He has done everything well

[0:00] Good morning. A warm welcome to the service this morning. We have a family service this morning so the children will be involved in the service and will be staying for the duration of it and it will be slightly shorter than usual, at least that's my plan. Those who are visiting with us today, it's good to see a few of you and if you're able to stay behind please do so. There's tea and coffee served at the end of the service in the hall just on my left here so if you can stay behind please do so. It's always good to have a chance to meet with those who are visiting. The evening service tonight is at 6, 6 till 7 and all are welcome to that service. Young people, parents of young people, be encouraged to bring them along. It's only an hour and we come to the second bit of Zechariah. The YF meets at half past 7 tonight and the YF one to just thank all who contributed to the big YF event last week. There was a big crowd of young people here and God spoke through Angus and so thank you for all who were involved in that. Deacons Court meet tomorrow at 7, please take note of that to the deacons and there's various things in the course of the week which I will leave to read at your own convenience. The service is next Sunday. The morning service will be conducted by the Reverend Dr Robert Smith Jr. who is one of the speakers or the main speaker I think at the

[1:35] Lewis Christian Convention which is over the course of next weekend and you can get details of that in the best of the day. But he'll be taking the morning service and I would warmly encourage you to come along to that and the evening service you'll be back to the normal myself from 6 o'clock next Sunday evening. Usually we would have a Gaelic service next Sunday, the last Sunday of the month, but we're going to have an English service next Sunday evening at 6 o'clock and the Gaelic service will be, I think it's on the 14th of July when I'm on holiday. The Kirk session meet on Monday 1st of July at 7, please take note of that as well. Okay boys and girls and everyone else, let's close our eyes and let's put our hands together and let's speak to God as we pray. Lord God, we thank you for this day and we thank you that we are able to come into this place in safety, knowing that we are not going to be attacked but we are able to meet and to worship. We know that there are people around the world who are Christians, we haven't met them but we're related to them if we are believing in Jesus and as they meet in places, some like this and some hidden away from all eyes, we know that they meet frightened in their hearts because they don't know if their meeting is going to be interrupted by people who would want to hurt them for trusting in Jesus and we pray for them Lord and we thank you that we are able to meet this morning and we're able to sing at the top of our voices and with all of our hearts holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty. And we say that Lord in our prayers that you are the God who is holy, you are the God who is perfect and we know that we are people who are not holy, we are not perfect, our hearts are sinful and we struggle Lord and the things that we want to do that are good, we struggle to do them and the things that we don't want to do that are bad, we so often find ourselves doing them and your word the Bible tells us that that's sin in us and we don't pretend Lord that there's no sinners. We come to you this morning, we tell you that we are sinners in our hearts, we're sinners in the things that we do, that the the Bible tells us that if we confess our sins, that we tell you that we are sinners and if we ask for your forgiveness you'll forgive us all our sins, you'll wash us of all the things that are not right and that you'll make us clean and we ask that you would do that Lord. We know that we're not washed by water but we're washed by the blood of Jesus. He's the one who died so that we could be made clean and we ask Lord that you would wash us in our hearts and that we would know that we are children and adults of God because of all that Jesus has done. We thank you that he came into this world.

[4:48] God the Father loved us so much that he sent Jesus his son to come and live for us and die on the cross so that we could be forgiven so that we who were far away from God could come close. So we thank you that although we sing about a God who is holy we are able to come in Jesus name and know this God as our friend, as our savior, as our king and we pray that we would know that this morning. We thank you that we can come to you in prayer Lord and we can bring other people to you in prayer as well.

[5:23] And as we pray for all the young people who are here this morning and we ask that you would be working in each one of their hearts, we pray for some of the oldest people as well in the church, some of whom are not here today because they're weak and they're sad and they're struggling in their bodies and they're in their houses. But we thank you that you're able to to draw near to them in their houses and in Harris house and in different places. And so those who are old and those whose bodies are tired but who would want to be here with us, we pray that you would be close to them and that you would help them and that you would bless them. We pray for those whose hearts are sad this week, some who have had lots of tears this week as they think about those that they've loved who have gone from this world. And we pray for them. We pray especially for the McSween family, for Donald and for Rosalyn and for Donna and for all the relations, for John and for many others who were here in this week. And we ask Lord that you would comfort them because you are the God of all comfort. We pray for those Lord who are worried today and who might be anxious about feeling sick and hearing from doctors as to what the trouble is.

[6:44] And we thank you that you you're the God who says to us don't be anxious about anything but pray about everything. And so we pray for them. We come to you and we cast all our worries on you because you've said to us and you've shown us that you are the God who cares for us. So be with those who have these worries and struggles. We pray for our country Lord. We know that once we were close to you but now we are far from you. We pray that you would be with those that you have allowed to be in charge of the country. And we ask that you would help them to have the humility to come and ask you for help and for wisdom which comes not from this world but from heaven. So we pray for those who are leaders over us and we ask Lord that you would help them as you've told us to pray for them. We pray now that you would help us in this service and speak to us through your word. And we ask all these things in Jesus name. Amen.

[7:43] Amen. Boys and girls it's good to have you all today. Now on Monday afternoon this week past.

[7:55] Put your hand up if you go to school here. Or Krolika. Skolari is that what you call it. Put your hand right up so I can see you. Now on Monday afternoon I was in the same place that you were in. Do you remember what was happening on Monday afternoon in school? Think. Use your thinking caps. What happened? Michael? It was the prize giving.

[8:22] It was the prize giving. And I brought something to show you this morning. And I've put them all just on the floor there. So if you stand up and don't get out of your seats you can just stand up and have a look. On the floor there I took all the cups and all the medals and all the certificates.

[8:44] All the stuff that I won at prize giving at school. I took it all in this morning. And it's all just there on the floor. Can you see it? That's exactly. Who said that? No. That's exactly the point. See I didn't really win any. I didn't win any cups or medals or I don't even remember winning certificates at prize giving when when I was in school.

[9:12] But some of you did. And I'm not going to ask you to stand up and say who won who won what. But some of you did very well at sports. And some of you did very well at music. Some of you did very well at your schoolwork and your reading and your writing and your your maths. Some of you did well at being helpful pupils and making progress over over the year. So different people did well at different things and you got different medals and things at prize giving. But no one here or no one in the school did everything perfectly well. Some were good at sports. Some were good at music. Some were good at thinking and maths. Some were good at being helpful. But nobody won the prize for everything. Nobody. There's no one in this school. Not one person who did everything perfectly well. Was there? In fact there's no one in the world is there? That does everything perfectly well is there? Well maybe there was one person who came to this world who did everything perfectly well. Do you think? What would his name have been?

[10:42] Jesus. Now who's got Mark chapter 7? Reading with number one on it. Mark chapter 7 verses 31 to 37. Emma's got it. So Emma's going to come out. So boys and girls I want you to listen really carefully to what Emma's going to read. It's God's word and she's going to speak it. And let's listen really carefully to these words. So Emma if you come out here please.

[11:11] Then Jesus left the vast city of Tyre and went through Sidon down to the sea of Galilee and into the region of Decapolis. Decapolis yeah. Then some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk and they begged him to place his hand on the man. After he took him aside away from the crowd Jesus put his finger into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him Ephatha which means be opened. At this the man's ears were opened. His tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so the more people the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. He has done everything well then said he even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak. Thank you very much Emma. Just one verse boys and girls I want you to remember memorize think about this morning. It's Mark chapter 7 and verse 37 and it says he has done everything well. The verse about Jesus he has done everything well. So we're going to think about that. Jesus has done everything well. And we're going to ask that God will help us to see Jesus and hear Jesus and understand more of who he is. Can you remember the verse? Mark chapter 7 verse 37. He has done everything well. Mark chapter 7 verse 37. He has done everything well. I want us to be able to take that with us from the service.

[13:20] And the first thing that I want us to think about in connection with that verse is is Jesus he lived well for us. He's done everything well. And the first thing for us to remember is Jesus he lived well for us. Now boys and girls can you help me out here. Can you think of some of the amazing things that Jesus did when he was in this world. The things that he did when he was living here in this world. So there's lots and lots of things. Even if if I was to go through Mark the book that we've been going through and I've asked to take a glance through that there's so many things that Jesus did that were amazing. He drives out an evil spirit Mark 1. He heals many people. Jesus he heals a man who's got leprosy. There was no cure for leprosy but Jesus healed a man. A man who couldn't walk and Jesus made him be able to walk. And in the miracles of the the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000. Do you remember the storm at the sea? Do you remember the storm at the sea? Remember the disciples they went out in the boat and all of a sudden the storm blew up and the disciples who were fishermen they were terrified and they went to Jesus and they said don't you care we're going to drown when all the storm was crashing around and Jesus went quiet. He's still and everything went calm. See everything Jesus did he did it well and the way that he spoke to people some people whose lives were so sad and everybody else was nasty to them and Jesus showed them such gentleness and such love and there were other people who were really proud and everybody looked up to them and they thought they were the best and Jesus spoke to them very firmly. Everything he did he did well. Now you might think well maybe Mark only told us about Jesus good days. Boys and girls can you think of any any days that Jesus had that were bad days? Anything any days when he did things wrong? That's right. See there's no days that Jesus ever did bad things because he never sinned. Every one of us sins. Jesus never sinned.

[15:40] 1 Peter 2 22. 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 22. He committed no sin and no deceit were found in his mouth. Who do you think that's about? Jesus. Jesus. He committed no sin and no deceit. No deceit was ever in his mouth.

[16:00] Everything he did everything he did everything he spoke he did well. Hebrews chapter 4 verses 14 and 15. Therefore since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens. Jesus the son of God let us hold firmly to the faith we professed. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.

[16:34] But we have one who has been tempted. Tempted in every way just as we are yet was without sin. Jesus. Tempted in every way just like us and yet how many times did he sin? He never sinned. He never sinned. 1 John chapter 3 verse 5.

[17:01] But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins and in him is no sin. Who do you think that's about? Jesus.

[17:13] He appeared that he might take away our sins and in him is? No sin. No sin. No sin.

[17:49] No sin. No sin.

[18:13] Jesus was the only person in this world that didn't have to die. Have you ever thought about that before? Everyone in this world, some people live till they're very old and some people, even as we thought about this week so sadly in the congregation, they die young. But everybody in this world has to die eventually. That is except Jesus. See, it's because of sin that death came into the world. There was no death before. Do you remember the first person to sin? It was Adam.

[18:49] Before Adam sinned, there was no death in the world. But once Adam sinned, death came into the world and because everybody sins, everybody dies. But Jesus never sinned, did he? So Jesus didn't have to die. But he chose to die. Jesus chose to die. Why do you think, boys and girls, Jesus chose to die?

[19:14] He didn't have to die because he never sinned. But he came into this world and he chose to die. So why did Jesus choose to die? To take away our sins. And why did Jesus want to take our sins away?

[19:28] Because he loves us. Because he loves us. Jesus chose to die to take away our sins because he loves us. John chapter 10 verse 14. I am a good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me. Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of the sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again. No one takes it from me that I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. Did you hear that, what Jesus was saying? He was saying that nobody took his life away from him. But he chose to lay down his life. He chose to die so that we, if we are his sheep, could have everlasting life. Boys and girls, how do we know? How do we know if we are Jesus' sheep?

[20:41] John chapter 10 and verse 27. Jesus speaking and he said, My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. How do we know we are a sheep? Jesus says, My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. See, if we want to be reading the Bible, then we're listening to the voice of Jesus. And if we want not just to hear what's in the Bible and what's at Sunday school, but we want to give our lives to Jesus and live our lives in a way that pleases him, we're one of the sheep. My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. They don't go another direction from where I'm saying that they go in the direction that I want them to go in.

[21:36] And I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No, Jesus laid down his life. He died well. He didn't die for nothing. Jesus died well. He died for us. So that if we're trusting him, if we're the sheep, we can have everlasting life. Mark chapter 7 verse 37. He has done everything well.

[22:04] Jesus, he lived well for us, a life without sin. He died well for us. He died to take away our sin. And the last thing is Jesus rose well for us. Because Jesus' death on the cross, it wasn't the end of the story, was it? Because Jesus rose from the dead. You know, before Jesus went to the cross, Jesus, he said to his disciples, gather round. Disciples, they were listening to him.

[22:32] And he told them that he would have to go to the cross to suffer and that he would have to die. And that on the third day, he would rise from the dead. He promised them that before he went to the cross. But the disciples, they either didn't understand what Jesus was saying or they didn't believe it. But it happened, didn't it? Matthew 28. And let's listen to what happened after Jesus died.

[22:59] Matthew 28 now verse 4. After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other lady went to the fifth tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the woman, do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. He has risen, just as he said.

[23:29] Do you remember what the angel said? The angel said to the woman, don't be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. He is just as he said. See, Jesus, he lived for us, he lived well for us, he died well for us, and he rose from the dead. And he did that for us too. So that if we believe in him, we too have the promise that even though we die, we will rise from the dead. You know, Jesus' resurrection, his rising from the dead was like a giant tick to show us that Jesus had finished the work of saving us. It was God's way of showing us that he has done everything well. He lived for us the life that we could never live, the life without sin. He died for us the death that we deserve to die, to take away our sin. And he rose from the dead so that we could have everlasting life. So boys and girls, if we want to be saved, because that's the important thing in this life. Lots of things we might want to do in this world, but the most important thing is knowing that we are saved in our hearts. If we want to be saved from our sin, if we want to be saved into knowing God and being close with God, if we want to be saved from hell, and we want to be saved into knowing that we're going to heaven, what do we have to do? Well, in a way, we have to do nothing.

[24:59] Because Jesus has done everything. He's done it well. He's done it for us. So what do we have to do? We simply have to trust him. We simply have to ask him to be our savior. We simply have to ask him to be our shepherd. Let's do a final check. He has done everything well for us. He's done everything well for us.

[25:25] Jesus, he, what was the first thing we said? He lived well for us. He died well for us. And he rose well for us. And that's the most important news that you can ever hear. And if you hear it, believe it.

[25:43] Let's pray. Lord Jesus, you have done everything well. Lord Jesus, you have done everything well.

[26:20] Lord Jesus, we pray for these precious children and youth. As we thank you for them. We would love them to live knowing how much you love them and understanding that you have died for them and that you have made it possible for them to live forever with you.

[26:54] And so we ask that you open their hearts. Lord Jesus, we thank you for those who have already understood this and we pray for them, Lord Jesus, that those who know you would go on and thrive and witness and live lives that are increasingly close and dedicated to you and dedicated to you and dedicated to you.

[27:19] That as the ones leaving Sunday school and approaching adulthood, Lord Jesus, we ask that they would walk with you.

[27:32] Those that have professed faith, Lord Jesus, would stand firm in the midst of much opposition. And we pray for them, every one of them, Lord Jesus, that their hearts would be open to the flood of the love of the Saviour.

[27:52] For you have done everything well. And because you live, they can face tomorrow. Because you live, all their fear can be gone.

[28:04] Because you live, let them know that you hold the future and that their lives are worth living just because you live.

[28:14] In Jesus' name. Amen. And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit be with us all, both now and forevermore.

[28:25] Amen.