23.8.26 am

Good morning everyone. A warm welcome to the service this morning, those who are in the building and also those who are watching online.

! It's good to have a good few visitors with us this morning as well and if you're able to stay behind please do so. There's tea and there's coffee and there's a good standard of cakes available.

We had a commission conference here yesterday and they were very restrained, those who appeared and so we have a good number of cakes afterwards. So please stay behind, it's good to take time to enjoy fellowship together.

A few notices, there was lots on the screen and in the email. I'm not going to go through them all but I'll highlight just a few of them. Just to see, there is creche available just there if you need to use that. There is also a Sunday School running today but for the senior class, the S1's upwards.

You're not going out to Sunday School today, you're staying in the service. Douglas Humphress is preaching today and when we have better preachers than the normal preacher, the Sunday School class get to stay in. So you can rejoice in that today.

There's no evening service tonight in Tarbert. The communion weekend in Leverborough has been ongoing and so we close Sunday evening for us to have the opportunity to go to join with accommodation in Leverborough this evening.

In the vestibule there are copies of reports with updates on fundraising and church projects to develop the church and the congregation. So you've got a copy of that available if you haven't picked one up already.

We have an AGM this coming Wednesday, so a prayer meeting followed by the AGM. The summary sheet really feeds into the AGM. There's the chance to have the accounts presented, any questions you have, updates on properties, any advice you want to give to the deacons.

So the AGM is the time to come along and do that. Ordination and induction of the Reverend Scott McLeod, who was our minister in training here for the last two years.

That happens this Tuesday in Park Free Church, Graver Free Church. And the service begins at 7 o'clock. The first half is in Graver and after the service there's a reception in the Caber Fae in Stornoway.

Stuart is going to be taking a minibus if there's demand. And so if you want to book a seat, there's a sheet in the vestibule, put your name on that or speak to Stuart.

And if we have enough names, we'll make sure that we confirm the minibus and use that to head through and back. Next hospitality evening is on Friday 28th August at Angus and Kirsty's at 7 o'clock.

If you're able to go to that, please have a word with them just so they've got an idea of how many people to cater for. Men's breakfast this coming Saturday, 29th, 9 till 10 a.m.

The service is next Sunday morning service taken by myself. Evening service is the monthly Gallic service and then there's a fellowship after that. And I think these are all the notices.

So let's begin this time of worship and we'll sing to God's praise. We'll sing from Mission Praise 51, Be Thy my vision, O Lord of my heart. Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart.

Brought me all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou art me all else to me, save that Thou art me, save that Thou art me, save that Thou art me.

Lord, my life. In me, Lord, sweet name, my presence, my light.

Me and my wisdom, so now I to work. I am the living, now with me, Lord.

Thou, my great Father, guide thy true Son, thou in me dwelling, and I with me one.

Be thou my God, who shield soar for the fight, be thou my dignity, thou my delight.

Thou, my soul's shelter, thou my life's power, praise thou thee, heavenward, O God of my land.

Riches I need, not your hands empty praise, thou my inheritance, thou and always.

Thou and always. Thou, thou, my holy, fast in my heart.

Thou, my king of heaven, my treasure thou art. I may, O heaven, after victory one, may I reach heaven's joys, O righteous sun, heart of my own heart, O Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, still be my vision, O ruler of all.

O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, let's close our eyes, let's bow our heads, and unite our hearts in prayer.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the privilege that we have to be able to come together as your people this morning on the Lord's Day. And we thank you that we can sing praise from our hearts and express something of our love, our worship, the worship that you are worthy of.

And we thank you that we can come to you in prayer, knowing that you are the God who hears our prayers, the God who condescends, the Almighty God, the All-Powerful God, the Creator, the Sustainer, and yet the one whom we call Father, the one whom we come to as children.

And we thank you that as we come into your presence, we do so, not wondering whether or not we will be received. We praise you, Lord, that we have the assurance that we will be received, that you will not push us away, but that you will draw us close.

And we thank you that that confidence is not a confidence that is in ourselves, but it's because of the name in whom we pray. We thank you that we meet and we pray in the name of Jesus, your Son, our Savior.

And we thank you that he is the one who came to this world to do everything that was necessary for us to be saved.

We confess readily that we are sinners. Sometimes as we think about our own hearts, even as we think back over the last few days, we are conscious of many times that we have failed and fallen.

And we pray for forgiveness for the sin that we have committed consciously and willfully. And we also know that we sin even unknowingly.

And you see our hearts and you scan our thoughts and you hear our words and you see all that we do and all the motivation behind that.

And so as we think, Lord, about all these things, we pray that you would forgive us for our sin. That you would wash us in the blood of Jesus, that blood that was shed at Calvary.

That you would make us clean. And that you would fill us with the life that Jesus promises to all who come to him. We thank you that not only did Jesus die for our sin, but he rose from the dead.

And promised life in abundance and life that is everlasting to all who believe. And so we pray asking that you would give to us that life.

That you would fill our lives with Christ. That we would know day by day the help and the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, the one who has given to us the moment that we believe.

The one who is our helper and our comforter. The one who brings us joy and peace. So be at work, Lord, we pray, in our lives.

Take away all that is of sin and of self. And fill us, we pray, with the Holy Spirit. That we may not only for this hour, but with every hour that we're given, seek to worship you and to glorify you.

Man's chief end, as the Catechism says, is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. Help us to live that kind of life. And we pray today that as we gather here, that we would have a fresh vision of Jesus.

As the sign over my head says, we would see Jesus. We see each other and we thank you for the encouragement that there is in seeing each other. But we pray that we would have a fresh vision of Christ.

And that we would worship. That we would come. And that we would seek to lift up the name of Jesus in all that we do. We pray for those who go out with the good news about Jesus to faraway places.

We thank you for all who spoke here yesterday. We thank you for the ministries that we heard of as the gospel goes forth in parts of Asia, in Vietnam and Cambodia.

And as we think of those whom you have called to do that, we pray for them. And we ask, Lord, that you would help them to keep on keeping on as they seek to serve you. And we pray that the seed of the gospel would take root in the hearts of all who hear it.

We pray not only for those who go far away with the gospel. We pray for each one of us here. All of us are called to tell others about Jesus.

And so whether we do that in school or in college, whether we do that in the hospital or in the classroom, in the office, in our homes, in the shop.

We ask, Lord, that you would give us opportunities and the courage to take them. That we may tell people through our words and show people through our lives that the Lord Jesus is real.

That he is the one who calls us to come and find salvation and purpose and life in abundance. We pray for those who begin new chapters of ministry this week.

We think of Scott and Fiona. We thank you for them, Lord, and for the family who spent a couple of years here with us. And as the induction happens on Tuesday, we pray that you would prepare them for all that you have ahead of them.

We pray that the evening would be a blessing. And we pray that as Scott seeks to serve you with Fiona and the family, that you would help them. And that you would use them in a powerful way in that place.

We pray on for Gordon as he begins his final year in training for ministry. Help him and Julian and the family, we pray. We pray for Stuart as he prepares to begin ministering training here at the end of this month.

And we ask for him and for Joyce and for Emily and for Anna that your hand would be upon them for good. Help them, Lord, as they step out in obedience to your call for their lives.

And we pray for those who struggle. We think especially of those who may have anxieties about the week ahead. We pray in particular for Shona Davidson, who heads to Inverness tomorrow.

And who is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday. We ask, Lord, that you would guide the hands of all those who will care for her and operate on her.

And we pray for success and for your presence with her throughout all of that. And for others, Lord, who struggle with treatments, with procedures. For those who are in recovery.

We ask, Lord, that your hand would be upon each one of them. As we think of them in our mind's eye, we bring them to you in prayer. And we pray for your comfort for those who grieve.

We think especially of Agnes Cross having buried her husband, Bill, yesterday. We pray that she would know your peace and your comfort today and over these coming days.

So hear our prayers. Continue with us in the rest of this service. And we ask all this in Jesus name. Amen. Boys and girls, would you like to come forward, please?

And today, Douglas is going to speak to you. Douglas and I don't think we met before this weekend, but I actually used to share a flat with Douglas's brother David.

And he was the messiest, untidiest guy ever. Well, I used to share a room with my brother.

Sorry about that. I'll just stick this on here. Great. Good to meet you all. So I brought something to show you and I brought lots of them.

So let me just bring it out. It's a wristband. You see the wristband? Now, I brought one for everyone here, but do you know, I've been a bit silly. I'm a bit clumsy because I've left them.

I've actually left them on the windowsills at the back of the church. So I wonder, can I have a volunteer? Yes, you at the back here.

What's your name? Ezra. Ezra. Great. Ezra. Ezra. Nice to meet you, Ezra. I wonder if you'd be willing to go and get the wristbands for me. But here's the arrangement, okay?

I'd like you to only get one at a time. Are you up for that? See what you can do. I wonder how long it's going to take him. How long do you think it's going to take him to find the wristbands and bring them back? I think he'll do it in a minute.

One minute maybe? Okay, he's got one. Okay. He's got one. Making progress. We're going to try not to run too fast around here.

All right. This is, um, well, that's probably a minute gone by, I reckon. Okay, do you know what, Ezra? Can you stop there? You did a really good job, but this is probably not the most efficient way to do it, is it?

I think we could do with, you did a great job, but maybe Ezra needs some help. What do you think? Do you think we could get some others to help? Would anyone like to help Ezra? All right.

If you've got your hands up, why don't you stand up? And without running? Okay, let's see if you can find the rest of the wristbands on the windowsills at the back. On you go.

See how long it takes you now. It might be a bit faster now, I'm hoping. There might be others on other windowsills. You can have a look and see. Great job, guys.

You're bringing in loads of these wristbands. Well done. Super. All right. Why don't we get one more from Ezra, and then you can sit down.

Fantastic. Wow. What a load of wristbands you've got. So, let me see. Do you know what they say on them? They say, they say, I am praying for Japan.

And another one here says, I am praying for Myanmar. Do you know, there are some places in the world where there are lots of people who have never met a Christian before.

And they've never heard about Jesus before. Now, there's a story in the Bible when Jesus saw a great crowd of people. And he saw that they were, he said they were harassed and they were helpless.

And it made him think that they looked a bit like, they looked a bit like sheep that were lost and didn't have a shepherd. And then he thought, they actually reminds me of a harvest that has not enough workers to collect the harvest.

Just like you were collecting these wristbands. Ezra was doing it all on his own. And there weren't enough workers, were there, to collect them all. And Jesus said, do you know what he said to his disciples?

He said, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So, pray to the Lord of the harvest that he'll send more workers to the harvest field.

Do you know what that means? It means he's saying, we should pray there'll be more people who'll go and tell those who've never heard about Jesus. So, go and tell them to share Jesus' love and to be able to show what it is to be a Christian.

And yesterday, there were some people who were talking about the places in the world where they go to tell people about Jesus and show his love.

And I thought it would be good if we could pray for some of those countries. We were thinking of lots of countries yesterday, but these wristbands talk about a country called Myanmar and a country called Japan in East Asia.

And they're places where there are millions of people who've never met a Christian before. So, would you like to pray with me that God would send people to go and share the good news of Jesus with those people?

Why don't we pray together? I'll pray. Shall we pray? Yes. Father God, we thank you for the good news of Jesus Christ, who has come to live and die for us, that we might know you, and that we might know your forgiveness and your love in our hearts.

And we thank you that you give us the job to do, to share your love and your good news with those around us. And we pray that you will send more workers to reach the harvest field in other countries, like in Myanmar and in Japan.

We pray that you'll send more, such that many more will come to hear the good news. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Now, do you know, if you want to take one of these wristbands away with you, and then to pray for one of these countries, you're very welcome to do so.

Let me grab them here. And you can take them if you'd like to, and then you can head off back to your seats. So let me grab these and you can take one if you want. Who'd like a wristband? Come on.

There you go. Thanks very much. Thank you boys and girls for listening well. We're going to sing again to God's praise. The words on the screen.

Bless the Lord, O my soul. We'll stand to sing in just a moment. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

O my soul. Worship this holy name. Sing like heaven before.

All my soul. I'll worship the holy name. The sun comes up.

It's a new day dawning. It's time to sing this song again. Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me.

And he'll sing me when the evening comes. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O my soul.

Worship this holy name. Sing like heaven before. O my soul.

I'll worship your holy name. Your wish in love and your soul to my heart Your name is great and your heart is bright For all your goodness I will keep on saving Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul Worship this holy name Sing like never before, O my soul I'll worship your holy name And on the day when my strength is failing The end was near and my time was gone

Still my soul will sing your praise unending Ten thousand years of death forevermore Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul Worship this holy name Sing like never before, O my soul I'll worship your holy name I'll worship your holy name I'll worship your holy name Okay boys and girls, if you head here to Sunday school And as they go, remember to pray for them

And I'll invite Douglas now to come up And to read to us from the book of Acts Thank you Thank you David So we're going to read from Acts chapter 17 And our reading will start at verse 16 through to the end of the chapter The story in Acts 17 when Paul is in the city of Athens Reading from verse 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens

He was greatly distressed to see the city was full of idols So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks As well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him Some of them asked, what is this babbler trying to say?

Others remarked, he seems to be advocating foreign gods They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection And then he took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus Where they said to him, may we know what this new teaching is that you're presenting You're bringing some strange ideas to our ears And we want to know what they mean All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time Doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship I even found an altar with this inscription To an unknown God Now what you worship as something unknown, I'm going to proclaim to you

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth And does not live in temples built by hands And he is not served by human hands as if he needed anything Because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else From one man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth And he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live God did this so that men should seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him Though he is not far from each of us For in him we live and move and have our being As some of our own poets have said, we are his offspring Therefore, since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone

An image made by man's design and skill In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed He has given proof of of this to all men by raising him from the dead When they heard about the resurrection of the dead some of them sneered But others said we want to hear you again on this subject At that Paul left the council A few men became followers of Paul and believed Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus Also a woman named Damaris and a number of others Amen So we're going to sing to God's praise

A psalm before Douglas comes back and Shares with us from God's word and also speaks to us a little of The ministry that he is involved with through OMF We're going to sing from psalm 67 Psalm 67 and we're going to sing the first two stanzas of the psalm in Gaelic Psalm 67 the first two stanzas of the psalm in Gaelic I'll read the verses in English and we'll remain seated to sing in Gaelic Lord bless and pity us shine on us with thy face That the earth thy way and nations all may know thy saving grace Let people praise thee Lord let people all thee praise O let the nations be glad in songs their voices raise We'll remain seated to sing to God's praise in Gaelic Please may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may

Thank you.

Thank you.

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Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

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Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. He connected wisely and he proclaimed urgently.

In verse 16, we see that Paul, the first verse that we read, while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

We can only imagine the exact scenes that Paul saw. But Luke isn't interested in the scenery.

He wants us to feel what Paul was feeling. And Paul's reaction tells us something of Paul's heart for the people of Athens. You see, this wasn't culture shock.

This wasn't Paul being disgusted at the Athenians because they're foreign. He wasn't irritated with them because they were different. He wasn't looking down on them with religious superiority because he, after all, had grown up and had lived in a culture that was steeped in faithful church-going practice throughout the generations.

He was distressed because he loved God and he loved people. And he felt deep compassion for those living their lives without knowledge of the risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

He was distressed to see the glory due to God being given instead to idols. And he saw the people of Athens bowing before things that could never save them.

And this grieved him. And this is the missionary heart. Paul saw clearly.

And he loved deeply. I wonder what Paul would see if he stood on the harbour of Tarbet. Or if he listened to the conversations in the shops or the restaurants.

I wonder how clearly we see the community that we live in. I see so much beauty and warmth and humour in this place where there's so much history and hard work and family and faithfulness across generations.

But what Paul really wanted to know was what is the object of their worship? So who or what are the people around us worshipping?

What are the hidden idols around here? What are the hidden idols around here? Paul saw all kinds of idolatry in Athens. But here's what's easy to miss.

Athens wasn't short of religion. It was full of it. And still, most of the city didn't know the living God. Perhaps you also know people who have grown up within strong Christian heritage.

and yet don't personally know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. I find in the next slide Tim Keller's definition of idolatry helpful.

Idolatry is turning a good thing into an ultimate thing. And I wonder what good things have become ultimate things for the people that you know.

What are people worshipping? What is the ultimate thing in their lives? Do they know the living God? Paul felt deep distress that people were living without the very God in whom alone they could find everything they were truly searching for.

Sarah and I have friends who we've known for a long time, almost my wife Sarah, I should say. We've known for a long time, almost 20 years. And we spend time with them. We're going to holiday with them.

I was out for a meal with the three dads of these families that we know. And I very rarely get the opportunity to share my faith with them. They are not believers. Just last month, I had an opportunity to share my faith.

And they listened. I can count on one hand the number of times that's happened in 20 years. And sometimes we have to be patient and wait for that opportunity to come.

But ultimately, the reason why that question arose was because they were searching for something. And they were asking questions. And as they asked questions and as they searched, there was an opportunity to tell them something of where I find my answers.

And it's this heart for the glory of God that drives us to our knees. Not just for the place we call home, but for the unreached peoples of the world.

As many of you heard yesterday, OMF and InterServe share a heart for the peoples of this world who have little or no access to the gospel.

You don't personally know a Christian believer. And humanly speaking, have almost no opportunity, if not no opportunity, to hear the testimony of a follower of Jesus and to see in their lives the light of the love of God.

And it's my privilege to partner with churches who send out workers like you do to go to these places and to share that good news and that love of God.

This summer, one of a short-term workers that I've been able to send out to go out to East Asia, Emma, spent time with a team ministering among a people group who live across a scattered set of islands in Southeast Asia.

And on one of the outlying islands lives a man that she refers to as RM. RM is blind.

And he lives with depression. As a boy, he was abused by the people from his own community. And yet, RM, who became a Christian, has chosen to stay on that island, which is a nine-hour round trip from where this team are based.

And he stays there in order to love and serve the very people who once hurt him. Emma described him as one of the most joy-filled people she had ever met.

They sat together, and he was blind, but he loved to praise God and to sing, and they sat and they sang together. And some believers on that island are too afraid to visit him and to be associated with him.

But RM keeps ministering anyway because, despite his physical blindness, he saw clearly. He saw clearly the needs of the people around him, the need for a saviour, and the part that God had called him to play in sharing the good news of Jesus.

For Paul and for you and me, mission always and only begins when God opens our eyes to see the world the way he sees it and to be moved as he is moved.

Some of you might be thinking, I know there are many peoples in the world who have no church among them, but I don't know how I might be involved with that.

I don't see them clearly enough. What can I do? And there are simple things we can do even from here in Harris. Firstly, I think, learn about them.

Secondly, pray for them. Thirdly, be involved in sending those who are able to go. Perhaps even pray, Lord, if you would send me, I will go.

Seeing clearly. Secondly, connect wisely. So, verse 17. He reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace, day by day, with those he happened to be there.

That little word, so, matters because Paul is distressed as he saw the idolatry. And so, he speaks clearly and he speaks connecting wisely.

His grief moved him towards the people, not away from them. And notice where he goes. He goes to the synagogue, to the people with some biblical framework, but he also goes to the marketplace, to people who don't share his worldview and assumptions.

In other words, he doesn't wait for Athens to come to church. He goes to Athens. And then he's taken to the Areopagus, to the council, and they ask him to explain this new teaching.

And notice how he begins. This is a model, I think, of how to share the gospel today. First, he connects.

He says, People of Athens, I see that in every way you're very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription, to an unknown God.

So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship. And this is what I'm going to proclaim to you. That's bridge building. Yesterday at our conference, I think we were treated by the speakers to a master class in connecting wisely in different situations.

It's about looking carefully at the questions that are being asked, at the longing that is there, that noticing and finding the point of connection for Paul, the unknown God that he wanted to make known.

Sometimes, churches are actually very good at connecting. Connecting with the world by being trendy and attractive and culturally in tune.

But actually, the bridge is meaningless unless it carries a message. The bridge is built so that the unknown God is made known.

Paul starts where they are. He builds a connection, but he doesn't just leave them there. There's a story of a missionary in India who preached Christ clearly and saw people make professions of faith quickly.

But over time, the missionary realized that many were simply adding Jesus to their already growing collection of gods. Jesus became one more source of blessing, one more spiritual power among many.

So, the missionary slowed down. He began further back. He taught the Bible's story from creation, from humanity. He spoke about sin and the promise of a saviour, of sacrifice, of Christ, of the cross, and resurrection.

He took longer. It was less dramatic at first, but the fruit grew stronger. The roots went deeper.

People don't just need connection, something they can jump on board with. They need their creator. They need the story of the creator God who made humanity in his image.

they need to see sin for what it is, choosing to worship the created rather than the creator. And they need Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who made himself nothing and took our shame and guilt on the cross in our place.

And they need to know that he rose again victorious over death so that all who believe in him will not perish, but will taste eternal life in the glorious presence and joy of God's worship.

That's not dumbing down the gospel, is it? That's making the gospel clear. who has God placed around you?

A neighbour who was brought up in church but hasn't been for years and assumes it's got nothing left to say for them? A visitor here for the summer who has never had a gospel conversation in their life?

a friend wounded by church or by a hard season who has drifted rather than having walked away fully?

Someone who would tell you they're a believer but has never truly put their faith in Jesus Christ? where are people saying there must be more than this?

Where are they anxious and guilty and ashamed and restless and afraid? Where are they worshipping something even something religious that can't save them?

And that's where the questions are being asked and that's where the bridge can be built so that Christ may be known and thirdly he proclaimed urgently Paul has seen clearly he's connected wisely and now he proclaims urgently verse 30 in the past God overlooked such ignorance but now he commands all people everywhere to repent and that's a staggering sentence because God commands all people everywhere to repent not just religious people not just Jewish people not just Western people not just obviously immoral people not just people who already come to church but all people everywhere why?

verse 31 for he is set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed he has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead God Paul's sermon doesn't end with a vague spirituality it doesn't end with let's all admire each other's religious traditions it doesn't end with you've got your poets and I have mine it ends with a call to the living God to repentance to the truth of judgment and the resurrection of Jesus Christ Paul's culturally sensitive but he's not vague he's intellectually careful but he's not embarrassed he's respectful but he's not silent in what ways might we show both respect but also give voice to the saviour our

Lord Paul says the God who made you now commands you to repent the God who gave you life and breath will judge the world with justice and the proof of that is that Jesus is raised from the dead and this is why mission is urgent this is why we still send to those who have never heard because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead it is good news for everyone he is lord of all and if he is lord of all he must be known by all John Piper puts the force of this very strongly the resurrection means the age of ignorance is over this is the age of proclamation mission if god commands all people everywhere to repent then all people everywhere need to hear the good news of

Jesus Christ our lord and saviour and that's the logic of mission notice in verses 32 to 34 some sneered some said we want to hear you again and some believed we are not responsible for controlling the response we are responsible for faithful witness and sometimes gospel seeds grow slowly for decades friends of mine

Bob and Jan have worked in Thailand as missionaries where there is very slow growth to the gospel and where the church is still very small especially in central Thailand but recently they came back from a visit there and they were encouraged to have been able to attend a whole series of baptisms and it was an encouragement to them that's what we long for not an imported religion not dependence on outsiders not a thin layer of Christianity over untouched hearts but communities of believers worshipping God in their own heart and language following Jesus wholeheartedly reaching their own people and then reaching out to others!

I was just moved and enjoying listening to the Gaelic worship we were just singing earlier I can't speak Gaelic but just as you enjoy worshipping God in your tongue so we long for every tongue to be worshipping God people in their heart language not a borrowed faith but one that is truly their own seeing clearly connecting wisely and proclaiming urgently those who come off the ferry each summer to this island are right to be amazed at the beauty of this place but Acts 17 calls the church to see more deeply when Paul looked at Athens he saw more than temples and philosophy and impressive architecture he saw people made for

God searching among idols even religious ones for a life only God can give and because he saw clearly he was able to connect wisely and then proclaim the risen Christ and that's the calling of the church in every generation that's the calling for a church in Harris just as it is in the church in other parts of the world because the unknown God has made himself known and his church has the task and the joy of making him known across the street and across the world!

!!! When he turns the Lamb upon his throne, Hark how the heavenly anthem drives all music but its own.

Awake my soul and sing of him who died for thee, And heaven has thy chosen King through all eternity.

Crown him, Son of God, before the worlds beyond, And he who tread where he hath won, Crown him, the Son of Man, Who every dream hath known, That brings the human rest, And takes a bare step for his own, As all in him may rest.

Crown him, the Lord of life, Who triumphed o'r the grave, And rose victorious in the sky, For those he came to save, His glories now we save, Who died and rose alive, Who died eternal life to reign, And this and day is high.

Crown him, the Lord of heaven, Enthroling worlds above, Crown him begging to whom is here, A wondrous name of God, O hail, Redeemer, O hail, Redeemer, O hail, On our last night for me, Thy grace shall never, never live And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, And the love of God our Father, And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, Be with us all and go with us all, Now and forevermore. Amen.

Amen. Amen. Thank you.