[0:00] Good evening and welcome to our service this evening. Our call to worship comes from the scriptures. Come, let us enter into the presence of the Lord our God with joy and thanksgiving and bow in his holy presence for he is our God and we are the sheep of his pasture.
[0:24] I now hand over to those who can speak in the language that I can't speak. I now hand over to those who can speak in the language that I can speak.
[1:01] I now hand over to those who can speak. I now hand over to those who can speak.
[1:16] I now hand over to those who can speak. I now hand over to those who can speak.
[1:30] I now hand over to those who can speak. I now hand over to those who can speak.
[1:43] I now hand over to those who can speak. I now hand over to those who can speak.
[1:56] I now hand over to those who can speak. I now hand over to those who can speak.
[2:08] I now hand over to those who can speak.
[2:24] I now hand over to those who can speak. When the football shins are early for the heart The football shins are early for the heart CHOIR SINGS
[3:26] CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS
[4:30] CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS Thank you.
[5:13] Thank you.
[5:43] Thank you.
[6:13] Thank you. Thank you.
[7:13] Thank you. Thank you.
[8:13] Thank you. Amen.
[9:13] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[9:25] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. With angels round the throne, ten thousand thousand are their tongues, but all their joys are one.
[9:43] Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God.
[10:15] Let's stand and praise God.
[10:45] Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God.
[10:59] Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God.
[11:13] Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God.
[11:24] Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God.
[11:38] Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God. Let's stand and praise God.
[11:50] Let's stand and praise God. that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan and bound him for a thousand years and threw him into the pit and shut it and sealed it over him so that he might not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
[12:18] Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God and those who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended that is the first resurrection.
[12:56] Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection over such the second death has no power but they will be priests of God and of Christ and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
[13:12] And when the thousand years are ended Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth Gog and Magog to gather them for battle their number is like the sand of the sea and they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city but fire came down from heaven and consumed them and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it from his presence the earth and the sky fled away and no place was found for them and I saw the dead great and small standing before the throne and the books were opened then another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged by what was written in the books according to what they had done and the sea gave up the dead who were in it death and Hades give up the dead who were in them and they were judged each one of them according to what they had done then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire this is the second death the lake of fire and if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life he was thrown into the lake of fire let's pray together our father and our god we thank you for your word we thank you lord that your word is the truth the truth which will stand forever and father we thank you that you have given us your word we thank you lord that you have also given us a desire to read your word and lord we would pray that you would make us students of your word that not a day would pass but that we open up the pages of holy scripture and read and meditate therein lord we thank you for those who in many years gone by worked so that we have this translation of your word available to us we do not take it for granted but lord we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your word because your word speaks to us it ministers to us it builds us up it makes us strong it guides our footsteps lord it does so much for us that we could not live without it and father we would pray that for every one of us gathered here in this sanctuary this evening young or old that you would give us an ever increasing desire to read your word even if we've been reading it for 40 50 60 70 years or more give us lord that insatiable desire that longs to meditate on your word and so our father we want to thank you for your word and tonight we would want to pray for teams of people who are working in many different parts of the world in different continents
[17:12] different countries seeking to make your word available for yet another people group another group who have never ever had anything of your word in their own language lord give them strength give them courage give them accuracy help them lord to faithfully translate your word so that those who read it will understand it be able to take it in be able to profit from it be strengthened by it and so our father tonight we just thank you for your word and thank you for the wonder of it and lord we would pray that whatever your word is read and preached this evening across the island chain throughout Scotland across the UK throughout Europe and further afield to the far flung corners of our world wherever your word is preached or has been preached we pray that your blessing would follow it and we pray that your Holy Spirit would apply it to the hearts of those who have sat under its ministry and that they would have gone home better people having heard from you so lord we commend ourselves into your hand this morning this evening and pray that you would prepare our hearts to listen to and to profit from your word we ask it in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen now we're going to sing again from mission praise number 279
[19:09] I know not why God's wondrous grace to me has been made known nor why unworthy as I am he claimed me for his own but I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day number 279 let's stand and praise God amen I know not why God's wondrous grace to me has been made known nor why unworthy as I am he claimed he claimed me for his own but I know
[20:09] I have believed and I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day I know I know not how this saving faith to thee they depart for unbelieving in his word brought peace within my heart but I know who my unbelief and I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day I know not how the spirit moves convincing men of sin breathe breathing
[21:21] Jesus through the word creating faith in him but I know who I am believing but I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed to help against that day I know not what of good or ill may be reserved for me of many ways or golden days before his face I see but I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day father we ask that you would still our hearts that you would still our thoughts still our minds and help us lord to listen to your voice as you speak to us through your word thank you lord that you know us through and through and father we pray that your word would be personal to us this evening that we may know ere we leave this sanctuary that God has spoken do it we ask in Jesus name amen
[23:23] I want to speak this evening about a subject that I did not choose when I read this chapter of God's word several weeks ago I was convinced that this was the chapter for this evening so if you have any qualms about that I suggest that you speak to God afterwards rather than to me because he laid this on my heart I want to talk about the fact of judgment act 17 says the times of ignorance God overlooked but now he commands all people to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has appointed and of this he has given assurance in his word to all by raising him from the dead is that an isolated verse in God's word no it's not it is one of many
[24:47] Hebrews 9 27 says unjust as it is appointed for man to die once and after that comes judgment is that all no it's not 2 Corinthians 5 10 said we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body whether good or evil my friends there is a day coming when there will be judgment that's not because I've said it this evening but God's word is full of references to the fact that there is a judgment coming when I don't know and neither do you and there is not a man or woman or human being on the face of the earth who knows when this day is coming
[25:47] God alone knows because he has appointed that day scripture clearly tells us that it's coming one day and I want us to look at four different points this evening and first of all I want us to look at the great white throne the one who is seated on the great white throne is none other than God himself this throne appears in heaven and it signals the end of time now God has given us the opportunity to repent God has given us freedom to get our lives in order with him during our lifetimes that is in time t i m e in time because when time comes to an end the day of
[27:09] God's grace comes to an end that is a solemn thought God is gracious God's grace is extended to every single one of us whether you have closed in with God's offer of mercy or not is not for me to judge it is for you before God to know the time is coming when time will be rolled up like a scroll and when it's rolled up time is finished life as we know it will come to an end and eternity has begun how long is eternity we don't know because eternity is unending there is no end to eternity once eternity begins eternity remains with us forever there will never be a moment afterwards when eternity is not a reality and my friends when that great white throne appears in heaven all are summoned before god small and great rich and poor important not important now you ask me as other people have asked in the past what about someone who died a hundred years ago where is their body their body is reduced to dust is god able to bring the dust back together where did we come from we came from a handful of dust god took of the dust of the earth and he fashioned it and he made it into man breathed into him into his nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul god did it with a handful of dust my friends do you not think that god can gather up that dust again all are summoned and all will appear none will be missing on that great day when god's great white throne appears everyone past and present will be summoned before that great white throne i don't understand how it all works but i believe it because it's in god's word god's word is peppered with references to what is going to happen on into the future on that great day when christ returns all will be summoned before that great white throne and none will be missing the second thing that we notice is this palpable fear fear which you could almost feel fear which causes people to cry out to the mountains fall on us and hide us from the face of whom with whom we have to
[31:09] do fear the event strikes terror into the hearts of men and women crying not to god but crying to the mountains to hide them what from his face to hide them from that face with which they will have to do and when that time comes and I hope you will take this home with you tonight it will mean that the day of grace is ended the day of grace has come to an end now we are still in the day of grace there is still an opportunity for anyone for every one of us to get our lives right with god to have the question of our sin dealt with you know that sin separates between man and god and I can't remove it you can't remove it that's why christ had to die on the cross that sin might be dealt with he is the only one who can remove that sin and on that day for many many people there will be terrible terrible fear because there will then be no opportunity to repent why because the day of grace has ended how many more days have we got left of the day of grace you don't know
[33:00] I don't know I don't know anybody down here who does know only god knows but rest assured of this my friend god's day of grace will end are you ready have you made that preparation that is necessary have you put your life right with god because if you haven't and the day of grace ends I can't begin to tell you what follows it's too terrible too terrible because when the day of grace is ended the door into god's presence is closed and no one else can get in because the door is closed the door is wide open today will the door be open tomorrow
[34:12] I don't know the door is wide open today but on that day when people call for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them and to hide themselves from the terrible face of him sitting on the throne and when there is no further opportunity to repent those who have rejected Christ or those who have neglected to accept Christ will be lost will be lost there will be no opportunity for them to change their minds thirdly the books are opened there will be no computers in heaven there is no need for them absolutely no need our world could not go on without computers as it is at the moment but there will be no computers in heaven hallelujah but the records that are kept in heaven are more accurate than a quantum computer more accurate than the greatest most powerful computer that has ever been made far more accurate there are no mistakes in
[35:53] God's books none none will be missing who should be there and the books are opened and all the details of people's lives are revealed I don't understand it I accept it because it's in God's word and it says that the dead will be judged from what is written in the books plural bear in mind plural and singular here we're talking about the books in which the deeds of every human being are recorded but then when you talk about the book singular this is a different book it's called the book of life and whose names are recorded the names of those can I say this in a free church of the people who have fallen in love with Jesus have you fallen in love with
[37:11] Jesus have you given your life into his hand if you have not my friend your name is not in that book yet then you need to do something about it the book of life is opened and the names of the redeemed are written therein the verdict of the books is final in our courts nowadays if someone is accused of a crime he goes to court and eventually the judge pronounces the judgment and so and so is sentenced to three years in prison but we have in our country what we call a court of appeal you can appeal against your sentence but my friend there is no appeal against what is written in God's books because there are no mistakes there is a verse that
[38:42] I read this afternoon I have to say it brought a chill into my heart it's Jeremiah 8 verse 20 you probably know it the harvest is passed the summer is ended and we are not saved what a terrible verse is that the situation that you find yourself in or have you closed in with God's offer of mercy for if you have God then your name is already recorded in the Lamb's book of life and on that day when the books are opened it will be found that Jeffrey
[39:43] Thompson's name is written there in that book I don't know who he is but if he came to Christ then his name is written there but my question for you is is your name written there you might say I don't know but my friend you can know because we don't take a pen and write our name in that book because that book does not exist down here that book is in God's presence that book is kept by the angels and there are no mistakes and the verdict of the books is final and when judgment is pronounced there is as I mentioned no court of appeal and finally we come to the part that
[40:52] I I shrink from because it is so so terrible I call it what the Bible calls it the lake of fire that is not on this earth having said that I don't know where it is but there is such a place and when those who have willfully rejected Christ or who have neglected to accept Christ that is where they end up love how does that tie in with a God of love you say why would
[41:52] God be so vindictive and send someone to such a I'm tempted to use a word that might scandalize you but I'm going to use it send a person to such a hellish place because that's what it is terrible why how could a God of love send someone to a place like that because they have rejected his offer of mercy oh my friends it is so so serious to reject God's offer of mercy because once the day of grace is finished that offer of mercy is withdrawn and when that offer of mercy is withdrawn it will never be reinstated for mankind it is gone because the day of grace has come to an end the lake of fire was created for the devil and his angels it will be the place for those who neglect to accept
[43:14] Christ there are people who say that I will settle this question when I'm ready not today do I have a tomorrow I don't know neither do you we cannot presume to have a tomorrow I feel okay I'm 81 I was out walking to Sculpey yesterday and came back and I still had my feet on I managed it fine but I don't know what tomorrow holds I I have no idea what this next week will hold for me neither do you my friend my advice to you would be if you have never closed in with God's offer of mercy do it tonight however young or however old you might be don't put it off today if you hear his voice don't harden your heart
[44:24] I'm going to read a passage from scripture I want you to just listen because I'm not going to tell you where it is you know it very well there was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day and at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus covered with sores who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table more over even the dogs came and licked his sores the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side the rich man also died and was buried and in Hades hell being in torment he lifted up his eyes and saw when when I read that
[45:25] I stopped the rich man saw Lazarus in heaven does that mean that those in the place of departed souls see that's what it says he lifted up his eyes and he saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side and he called father Abraham have mercy on me send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am in anguish in this flame and Abraham said to him child you remember the word that comes after that remember was he able in that dreadful place to remember what had happened during his lifetime was he able to cast his mind back and see opportunities when he could have got right with
[46:25] God but didn't I don't know Abraham said to him child remember that in your lifetime you received good things Lazarus in like manner bad things now he is comforted here and you are in anguish and these verses and besides all this between us and you a great chasm has been fixed in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able and none may cross from there to us and he said then I beg you father to send him to my father's house for I have five brothers so that he may warn them lest they also come into this place of torment what a terrible place but Abraham said they have Moses and the prophets what does that mean they have the word of God they have the scriptures they have the word of
[47:29] God let them hear them and he said no father Abraham but if someone goes to them from the dead they will repent he said to him if they do not hear the scriptures neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead my friends that is holy scripture that is God's word a day is coming when time will be rolled up and finished God's day of grace will have come to an end tell me where will you be on that day will you have closed in with God's offer of mercy then your name will be recorded in the book of life and you will be welcomed into heaven but if your name is not recorded in the book of life at that stage my friend you will be lost and
[48:38] I close with Hebrews 4 7 which I quoted earlier today if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts why because you may not have a tomorrow let's pray our father we thank you for your word we know that we have been looking at awful things this evening things which could speak terror into people's hearts but yet we are still in your day of grace the door into your kingdom is still wide open the offer of mercy extended to us in the gospel is still there oh lord if there are any in our gathering tonight who don't know you and who have not as yet had the question of their sin dealt with lord apply this word in your love to their hearts tonight so that they may know that you love them that you care for them that you want them to be reconciled to yourself grant it lord we pray that we may all ere we leave this sanctuary this evening know for a certainty that our names are recorded in the land's book of life not because we are wonderful people or anything like that but because of your mercy and your grace which have been extended to us lord speak on into our hearts and bring us to the foot of the cross because we ask it in the precious name of
[50:52] Jesus amen we're going to draw our service to a close by singing from psalm 61 psalm 61 we'll sing verses 1 to 4 oh god give ear unto my cry and to my prayer attend from the uttermost corner of the land my cry to thee i'll send down to the end of the verse marked for within thy tabernacle i forever will abide and under covert of thy wings with confidence me hide let's stand and sing these verses to god's praise o god give me to my cry and to my prayer attend from from the utmost corner of the land my cry to thee i'll send what time my heart is overwhelmed and in perplexity to the believer to the rock that higher is the night for the who has for my refuge be a shelter by thy power and for defense against my cause thou hast been a strong tower within thy tavern
[53:34] I collide forever will abide and under cover of thy wings with confidence behind the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you the Lord grant to you his peace now and always amen amen amen