[0:00] Good evening service this evening. A special welcome to visitors who join us in worship and a special welcome to Scott McLeod who needs no introduction.
[0:10] He's been with us a few times and we welcome Scott and pray God's blessings on him and the word he brings us. Lady Fellowship meets tomorrow at 8 o'clock as already intimated.
[0:23] Little Fishers, Baby and Toddler Group, Tuesday 10 till 12 noon. Road to Recovery meets on Tuesdays. We would ask everyone to keep Road to Recovery in your prayers and it's already intimated.
[0:35] If anyone feels called to be able to assist with that, we would welcome your assistance with that. Family music sessions for parents and toddlers normally held in the community centre will be in the church for the next six weeks on Wednesdays.
[0:50] Prayer meeting will be held in person on Zoom on Wednesday at 7.30. The Gaelic Mothers and Toddlers Group will be this Thursday 10 till 11.30.
[1:02] Tea and coffee will be provided and crafts. Women for Mission meeting the Joint Scalp in North Harris Church here in the church on Thursday the 18th of May. Friday clubs for young people was a mistake earlier.
[1:16] It's only rooted on Friday at 6.30 to 8.30. My apologies for that earlier. And it wasn't intimated before. There's a putting and praise evening on Saturday raising funds for the free church camps.
[1:29] There's a sign-up sheet in the foyer. I'm not sure of the times of that. Is anyone aware of the times? Yeah? No? No? We will make sure people know the times and circulate them.
[1:40] But if people do, are able to provide anything, there is a sign-up sheet. And please do make yourselves available. And the services next Sunday will be taken, God willing, by the minister and the cleaning rotors there.
[1:55] And welcome, Scott. And pray God's blessing on the word he brings us. Thank you, Scott. Thank you very much. Thank you for your welcome. And it's good to be back with you again.
[2:07] And of course, as we gather in God's name, we pray that we would know his spirit guiding and speaking to us. We'll begin our worship by singing in Gaelic.
[2:19] And there's a Psalter version I've got here. But Psalm 89, verses 15 and 16. I'll read them in English first. From a Scottish Psalter.
[2:31] O greatly blessed the people are, the joyful sound that know, in brightness of thy face, O Lord, they ever on shall go.
[2:43] They in thy name shall all the day rejoice exceedingly, and in thy righteousness shall they exalted be on high. It speaks of the confidence that the believer has before the presence of the Almighty God, who will be with them as they go on in their journey through this life.
[3:06] So, do we stand to sing or do we remain seated? We've remained seated for Gaelic singing. O Lord, we stand to sing or do we remain seated.
[3:24] O Lord, we stand to sing or do we remain seated. O Lord, we stand to sing or do we remain seated.
[3:43] SONG CONTINUES like and good Thank you.
[5:06] Thank you.
[5:36] Thank you.
[6:06] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[6:46] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[6:57] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The king over the whole of creation.
[7:09] The creator of all. And Lord, as we go out in this world, as we open our eyes, as you open our eyes, may we see the beauty of creation and all that is in it.
[7:23] And let's not cease our minds from wondering about all that you have done and all that you are. We acknowledge there is an element, well, there are so many elements unknown about you.
[7:40] And they are only causes for us to wonder at who you are in your persons. Three in one. And how we struggle to comprehend that.
[7:53] That you abide with us in your spirit. And that through your son we have redemption. That you have administered all these things for our good.
[8:10] And that you are a God that loves us and cares for us. So we pray your blessing on our word as we gather. And that we may see Jesus Christ.
[8:22] In his beauty. And his love. And particularly his love for us. A love and a personal love.
[8:34] That's beyond all loves that we know in this world. As a parent loves their dear child. So much greater do you love your people.
[8:48] Lord, we just pray that you would be one that would administer this love to us. And that it would be felt within our hearts. And that we would cry unto you, our Father.
[9:00] As children in need. As we look at ourselves and we look at our lives. We acknowledge there is much that we need from you. There is many things in this world that have broken.
[9:12] That seem broken and have broken our hearts. But Lord, you are the one that binds up the broken heart.
[9:22] You are the one who draws near to hear us when we pray. That you do not cast it away from your ear.
[9:35] Lord, as you hear our prayers and our moans. And the groanings of our hearts. And the difficulties that we face. We pray that we would have ears to hear your word tonight.
[9:48] And that we may speak to the depths of our hearts and souls like nothing else as before. That you may be with us and strengthen us. And convert the soul that lies in sin.
[10:03] To bring us into light from darkness. What is by your power and by your spirit these things are achieved. Through the divine.
[10:16] Through the satisfaction of divine justice. Of your death upon the cross. Lord. There was love shown to us.
[10:29] That a man would give his life. And not just any man. But the son of God. Gave his life. So that we may see his love.
[10:40] And that we may know redemption through him. As the one who did not remain in death. But ascended. Into heaven.
[10:53] And so he shall give us life. Beyond death. We know in this world there are many tribulations. Jesus said to us that he has overcome the world.
[11:06] Help us to trust in you. As we come to you this night. We pray. For those who know your word.
[11:19] We pray that you would encourage them and strengthen them in their walk. We pray that we may feed and be fed and be nourished by your word. We pray for those who do not know you. We pray for those who are still in darkness.
[11:31] Those who are blind. Those who are chasing after the things of the world. Like chasing the wind. We are from the book of Ecclesiastes. Never to be caught. Never to find satisfaction in these things.
[11:45] We pray that you may open their eyes and ears. And see the reality of what life is in the world. And how empty it is. That you may draw them by your grace.
[11:57] And by your power of your spirit. And to hear the word of the gospel. That you may send men and people and witnesses amongst this world.
[12:09] To share and proclaim the wonders and treasures to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The personal satisfaction and comfort in knowing God as their saviour.
[12:24] That we are one that can trust in him. That we put our faith in him. That he will receive us as one of his. Lord we pray for those who mourn.
[12:38] We pray for those who have wounds that were created. Many years ago in their hearts. But still wounds that are sore.
[12:51] We pray that you would be their comfort. And that you would draw near to them. That you would be that father figure likewise. That knows what is good.
[13:02] And what is needy. To restore the hearts. That are lost in turmoil and sorrow. We pray that even through death.
[13:14] You may open eyes. To turn them to the gospel. We just pray for those who are over us in parliament. Those who are governing over us as a country.
[13:27] We ask that you would be their guide. And that they would turn to you. We pray for our king. That he would be one that would put his personal trust upon you.
[13:37] And how can any man rule nations of people. That he would see your folly in it.
[13:51] And the limitations of his own wisdom. To discern what is right and wrong. As he turns and acknowledges.
[14:03] That he does not know. What direction. Or what path should be taken. That you would clearly guide him. And guide our nation.
[14:14] That we are a nation. Who. Has been turning away from the gospel truth. We pray that you return. And that he would be a king to redirect us.
[14:26] Into your ways. That we may seek in your word. Truth and light. We pray for this congregation. We pray that it may be a gospel witness.
[14:38] Amongst this people of Harris. And we pray for the proclamation of the gospel here. Through David. We pray for him and his family.
[14:49] That you would sustain them and keep them. But that the word would be faithfully preached. And that it would go with your spirit. Wherever it is preached.
[15:01] Across our whole nation. Even as we stand here. We acknowledge that. It is nothing of our own doing. As we come before you. That it is all of your spirit's working.
[15:14] It is not the preacher's voice. Not the voice necessarily what is heard. But we pray that the word of God. Would speak into the hearts. And souls of people. That we would be find ourselves there.
[15:28] As a place where Mary sat. Where she would be satisfied by that word. And not be consumed by the things of the world. That so easily clinged to our hearts.
[15:41] And our hands. And our minds. To distract us from sitting and listening. That we would find treasure and riches. As we do so.
[15:52] Even this night. Pray for us and guide us. Keep our minds at rest. And be focused upon you. Keep the evil one from us.
[16:04] We pray that. We pray that. We pray that we would remember. And acknowledge. The reality. Of spiritual warfare.
[16:15] And that there is one. That will always be inclined. To distract us. And frustrate us. In our lives. And in our lives. With Christ. Protect us.
[16:26] We pray. Watch over us. Guide us. And keep us. In all these things. We ask. In Jesus name. Amen. May we return to our Bibles tonight.
[16:39] We. We do something a wee bit. Slightly different from the normal. Than taking one passage. I'm going to take three short passages. And see. See where they.
[16:50] Come together. And our first reading will be in the Gospel of Mark. Chapter 4. Gospel of Mark. Chapter 4.
[17:01] Reading from verse 21. And I've got the ESV version before me. And then we'll skip to.
[17:16] After we'll have a singing. And then we'll skip to Luke and Matthew. So we'll just read that short section there. A lamp under a basket. Let us hear God's word. And he said to them.
[17:28] Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket. Or under a bed. And not on a stand. For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest.
[17:39] Nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear. Let him hear. And he said to them. Pay attention to what you hear.
[17:52] With the measure you use. It will be measured to you. And still more will be added to you. For to the one who has. More will be given.
[18:04] And from the one who has not. Even what he has. Will be taken away. Amen. We will continue in praise to God.
[18:15] By singing. In the Sing Psalms version of Psalm 119. Sing Psalms. Psalm 119. From verse 129.
[18:31] Your statues Lord are wonderful. So I obey them from my heart. Your words as they unfold give light. And truth to simple minds impart.
[18:45] We'll sing the four verses there. To God's praise. Your statues Lord are wonderful. Let's stand to sing. Your statues Lord are wonderful.
[19:03] So I obey them from my heart.
[19:14] Your words as they unfold give light. And truth to simple minds impart.
[19:31] With open mouth I pant a yearn. To know the Lord are wonderful.
[19:43] To know the Lord are wonderful. To know the Lord are wonderful. So I obey them from my heart. So I obey them from my heart. So I obey them from my heart. And truth to simple minds impart.
[19:54] To know the Lord are wonderful. To know the Lord are wonderful. To know the Lord are wonderful. And truth to love and praise your name.
[20:06] Lord are wonderful. To know the Lord are wonderful. To know the Lord are wonderful. And truth to love and praise your name. Lord are wonderful. And truth to love and praise your name. And truth to love and praise your name.
[20:18] Let sin not hold me this way. From man's oppression set me free.
[20:35] That your commands I may obey. Upon your servant shine your face.
[20:54] Teach me the statutes you have made. My eyes shed streams of bitter tears.
[21:12] Because your law is not obeyed.
[21:23] God. Let's pray. Let's pray. If we turn now to the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke chapter 11.
[21:35] And at verse 33. The Gospel of Luke chapter 11. Verse 33.
[21:46] No one after a light in a lamp. Puts it in a cellar or under a basket. But on a stand. So that those who enter may see the light.
[21:58] Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy. Your whole body is full of light. But when it is bad. Your body is full of darkness.
[22:10] Therefore. Be careful. Lest the light in you be darkness. If then. Your whole body is full of light. Having no part dark.
[22:21] It will be wholly bright. As when a lamp. With its rays. Gives you light. Light. And also. If we turn to the Gospel of Matthew.
[22:33] The Gospel of Matthew. Chapter 5. At verse 13. The Gospel of Matthew. Chapter 5.
[22:44] Verse 13. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its taste. How shall its saltiness be restored?
[22:56] It is no longer good for anything. Except to be thrown out. And trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill.
[23:07] Cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp. And put it under a basket. But on a stand. And it gives light. To all in the house.
[23:18] In the same way. Let your light shine before others. So that they may see your good works. And give glory.
[23:29] To your Father. Who is in heaven. Amen. And we'll take up. Our singing in Psalm 100. And afterwards we'll consider.
[23:41] What we saw in each of these three passages together. In turn. So we'll sing in Psalm 100 now. From the Scottish Psalter version.
[23:52] All people that on earth do dwell. Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Himself with mirth.
[24:04] His praise forth tell. Come ye before him. And rejoice. It's as if the people who sing this psalm. Know the light of the gospel.
[24:17] And have received the light. Into their own lives. And so. They can sing with assured confidence. And cheerful voice. To him.
[24:28] So let us do that. And sing Psalm 100. All people that on earth do dwell.
[24:39] Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Him. He said with mirth.
[24:50] His praise for tell. Come ye before him. And rejoice. Know that the Lord is God indeed.
[25:09] Without our aid he did us make. We are his flock. He doth us feed.
[25:22] And for his sheep. He doth us take. Oh enter then his gates with praise.
[25:36] Approach with joy his courts unto. Praise Lord and bless his name always.
[25:50] For it is seemly so to do. For while the Lord our God is good.
[26:05] His mercy is forever sure. His truth at all times firmly stood.
[26:19] And shall from age to age endure. So I said we'll take the three short passages that we read together.
[26:38] And I hope as we are reading them you notice that we have this same image presented to us. By Christ. By Christ. And every time there are words spoken by Christ.
[26:49] And every time it is a lesson to be taken note of. The lamp that is mentioned is specifically an oil type lamp. And the stand that is mentioned is that lamp stand where this light would be placed.
[27:04] And where it mentions a basket. We may think of a wicker style basket. That's of woven construction. But actually what this word basket.
[27:15] It refers to almost a bucket. Or an item that would be used to measure dry material like sand or grain or something like that.
[27:27] It would have been reasonably sealed. If you could imagine. When I imagine this story. You would have the basket put over the lamp. And the light would kind of filter through the weavings of the basket.
[27:39] But it may not be even that much light that's coming through. By the placement of this basket upon the light. The light. It is likely that with this basket or bucket placed over the lamp.
[27:55] That it would suffocate it. And extinguish the light entirely. And this repeated image that Christ presents to us. It's as simple as it can be.
[28:07] There's nothing confusing about it. There's nothing difficult about it. It's a newly lit lamp. Being covered with a basket. It makes no sense to any of us. It's as if you were to light your fire.
[28:18] And pour a bucket of water over it. Or if you were to cook your dinner. And then pour over it with sand. Something the likes. It's ridiculous. You wouldn't do it. It makes no sense.
[28:29] To do such a thing. But the fact that Christ uses these to teach us. We can acknowledge that. Maybe these things that we hear that are so unconventional to us.
[28:41] They're things that stick in our mind. And I remember this passage from Sunday school I think. This image that is presented to us. Because it's maybe so unconventional for us.
[28:52] To have this. But Christ in all that he did. Wanted to teach us. Teach us about himself. Teach us who he was.
[29:03] And teach us in different ways. And when we are taught. We tend to listen to someone teach us at first. In order that we may gain an understanding of the subject we're studying or hearing about.
[29:19] In order that we may be able to go out and implement what we hear. What we understand. And to do a new skill or the likes. Or to be able to do something new with what we are taught.
[29:31] We have a new understanding. And we can put things together like that. But it's not always the case. Many of your teachers may have said to you. Boy or girl.
[29:42] It's going in one ear and out the other. And that's not anything that I hope is said to us. As we come before the word of God. That it just goes in one ear and out the other.
[29:55] But that we receive it. And hear what it is saying. That we listen to it. We understand it. And that we implement. The words that we are taught.
[30:06] But the picture that we had. The lamp. The basket. The lamp. The lamp stand on the basket. It's kind of different. In each of our readings. It's a different context to each.
[30:17] And we don't have time to go into it. It would probably be a service. For each reading that we had. But we just want to touch on it. And see what lessons we can learn. From these images.
[30:28] Or the image that is said before us. Maybe you can go home and have a look yourself. How that relates to the context of Christ's teaching. In its passage. But basically what we have here.
[30:40] Is that. If you put them together. If you put them together. You've kind of got that teaching element there. That we hear. That we see. And we understand. What's going on. And a clearer understanding.
[30:51] And so that we can go and do. And be equipped. And prepared. For work. So in Mark. We had.
[31:02] Reference to hearing. In Luke. We had reference to what we see. And our eye. And in Matthew. We had reference. To what we do. And who we are.
[31:13] So that's what I want to consider. In our time that we have together. We had all a brief. And it's sort of putting things together. But it. Compiles it. In a beneficial way. So looking at the passage in Mark.
[31:27] Which speaks about hearing. Mark. From verse 21 to 25 there. A lamp is brought in. Put under a basket. Or is it not?
[31:38] Is a lamp brought. To be put under a basket. Or under a bed. And not on a stand. It says there. For nothing is hidden. Except to be made manifest. Not is anything secret.
[31:50] Except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear. Let him hear. Previous to this. He's talking about the sower.
[32:02] Sowing the seed. And the one. Who. Where the. The seed was sown. In the good soil. Was the one. Who heard. The word. That's the context of it.
[32:14] And accepts it. And bears fruit from it. He heard it. And it was revealed. To him. The secret of the kingdom of God. There's a revelation.
[32:26] Made. By this light. For nothing. Is hidden. Except to be made. Manifest. What is. What has been revealed to us. What is this light.
[32:38] That has been revealed to us. Well. It's the kingdom of God. What was hidden. From our hearing. It is the greatest light.
[32:49] That has ever been revealed. To men. And women. It's the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ. And that. Light. As it were.
[33:00] It's been revealed. To each of us. As we sit under. This word. This word. Tonight. That we may hear. The word. Of God. As it is.
[33:13] Comes from us. Not through me. But directly. From the Bible itself. The living. Word. God. And that by the spirit.
[33:24] May enlighten us. To hear it. It is a revealed. Gospel. Light. That you have heard. In this building. Many times.
[33:35] Before. That Christ. Has come. From heaven. Being obedient. To God. The father. In order to redeem.
[33:46] His people. And in order to satisfy. That divine justice. He had to go. And pay. For sin. And it was on the cross. That he paid.
[33:57] For that sin. And it was there. That he gave. His life. And no greater love. As anyone. Than he would give his life. For another.
[34:08] The Bible tells us. And that is Christ. Great display. Of his love. For who? It's for you. It's for each of us. Each of us.
[34:19] That he heard his word. And receives it. That he died. For us. That we may not. Go. And be forgotten.
[34:30] In hell. That we may have hope. In this man. He bore these extremities. Of the cross. For you. And for me.
[34:41] If you can believe it. It. The difficulty is. Sometimes. Understanding. That he would do that. For me. People say that.
[34:53] I didn't ask him. To do it for me. If you did it. Regardless. Whether you asked him. Or not. He did it for you. Because he loved you. Because he knows.
[35:05] What is best for you. As the loving. Father. God. And he did it for you. Regardless. Of what you think. About him. Or what you have ever said.
[35:16] About him. That you would see his love. And that you would hear his word. Christ. Is revealed.
[35:27] To you. A manifestation. Of light. As we gather. Under his word. As he says. In verse. 23.
[35:38] If anyone. Has ears. To hear. Let him hear. Convinced. He continues. To reinforce. This point.
[35:50] By saying. Pay attention. Pay attention. If you have ears. To hear. Let him hear. What has been revealed. To you. Listen.
[36:02] Pay attention. If you have ears. To hear. And you know. It's true. That there is a time. To hear.
[36:13] Almost. It's true. In my experience. It's true. In many of your experience. I'm sure. You've. You've. You've. You've been here. Sitting under the word.
[36:24] Under this light. And you didn't hear it. You didn't hear. The light. Of the gospel. Until. Until a time. Appointed. By God.
[36:35] That it spoke. Directly. Into your heart. And you heard it. For the first time. And maybe you said yourself. Why was no one telling me. Why did no one tell me.
[36:47] About what Christ. Had done for me. And they were saying yes. They were telling you. The whole time. The preacher. Whoever spoke. Was telling. About this.
[36:58] Great light. And this. Revelation. If we have ears. To hear. I pray. That we hear it. Tonight. But we've got to ask ourselves.
[37:10] Are we listening. Are we attentive. To hear. God's word. Are you hearing. The light of the world. Speak to you. Today. Christ.
[37:21] Is the light. Of this world. Is Christ. The light. Of your life. In this word. In this revelation.
[37:32] Is where. We find Christ. Where Christ. Is revealed. To us. He has not hidden. These things. From us. Just free.
[37:44] For us. To receive. He has gladly. Revealed. What we need. To know. And that. It's the greatest. Light. To those. Who understand.
[37:55] And that. We may. Come. To be like. People. Like the. Psalmist. Who wrote. Thy word. Is a lamp. Unto my feet.
[38:06] And a light. Unto my path. He's trusting. In this word. In every step. He takes. And this light. Is showing him. A path. To go on. In this life.
[38:17] It's a light. That does not. Leave you. In darkness. It's a light. That shows you. The way. Even if it is. Just.
[38:28] The next step. In front of us. And what a treasure. It is. To the man. That can say that. What is comparable. To the word of God.
[38:40] When it is. When it is. A light. To your feet. And a light. To your path. To direct you. In your life. Nothing. It's more than. Sweeter than honey.
[38:51] Finer than gold. As the psalmist. Says as well. It's a word. That. We desire. Others would see. It is a light. Of revelation. And that we.
[39:03] Want. It to be. In a place. Where it needs to be. It needs to be. Uplifted. This word. And what it says. To us. What it speaks.
[39:17] Needs to be. On that stand. As it were. It's not to be hidden. It's to be in place. And this is what we do. When we preach the gospel.
[39:29] We lift up. This revelation. Of God's word. As a light. That will be seen. It will be seen. By many.
[39:40] And heard. By many. But you know. What the truth is. About this light. Is that people. Want to put a bucket. Over it.
[39:51] When this light. Comes to you. And speaks to you. And maybe it's the first time. You hear it. Often. It's the case.
[40:02] That you want to put a bucket. Over it. Basket. You want to cover it. You want to cover it. Why? Because. It reveals who you are. And it. It's going to ruin your plans.
[40:16] And you want to silence that. Voice. That is speaking to you. You want it. You want to blank your ears. You want to see your ears. It's funny.
[40:28] Yesterday. I bumped into. An old friend. From school. And. He. A character. Kind of guy.
[40:39] He was in a field. My class. Nice guy. I hadn't seen him in the ears. He had been away working. And. Just the usual. What's.
[40:50] What are you up to. Now. And. I thought. Well. I don't know what this guy is going to say. When I tell him. I'm trained to be a minister. The kind of. Person that I thought he was.
[41:02] I thought. Well. Told him. And he goes. What man. You know what. And he asked. Why.
[41:13] Why. Okay. That's interesting. And he asked. Why. And then. So I kind of. Did it. And. I thought. The Bible.
[41:24] Speaking to me. And. Had to. It. I just came to the place. Where I had to. And he was saying. He said to me. Something really interesting after. He said to me. Oh yeah.
[41:35] Some days. I read my Bible. I thought. This guy never read his Bible. Some days. I would read my Bible. And even when I would read my Bible. To my wee girl. And he said. I was scared of it.
[41:46] I put it away. I put it away. Yeah. Because it speaks to our heart. And it speaks to the depths. Of the. Convicts us. Of the sin. And our desires.
[41:57] That's exactly. People. Put a basket over the Bible. To silence it. So that that light.
[42:08] Is not revealed to them. He put it away. Pray. Pray that he picks it up. When this word.
[42:27] Was. Like a light. To you. It revealed to you well. As we said. And we are not to suppress it. When it speaks to us.
[42:40] But is it for our good. Our good. And it goes on. In that passage. To speak of. Pay attention.
[42:51] To what you hear. With the measure. You use. It will be measured to you. I think there's more than this. But I think. Basically. What we can take from it. Is that.
[43:02] The measure you use. Will be measured. To you. As we treat others. It will be treated. To ourselves. How do you treat. The word of God. Are you putting it away.
[43:13] Are you leaving it in darkness. Or do you receive it. The way you treat it. Is likewise how. We will be treated. If you word of God.
[43:25] You refuse it. And refuse it. And refuse it. And refuse it. And put it away. Will we be left. Will we be left. In darkness. Ourselves. As we. Try.
[43:36] And darken. The light. Of the word of God. Shining upon. Our souls. Will we be left. In darkness. Don't judge it. So harshly. That we do not.
[43:51] Extinguish the light. In darkness. I can't imagine. I can't imagine. That if you. Desire to extinguish. The light of the gospel. Speaking to your heart.
[44:02] But the day you needed it. You had suffocated. The spirit of God.
[44:14] Will not overstrive. With man. Receive. The word of God. When you hear it. When the light. Comes to you. And if you receive. That light.
[44:25] And let that light. Shine upon you. Christ. Will not be ashamed. Of you. Let us move on.
[44:39] How will they believe. Of whom they have never heard. Because believing. Comes through hearing. There's a fundamental truth. Of the gospel message. That it must be preached. And shared. Because it is only then.
[44:50] Do we have the chance. Of seeing. And believing. And understanding. I'm jumping now. To the gospel of Luke. The eye. Is the light.
[45:01] Of everything. We would have no sight. If it were not for light. Our eyes may work. But if we are in darkness. We still do not see. We need.
[45:12] Light. And in a sense. What we hear. Influences. How we see things. That's maybe a loaded. Kind of. Sentence.
[45:24] What we hear. Will influence. How we see things. Maybe a brief way. Of explaining that. Is. You know. As an electrician. You see a pile of. Of wires. But.
[45:35] Or. A general person. That's not an electrician. May see a pile of wires. But as an electrician. Who has. Heard. And been taught. Can understand it. In a different light. Goes for.
[45:46] Many other. Different things. Seeing it. Seeing it. To. To. Someone else. Who has not heard. Or been trained. And. If we hear.
[45:57] The word of God. Likewise. We gain. Greater. Understanding. Hopefully. Of his ways. And we understand. Things. In a different light. We see situations.
[46:08] In a. Different way. Where someone. May be. That has happened. We see. In the. Greatest. Difficulty.
[46:19] Of the circumstances. That it is. God's will. And we know. Not what good. Will come from it. We have. That different. Perception. Of the experiences. Of our lives.
[46:30] We have. That different sight. Upon different situations. And it's common. To hear. That maybe. When someone's. Converted. They saw the world. In a different way.
[46:41] Hey. I didn't see. The beauty. Of the world. It just amaze me. After being. Converted. They see. The works. Of God. And his.
[46:52] Handiwork. Our eyes. Illuminated. We have. A greater sight. Although. You're seeing. Exactly. The same. Thing. Before us.
[47:03] But the lamp. Here. Is actually. Pictured. As one. That enables. Entry. Into a building. It says. That. The light.
[47:14] To be put on a stand. So that those. Who enter. May see. The light. Those who come in. Would see the light. Entry.
[47:28] And sight. It speaks of. Belief. We may think of. John Newton's words. I was blind. But now I see.
[47:39] We. And how often. We ourselves. Confess. That. In our experience. In our lives. We just. Didn't see. Things happening. Like that. It's a first light.
[47:51] It's a first light. That we saw. In the gospel. Of Mark. Was. The word. Illuminating. Our lives. And speaking. To us. The second light.
[48:02] Is in a sense. The. Inward. As that light. Comes. Into. Our bodies. It's almost like. When. We understand. What's happened.
[48:13] We understand. The word. We understand. What we're being taught. And I go. You know. If you're in college. Or whatever. And you're getting taught something. I'm not quite getting it. I don't see how this fits.
[48:25] With this. And then the penny drops. It's almost like that. Inward illumination. When Christ. Becomes. Your savior. Conversion.
[48:36] Illumination. That light. Fills you. With comfort. And joy. It infiltrates your soul. Your whole being.
[48:47] You're born again. And when your eye is. Healthy. It says. Your whole body is. Full. Of light. We are taken.
[48:59] From darkness. Into light. The body. That was in dark. Desire. Darkness. Of the world. Things that are empty. Is now. Enlightened.
[49:10] By the word of God. And the spirit of God. And that enlightenment. Brings joy. To the person. And rejoices. In that light. Forever.
[49:23] But the Christ. Who told the people. In the first. First. Section. To hear. And pay attention. As a warning. Also. Gives a warning. In this.
[49:34] Section. As well. In verse. 35. He says. That therefore. Be careful. Lest the light. In you. Be darkness. Be careful.
[49:45] Lest the light. In you. Be darkness. That if we are not. Misunderstanding. The light. That we are not. Being tricked. As to what light is.
[49:56] Deceiving ourselves. As what light is. That we are not. Saying that. Well. If the Bible says this. And we. Twist it. And tweak it. Which we are inclined to do.
[50:07] To suit what we. Desire. As. This. Tempter did. To Eve. In the garden. Did God not say. And she ate the fruit.
[50:19] Twisting it. That we are. We must be careful. That we do not. Twist the words. And allow the devil. To change.
[50:30] What we. Understand things to be. That we have a clear understanding. And we see clearly. What the word of God. Means for us.
[50:41] And speaks to us. Because. A student who understands. Well. Well. A student that doesn't understand. Is more likely.
[50:52] To make mistakes. If we understand. What the word of God. Is saying. Clearly. We are not. Intermingling it. With worldly desires.
[51:03] Or what we want. Then we are on the right path. The word of God. Is a light. To your step. And a light. And a light. To your path.
[51:14] But I am saying this. And understand. Like. I am saying that. You need a great understanding. You don't. You just need to understand. The word of God. You don't need to know.
[51:26] Everything in it. No one knows. Everything in it. And you may. Have. Great theologians. That have influenced your lives. Great preachers. And their. Their great minds. That are fed upon you.
[51:38] But you. But you. But you know what. And there's a big push. Maybe that. People are great theologians. Are they the greatest light.
[51:51] To each other. They are light. Certainly. But I find that the greatest light. That I have. The greatest lights.
[52:02] To me. Are the people. Who are the simple. The simple. Trusting. Faithful. Believers. And who know. And understand. God's word. In their lives.
[52:13] And fully trust upon it. And do not deviate from it. And you can sit with them. And you know that light. It almost illuminates you.
[52:26] As you sit with them. That presence. It's a salvation. And work. Illuminating. Each other. That should never be hidden.
[52:38] We should always be speaking. To each other. About what Christ has done for us. And how he. Has changed me. From darkness. Into life. Into life.
[52:49] Into life. But it speaks of our light. As people. Come in. In the passage. People come in. The light.
[53:00] They may see the light. Those who enter. May see. The light. There's a. Scary element.
[53:11] About this. Verse there. Of those who enter. May see the light. But.
[53:26] People come to us. People come to the church. Do they see the light. am I revealing the light that is within me, the gospel light, to everyone I meet?
[53:39] Or are we hiding that light that Christ has put in us? And by my not revealing what Christ has done for me, am I hindering others by seeing that light and knowing that light?
[53:56] Timothy was told to persist in preaching the gospel and reading the scriptures, for in doing so you will save yourself and your hearers.
[54:10] For each other, we help each other, we illuminate each other, in that spirit that Christ has given for us. So we hear this light, this revelation.
[54:24] We understand it as an illumination personally within our lives. And very briefly, we will conclude by seeing what Matthew says in chapter 5.
[54:35] What is the light here in this chapter? It is undoubtedly the Christian. From verse 14, You are the light of the world.
[54:49] A city set and a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand. And it gives light to all in the house.
[55:02] Spurgeon writes that the Bible is not the light of the world. I'll read it again. The Bible is not the light of the world.
[55:13] It is the light of the church. But the world does not read the Bible. The world reads Christians. You are the light of the world.
[55:26] See, people don't read the Bible, more often than not. The Bible is not the light. I think this is what he's getting at. The Bible is not the light of the world. It is the light of the church.
[55:38] It illuminates us. But the world does not read the Bible. The world reads Christians. That's true. You are the light of the world.
[55:50] Every Christian sitting here is a light. You can imagine that from darkness and space. If that were the case, if you would see the illumination of each person, it would be amazing.
[56:04] We are lights. We are totally distinct from the world who is in darkness. And we should be. Completely distinct. Opposingly distinct.
[56:15] Because we are light. And the world is dark. But verse 15 says that we light all who are in the house. We enlighten and help one another in many ways, as we said.
[56:30] In the same way, let your light shine before others. Whoever it is. Friends, family. Let your light shine before others.
[56:42] Because the Lord's people are like this walled city that it speaks about. You would come into Tarbor or Barvis or whatever before they changed the lampposts.
[56:54] And you would see this orange glow as you came in. You knew that was where the village was. Because the glow of the light in the sky. It's almost like that. A little glow illuminating the sky.
[57:05] As people gather here. That kind of spiritual people go past and say, That's the Lord's people. Maybe not in such words. But they know what is in that building.
[57:18] And why they gather there. The world reads you. Every reason that we pay attention to what is revealed.
[57:29] And we are careful in our lives. But we must be people that are not afraid to be put on the lampstand as well. The Lord wants you to shine for him.
[57:42] That you may proclaim the excellencies of him. Who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2. We are to go into this world.
[57:55] And be lights in this world. It is. But every. It's not ourselves really. Is it? That radiance of light.
[58:07] Is from Christ. And that is the source of the illumination of our souls. The direction. For our lives. That sets before us a path to where to go.
[58:20] It is the illumination. Of the life. Of Christ. It is his radiance that we reflect. His glory that we bring to people.
[58:33] And his enjoyment that we have. But we must remember. That every basket is an outworking of the devil.
[58:45] And that the devil is not far away from us. We can be walking around. And the basket could be kind of closing on top of you.
[58:57] And we are oblivious to it maybe. If we are not. In the word. And identifying. What the devil is doing. And we identify.
[59:11] And know. His ways. As much. As the Lord's ways. Because he will say to suffocate you. In your prayers. In your reading. In your witness.
[59:23] Whatever it is. We must remember. That he is not far away. And not be scared to talk about it either. But there is one out to silence that voice.
[59:37] And you see. In a sense. Your light. In darkness. In darkness. In darkness. The world is in darkness.
[59:49] And you are lights. We are lights. Christ has given us light. And a light. It is like a beacon.
[60:03] That guides. Directs. We are sure. Are we. Are we. Are we. Directing people.
[60:13] To the light. Are we. Mark us. That points. People in darkness. To a greater light. To the light.
[60:25] That has. Indwelt within us. To the light. That is Jesus Christ. There are three lights.
[60:38] Lights. That we may hear. Lights. That we may understand. The lights. That. Enlightens. Us. All these lights.
[60:52] That have been revealed to us. Lights. That illuminates us. And strengthens us. Lights. That is. To be. Doing its purpose.
[61:05] And proclaiming the gospel. Shining out. Proclaiming the gospel. To those who are in darkness. That's what we have been asked to do.
[61:18] We must ask ourselves. Are we willing. To do it. It is all the work of God. The light.
[61:28] Of Christ. We pray. We would be seen. Across our nation. Across our world. And that people may see it. And turn from the darkness.
[61:40] That they are in. Turn to this marvelous light. And find for themselves. Direction. And a path.
[61:53] Because if you are in darkness. Because if you are in darkness. You are lost. You are lost. Pray that we. Hear God's word.
[62:04] Know God's word. And go with God's word. Act. In the way that God's word. Tells us to.
[62:16] Be in light. For his name's sake. Amen. Amen. We'll conclude by. Singing in a hymn. Mission praise.
[62:29] 445. Shine. Jesus. Shine. Just the. Light of Jesus Christ. Of course. That we want people to see. Lord.
[62:40] The light of your love. Is shining. In the midst. Of the darkness. Shine. Jesus. Light of the world. Shine upon us. Set us free. By the truth. You now bring.
[62:51] Us. Shine on me. Shine on me. We'll stand. And we'll. Sing these words. To God's praise. Jesus. O'er the light.
[63:10] Of your love. Is shining. In the midst. Of your darkness. Shining. Jesus. Light of the world.
[63:21] Shine upon us. Set us free. By the truth. You now pray that shine on me, shine on me.
[63:36] Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory. May the Spirit lay, set their hearts on fire.
[63:55] Oh, river flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy. Send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.
[64:11] Lord, I come to your awesome presence. From the shadows into your radiance.
[64:24] By the blood I may enter your brightness. Search me, try me, consume all my darkness. Shine on me, shine on me.
[64:41] Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory. Place to place, set their hearts on fire.
[64:58] For ever, Lord, forever flow. For the nations with grace and mercy. Send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.
[65:15] As we gaze on your kingly brightness. So our faces display your likeness.
[65:28] Ever changing from glory to glory. Let our dear, may our lives tell your story. Shine on me, shine, shine, shine, shine, shine.
[65:46] Fill this land with the Father's glory. Place to place, set their hearts on fire.
[66:01] Forever flow, forever flow. Flood the nations with grace and mercy. Send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.
[66:19] We'll conclude in prayer. And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and forevermore.
[66:36] Amen.