[0:00] So welcome everyone to the evening service. I was supposed to read the intimations this morning, but I was hijacked to go elsewhere. Just key things as usual during the week.
[0:13] Your fellowship meeting after the service tonight, so don't run away young ones. Ladies' fellowship meeting tomorrow night, 7.30, here in this building. I think there's a Christmas special for you all.
[0:24] So Little Fishers on Tuesday, 10 to 12, Road to Recovery Tuesday evening as usual. And the prayer meeting on Zoom and in person on Wednesday night at 7.30.
[0:37] And then the Sunday school and Friday clubs having their Christmas parties this week. So check out your own time and come along at the right time for that. It'll be great.
[0:48] And then David will be taking the services next Sunday. And the evening service will be a communion service. So if there is anyone who, since the last communion service, has come to faith in Christ, we'd be very pleased to welcome you to the Lord's table.
[1:06] So please do speak to David or to one of the elders. And the session will be open to receive members of the weekend. Next Sunday, sorry, two Sundays time, complicated services there.
[1:21] So Christmas family service at 11 o'clock. And then Lessons and Carols at 6 p.m. followed by a watch night service at 11.45. So there will be more information on that next week.
[1:33] We can skip the cleaner rotor. The record's an important one. If you have been in the habit of getting the record, please sign the sheet at the door. That's all last week that quite a few folk had done so.
[1:43] If you haven't been getting the record, then you'd like to get it. Please just put your name on that and we'll get you a copy starting from the next edition. And then anything else in relation to organising things in the church, speak to Stuart or Cammie this month, if you need any assistance on that front.
[2:01] And I think those are all intimations, apart from the youth camp, which I think you're all signing up to. So that's great. And the youth conference coming up a long time away. But keep those in mind, young ones.
[2:14] So I think that's everything. So finally, I can welcome Ian back to the pulpit. And I got a good report of you preaching this morning. So look forward to hearing what you have tonight. I start our worship by singing hymn number 210 in Mission Praise.
[2:33] If you're using the book, it's a great old hymn. Hark the glad sound, the Saviour comes. And as you read through the verses, just really take in what they're saying about this Saviour who came.
[2:49] He comes the prisoner to release in Satan's bondage held. Verse 2. Verse 3. He comes to free the captive mind where evil thoughts control.
[3:01] Verse 4. He comes the broken heart to bind, the wounded soul to cure. And then it finishes off just with a real accolade of praise. Our glad usanus, Prince of Peace, you're welcome, shall proclaim.
[3:15] And heaven's eternal arches ring with your beloved name. Let's sing this hymn to God's praise. Let Hark the glad sound, the Savior comes, the Savior promised long.
[3:50] Let every heart prepare a throne, and every voice a song.
[4:04] He comes the prisoners to release, in Satan's bondage held.
[4:16] The chains of sin before him break, the iron fetters yield.
[4:29] He comes to free the captive might, where evil thoughts control.
[4:41] And for the darkness of the blight, gives light and makes them whole.
[4:55] He comes the broken heart to bite, the wounded soul to cure.
[5:08] And with the treasures of his grace, to enrich the humble poor.
[5:21] A glad hosanna's prince of peace, thy welcome shall proclaim.
[5:34] And hell's eternal archers ring, with your beloved name.
[5:48] Amen. Amen. Let's turn to God in prayer. Let us pray. Loving God our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the wonderful words of that hymn that speaks of what you have done for us in Jesus Christ.
[6:10] that you are the great Redeemer God who sent Jesus into this world to set captives free the one who came to bind up broken hearts the one who promises to be with us at all times and the one that we can come with great gladness and boldness before and sing praise to Father we thank you for your mighty work we thank you for all that you have done for us in Christ we thank you that you looked down upon this world and you saw the darkness and the sin and the evil and you in your plan and in your great purposes you provided one to come to break the power of sin to release the captive from prison your own son the Lord Jesus Christ as we have thought about already this day we thank you for sending him into this world we thank you for his willingness to come not only just to be born as one of us but to die that horrific death on the cross and we thank you for his life and we thank you for his life and we thank you for his life and we thank you for his life and we thank you for his life and Father we marvel at that but we cannot understand it that someone would have such a great love that he would lay down his life for us because at that time we were your enemies not your friends and you paid that ultimate price for us to draw us to yourself to open up that new and living way of salvation that in Jesus that fountain was opened through his blood and that your call then to all people everywhere was to come towards that fountain that fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's vein and there to come and have our sins washed away through faith in him
[8:36] Father we thank you for the profoundness of it that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son but Lord we also thank you for the simplicity of it that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life and Father we come before you with hearts filled with gratitude this evening we thank you for sins forgiven we thank you for peace with you we thank you indeed that we can enter your courts with praise on our lips because of what he has done for us we can come into your holy presence in his precious name because he'll open up that new and living access to your throne of grace and so Lord this evening we come with boldness before you and we offer your praise our thanksgiving and Lord as we come we pray for all those who gather likewise in our village in our community in our island in our land in need Lord in our world
[9:46] Father we thank you that Jesus indeed will see and is seeing the travel of his soul and is satisfied and Father as your people gather together to praise you and to worship you this day we Father pray that that worship ascends up to heaven and might be pleasing in your sight Father as we come we confess our own failings our own sinfulness Lord we have failed you in so many ways we have failed one another and Lord we pray that out of that grace that abundant grace we might indeed know of sins forgiven and a restored relationship with you and peace with you because Lord that is your promise that all those who come to you and confess their sin you are good and you are worthy to forgive so Lord bless us this evening as we come Father may we indeed know your presence in a very special way as we sing praise to you as we sit in the quietness and as we pray and as we read your word and as we think about it
[10:56] Father may you get all the honour and all the praise and all the glory Lord world without end Amen We're going to sing now in Gaelic and we're going to sing from Psalm 89 Psalm 89 verses 8 and 9 O thou that art the Lord of hosts what Lord in mightiness is like to thee who compare us round are with thy faithfulness even in the raging of the sea though over it does rain and when the waves thereof do swell thou stillest them again these two stanzas from Psalm 89 verses 8 and 9 O herna sa herna spoh kod ria chen anas
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[18:04] MArgent 2003 harmed by ZVESTams so Van Madering, isch je kluis trorich schien, stuus ins na fachs ins na treks in hirne, erskacht je stammen.
[18:38] My readings this evening, they're similar, but they're different, and they're in the same gospel. And it's Mark's gospel, first of all, in chapter 4, and reading from verse 35.
[18:57] The well-known passage of Jesus calming the storm. Mark's gospel, chapter 4, and verse 35.
[19:15] And you'll notice that they go on this journey at Jesus' insistence. That day, when evening came, he said to his disciples, Let us go over to the other side.
[19:28] That's to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was in the boat. There were also other boats with him.
[19:39] A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, Teacher, don't you care if we drown?
[19:56] He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, Quiet, be still. Then the wind died down, and it was completely calm.
[20:07] He said to his disciples, Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? They were terrified, and asked each other, Who is this?
[20:18] Even the wind and the waves obey him. And then in chapter 6, and this is the passage we're going to look at shortly.
[20:33] Chapter 6, and from verse 45. And you'll notice here that Jesus made the disciples go into the boat, while he stayed behind.
[20:51] Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat, and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
[21:04] When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.
[21:16] About the fourth watch of the night, he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost.
[21:27] They cried out, because they all saw him, and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them, and said, Take courage, it is I.
[21:38] Don't be afraid. Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves.
[21:50] Their hearts were hardened. When they had crossed over, they landed at Gesheneret, and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognised Jesus.
[22:02] They ran throughout the whole region, and carried the sick on mats, to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages, towns, or countryside, they placed the sick in the marketplaces.
[22:16] They begged him to let them touch, even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched, were healed. Amen. And the Lord bless to us, this reading from his own holy, and inspired word.
[22:32] Let's again sing praise to God. I don't think it's in the books, it's the praise, his mercy is more. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[23:16] fy Amen.
[23:41] Amen. What Father so tender is calling us home. He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor.
[23:56] Our sins, they are many, his mercy is more. It's the Lord, his mercy is more.
[24:10] It's the Lord, his mercy is more.
[24:40] Our sins, they are many, his mercy is more. It's the Lord, his mercy is more.
[24:56] Thrown in the darkness, new every morn. Our sins, they are many, his mercy is more. Our heart, his mercy is more.
[25:13] Stronger in the darkness, new every morn. Our sins, they are many, his mercy is more.
[25:26] Let's pray together before we turn to God's word. Lord of God, our heavenly Father, as we turn to your word, as we turn to the unsearchable riches of God, we seek your help and we pray for your Holy Spirit to come amongst us and to make this word a living word to us.
[25:56] Father, in whatever situation we find ourselves in, we know that your word speaks to us. And we want to hear your voice, Lord, speak through your word.
[26:08] And Father, for that, we need you. We need you to move in power and in your majesty. And Father, we just ask that our minds and our hearts would be receptive and that you would bless us because that is your great desire, is to bring blessing to us through your word.
[26:28] So, Father, be glorified, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. We read these two passages from Mark's Gospel.
[26:45] The two accounts of Jesus crossing, or in one account, Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee with his disciples. And in the other one, the disciples sent out on their own, but Jesus having to come to them.
[26:59] And the similarity, of course, is that in both of these accounts, a storm occurs. And the disciples who are in the boat, they are fearful. They are frightened.
[27:11] And I think to feel the full force of what's happening here on the Sea of Galilee is we have to understand something of the Old Testament. And the Old Testament background to the sea and to the deep.
[27:26] Storms and squalls at the sea were well understood. And in the Old Testament, the sea was depicted as a fearsome place.
[27:39] In Old Testament thinking, it was the dark, destructive domain of the world. And their abode, it was the abode of the great sea monsters.
[27:51] And that's why the fishermen and the Israelites and the Jewish people in general, they were fearful of the sea. Because in the sea was this great Leviathan, the multi-headed sea serpent that we read of so much in Scripture in the Old Testament.
[28:10] So it's depicted as a place of great chaos. And if we look at some of the passages in the Old Testament, for example, Psalm 74, verses 12 to 14, the psalmist says, And of course, in the story of Noah and the flood.
[28:51] But the sea there is, or the deep, is seen as the place of destruction and the place of judgment. So in Genesis chapter 8, verse 1, we read, But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark.
[29:11] And he sent a wind over the earth and the waters receded. And also, as Almighty God takes his people out of Egypt, we find that the deep there is the place of bondage.
[29:27] It's the place of imprisonment. It was what's stopping them from getting away from their evil taskmasters. But yet Almighty God comes to his people and he rescues them out of Egypt.
[29:42] And in Exodus 14, verse 21, we read, God, they are opening up the sea, this domain, this dark domain, opening it up for them.
[30:11] And giving them a place where they can walk into safety and out of bondage. And again, no wonder the psalmist could say in Psalm 89, verses 8 and 9, O Lord God Almighty, who is like you?
[30:27] You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you. You rule over the surging sea. When its waves mount up, you still them.
[30:39] In the Old Testament, only God has authority over the deep. Only God has authority in that dark domain of the deep.
[30:52] And then back onto the Sea of Galilee, in Mark chapter 4, that passage we read from verse 39. We read that Jesus got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, Quiet, be still.
[31:07] Then the wind died down, and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?
[31:18] Here is Jesus identifying himself as God. Identifying himself as the Son of God.
[31:29] Because only God can command the waves and the deep. And no wonder the disciples, they were amazed at this. And no wonder they just said to one another, Who is this?
[31:42] Who is this person who is with us? Who is this Jesus? Even the wind and the waves obey him. So God, Jesus very early on here to his disciples, He's identifying himself as the all-powerful, the all-powerful God.
[32:03] The one who can even command the sea to be calm and be still. And now that is very encouraging for us to know. Maybe we won't find ourselves out at sea in a storm.
[32:18] But we know that we go through many storms. Maybe you're here tonight and you're going through a storm right now. And if you haven't been through a storm, the day will come when you will go through a storm.
[32:32] That is just a fact of life. And how comforting it is to know that we have a saviour who not only is able to control the deep and the surging sea, but is able to control all the storms in our lives, whatever that may be.
[32:51] Because as Christians, we're not exempt from the storms of life. And storms are awful places.
[33:04] Stormy times are times of danger. The stormy times that we encounter in life have the potential either to make us or to break us. Either to seek the Lord or to turn away from him.
[33:18] They either drive us to him or they have the potential to drive us away from him. And what happens in these instances is our decision.
[33:32] In the storm, it's easy to blame God. That's what the disciples were doing. And in the storm, we either grow stronger or we're dashed upon the rocks of bitterness and unbelief.
[33:52] And it all comes down to who or what we look at in our times of trouble. Who do we turn to?
[34:03] Do we turn to the Lord or not? Do we put our faith in God to take us through the storm? Do we put our faith in him alone or do we not?
[34:17] Because stormy times are also times of deliverance. Here is some of the positive help and the hope that we find in this storm, in this passage.
[34:27] In this passage, in verse 23, we have the presence of God. God is in the situation in both these accounts. At the time when they needed him most, Jesus was there.
[34:41] And his disciples took great heart from that. I often wonder how, in the midst of the storms of life, because the storms happen to all of us. Rich and poor.
[34:53] It doesn't matter who we are. Famous and infamous. It doesn't matter. But I often wonder how non-Christians cope when the storms come.
[35:06] Who do they turn to? They have no one to turn to. But as Christians, we have the Lord to turn to. Because in our storm, we have the presence of God with us.
[35:16] And in the storm here, they have the promise of God. And so do we. When we became Christians, God promised to us that he would never leave us. He would never forsake us.
[35:29] So why do we fear? When we became Christians, the 23rd Psalm became a reality to us. The Lord is my shepherd.
[35:39] I shall not be in want. Now that doesn't mean being in want in the good days. It's I shall not be in want in the bad days. In the days of the storms.
[35:53] God's promises, they're steadfast. They're true. And these promises give us assurance of total security. Even in the storm.
[36:06] We have the providence of God here as well. You see, God has a mission to complete. And it's these disciples who are in this boat who are going to start it.
[36:17] So they couldn't be lost. They had to get over to the other side. You see, God was working out his plans and his purposes in their lives. That's why he called them.
[36:28] To be fishers of men. They hadn't started fishing for men yet. But that was their purpose. And so it is for each one of us. The providence of God is working out in our lives.
[36:42] God has a plan and a purpose. You know, it may be simplistic faith. But I still believe in a God who is sovereign over all things.
[36:54] A God who is sovereign. Irrespective of what's happening in my world or in the world around me. As I look out. God is sovereign. God is still working his purposes out.
[37:06] And here, of course, as well, we have the performance of God. Everyone on the boat made it safely to shore. How did they manage that? Because they were good roars.
[37:19] They were strong. And they were able to fight against the storm. No, it wasn't. It was because of the performance of God in the midst of the storm.
[37:30] God makes it all work out well for them. He gets them through the storm. They will land safely on the other side because of the performance of God.
[37:43] And so it is with us. We rely on that same performance. And that performance can be trusted.
[37:54] How do we know that at the end of time as Christians, when we die, we end up in heaven? We know it because God has promised it. And God will do it. God will perform that great miracle in our lives of resurrection and of entry into heaven.
[38:11] He'll get us to the other side. There's no need to fear as Christians. I want to look a bit more deeply at Mark chapter 6, verse 45 and onwards, where Jesus walks on the water in the midst of the storm.
[38:33] You know, if it had kind of got calm and then he had walked, you could kind of think, well, that was kind of something that he possibly could do quite easily.
[38:46] But he does it in the midst of the storm. The storm is raging. And our God is so powerful, he's so great. Our Jesus is so amazing that he even walks on stormy water.
[38:59] In this passage, we find chaos. The disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. Some of them experienced fishermen to whom the crossing was routine.
[39:10] When they set off, it was bright and fair. They had one another's company. They were able to share with one another. The trip was as familiar to them as a trip going to work.
[39:24] Just like that. That was until the storm erupted. And the storm we read here brews up unexpectedly. And this is often how it happens, isn't it?
[39:34] The rollercoaster of life is full of uncertainties. And the Bible reminds us of that. The Bible reminds us that the only certainty we have is today, is right now.
[39:48] That's why God in the Bible sends out his appeal. He talks about choose today who you will serve. Not tomorrow.
[39:58] And he talks about not being anxious about tomorrow. Because only now is guaranteed. He talks about today.
[40:10] Today being the day of salvation. Because tomorrow is full of uncertainties. Because tomorrow is full of uncertainties. And it may not come. And for these disciples, life is going along sweetly.
[40:22] They've just been with Jesus. They've seen his miracles. They've listened to his teaching. They're in awe of him. And the storm blows out of the blue. And the calm of life makes way for chaos.
[40:35] On the rollercoaster of life, storms will be encountered. All people will experience calm, giving way to chaos.
[40:46] And we don't need to kind of look far to find out why that is the case. Remember again, back in the garden, the harmony that was there.
[40:58] Adam and Eve in the presence of God, walking with God. Enjoying the benefits of God and all the blessings of God. There was no chaos in the garden.
[41:11] There was no room for chaos in the garden. There was only peace and calm. Tranquility. But of course then we look at what the Bible says about once they've fallen.
[41:22] Once they're cast out. Oh, the picture totally changes. Not just the lives of Adam and Eve becoming chaos. But whole of humanity becoming chaotic.
[41:35] And we have murder. And then we have wars. And we have difficulties. And illnesses. And trials. And troubles. And so it is.
[41:45] And that's the world we're in. That's the world we're living in. A world of chaos. The storm. Or the calm makes way for chaos.
[41:59] Now some of the storms. Now some of the storms. Can be our own fault. And sometimes you can actually cope easier with the storm. If somehow we ourselves have deserved it.
[42:13] Or brought it upon ourselves. But this particular storm. Is not of the storm. Is not of the storm. Is not of the disciples making. They were not responsible for it. Jesus had sent them out.
[42:25] Jesus had asked them. To cross the sea. And the storm. And the storm. And the storm is our lonely. And fearful place. In the storm. It's easy to focus on the despair.
[42:38] Rather than accept any hope. That might be there. And in the midst of the chaos. We see here that panic sets in. Not only was there chaos around them.
[42:51] In the storm. But clearly there was chaos. Within their own hearts. And within their own lives. They themselves. Had entered. Into a state.
[43:02] Of chaos. The storm raged around them. But that storm only reflected. The storm. The chaos. That their inner turmoil.
[43:14] Was experiencing. And this is a very unhealthy. Situation. To be in. In the other account. In Mark chapter 4.
[43:26] When the disciples. Are in the exact same place. They look at Jesus. And they seem asleep. In the stern of the boat. And in the chaos. In the chaos of their own lives.
[43:38] They question his love. And his care. Teacher. Don't you care. If we drown. You see the storm. In the storm.
[43:49] Fear. Makes them doubt. In the storm. Questions are asked. That have never been asked before. And maybe you're here tonight.
[44:00] And that's you. This is your experience. You have deep questions. About your situation. Maybe you're starting to formulate. Totally irrational answers.
[44:14] Questions like. Well. Why did God allow this. To happen to me. Why is this happening to me. Does God. Not care. Is Jesus not my friend.
[44:25] Anymore. What does life. Mean. Listen. And so in the midst of the chaos. The tempting thing to do.
[44:37] Is to isolate ourselves. And isolate ourselves. From the only source. Of help. And consolation. And that is God.
[44:47] Through Jesus Christ. God usually. Isn't he the first. To get the blame. And we're no different. To these disciples. Are we. Does he not care.
[44:58] Do you not care. At the greatest time. Of need. We often distance ourselves. From.
[45:10] The one who is able. To help us. And give us consolation. And give us peace. The one who is waiting. With his arms open. Asking us to shelter.
[45:23] From the storm. In his amazing love. And his compassion. You see. In the story. In this second passage. This second story. The disciples.
[45:34] Didn't know. Where Jesus was. But Jesus knew. Where the disciples were. And he came to them.
[45:46] He's there. On the mountaintop. Praying. And his eyes. On the disciples. And his eyes. On the disciples. As they struggle. At the oars. Jesus knows.
[45:57] Where they are. And he comes to them. And tonight. That's the same. For each one of us. Whatever situation. We find ourselves in. If we're going through. Difficult times.
[46:07] Or trials. We might. Be looking out. Looking for Jesus. And thinking. We can't find him anywhere. I can't make contact with him. But God's grace.
[46:20] Goes before us. And although we're not able. To see where Jesus is. Jesus sees exactly. Where we are. And if we call out to him. He'll come to us.
[46:33] So in this passage. We find chaos. In this passage. We find Christ. You see. If we allow him to be. Jesus is the master. Of all our circumstances.
[46:45] And that requires faith. Of course. In him. And we need to remember. That there is no crisis. That is greater than Christ. He is in complete. Control. Even the wind.
[46:57] And the sea. Obey him. You see. We're all on the roller coaster. Of life. At times.
[47:08] We're all going to be shaken. From side to side. Times. We're going to be. Upside down. Other times. We're not going to even know. Where we are. That's just life. But how great it is.
[47:23] To know. That wherever we are. Christ. Is there with us. Christ. Is never far away. Christ.
[47:34] Is there. To take us. Through this life. Through the storms. And take us. Safely home. To the end of the journey. When I was in.
[47:47] Hilling Park. We were on holiday. One summer. Well. We were away. Every summer. But this summer. In particular. We were on holiday. And we came back. And when I came. Went into the house.
[47:58] There was a note. On the kitchen table. Asking me. To phone the session. Clark. And I phoned him. And what had happened. Was. That. One of our office bearers. A lovely Christian guy.
[48:10] In his fifties. They found him. They dropped dead. In the kitchen. Of his. Of his house. And. He had arranged. To meet.
[48:21] Pick up his wife. From Circle Station. At lunchtime. That day. She was away somewhere. And she was coming back. And then. He had arranged. To pick her up. And then. To go. And have. Have something to eat.
[48:32] And of course. We had to go. And meet her at the station. And break the. The sad news to her. And. Ian. He was. A kin runner.
[48:43] A kin. Long distance runner. He was a member of. Bella Houston Harriers. So. Before the funeral. I wanted to get some background. Information. About his running. Because he was very passionate. About running.
[48:54] And spoke to some of his. Friends. His running friends. And one of them. Told us. Told me a story. About when they would go out. On their training runs. In the evenings. They would take turns.
[49:06] In leading the pack. And. To encourage folk. On the way. To encourage the rest. You know. When the pain barrier. Was hit. The one at the front.
[49:17] Would shout. On. On. On. And then. Once. They thought. Kind of. He had done enough. Someone else would go to the front. And again. He would shout out. On. On. On.
[49:28] On. To encourage each other. Just to carry on. To keep on running. To go right through the pain barrier. When it arrived. And then. At the end of their training run.
[49:39] The person at the front. When they were about to kind of reach. The changing rooms. And finish the run. Would shout out. On. On. On. In. On.
[49:49] And they would go in. And obviously. He changed. And have their showers. And I thought. What a lovely picture of heaven. And the journey to heaven for Ian. You know.
[50:00] He did that. During his. During his running. And his training runs. But that kind of. As well. In a sense. Is an image of his Christian life. And of the Christian life.
[50:11] Isn't it? We're running. We're. We're. Paul talks. We're in this race. And we're going on. And on. And on. And we need each other. We need.
[50:22] We need to support each other. We need to encourage each other. And when. Some of us are going through difficult times. We need someone beside us. And say. Come on. On. On. On. And then we know that one day.
[50:35] It won't just be on. On. On. It'll be on. On. And in. Into heaven. The race is over. The victory is won. Beautiful picture.
[50:48] I think. Of the. Of the Christian. Of the Christian race. In this.
[50:59] Passage as well. We find a person. And it's in this person. That we find. Peace. It's not.
[51:09] In the boat. In the safety of the boat. It's not. In the presence. Of a calm sea. The only place of peace. Is.
[51:20] In a person. And that person. Is Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes into the boat. With them. Chaos. Gives way to peace.
[51:33] The storm. Gives way. To calm. The disciples. The disciples call out to him. In fear. Jesus responds.
[51:44] In grace. You know what it's like. When children fall and. Hurt themselves. When we children fall and hurt themselves.
[51:55] One aspect of the hurt actually is the fear. The fear of not understanding. Where the hurts coming from. Where the pain's coming from. And what's happened to them. And when they cry.
[52:06] They cry for help. Because they know that mummy or daddy will. Will respond. And once they're safe. In their parents arms. They can cope.
[52:19] Because in their parents arms. Everything is okay. Somehow the pain is gone. Or is going. Because the fear is eased.
[52:30] And they're in the loving embrace. Of their parents. And so it is with. With God. The sky may look.
[52:41] Black as black. The force of the wind may be. As fierce as it's ever been. But in God's good time. The rain will cease. The sun will shine.
[52:54] And the sea will grow calm. You see Jesus. Comes to us. And he embraces us.
[53:04] And he comes alongside us. And he strengthens us. And he gives us courage. And when we can't walk. He carries us. That's a saviour we have.
[53:18] That's a kind of saviour we have. In this person. We find peace. We find real peace. We find peace for this world. And we find eternal peace.
[53:29] And it's nowhere else. We can't manufacture it ourselves. We can't buy it. We can't go out looking for it. Anywhere else. This peace is in a person.
[53:44] And the same. This is the same person. Who said. To the storm. And the wind. And the waves. Be still. And it's the same God.
[53:54] Who is able to do that today. In our lives. Because he cares for us. He has absolute power. He may not end the storm immediately.
[54:07] But he will end it. He will make everything new. We're told in the Bible. He will wipe away every tear. From our eyes. He tells us there will be no more death.
[54:18] Or mourning. Or crying. Or pain. That's his promise. In this person. We find peace. I want to close with a testimony.
[54:30] With someone's testimony. Joseph Scriven. He was born in County Down. In Northern Ireland. Joseph was a brilliant student.
[54:45] He went to the University of Dublin. And life got even better for him. He fell in love. And he got engaged to get married. The day before the wedding. Joseph's fiance.
[54:57] She drowned. That terrible sorrow. Made him turn to God. He found Jesus Christ. He became a Christian. And he began to follow Jesus. In 1845.
[55:10] He went to Canada. As a teacher. He fell in love again. And got engaged. The young woman became seriously ill. And she died.
[55:20] Before they married. Joseph was. Understandably. Distraught. And very unhappy. But he never stopped trusting Jesus.
[55:33] He became well known. Where he lived. For his kindness. And for his generosity. Even after all he had been through. Back in Ireland. His. Mother fell ill.
[55:44] A few years later. And he wrote a poem to her. To encourage her. With what he discovered himself. Through the storms. That he had gone through. He.
[55:57] Never. Intended to publish it. But later. When Jesus. Joseph himself. Was very ill. When he was dying. A friend came to see him. And he found the poem.
[56:09] That he had written. For his mother. And his friend asked him. Who wrote these beautiful words? And Joseph replied. The Lord and I did.
[56:20] We did it between us. And Joseph's. Friend. Got the poem. Printed. And we're going to be singing it in closing. It begins like this.
[56:32] What a friend. We have in Jesus. All our sins. And griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry. Everything to God in prayer.
[56:45] Oh what peace. We often forfeit. Oh what needless pain. We bear. All because. We do not carry. Everything. To God. In prayer. This evening.
[56:57] What are your fears? What are your anxieties? What's causing the storm. In your life? What's causing the chaos. In your life? Well in the words of another old hymn.
[57:10] Why don't you. Put your life. In the hands. Of the man. Who stilled the waters. In the hands. Of the man.
[57:21] Who calmed the sea. In the hands. Of the man. From Galilee. Let's pray. Loving God.
[57:35] Our heavenly father. We do thank you. For your word. And we thank you. For your grace. And for your goodness. We thank you. That you are the God. Who cares for us. In whatever situation. We find ourselves in.
[57:47] And father. We. At times. Feel guilty. When we have. Really wrong thoughts. About you. When we're going through. Difficult times. But lord.
[57:58] It's so encouraging. To know that. Even these great disciples. That Jesus called. That they. Were in the same boat. As us. And father.
[58:09] That we can learn. From them. And we can learn. From the testimony. Of people like. Joseph's. God. Lord. That you are there. With us. And you are there.
[58:19] For us. And father. I pray this evening. That if there is anyone here. Who. Who is struggling. Who is filling. Chaos. Coming. In. Around them.
[58:31] We pray lord. That indeed. They would. Turn to you. And that in Jesus Christ. They would know that peace. Which passes. All understanding. That peace.
[58:42] Which. Is not. Of this world. That this world. Cannot give. And that this. This world. Cannot. Take away. Lord. We bless you. In Jesus name.
[58:54] Amen. Let's close our service. With that. Great old hymn.
[59:06] It's 746. In the book. What a friend. We have. In Jesus. What a breath we have in Jesus All our sins and things we bear What a privilege we carry Everything to God in prayer Oh, what peace we often forbid Oh, what needless pain we bear All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer Are we trials and temptations?
[60:12] Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged Take it to the Lord in prayer Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share?
[60:37] Jesus knows our heavenly weakness Take it to the Lord in prayer Are we weak and heavy laden Comfort with a load of care?
[60:58] Precious saviour, still a refuge Take it to the Lord in prayer Do thy friends despise forsake thee Take it to the Lord in prayer In his arms he'll take and shield thee Thou will find a solace there Go in peace And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ The love of God And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit Rest and abide with us all And with all those who we love Now and forevermore Amen Amen