1 John

[0:00] Anyway, we're here to rejoice in the Lord and look to God's word. And just before we turn to God's word, let's just bow our heads in a word of prayer. Father, we do thank you for the way that you've been working in the tent over the last fortnight.

[0:15] I do thank you for those who have been coming in who are maybe a wee bit strange in walking into a church that felt comfortable to walk in a tent. But Lord, we do pray that the seed that's been sown over this fortnight, we do say to God, be all the glory.

[0:31] Because we know that no flesh will be glorified in your presence. And Father, all that's been done is for the glory of God, that people would experience what we've experienced. That once we were blind, but now we can see.

[0:44] Once we were deaf, but now we can hear. Once we were dead, but now spiritually we're alive. And that's what we pray for, Lord. We pray for your children in this community.

[0:57] We pray that we would be in touch with you. That people would see the beauty of Jesus in our lives. And we ask you as we turn to your Lord, help us. Help the speaker.

[1:08] Help the hearers. And help us to listen to what you want to say into our hearts tonight. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Do you know, there was a man called Churchill, Winston Churchill, and the old Prime Minister many, many years ago.

[1:26] And if you've ever heard Winston Churchill's speeches, they're tremendous. And one of the times he got asked to go back to his school, where he was educated, and he actually struggled with schooling.

[1:39] But anyway, now way back to his school, and all the pupils were there, and all the teachers were there, and they're all ready with their pens, ready to write down the famous Churchill's speech.

[1:51] And Mr. Churchill stood up, and as everybody was ready with their pens and paper, he stood up. And do you know what his speech he came away with? Never give up. Never give up.

[2:04] Never give up. Never, ever, ever give up. Never give up. Never give up. And sat down. Isn't that wonderful? That's a tremendous speech.

[2:17] I think today, that sometimes in church, we give up. We can give up on who we really are in Christ Jesus. And sometimes in our walk with God, we've given up.

[2:33] We've lost ground spiritually. And maybe sometimes it can be because we're tired. Maybe it's just because we're struggling spiritually. I believe God is looking for people today who don't want to give up.

[2:48] Who want to go that little bit further. That little bit deeper. And that little bit closer to the Lord. And in the Bible reading we have tonight, in verse 7 it says, But if we walk in the light, as he's in the light, we have fellowship one with another.

[3:04] And the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sins. But if we walk in the light, as he's in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sins.

[3:20] And that should be the desire of our hearts. That we know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. We should have a desire in our heart to walk with the Lord.

[3:30] And as Christians, that should be our desire. To walk with the Lord. Because God has made it possible. When we have came to that place and committed our life to him.

[3:42] He's made it possible for you and I to walk with him. And isn't that wonderful? That God has made it possible that we can walk with him. In 1 John chapter 2 and verse 6 we read, Whoever claims to live in him must walk as he did.

[4:01] And whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. And you know something? Tonight I believe with all of my heart, God has made it possible for you and for me to walk with the Lord.

[4:16] And you know what's going to be the best influence in your community? Men and women who walk with God. People who live for the glory of God.

[4:27] Because you look round about you and you'll see that when people know you're a Christian, they'll be looking at your life. They'll be watching you. I can tell you a story about a man.

[4:40] He's in a Baptist church and he's a leader. So I can tell you. But I'm not telling you what church he's in. And this man, to me, he's a leader. And he should be a good light. He should be a good example.

[4:51] But this is what he does when he goes into a bank. When he goes into a bank and there's a crowd, there's a big crowd in the bank and people are waiting and dipping queues and there's not enough tellers there, people dealing with people.

[5:04] No, he does. He stands out like that. Come on, get somebody else on here. The queue's far too big. Get somebody else out here.

[5:14] I want somebody else out here. This queue's far too big. Now, do you think the bank will listen to him when he hands over a gospel tract and say, can I tell you something about Jesus?

[5:27] Of course he would. Because his behaviour is a disgrace. He should behave that way. And brothers and sisters in Christ, God has made it possible that you and I can walk with him.

[5:42] And God is not looking for people who are just all talk. There is enough people in church today who are just all talk and no action. God is looking for people who want to walk with him and talk with him and live for him.

[5:59] And you know, in Genesis chapter 5, it speaks about Enoch. And nobody says about Enoch. Enoch walked with God. What a testimony. Enoch walked with God.

[6:10] And then in chapter 6, it speaks about Noah. And it says, Noah was a righteous man, blameless amongst the people of his time. And he walked with God. And I believe today, God is looking for people who have a desire to walk with him.

[6:27] Because when you are in amongst people, and you say you know, and you love the Lord Jesus Christ, they're looking at your life.

[6:40] And I wonder, can they see a man or a woman who walks with the Lord? You know, it's said about Duncan Campbell when he came over here, one of the elders says to him, Mr. Campbell, are you walking with God?

[6:54] Mr. Campbell, are you walking with God? And I wonder, how would you answer that question tonight? Are you walking with God?

[7:08] Well, I know in my heart, I want to walk closer. I'd love to get closer to him. And I'm sure you're the same. Because none of us in here tonight could say, I am content by the way I'm living.

[7:22] We want to walk closer and we want to have a richer fellowship with the Lord. Now I believe that we want to go deeper with God and walk closer. I believe something needs to happen in our life.

[7:36] We need to spend time in the presence of God. We need to wait in God's presence. What does Isaiah chapter 40 say? But those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

[7:49] They shall mount up with winds and eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not feel faint. And I believe as Christians, if we want to walk close with the Lord, it needs to happen by spending time in the presence of the Lord.

[8:05] Being still and knowing that he is God. So often in life, the busyness of life can rob us of being still. The busyness of life can stop us in reading our Bible.

[8:17] The busyness of life stops us from praying. The busyness of life just stops us from taking that time out to wait in the presence of God. You know what happens? We dry up spiritually.

[8:31] We dry up spiritually when we don't wait in the presence of God. You know, there was a man who came to know the Lord in Drumchapel. Fred, his name is. And Fred drives a lorry.

[8:43] You know the lorries. You know the skips. You know the skips you get? You know the upper skips. Well anyway, down the doorway there's loads of skips. And what happens is Fred goes around Glasgow and he delivers empty skips and then he goes back and picks up cool skips.

[8:59] And he's driving round about. He came to know the Lord and I like this because he was very honest. And what happened is he was telling his God and he says see when I have my quiet time.

[9:10] See when, because he started to work very early. He says I got up early and see when I had my quiet time and I read my Bible and I prayed before I went to work. He says when I'm out driving my lorry. He says see when somebody cuts me off the road and somebody's just been ignorant in the road.

[9:25] He says I just go like Lord bless you. Lord bless you. I'm wasted him. He says see when I don't have my quiet time. He says see when I don't take my time to read and pray.

[9:38] He says I don't say the Lord bless you. He says I waive to them. He says but there's a few fingers missing. Now he was being honest because he's a young Christian and he's being honest how he really behaves.

[9:54] And what happens is when we're being on the road for a wee while we can hide how we really behave. We can talk the talk but our life is not walking the walk.

[10:07] And God is looking for people who want to walk with him. And all the great news is that opportunity is for you and it's for me.

[10:19] Because God is no favourites. And God wants to use you. And God wants to use me. So we want to walk with God that somebody can see the beauty of Jesus in your life.

[10:32] The fragrance of Jesus in your life. You need to spend time waiting in the presence of God. There's a man called Jonathan Edwards. I don't know if you've ever heard of Jonathan Edwards.

[10:44] He was a great preacher. And Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon. Have you ever heard of a sermon called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God? Google Sermons in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards.

[10:58] Jonathan Edwards stood up with a monotone voice with candlelight candlelight and read his sermon out word for word.

[11:10] John said Edwards were sinners in the hands of an angry God. And you know what happened? God came. And people were holding on to the pillars, screaming, frightened, thought they were falling into hell, shouting and asking them to stop because they thought they were going to hell.

[11:31] And here he was, candlelight, reading his sermon. What happened? God came. But the background to that message, Jonathan Edwards spent three days and three nights crying out to God that God would come.

[11:52] He never ate, he fasted and he prayed and he fasted and he prayed and he fasted and he prayed that God would come. And he stood up in that pocket and God came.

[12:03] And I believe if you want God to come to your islands, I believe if you want God to come to your people, we need to be men and women who are walking with God. We don't need hypocrites in the church of God.

[12:16] We don't need any more hypocrites. We need men and women who know and love and walk with God. And if we want to go closer to the Lord and live closer to him, we need to be people who spend time.

[12:30] They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not feel weary. They shall walk and not feel faint. David says in Psalm 27, wait for the Lord.

[12:44] Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. David's life was up and down and difficulties in it because of King Saul and his jealousy and all that.

[12:56] But he knew, he knew what it was like to wait upon the Lord. And if you get into church history and you look at any church history where God came, where they experienced the power of God.

[13:11] See, when they experience the power of God, it always starts with people praying. It doesn't start with activity. It starts with people praying, coming to God, crying to God, that God would come, that God would move, that God would open up the windows of heaven, that God would speak, that God would challenge, that God would reveal himself to people.

[13:37] And that's where the power of God is. And it's no secret. God has revealed to us that those that wait upon the Lord, those that have the hope of the Lord, shall renew their strength.

[13:50] And anywhere in church history, if you read about it, they experienced the power of God when they waited. Not only the power of God, do you know what happened as well?

[14:02] When they waited, God revealed sin. It wasn't only the power of God, but God demands purity in Christians' hearts. God demands purity.

[14:15] Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? Psalm 24. He that is clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul into vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

[14:27] When God comes, we experience the power of God, but God reveals sin in people's lives. The people cry for revival that people get saved. Revival isn't people getting saved.

[14:40] You know what revival is? God coming and reviving his people. God coming and putting revival in the hearts of his people. Where? Is it where the fire was burning around and then the fires back up and flames again?

[14:55] That's what revival is. God's church being revived. And then after it there's an awakening. That's it. The dead people waking up. So it's revival in the church.

[15:07] God's children get right with him. And then there's an awakening. And I believe when that happens, God reveals God in people's lives.

[15:17] God will reveal things in your life that is not right. And when God reveals things in your life that is not right, it's because he wants you to deal with them because he wants to use you for his glory.

[15:33] God's children get to be. And if we want to be people that God can use, we need to experience the power of God.

[15:52] But not only that, we need to experience that we want purity in our heart. We want to be living right. You know, one time we were in the car and Bethany Hall and my two kids, my 16 year old, she's not too bad, she's no hard work, but the 40 year old, she thinks she's 24.

[16:12] Anyway, we used to work a wee bit hard with Holly, but she's lovely. And one time we were in the car and she was sort of standing up and I said, sit down, get your seat bill on.

[16:23] Sit down. You know, and we're in the car. She's only a nipper, she's 14 now. And anyway, she's sitting down and notice she says to me, Dad, outwardly I'm sitting down, but inwardly I'm standing up.

[16:39] Outwardly I'm sitting down, but inwardly I'm standing up. And she's still like that today. Anyway, praise the Lord, she's looking up to things I used to be up to. Now, outwardly, you maybe look the part, but inwardly.

[16:58] How are you doing? The Bible says the heart is deceitful and desperate wicked. And who can know it? The Lord ponders the heart.

[17:10] And God looks at our heart and he knows our thoughts. He knows our behaviour. He knows our attitude. He knows what we think about people. He knows our righteous thoughts and our unrighteous thoughts.

[17:23] And that's why we need God's help. Because we want to experience the presence of God. We want to experience the power of God. I believe there needs to be a repentance in the church of God.

[17:39] There needs to be repentance. Because nowadays people can become a Christian and not change their life. I don't know what it's like up here, but back home, there's people who have become Christians and nothing has changed in their life.

[17:53] There's no denying yourself and picking up your cross and following him. I believe if you're a Christian and you've been taken from the broad road and put on the narrow path, there is a difference in your life.

[18:07] There's things that need to change. Attitudes, behaviour, your conduct, your thinking, everything. Because you've got a desire for the glory of God. And not just to live and feed the flesh.

[18:18] So we want to be men and women that God can use. We want to walk with him. But to walk with him, we need to spend time in his presence.

[18:30] I know what will happen. I believe we want to get involved in the work of God. John in chapter 4 says, about Jesus says, my food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

[18:46] My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Jesus' desire was to do the will of God.

[18:58] Jesus' desire was to fulfil the will of God. And I think, see if you've got a desire to walk with God, you will want to have a desire to wait in the presence of God.

[19:13] And then you want to get caught up with the work of God. Now, get caught up with the work of God can be sent out of the seats. Get caught up with the work of God can be serving tea and coffee at the hatch.

[19:24] There's many ways in serving God. And it's all for God's glory. But you know, there is too many lazy Christians in the church of God today.

[19:37] So you come to church on a Sunday and you tick the box. I've been. After a couple of hours, that's enough to be there's a problem in your heart if that's what you think.

[19:50] There's a problem in your heart if that's your service for God. I believe God is looking for people who want to work for God's glory.

[20:01] And you know something? There's no one, no one ever being disappointed who's given their life over to serve the will of God.

[20:13] There's no one ever being disappointed who's invested their time, invested their talents, invested their treasure in the work of the kingdom of God.

[20:24] No one. And I wonder if you're here and you know that maybe God's been challenging you about maybe getting more involved and maybe standing up and nailing your colors to the mass, willing to stand up for the glory of God.

[20:41] Wouldn't it be wonderful for you to come and say, God, I just don't want to be a backseat driver. I just don't want to live a compromised life anymore.

[20:52] But I want to live a life that glorifies you. You know what Paul, Tim in 2 Timothy chapter 4 we read, Paul writing to Timothy says, I have fought the good fight.

[21:03] I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. God has looked for people who are willing to get involved in the work of the kingdom.

[21:21] I was telling you a minister, David, about a lady in Drum Chapel who used to go to another church and then our neighbours brought her up to Drum Chapel Baptist and she was in a wheelchair and they used to bring her on a Sunday night.

[21:36] And this woman, she'd gone to church for years but she wasn't a Christian. And she started coming along to the church and then I started visiting her and had the privilege in her own home. Helen, her name is, or was, she died about a year ago.

[21:50] Helen had the privilege of pointing her to Christ. And I'll never forget her just crying out to God and giving her life to Christ. And you know what age Helen was when she became a Christian?

[22:04] Ninety-five years of age. Ninety-five. And maybe you're here, you're thinking, oh, I'm passing. What can God do with me?

[22:16] I'm old and I'm, so we see the cracker, I'm old and I'm creepy and I'm slowing down. You know what Helen's ambition was? At ninety-five years of age, every person that came into her house, she's told them about Jesus.

[22:32] She says, God, I want to tell as many people as I can about Jesus before I see him face to face. And she died a hundred and one. She got a letter from the Queen when she's a hundred and then after that she moved into her home and then even in the home she told people about Jesus.

[22:50] She died a hundred and one. And from ninety-five she told everybody about Jesus. The leader of her church, I won't tell you what the denomination it was, came in. She says, Helen, we don't see church anymore.

[23:01] What's up? She says, I know because I'm a Christian now. And she was so bright and clear in telling people, I'm a Christian now and I've given my life to Jesus. And I wonder if you're here and you're a Christian.

[23:17] But maybe you've given up. You've given up in witnessing. You've given up in prayer. You've given up in really spending quality time in prayer.

[23:32] You've given up. What a great of you to say today, no more. I'm going to put God first. First in my life.

[23:44] Because God is looking for people who are willing to serve him. You know, D.L. Moody was once walking up into a ship. And as he was walking up into this ship, D.L. Moody was a man who was mightily used of God.

[23:59] And as he was walking up into this ship, a woman shouted, Mr. Moody, the world is still to see what God can do with a man that's sold out to him.

[24:10] Mr. Moody, the world is still to see what God can do with a man that's sold out to him. And D.L. Moody shouted, by God's grace, I will be that man.

[24:22] By God's grace, I will be that man. I would like to say, Harris has still to see what God can do with a Christian that's sold out to him.

[24:43] Harris is still to see what God can do with a Christian that's sold out to him. And what is your answer?

[24:57] For the sake of time, I'm going to leave the last point as to worshiping God, how we may get ourselves right to God, and there's a genuine desire to worship him. As we finish, we want to walk with God.

[25:11] And you know, maybe you're in here tonight and you see people round about you and their life has changed. But you're not changed. Maybe you're in here and you know you're not a Christian.

[25:22] You can't walk with God. You can't walk with God until you repent of your sins and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. And what are we wonderful tonight? You say, I'm fed up to walking in the broad road that leads to destruction.

[25:35] And I want to go on the narrow path. Crying to Jesus. He's the one that will save you. He's the one that will forgive you. You can't cry to your minister or the elders. You cry to Jesus.

[25:47] And Jesus will save you. Maybe you're here and you are a Christian, but you know your walk is crippled. And you haven't been walking the way you should be walking. Maybe you need to come and spend time in the presence of the Lord.

[26:02] And God will reveal to you what he wants you to do with your life. Because God is looking for people who genuinely want to serve him with all of the heart. You know, I'll go to finish by telling you a story about Robert Murray McShane.

[26:17] I'm sure you've heard the Robert Murray McShane, the minister in Dundee, the free church minister. You heard the Robert Murray McShane? Yes. Like Robert Murray McShane was a mighty man of God.

[26:27] He was used of God. And he was up in Dundee. And this was the day when you could go up and put your hands on top of a child's head. And Robert Murray McShane used to go out in Dundee and he'd pray for the kids in Dundee.

[26:38] And he'd go along and he'd put his hand on the children's heads. And he'd pray for them. He'd put their hands on their head and he'd pray that God would save them, God would protect them, and God would use them.

[26:50] And he'd just walk about as the minister and pray for them. And one time he was doing this he was praying for the kids and then he walked away and as he was far down the road he heard this wee boy shouting Mister, Mister put your hand on my head.

[27:05] Mister, Mister put your hand on my head. Mister, Mister put your hand on my head. Now to translate that for you Highlanders when I told them I told somebody that. Anyway, to translate for yourselves Mister, Mister put your hand on my head.

[27:21] that's what the wee boy was saying. Mister, Mister put your hand on my head. He was asking the minister to put his hand on his head and pray for him because he missed the wee boy out.

[27:34] Mister, Mister put your hand on my head. And I wonder if you're here tonight. Is that the cry in your heart? God put your hand upon me afresh.

[27:50] God put your hand upon me afresh. Father as we come before you in the name of Jesus we do pray only Father that our walk would not be dragging the heels stumbling stumbling but Father that we be walking with you talking with you living for you that people can see the beauty of Jesus in our lives that people can see the love of the Lord that they can see that God has touched our hearts that we are changed not because we go to church but because we dwell in Christ.

[28:35] And I pray for every soul in here tonight we pray for those who do not know you yet who have never committed their life to Christ we ask through the power of the Holy Spirit that you would speak to them and that they would see Christians round about them loving the Lord and living for the Lord and that will be a challenge into their lives and Father that you would draw them and you would save them.

[29:01] And we pray for your children in here tonight Lord help us to be honest help us to be real and help us to live for your glory and Father you know wherever we are before you you know how we really stand and we pray Lord you take us into a a closer closer relationship with you a deeper relationship with you that we could be a brighter witness for this community in Jesus name Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen