

his

people

a

legacy

of

peace

that

is

how

our

peace

the

spiritual

peace

that

you

have

as

a

Christian

that's

where

it

came

from

it

wasn't

manufactured

by

ourselves

it's

not

something

that

was

invented

by

the

church

it's

not

something

that

anyone

short

of

Jesus

himself

has

a

hand

in

it

is

the

peace

of

Christ

the

peace

that

he

died

to

obtain

and

rose

from

the

dead

to

obtain

now

you

see

if

you

go

forward

in

John's

gospel

to

chapter

19

you'll

find

something

very

interesting

there

chapter

19

at

verse

sorry

chapter

20

I'm

sorry

at

verse

19

chapter

20

and

at

verse

19

where

you

find

Jesus

of

course

having

risen

from

the

dead

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