[0:00] Well, good evening everyone and a warm welcome to our evening service. Warm welcome to all who have braved a cold night to come out.
[0:12] And also a very warm welcome to those who may be joining online. And we pray that God will bless us together as we wait upon him.
[0:23] He has told us in his word, don't put off gathering together in this way. And so as we gather together, we pray that we will be led by the Spirit.
[0:35] And that all we do will be to his glory and praise. Let us worship him. We'll sing to begin with in Gaelic in Psalm 25.
[0:46] Psalm 25 and at verse 4. Feilsichter liegon haie, at ich he me f'chickes gmee. Es traw dich me at diedin wang, smu hickes gianie.
[1:00] As du is tierna anke jarab, stu is lantje gong haie na. Es traw dich da mi f'chick fos, le f'chick bode, gach la. Schenchen y da raun, chen konde dich heile, as a choak yus salam hariniget.
[1:14] Eke chedav raun, feilsichter liegon haie, at ich he me f'chickes gmee. Schenchen y da raun, feilsichter liegon haie, Hei shi ta liegon haie, at ich he me f'chickes gmee.
[1:30] Oli e goaie, at ich he me f'chickes gmee.
[1:53] Ges mish rulli chmy at diedin wang, Nesetre rulli chmy at diedin wang, I ne gwaaie, at ich he me f'chickes gmee.
[2:30] Ges mhur hou ye ke skudjena.
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[13:02] currencyавайe on the Shop GSA and the As if there's your voice, even if you're in the same sense or answer to your questions in Relatoia, then you want to keep going, let's all say drawing things in the있ants and religious motions...
[13:44] So the�을 mí, taken to Ioannic Wars, gave up a horseshoe in theιach in theguys in the georgen שלו the charles and assembly of the pac율 in Spain. Sieg nie górne ich nun im Gandelea has he Officiatoten an enjaus next on thechaute confetterzarle in de so with Myth教ido, the IEEV hanaghe route is again archas, I mean not out of any place such but Interesting, the isn't true.
[14:09] French country Tiger stimulates French Sorry .
[14:46] . .
[15:01] Life has been między first country sirs. OK with him it's one, so it is between three, And theicanoiku women start to win it.
[15:22] Wow. ishti urnuli in mahas fracyshyn yannyshys maghen ko grasfar urnuli fyaakki in sirtyaakken kodit anna nana mhtyos ta shyn gaiyori aga se dysgasen Amen We'll further sing to God's praise in hymn 339 hymn 339 in the red book O breath of life come sweeping through us revive thy church with life and power
[16:24] O breath of life come cleanse renew us and fit thy church to mid this hour We'll sing the whole hymn to God's praise O breath of life come sweeping through us O breath of life come sweeping through us Reby thy church with life and power O breath of life come cleanse renew us and fit thy church to meet this earth O wind of God command us break us till humbly we confess our need then in thy tenderness remake us revive restored for this we plead
[17:42] O breath of love come breathe within us renewing thought and will and heart come love come love O Christ Christ of breath to win us to win us revive thy church in every part Revivest Lord the world is the world is waiting while harvest fields are vast and white revive us Lord the world is waiting equip thy church to meet the light to meet the light
[18:43] I now read a portion of God's word as we find that in the Old Testament book of the prophet Jeremiah the Old Testament book of Jeremiah and chapter 18 the word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying arise and go down to the potter's house and there I will cause thee to hear my words then I went down to the potter's house and behold he wrought a work on the wheels and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter so he made it again another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it then the word of the Lord came to me saying
[19:45] O house of Israel cannot I do with you as this potter saith the Lord behold as the clay is in the potter's hand so are ye in mine hand O house of Israel at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it if that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them and at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to build and to plant it if it do evil in my sight that it obey not my voice then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them now therefore go to speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying thus saith the Lord behold
[20:53] I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return ye now everyone from his evil way and make your ways and your doings good and they said there is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will everyone do the imagination of his evil heart therefore thus saith the Lord ask ye now among the heathen who hath heard such things the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken because my people have forgotten me they have burned incense to vanity and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths to walk in paths in a way not cast up to make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and wag his head
[22:09] I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy I will show them the back and not the face in the day of their calamity then said they come and let us devise devises against Jeremiah for the law shall not perish from the priest nor counsel from the wise nor the word from the prophet come and let us smite him with the tongue and let us not give heed to any of his words give heed to me O Lord and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me shall evil be recompensed for good for they have digged a pit for my soul remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them and to turn away thy wrath from them therefore deliver up their children to the famine and pour out their blood by the force of the sword and let their wives be bereaved of their children and be widows and let their men be put to death let their young men be slain by the sword in battle let a cry be heard from their houses when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them for they have digged a pit to take me and hid snares from my feet yet Lord thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me forgive not their iniquity neither blot out their sin from thy sight but let them be overthrown before thee deal thus with them in the time of thine anger
[23:54] Amen and we know the Lord will add his own blessing to his own holy and inspired word we'll sing once again in Psalm 40 Psalm 40 and at the beginning of the Psalm I wagered for the Lord my God and patiently did bear at length to me he did incline my voice and cry to hear down to the end of the verse marked 5 in order none can reckon them to thee if them declare and speak of them I would they more than can be numbered are these verses to God's place I waited for the Lord my God I waited for the Lord my God and patiently did bear at length to me he did incline my voice and cry to hear he took me from a fearful pit and from the mighty clay and on a rock he set my feet establishing my way he put a new song in my mouth a God to magnify many shall see it and shall fear and on the Lord rely o blessed is the man whose trust upon the Lord relies respecting not the proud nor such as turned aside to lies
[26:53] O Lord my God for many ought the wonders thou hast done thy gracious thoughts to us were found above our thoughts are gone in order none can reckon them to thee if them declare and speak of them thy word they moored that can be numbered are as we come to
[28:13] God's word let us ask for his blessing upon his own word O gracious and all mighty God as we stand before your open word this evening we pray Lord for the help and guidance of your spirit for you know Lord that without you that we are nothing and can do nothing at all but when you are with us in the passion of your Holy Spirit you enable us to do all things through Jesus Christ who is our upholder and the one who undertakes for us we thank you Lord for the privilege we have of being your good and humble servants and as we open your word this evening Lord we pray that you would speak into all our hearts and souls as speakers and hearers alike that your word would come alive to us and that you yourself would have the glory and the honour and the praise and that we as your people would be blessed and so
[29:30] Lord I pray that you would take the service in hand that you would make a glorious name for yourself out of my weakness and of my frailty and I ask Lord that all that we do be to your glory and praise as we continue to wait upon hear our prayers and forgive graciously anything that we might say or do that is contrary to thy will for we ask it in Jesus name and for his sake Amen now for a short time together let let us turn again to the portion of scripture we read in the Old Testament book of the prophet Jeremiah and chapter 18 and we can read again at the beginning of the chapter the word which came to
[30:36] Jeremiah from the Lord saying arise and go down to the potter's house and there I will cause thee to hear my words then I went down to the potter's house and behold he wrought a work on the wheels and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter so he made it again another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it Jeremiah was born in the year 646 B.C.
[31:18] born in the village of Anathoth a few miles northeast of Jerusalem his life was not an easy one he was known as the weeping prophet he was ordained to be a prophet from the womb chapter 1 verse 4 and the vessel that he made sorry chapter chapter 1 and verse 4 then the word of the Lord came to me saying before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations isn't that awesome that the
[32:20] God who knew and sanctified and ordained Jeremiah to the ministry from the womb that is the God who knew that all of us here tonight would be gathered here your heart and my heart he knows even our thoughts there is nothing hid from him and then Jeremiah said ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a child but the Lord said unto him to encourage him and to strengthen him in verse four I think it is but say not I am a child for thou shalt go to all that
[33:23] I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak be not afraid of their faces for I am with thee to deliver thee saith the Lord now this is truly fantastic what the Lord does next then the Lord put forth his hand and he touched my mouth that's the prophet Jeremiah speaking and the Lord said unto me behold I have put my words in your mouth see I have this day set thee over nations and over kingdoms to root them out to cut them down and to destroy and to throw down and to build up again is not this breathtaking
[34:31] God saying to Jeremiah I have sanctified you I have set you aside I have set you aside for a special work I have ordained you a prophet or if you prefer a minister my word to bring my word to the nations and kingdoms that is awesome and as I mentioned already his life was not an easy one his own family turned against him and they even plotted to kill him because he was faithful and true to the word of God that's in Jeremiah 12 verse 6 over the years he was whipped and put in the stocks because he was faithfully preaching the word that was given him not his own words but the word that
[35:43] God put in his mouth chapter 2 verses 1 to 3 he was also attacked in God's house where he proclaimed God's message priests and prophets those who should have been on his own side and fighting the good fight with them they're the ones who turned against him in chapter 26 verses 1 to 9 we have an account of that his life was threatened by the king chapter 36 verse 26 he suffered ridicule and mocking he was rejected by the very ones he was serving and Jesus said in Mark chapter 6 verse 4 a prophet is not without honor but in his own country and among his own kin and in his own house how to how to that is even in our own day failure seems to follow the prophet as he sees the city of
[36:59] Jerusalem invaded the temple destroyed and the people he so faithfully and fearlessly prophesied and preached to they are being taken captive in Luke's gospel chapter 19 and verse 41 Jesus whips over the city of Jerusalem in his mind's eye Jesus was seeing the destruction of Jerusalem and he wept over it oh Jerusalem Jerusalem who stonest the prophets and kills those who are sent to you how often I would have gathered you even as a hen gathers the chickens but ye would not you wouldn't and
[38:04] Jesus wept over the city because he knew they were going to reject him and the prophet Jeremiah he wept for his people of the day because there was little wonder he wept to remember that they turned against him even the prophets the priests they turned against him his own family turned against him the king turned against him they were all against him and not against him but the word that he faithfully preached little wonder the prophet wept you'll remember in the days of Noah how Noah faithfully told the people of his time how God was going to send a huge flood on the earth and
[39:10] God told Noah to build a huge ship for the saving of himself and his family and two of every living creature that drew the breath of life and Noah began the work that God gave him to do and at the same time he preached to the people and he told them this flood is going to come be prepared but they mocked him what did they say oh Noah look at him he's building a huge ship in the middle of nowhere where there is no river no water he's losing the plot Noah he must be having sun stroke and they mocked him and they laughed but you know when the day
[40:12] Noah went into the ark and all that God commanded him and God closed the door of the ark those people weren't laughing then when the door of the ark was closed and the fountains of the deep burst open into life and the deluge descended from heaven and the earth began to fill up with water and you can just make a picture of those people running to the door of the ark to get in but it was too late too late psalm 121 says verse 1 my safety cometh from the lord who heaven and earth hath made i trust that is where your own hope and my hope of eternal safety lies tonight verses 1 to 3 of the chapter we read the word which came to jeremiah from the lord saying arise and go down to the potter house and there i will cause thee to hear my words then i went down to the potter house and behold he wrote a work on the wheels there are three lessons that jeremiah learned at the potter house that day and the first one is that the potter is always at work with the clay the potter is always at work with the clay as we all know clay is dug from the ground and the potter's work begins by searching for the right type of clay the right type of clay to make the vessel he has in mind he goes to the river bank and he wades into the river it's dark it's cold it's dirty but he perseveres till he finds the right type of clay that he's looking for does this not remind us of the horrible pit from which we were taken from when god the master potter came looking for us yes that's right he came looking for we didn't go looking for him no he came looking for us he in his love and mercy came looking for us and where did he find us well
[43:14] I can't speak for any of you but he found me wallowing in the filth of my sins almost sunk out of sight lost and without hope in this world we were singing just a short time ago he took me from a fearful pit and from the mighty clay the mighty clay of sin that's where he found me and remember this friend no matter how deep you have sunk into the pit of sin or are even sinking into it the everlasting arms of the saviour goes deeper to lift us up again and isn't it amazing the great love and infinite care that God exercised as he drew us out of that fearful pit and as the putter puts the lump of clay he has retrieved on the well so our master putter
[44:34] God puts us on the solid rock of salvation which is Christ Jesus does he leave us there just to get on with it no as the potter puts the clay he has retrieved on the wheel and the wheel begins to turn the potter applies his hands to the clay and he begins to mold and to shape begins to mold and to shape into a vessel into his liking and what does God do when he begins with the good work he puts a new song in our mouth we sang it in the psalm he puts a new song in our mouth a song of praise a song of thanksgiving a song that was never there before he has turned us around and pointed us and points us in a completely different direction to what we were going to he points us in the way of life and
[46:00] I came across this little verse as I tried to put these thoughts together it's a hymn and it's just one verse we would have sung it tonight but don't want to put too much pressure on the presenters the verse that I chose goes like this it's all to Jesus I surrender all to him I freely give I will ever love and trust him in his presence daily live it's easy enough to sing that chorus but it's another thing to live out the message have we come with our thanksgiving to our God do we thank him every day that he didn't turn away from the sin and shame that he found us in do we praise his holy name for the good love and the great love and compassion that constrained him to provide for our salvation even while we were still his enemies and tonight my friend if you are still on the outside of
[47:29] God's grace then Jesus is searching for you the master putter Jesus he is always at work he never stops his spirit is always probing seeking to find a way into our heart do you know he will never push his way into your heart because that's not the way he works there's a wee story told about Queen Victoria she used to love going to visit her people round about where she lived and she especially loved to visit the older people and there was an old lady living in a cottage in the wood just not far from the palace and this day the lady had fallen out with her neighbours she was in a bit of a foul mud and she went home and she closed the door behind her and she thought to herself when those neighbours of mine come to borrow something and they will oh they're not getting in here
[49:02] I've locked the door and very shortly after she heard footsteps approaching the door and the knock came a gentle knock and she just had a wee laugh to herself several times the light knock on the door came and finally the old lady shouted out ah you can knock away till domesday but I'll no let you in and after a while footsteps were heard retreating from the door and she laughed to herself the following morning she was not laughing when she heard that her queen had called at her door for a visit and she didn't let her in but there's a greater one than any earthly monarch knocking on the door of her own heart the king of kings is knocking on the door of her house and especially if you are outside the fold god is knocking on the door of your heart it could have been knocking for years and you have not let him in but remember this friend there is a day coming and god is going to knock for the last time every time you sit under the word of god and the minister challenges you jesus is knocking and he wants in a solemn reminder for you tonight now is the accepted time behold today is the day of salvation second corinthians six and two the second lesson the prophet learned was that some lumps of clay because they contain impurities they will not yield to the potter's touch so what does the potter do verse four and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter so he made it again another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it as
[51:54] Jeremiah watched the potter at work how he removed the clay from the will and extracted the debris and all the foreign objects that prevented him from creating the vessel he intended he came to realize that that is precisely the way God works with us as well the potter could easily have discarded the bit of clay and started again with a new bit verse 6 o house of Israel cannot I do with you as this potter saith the Lord behold as the clay is in the hand of the potter so are ye in my hand o house of Israel in the chapter we read we see that the word of God gave the prophet the word that the word
[52:59] God gave the prophet for the house of Israel and that's namely Judah had been discarded verse 18 then said they come and let us devise devices against Jeremiah for the law shall not perish from the priest nor counsel from the wise nor the word from the prophet come and let us smite them with the tongue and let us not give heed to any of his words these people they have refused to accept the warnings of destruction that is going to befall them they have closed their ears to the word of God and the prophet who once so diligently sought their good now in his anguish he prays in verse 19 give heed to me O Lord and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me shall evil be recompensed for good for they have digged a pit for my soul remember that
[54:08] I stood before thee to speak good for them and to turn away thy wrath from them therefore deliver up their children to the famine and pour out their blood by the foot of the sword and let their wives be bereaved of their children and so on to the end of the chapter Jeremiah he truly loved these people the people who now seek to ignore him slander him even try to kill him although he had done good for them but they repay him with evil instead of interceding as he had done before Jeremiah is now actually handing these people over to the will of God and to the fit that God has already proclaimed against them how sad that a people who had heard so faithfully about the destruction
[55:20] God was going to bring upon them because of their sins they also heard how God was going to turn away his hot hunger and not destroy them if they returned in repentance to him sadly they refused to listen what about us tonight I cannot speak for you but concerning myself God had every right to discard me out of his sight and start anew somewhere else but he didn't and I can tell you he's having an awful job shaping and molding this old bit of clay but for God begins with the work of saving grace he will bring it to its fruition they are in here tonight and they've given their lives to
[56:30] Jesus many many years ago they're still on the road and they're still as active in the church as ever they were there are others who have begun maybe a year two years ago and God has a work for you he's got a work for us all for he began with the work of saving grace he'll bring it to its completion have you given your life over to the master potter only he and he only can change you and me the deeper you think you have sunk into the mighty pit of sin the greater your need to cry out to God cry out to
[57:32] Jesus to reshape and remold your whole life someone once said that Moses lived the first 40 years of his life thinking he was a somebody he lived the next 40 years of his life being a nobody and he lived the last 40 years of his life learning how God can make a somebody out of a nobody and that is what God can do with you and me God gave Moses the gift of leadership he has also given each one of us who are believers a gift or gifts they're God given use them for his glory and honour and
[58:37] I'm mindful the time is going by the third lesson Jeremiah learned that day at the potter house and it's the grandest of them all and it is he learned the potter never gives up on a lamp of clay he will keep on working with it extracting whatever that spoils it until he creates something beautiful and as Jeremiah marveled at the patience and perseverance of the potter so he also discovered there the determination of God he will not give up on his people ever since the fall of our first parents God has been engaged in the work of regenerating grace take for example Jacob sly crafty selfish the type of man we would have thought
[59:39] God would have thrown on the scrap hip but God didn't do it because he was determined to make something good and beautiful out of Jacob and he did it King David who committed adultery and had Uriah killed in battle the type of fellow any of us would think God will have nothing to do with this man but several times in the Bible God says about David he is a man after my own heart and God did something good and beautiful out of David or what about Simon Peter who just before dawn denied ever knowing Jesus I never knew him he cried with oaths and curses here is the type of passion that we would have thought well surely Jesus will completely forget about
[60:41] Simon Peter and throw him out for good but God was determined to do something good and beautiful out of Peter and he did it this my friend is the good news of the gospel that God is equally determined to make something good and beautiful out of your life and mine isn't that a wonderful encouragement that should be a wonderful encouragement for us all God at this very moment is working shaping and molding you and me into the vessels of beauty fit for his service is he working in you if he isn't it's because of your stubborn heart that you won't give in to him
[61:44] I want to tell you a story and I want to finish with this it's a story about I've probably told this story already but I think it's worth telling again it's a story about Duncan Campbell he was playing the bagpipes at a dance one evening and the spirit of God came upon him spirit of God was working in his soul and he threw the bagpipes to the side and off he went home and on his way home a young lad joined him and this young lad thought that the same thing had happened to him and when they were parting one from the other the young lad said to Duncan Campbell what are you going to do and Duncan Campbell said I'm going to pray what are you going to do and the young lad said
[62:49] I don't know I can't make up my mind oh my friends the danger of delay the years went by and Duncan Campbell was called to the ministry and God used him mightily in his service the young lad he got on well with whatever he was doing but the day came and he was on his deathbed and he was in great pain and his wife said to him I'm going to call the minister so that he will pray for you and he said there's no need there's no need he said I made up my mind the night I parted with Duncan Campbell he didn't do what he ought to have done he didn't pray second
[63:55] Corinthians 6 and 2 I've said it already I'll say it again now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation if Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart tonight open it for him for tomorrow might never come for you too late may God bless those few thoughts in his word let's pray our gracious and almighty God we praise and thank you for your word and we ask Lord that as the potter shipped the vessels that he was making and made them into something beautiful we pray Lord that you yourself would ship and mold each one of us into a vessel that would be fit for your service we thank you Lord that you have helped us and guided us down through the years even to this present time and help us Lord to be true and faithful to you keep us humble at all times at your footstool and may we always be looking away from selfish self and looking more and more unto thee the one who is able to do in us and through us and for us far abundantly above anything that we could ever hope to be bless us in the week that is opening up before us keep us true to yourself keep us humble at all times at your footstool and may we be found looking unto thee who are the author and perfecter of our faith help us to sing thy praises in conclusion cleansing us from all our sins for Jesus sake we ask for his glory amen our last praise is and I don't even have a book with me it's life but best is very brief it's a hymn that reverend
[66:27] Roddy Morrison introduced us to you remember Roddy Morrison how mindful he was of this congregation in years gone by and he introduced us to this hymn and so we'll sing this hymn in conclusion life our best is very brief like the falling of our lift like the binding of our shift be in time flitting days are telling past that the die will soon be cast and the fator line be past be in time be in time be in time while the voice of Jesus calls you be in time if in sin you longer wait you may find no open gate and your cried be just too late be in time as flowers soon decay youth and beauty pass away oh you have not long to stay be in time while
[67:43] God spirit admits you come sinner do not longer roam lest you steal your hopeless doom be in time be in time be in time while the voice of Jesus calls you be in time if in sin you longer wait you may find no open gate and you cry be just too late be in time time time time is gliding swiftly by death and judgment draweth nigh to the arms of Jesus fly be in time oh I pray you come to cost hear the fatal line be crossed and your soul in hell be lost be in time be in time be in time while the voice of Jesus calls you be in time if in sin you longer wait you may find no open gate and you cry be just too late in time sin not heed the warning voice make the
[69:01] Lord the final choice then all heaven will rejoice be in time come from darkness into light come let Jesus make you right come receive his life tonight be in time be in time be in time while the voice of Jesus calls you be in time heaven send you longer wait you may find no open gate and your cry be just too late be in time now may grace mercy and peace from God the Father Son and Holy Spirit one God blessed forever rest on and abide with us all and with all those whom we love and hold dear and with all of
[70:05] God's people everywhere this night forth and forever more Amen