[0:00] let us pray our father and our God it is with joy and thanksgiving that we come before you this morning we want to thank you for all that you have done thank you for the price that was paid at Calvary for our salvation thank you Lord that we can enter into the presence of our heavenly father not because we're righteous because we're not but because of what you accomplished on the cross on our behalf you took our place you took our sin and this morning we want to say thank you thank you for your precious blood that was shed to make atonement for our sin we know that sin has always separated man from God and we know that sin is an outrage to you and yet Lord this morning we can come because of the sacrifice the sacrifice offered on our behalf on Calvary and Lord we lift up our hearts in thanksgiving and in praise and in worship and in adoration for you have done for us what no other person on the face of the earth could ever do you have removed our sin and Lord we want to praise you this morning for all of that thank you Lord for that day in our experience maybe for some of us many many years ago that day when we came to the cross of Calvary and discovered forgiveness and cleansing and renewing and thank you that we are here today not because we are good people but because we are redeemed by the precious blood of our saviour the Lord Jesus Christ and Lord we pray that in this time of worship and praise and thanksgiving that you would take from our minds every thought that would disturb or distract everything that would turn us aside from listening to your word oh Lord tune our hearts to listen tune our minds to hear your voice coming through clearly to us through what we sing what we read what is shared
[2:53] Lord bless your word to us this morning we ask in the precious and in the worthy and in the lovely name of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen Now Pat is going to come and talk to the children Morning everybody and morning boys and girls now I think you usually come forward don't you?
[3:24] Or do you just sit where you are and I can't see you properly are you going to come or are you going to stay? It's if you're visitors you may be like to stay well just listen that's all wherever you are make sure you listen what?
[3:38] Oh well done you guys Oh you see there there they've got a bit of whatever thank you right what happened last week for those of you guys who were here last week weren't you?
[3:52] What was the man's name? Ben Ben not Ben Samba Samba yes now last week sorry everyone who wasn't here last week but we had part one of the story of how the Lord reached the Burrafer people in West Africa that's why we've talked about funny hands and all of that kind of stuff well last week we heard about how Samba and well done Samba was the very first man among the Burrafer people who heard about the Lord Jesus and miraculously believed in him it's a great story I can fill you in after what it is but that was last week's story so we left Samba having been converted the very first Burrafer now what's a Burrafer?
[4:49] there's a lot of unreached people groups in the world we used to call them tribes we call them unreached people groups and they speak their own language they have their own all their own things that they do and we can't reach them because we can't speak their language so if we're going to reach everybody in the world for Jesus we need to learn languages and the Lord sent Samba sent a man from Ireland to preach the gospel and Samba became a Christian now Samba knew he needed help no one in his village had ever heard of Jesus and he said I need help well today's story is how the Lord Jesus called a man called Brian who lived in Bristol to be a missionary now this is especially good for boys and girls because God called him when he was eleven anybody eleven here oh wow you're under special whatever today yeah well
[5:58] Brian had had mumps right and he was in bed and he couldn't get out and his mum bought him a book I hope you parents buy books for your kids Christian books missionary books get them to read Brian read about David Livingstone now for those of you who don't know and I don't know about this generation if you know that David Livingstone is almost the most famous missionary that went out from Scotland and he went to East Africa and he he set slaves free and he did all kinds of things and he preached the gospel the part of Africa was Nyasaland it's now called Malawi and it's it's got a strong church now now when David Livingstone went there it was amazing and Brian's mum had given Brian this and he looked at it and it was all illustrated and there was lions and they thought oh and there was there was strings of dear black people being chained because they were going to be taken away as slaves and Brian thought I want to be a missionary that's what he said I want to be a missionary and an amazing thing happened to Brian age 11 he said he heard
[7:23] God's voice alright you shall be right wow so he didn't know what to do he was 11 so he went to school he was on going on to secondary went on to secondary he trained to be a quantity surveyor why because he thought if he's going to darkest Africa he needs to build a house so he learned to be a quantity surveyor so he could build his own home and he went to Bible college and he heard about the unreached people in Upper Volta as it was then and he arrived Brian arrived as an answer to Samba's prayer 16 years later now what does that tell you about Samba and what does that tell you about the God who Samba had trusted in the Lord kept Samba following Jesus for 16 years until
[8:26] Brian came and Brian arrived and they lived together in the village called Malba and Brian learnt the Bireford language now Brian Woodford he's now a doctor but a PhD but he's wonderful with linguistics that was his gifting wasn't just a good technical guy that built things but he was able to listen to sounds now sometimes if we had time we could speak to each other in Bireford you wouldn't understand a bit of it Yanni we just said hello how are you and who are all these people he says I don't know them okay so Brian brought that language down now the whole story is amazing because then the Lord led us there and we taught
[9:27] I taught literacy so we taught people how to read and write but there's other stories and I've taken my time haven't I I've got one minute I was told you go over ten minutes in here so boys and girls the things I want you to remember about today was is this if I've got my list of what I've got to tell you about first of all be open to God's call God wants to call people to serve him so listen be open boys and girls however young you are because God can call you okay the second thing is if you're going to trust in God you will know his keeping he'll keep you kept Samba in the middle of all that pagan mess and God kept him and the third thing
[10:28] God answers prayer God answers prayer Samba prayed and God sent Brian Woodford who this year will be 90 and he's still the probably even all the guys that are doing the translation Brian is the guy that they consult because of his knowledge of language so God answers prayer big time right you have to remember Samba now and Brian and next week there'll be a story about another boyfriend okay and I'm done and I'm okay alright we're going to we're going to sing number 975 975 like you I'm waiting for the words to appear before the throne of God above
[11:29] I have a strong a perfect plea a great high priest whose name is love whoever lives and pleads for me let's stand and sing these verses to God's praise Brooks highs the high priest in floe star high shii pierce we sir against his oit ablo i Who ever lives and reads for me My name is written on his hands My name is written on his heart I know that while in heaven he stands No tongue can make me fence depart No tongue can make me fence depart
[12:29] Satan tempts me to despair And tells me of the guilt within Upward I look and see him there Who made an angel for my sin Because the sinless Savior died My simple soul is counting free For not the justice satisfied To look on him and pardon me To look on him and pardon me For in there the risen Lamb The perfect spotless righteousness The great unchangeable I am The King of glory and of grace
[13:31] One with himself I cannot die My soul is purchased with his blood My life is hid with Christ on high With Christ my Savior and my God With Christ my Savior and my God Our reading this morning comes again From the book of Jonah Not the easiest book in the Bible to find But you'll find it Jonah chapter 2 You'll remember last week That we talked about the consequences Of disobedience If we disobey Then we suffer
[14:31] And I mentioned What happens if you drive through a red light What happens if you drive through a red light And a policeman sees you You're in trouble There are consequences for disobedience God called Jonah Jonah ran away from God And the end of verse chapter 1 It says And the Lord appointed a great fish To swallow up Jonah And Jonah was in the belly of the fish Three days and three nights Then he prayed to the Lord his God From the belly of the fish saying I called out to the Lord Out of my distress And he answered me Out of the belly of Sheol Or hell I cried And you heard my voice For you cast me into the deep Into the heart of the seas And the flood surrounded me All your waves and your billows
[15:33] Passed over me Then I said I am driven away from your sight Yet I shall look again Upon your holy temple The waters closed Then over me To take my life The deep surrounded me Weeds were wrapped about my head At the roots of the mountains I went down To the land Whose bars Closed upon me Forever Yet You brought up my life From the pit O Lord my God When my life was fainting away I remembered The Lord And my prayer came to you Into your holy temple Those who pay regard to vain idols Forsake their hope Of steadfast love But I With the voice of thanksgiving Will sacrifice to you What I have vowed I will pay Salvation Belongs to the Lord
[16:35] And the Lord Spoke to the fish And it vomited Jonah Out Upon The dry land Amen Thanks be to God For his Holy word Let's pray Shall we Our Father We thank you That We have been able To read your holy And inspired word Thank you Lord That your word Speaks to us Thank you Lord That as we read your word We hear your voice Speaking to us Sometimes so clearly And we thank you Lord That your word Is a living word Thank you Lord That your word Is an inspired word Thank you That your word Is a holy word And Father We thank you That we have your word Complete
[17:36] In our own language Some of us Can look at it In English Or in Gaelic Or in Numerous other languages And we thank you Lord For this ability That you give to us But we thank you Lord It exists In our English language And Father We pray That you would give Each one of us An insatiable desire To read your word Daily As we enjoy Our meals Daily Lord May we enjoy Reading your word Digging into it Allowing it To dig into us And Father We pray That We would be The better people Because of Hearing Your voice Father We want to Thank you That you know us Through and through Thank you Lord That there isn't A thought That enters
[18:36] Into our minds But that you Know it Completely And Father We thank you That you know Our problems Our difficulties The things That We are not able To contend with Or overcome You know Our weaknesses Lord And Father We thank you This morning That as we Come to you We come to our Loving Heavenly Father And we want to Thank you That you know us Through and through And you love us Through and through And Father This morning We pray That you would Take from our Minds Anything That would Disturb Our listening To your word Father We pray That your word Would speak That your word Would touch Our hearts That your word Would minister To us That you would Keep us From allowing Our minds To wander All over the Place Help us
[19:38] Lord To remember That we are In your presence And Father And Father We pray That your word Our attention Would be Caught up 100% With listening To your voice And Father And Father We would Remember Your servant Who stands In this pulpit Week After week And we pray For him And his wife And for Anna And Grace And Lois And we pray For them For your Blessing To be upon Them Your encouragement To be with Them You would be Ministering Into their lives Particularly Into David's Life That he would Be refreshed And encouraged And uplifted And that he Would come back In the fullness Of time In the fullness Of the blessing Of the gospel Bless them Lord And encourage Them We pray And Father We would remember Any in the
[20:38] Congregation This morning Who are sad Through bereavement Through illness Through whatever Affliction Comes their way And we pray Lord That your grace Would be Sufficient For them And Father I want Particularly To pray For this People group That I've never Heard of before The Soko Trans Who live In the Middle East Between the UAE And the Yemen Where temperatures Regularly reach 40 degrees Where your word Does not Exist In their language And Father I want to pray For the Soko People That there Would Be someone With linguistic Ability Who would go And who would Begin A translation Of your word Into the Soko
[21:38] Language So that These people Who have Never Ever Heard of you Would have The opportunity Of hearing Of a God Who loves them Of a saviour Who died on the cross To redeem them From their sin Lord Call someone To do that work And we pray That they would Be called Soon And so Our father We Thinking of them Can think of So many other People groups Around the world Lord Will you Minister Into those People groups We pray And may your word Touch hearts And move people We pray And Lord We just ask Now that you Would give us Attentive thoughts Attentive hearts As we sing Your praise And as we listen To your word Father may your word Speak to And minister To our hearts Because we ask it
[22:40] In the precious name Of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen The Gaelic Psalm Is number 32 And we are going To sing Verses 1 and 2 Psalm 32 1 and 2 O blessed Is the man To whom Is freely Pardoned All the Transgressions He has done Whose sin Is covered Blessed Is the man To whom The Lord Imputeth Not his sin And in Whose spirit There is No guile Nor fraud Is found Therein Let's sing These verses To God's Praise And Rose And And
[23:41] Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji
[25:11] Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji
[26:41] Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Father we pray that you would open our hearts and open our minds and help us Lord to take in your word what you want to say to us today. Help us to understand we ask in Jesus name. Amen.
[27:28] Amen. I want to speak this morning about Jonah. You'll remember that last week we left him in a very precarious position. Well he's still in that position. He hasn't got out yet. He's stuck inside this fish and nobody knows where he is.
[28:00] He was swallowed. He was swallowed. He was swallowed. He was swallowed by this great sea creature. He was swallowed. He was swallowed by this great sea creature. I'm going to say because there's controversy about what kind of creature it was. I am not going into that. But it was a very large fish with a very big mouth and the ability to swallow a human whole and not hurt him in the slightest.
[28:30]
[31:00] If you cry out to God. If you cry out to God. God will hear you. I have no doubt whatsoever about that. And in that totally alien environment. This dear man of God. Let's remember he was a man of God. He was a Christian. He was a prophet. He knew the Lord.
[31:23] But he had disobeyed the Lord and now he's paying the consequences. In his distress he called out to God. Notice Jonah's call for help.
[31:46] From the depths of the grave. He called Jonah. According to a good number of the commentators. Jonah was as good as dead.
[31:59] Wow. But he was still alive. Fully alive. Remarkably alive. And yet in the situation that he was in.
[32:12] He was as good as dead. He could not get out of that fish. If it had been possible to get out. Where would he be? He could be hundreds of feet under the sea.
[32:28] His situation wasn't difficult. It was impossible. Totally impossible. But you know. Our God is the God of the impossible.
[32:41] God is able. No matter what situation you might have got yourself into. God can get you out of it. If you ask him.
[32:54] Notice what I added at the end. If you ask him. God answers prayer. But if we don't pray. If we don't call out to God.
[33:06] Is God going to hear us? I ask that as a question. That I'm not even going to attempt to answer. We call out to God.
[33:18] In many desperate situations. It couldn't be more desperate. Than this one. That Jonah found himself in.
[33:30] But if we call out to God. He will hear us. What does he say? Call unto me. And I will answer you. And show you great and mighty things.
[33:41] Call unto me. And I will answer. But what we have got to do. Is call. It's not difficult.
[33:52] It's not difficult to call on God. God is waiting. To hear our cry. Today. Today. If you will hear his voice.
[34:05] Do not. Harden. Your heart. Jonah. Deep. Down. In the depths. In a hopeless. Situation.
[34:17] And yet. God. Was with him. God never deserted him. Jonah had been disobedient. Jonah had turned away from God.
[34:31] Jonah had rejected. What God had said to him. Let's notice. Jonah's. Repentance. Inside the fish.
[34:46] He repented. What a place. What a place of. Utter impossibility. For man. In that. Impossible situation.
[34:58] This. Man. Repented. He called out to God. Out. Of the belly of hell. I cried. And you. Heard.
[35:09] My voice. And he said. Yet. I shall look again. Unto. Your holy temple. That's a reference. Back.
[35:20] To the temple. To the. To the tent. Of meeting. If you like. Which was a symbol. Of God's presence. And Jonah.
[35:32] Was calling. On God. And in the midst. Of that situation. Of disobedience.
[35:43] God. Listened. To him. Was Jonah. Disqualified. Because of his disobedience. No.
[35:53] He wasn't. Because. He repented. And he turned back. But the onus. Was on Jonah. To repent.
[36:05] There. In that. Impossible. Situation. Inside the fish. Jonah. Realized. I'm finished. Oh my friends. When you come to that place.
[36:16] That's. When God. Can use you. When you're. Finished. God. God. Begins. God. Can pick you up. God. Can use you. Look at the lives of missionaries.
[36:27] All over the world. Pastors. Who stand in pulpits. Men. And women. Who have. Realized. That of themselves.
[36:39] They can do nothing. That. Is when God. Can pick them up. And do something. With them. If we think.
[36:49] That we can do it. On our own. We can't. If we can do it. On our own. Tell me. Why did Jesus come?
[37:00] Because we can't. Do it on our own. No man. On the face. Of the earth. Can rid himself. Of his sin. Nobody.
[37:11] And Jonah. Inside. The belly. Of the fish. Realized. That. And he repented.
[37:24] And he asked. For forgiveness. God. Had commissioned him. To go to a very.
[37:34] Wicked city. Nineveh. That's why he ran away. Because he was frightened. Nineveh. The Ninevites. Were the arch enemies.
[37:45] Of the Jews. So when he got a call. From God. To go to a people. That he didn't like. A people who didn't like him.
[37:56] He was frightened. That's understandable. He was frightened. Fear. Is not a sin. That if we allow fear.
[38:10] To bind us. Then fear. Fear becomes something. Very. Very. Very. Different. And can hold us back. From God's purposes.
[38:21] For us. This dear man. Stuck. Inside this fish. And he discovered. Despite his. Disobedience.
[38:32] That God's commission. Still stood. God hadn't changed his mind. God. God wasn't going to change his mind. God had called him.
[38:45] And that was the end of it. There would not be another call. Giving him a different. Easier. To fulfill commission. No.
[38:56] What he was given. And stood. When God speaks. His word is forever. When God speaks to you.
[39:07] The thing that you need to do. The thing that I need to do. Is first of all. To listen. To understand. What God is saying.
[39:17] And then to say. Lord. Here am I. Send me. Now you.
[39:31] Might. Begin to wonder then. How is this man. Going to get out of this situation. How is this man. Going to be. Delivered.
[39:42] He couldn't say to the fish. Let me out. There was no way to do that. But who made the fish?
[39:55] Who made the fish? The one who made the fish. Could communicate with the fish. And God said. To that fish.
[40:07] Spit him out onto the beach. Verse. Verse 10. The Lord. Spoke to the fish. Does that surprise you.
[40:19] That God speaks. To other. Levels. Of his creation. Other than human beings. God spoke to the fish.
[40:33] And the fish. Did. Exactly. What God told it. Now the fish. The fish. The fish. The fish. Now the fish.
[40:43] Wasn't wrong. The fish. Thought Jonah. Was just. A nice. Titbit. For tea. The fish. Was happy. To swallow Jonah. Of course.
[40:55] Why wouldn't. The fish. Be happy. But then. The Lord. Spoke. To the fish. Verse 10. And it. Vomited him. Up. Onto.
[41:07] Dry land. I said that. Jonah was helpless. Inside that fish. He could do.
[41:19] Nothing. For himself. And God. Brought him. Up. From that. Dreadful. Pit. That he was in.
[41:30] And his. Disobedience. Gave way. To obedience. That. Is what God. Loves. In our lives.
[41:41] Obedience. Doing. What God. Tells you to do. How does God. Speak to people. Well. He can speak.
[41:51] In many different ways. I was brought. To faith. Through a. Horrific. Accident. God. Spoke. To me.
[42:02] Through that. Accident. And I came. To faith. In Christ. God. Can speak. To you. Through other. People. Often.
[42:15] Someone. Can say. Something. To you. And you're. Brought up. Short. And you wonder. Wow. How did he know that? God. Can speak. To you.
[42:26] Through his word. If you read it. I'm almost. Tempted. To ask. A question. But I must.
[42:37] Remember. Where I am. And I shouldn't. But I was. Going. To ask. But I'm not. Going. To ask. That. That. That. That. Everyone.
[42:47] Who read. The bible. This morning. Put their hands up. But don't. That's. Between God. And you. Not you. And me. But my friends. It's.
[42:58] It's more important. To read God's word. Than to eat your breakfast. Now. I enjoyed my breakfast. Someone very. Kindly.
[43:09] Gave us. Egg cups. Didn't have egg cups. In the manse. And we were able. To have them. Without scalding our hands. Like we did. The previous. Lord's day.
[43:20] But thank you. To that person. Whoever you are. Much. Much appreciated. God's. Deliverance.
[43:31] To Jonah. Came. And the fish. Vomited. Him out. And Jonah. Was free. Jonah. Was free.
[43:42] From the fish. But he was not. Free. From God's commission. God's commission. Still stood. And God willing. If we're spared.
[43:53] We'll look at that. Next week. God. Spoke to the fish. The fish. Spat him out. Onto the beach. Salvation.
[44:05] Comes from the Lord. And as I was preparing. This morning. I went back. 72 years. 72 years.
[44:18] When I was in primary school. And we had a fabulous teacher. She was hard. She was very hard.
[44:29] But she was good. And every morning. Before lessons started. She read from a book. That probably most of you know.
[44:43] And it wasn't the Bible. What book would it be if it wasn't the Bible? PP. Thank you. Pilgrim's Progress. And she was telling the story this morning.
[44:57] Of Christian. Who came. On the. Celestial pathway. And up in front of him. He saw. A cross.
[45:08] And the closer he got to the cross. The cross seemed to get. Bigger and bigger. Excuse me. I often get a frog in my throat. And.
[45:20] As Christian was approaching. The cross. He had a big bag on his back. But there was a very funny thing. About the bag.
[45:31] It had. Rope. It didn't have straps. It had. Oh I don't know what you would call it. Rope. I'm going to call it rope. Tying it on to him. And there was no way.
[45:43] To undo the rope. There was no buckles. There was no way. Of releasing the bag. And getting it off his back. And he came.
[45:55] To the cross. And an utterly. Amazing thing happened. Do you remember? What happened? The bag fell off.
[46:08] Of its own accord. He didn't. Fiddle around. With the ropes. That were holding it on. The bag fell off. The ropes holding it. Broke asunder. And the last picture.
[46:20] In one of the books. That I saw. Was of the bag. Rolling down the hill. Into a big. Dark. Cave. And Christian.
[46:32] Saw his sin. No more. It was removed. From him. As far as the east. Is from the west. Christ. And he was forgiven.
[46:43] He was made a new person. In Christ. Why? Because he came to the cross. My friend. Have you. Come to the cross.
[46:55] Have you. In your. Lifetime experience. Whether you're young. Middle aged. Or old. And some might be. Even older than I am. But have you.
[47:06] Come to the cross. Because if you haven't. You still. Don't. Know. Jesus. Because that's.
[47:18] Where you meet Jesus. At the cross. And how do you. Come to the cross. You acknowledge. Before God. That you are. A sinner. You acknowledge.
[47:29] Before God. That you have done. So much. That is wrong. In your life. And sin. Stands. Between God. And you.
[47:40] As a barrier. Which you cannot. Remove. Only. God. Can remove it. Have you. Asked him. To remove it.
[47:51] I did. 65 years ago. What. A difference. It made. What. A difference. I became. A new.
[48:01] Person. In Christ. That's. What happens. When your sin. Is removed. Christians. Sin. Was taken.
[48:11] Away. God. Commends. His love. Towards us. In the. While we were. Yet. Sinners. Christ.
[48:23] Died. For us. And in. Closing. Ephesians. Two. Verse. Eight. Says.
[48:34] By grace. You are. Saved. Through. Faith. And that. Not of. Yourselves. It is. The gift. Of.
[48:44] God. What. Do you. Do. With. The gift. You. Stretch. Out. Your. Hands. And you. Accept. It. And I. Challenge. You.
[48:55] If you. Have. Never. Done. That. I. Challenge. You. To. Do. It. This. Morning. Reach. Out. Ask. God. To. Forgive. You. To.
[49:06] Deal. With. Your. Sin. To. Take. It. Away. To. Make. You. A. New. Person. In. Christ. And my. Friend. He. Will. Do it. Even. If. You. Are. On. Holiday. On. A. Bike. From. The.
[49:16] Borders. He. Will. Do it. Believe me. Boys. He. Will. But you. Have. To. Ask. You. Have. To. Ask.
[49:27] Lord. Please. Forgive. Me. For. My. Sin. Let's. Pray.
[49:43] Our. Father. And our. God. We. Thank you. For the. Wonderful. Wonderful. Message. Of. The. Bible. That. God.
[49:55] So. Loved. The. World. That. He. Gave. His. Only. Begotten. Son. That. Whoever. Believes. In. Him. Should. Not. Perish. But. Should. Have.
[50:05] Ever. Ever. Lasting. Life. Oh. Lord. Wing. That. Word. Home. This. Morning. To. Any.
[50:15] In. This. Gathering. Who. Still. Don't. Know. You. And. Help. Them. To. Know. Lord. That. You. Love. Them. Very. Very. Much. Indeed.
[50:26] And. We. Give. You. Our. Thanks. For. Your. Word. This. Morning. In. The. Precious. Name. Of. The. Lord. Jesus. Christ. Amen. Let's.
[50:39] Draw. Our. Service. To. A. Close. By. Singing. Verses. From. Psalm. Number. Twenty. Eight. Psalm. Number. Twenty.
[50:50] Eight. Verses. Six. To. Nine. Forever. Blessed. Be. The. Lord. For. Graciously. He. He. He. He. The. Voice. Of. My. Petitions. And.
[51:00] Prayers. Did. Regard. We'll. Sing. From. Verse. Six. To the end. Of. The. Psalm. Forever. Yeah.
[51:10] Yeah. Forever. Blessed. Missed. Be. For. gracious me the voice of my petition and greater stead regard the Lord's my strength and shield my heart upon him every light and I am help enhance my heart the joy exceeding me and with my song
[52:12] I will embrace their strength is God alone he also is the saving strength of his anointed one one for all thy people do thou save rest thine in their hands them also do and and forever more advance and now may the blessing of God which makes rich and out no sorrow with it go with you now and always amen to amen to the people who are the people who are and the people who are and the people who are