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[0:00] Good morning everyone. A warm welcome to the service this morning. A few visitors with us, it's good to see you. I don't think there's any visitors who haven't been here before, but you will know that there's tea and there's coffee at the end of the service. If you're able to stay behind, please do so. It'll be good to get the chance to enjoy fellowship together.

[0:19] The notices have been on the screen. I'm going to highlight just a couple to note this morning. The first is to note that the evening service is at six, but it's a Gaelic service tonight.

[0:32] So it is our monthly Gaelic service, six till half past, well, six till just after seven. Joe McPhee will be taking that service. Then there's a fellowship after that service. And tonight we're going to hear from Scott and Fiona, just a little kind of getting to know them evening.

[0:50] I'm glancing through the congregation. I'm not actually seeing them, but they must be here somewhere. If not, we'll see them soon. Well, he's preaching in Leverborough today, so we can be praying for them. And we'll see him tonight at half past seven.

[1:03] So be encouraged to come along to that. We'll get to ask him a few questions, get to know them a bit more. And I think they have some news to share with us as well. In the course of the week, a couple of things to note. The community lunch is on tomorrow, 12 till 2.

[1:18] So please take note of that. The prayer meeting will be on Wednesday at half past seven as usual. And that service, that prayer meeting will be led by Scott this week.

[1:31] I've got a couple of meetings to go to on the mainland. So Scott will cover the prayer meeting on Wednesday. This is our communion weekend coming up. And so you've got the details of the services you have had on the screen before the service began.

[1:46] And please be encouraged to come along to all these services. The Reverend David Strain, I've mentioned him in the past. He's not known well here, but he is a, he was a Church of Scotland candidate who went into the Free Church.

[2:02] He followed the same kind of course as I was on in that, in that sense. He ministered in the Free Church in London for a few years. He was called over to the PCA in Jackson, Mississippi.

[2:15] So I got to know him about last year when I was out there. So he's an excellent preacher and really looking forward to God's ministry through him over the weekend.

[2:25] So be encouraged to come out to these services. On the Sunday evening, it's been our tradition to have a retiring collection that would go somewhere. This time we're going to have the collection for Open Doors Africa, sub-Saharan Africa.

[2:41] There's pretty fierce persecution ongoing. Open Doors are one of the organisations that work to try to bring some relief in these situations.

[2:52] So the collection on Sunday night will go to them. If there are any who, I say this, I say this repeatedly, if there are any who know the Lord, who have trusted the Lord, but have never yet come forward to profess faith in Jesus.

[3:11] Remember there were secret believers, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea. Eventually they stepped forward and it was a great blessing for many as they did. Those who have trusted Christ, there is a call to come forward and take the bread and take the wine to do this in remembrance of him.

[3:30] So be encouraged to come and speak to me or any of the elders if it's your desire to do that. These, I think, are all the notices. So let's begin this time of worship and let's sing to God's praise.

[3:43] The words will be on the screen in just a moment. Psalm 34. God will I bless all times His praise. My mouth shall still express. My soul shall boast in God.

[3:54] The meek shall hear with joyfulness. We'll stand to sing to God's praise. God will I bless all times His praise.

[4:12] My mouth shall still express. My soul shall boast in God of me.

[4:28] Shall hear with joyfulness. And go the Lord with me.

[4:42] Let us exaltest me together. I saw the Lord.

[4:55] He heard and did. Me from all fears he learned.

[5:07] He looked to Him. He looked to Him and lighted well. Not shamed where their faces.

[5:23] This poor man cried. He got hurt and saved. Him from all his successes.

[5:38] The angel of the Lord. The Lord that counts.

[5:49] A friend and compassed. Him from allNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING CHOIR SINGS

[6:55] And they may lack their food, but they not truly seek the Lord, shall not lack any good.

[7:17] Just one more thing to note, and that is that on a Sunday evening, there is the After Church Fellowship, as normal, and there's a sign-up sheet out in the foyer for those to volunteer to bake or to provide food.

[7:42] And it's team three that are on duty, so please note these things also. Let's pray. Amen. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for this, your day.

[7:59] We thank you for this first day of the week, the day that we are reminded week on week that our Saviour, your Son, Jesus, rose from the dead. We thank you that we gather together today as those who are sinners, and yet we are sinners who are saved if we are looking to and trusting in Jesus.

[8:24] We thank you that we've sang the words in the psalm that those who trust in him are blessed. We praise you for the truth of that, for the certainty of that, that although our sins are many, your mercy is more.

[8:44] And we see that mercy as we look to Jesus. We see that mercy as we look to the cross. Week by week, we come back to the cross. Day by day, we are to come back to the cross, even hour by hour, because we see there that the work of salvation is done, that the one who knew no sin became sin, so that we who are sinners can be made righteous, can be saved, can be cleansed, can be forgiven if we trust in him.

[9:17] So we ask, Lord, that at the beginning of this service, our eyes would be upon you, that we would be looking to Jesus, that we would fix our eyes upon Jesus.

[9:30] So much in our lives can distract us. Our lives can be so busy with our work and with family life and with the different activities that are arranged, even in the church calendar.

[9:45] In the notice sheets, we can have so many things to think about and see and attend to. We pray that you would help us to be still, to clear our minds of anything that would distract us and that we would fix our eyes upon Jesus.

[10:05] We thank you that we have the promise in Romans 10, that if we believe in our hearts that he is risen from the dead, and if we confess with our lips that he is Lord, that we shall be saved for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

[10:25] So we thank you for that gospel hope that we come back to, that gospel hope which gives us a constant joy even when we are going through the ups and downs of life.

[10:40] we pray that we would know that joy, we pray that we would know that peace, that we wouldn't be governed day by day by moods where one day we are happy and one day we are sad, but we pray that as we go through the twists and turns of life that we would have that joy and that peace that comes from trusting in Jesus.

[11:03] we pray for any who may be here today who are trusting in Jesus but have never yet professed faith in Jesus.

[11:17] And we see the communion table being set on occasions throughout the year. We think about the call to come weeks in advance of that.

[11:29] And we thank you that that table is a means of grace to all who are saved. We find blessing, we find strength as we do these things in remembrance of Jesus.

[11:43] And yet we are aware that there are some who are believing in Jesus but have never yet come to the table and the table as it's set becomes a point of distress and a point of restlessness.

[11:57] We ask Lord that any who are trusting in Christ but are doing so secretly that they would hear the call to come and that they would profess that Jesus is their Saviour and their Lord.

[12:11] And for any who may not yet have trusted Christ we pray that you would be working in hearts even today. That we would see that we are sinners. That we would feel the weight of our sin.

[12:22] And that we would come as we hear the verses that we'll come to just shortly where Jesus says come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Till we ask Lord that you would be working in advance of the communion weekend.

[12:38] That you would be working over the weekend. That Jesus would be lifted up in everything that we do. And that we would know the blessing of being in your presence.

[12:49] We pray for those who are struggling especially this week. We are so conscious of many who are suffering. Many who are grieving. Many who feel overwhelmed with the difficulties of this world.

[13:03] There are too many for us to even mention by name. But we see families. We see faces. We think of situations. And we ask Lord that you would comfort those who are grieving.

[13:18] We pray that you would grant hope to those who feel hopeless. we pray that you would bring relief to those who are suffering. So be at work we pray.

[13:30] In the community we pray on for our land. A land that once was known for our love for your word and now a land that is known for the distance from which we've travelled from your word.

[13:44] Have mercy upon us we pray. And hear us as we pray for those who are in leadership over us as we've been taught to pray for them. We ask that you would take away any sense that they or we can do things ourselves.

[14:01] Help them and help us to see Lord that we can do nothing apart from you. We ask that those in authority over us would look to you. Trust in you.

[14:12] And that we would be led back to your word and to your way. We pray for a world that is broken in so many ways we think of the Middle East in particular. And where there is war where there is trouble bring peace we pray.

[14:27] Where there are many eyes that are closed to the divinity of Jesus we ask that you would open them that your people that you chose as we read through Old Testament narratives and as we go into the New Testament and we see those born in Israel those who heard with their own ears the voice of Jesus who witnessed the miracles and yet so many who do not see that Jesus is Saviour we pray that you would be working across the nations and in particular in that nation.

[15:07] Pray for those who are persecuted in Sub-Saharan Africa in Pakistan in India Eritrea Iran Iraq DPRK so many countries where believers will meet together this morning and they will meet as we do but in smaller numbers and they will meet not knowing whether the meeting will be broken up not knowing whether their lives will be spared if they are identified as those who are disciples of Jesus help us not to take for granted the liberty that we have the freedom that we have to worship and to reach out with a gospel message and we pray for your blessing and your protection over those who do not have any of these liberties and bless them we pray and be at work in these nations as we pray that you would be at work in us to hear our prayers cleanse us from our sin and enable us we pray to be in the spirit on the Lord's day and we ask this in Jesus name

[16:12] Amen Boys and girls would you like to come forward please you don't have to but if you can if you want to you can I've got something to show you today you know what this is pardon it's a chair it's a chair yeah and if you want to just sit back a little bit I'll just show you something well maybe I'll paint a picture for you so remember last week when there was sunshine we'll not get there yet remember last week when there was sunshine and we were sitting out and we were enjoying the sunshine well

[17:13] I was in the garden and I was doing some work I was reading I was reading my books preparing to get a message of the servants so I was sitting right with a chair and I was okay for a minute and I leaned back and it was a crunch and it was a snap one of the snaps was my knee and the other snap was the chair I think it must have been that the books I was reading were too heavy and it couldn't take the weight of the books but this chair is well and truly broken isn't it and that chair it's probably been broken there look at that it didn't go at the front it was going to go at the back I hadn't noticed that see that chair

[18:18] I sat on for probably two or three or four years and I'd sat in the garden and I'd read my books and I'd had a cup of tea and it always held me and it was fine and then one day I leaned back and there was a rip and there was a snap and the chair was broken but the reason I'm telling you this boys and girls is I trusted this chair and it was kind of trustworthy for a few years but then one day last week I trusted this chair and then when I lean back crunch snap and I'm on my back on the on the ground see the psalm that we just sat it said a line and it said in Psalm 34 you listen to this

[19:26] Psalm 34 and verse 8 says the one who trusts in him is blessed so who do you think we're talking about in that verse do you know what blessed means blessed means happy so who will make us happy in our hearts if we trust in him God yeah and so if we trust in him we're blessed we're happy like here's the question can we always trust in Jesus I trusted this chair for years and it was trustworthy and it held me up and it held me and it kept me safe then one day couldn't trust it anymore I can never trust that chair again it's finished can we trust in Jesus today and tomorrow and next year and then in 10 years time and all the way through life yeah yes yes you sure definite yes is the answer can Jesus save us and keep us safe in our hearts today and every day and forever pardon pardon let me hear it yes and where do we go to see how much

[21:19] Jesus is trustworthy we want to know how much Jesus loves us and how far he'll go to keep us safe where do we go where do we look well we look to heaven but even before heaven where do we look in this world that shows us how much God loved us where's the place that we look think back 2000 years think back to a hill Calvary the cross we can look to the cross where Jesus died for our sin we can look to the empty tomb where Jesus burst out of because he was alive and we know that we can trust him today and tomorrow and in 10 years time and all through life and even through death we can trust him to keep us safe and then forever as Michael said all the way to heaven so be careful what chairs you trust they might not keep you safe but you can trust Jesus and we're going to sing in just a minute about trusting in him alone and we'll pray before we sing

[22:36] Lord God we thank you that you love us and we thank you Father for sending your son Jesus into this world we thank you Holy Spirit that you open our eyes to see Jesus and you open our ears to hear his voice and we thank you Lord Jesus that we can trust you and that you are the saviour that you're the one who takes away our sin as we ask you to take our sin away you're the one who keeps us safe in our hearts today and tomorrow and forever we know that in this world things happen that we find difficult things happen that are scary things happen that make us sad we thank you that even when we go through hard times still you're with us and you help us through them we thank you that the everlasting safety that every one of us looks for is found in Jesus and we can trust in him alone so help the boys and girls and help each one of us to trust in Jesus and to know the blessing the happiness that comes only from him and we ask all these things in Jesus name amen we're going to sing now and we're going to sing mission praise 1008 and the words are on the screen the Lord is my shepherd

[23:56] I'll not want he makes me lie in pastures green and then in the chorus it says and I will trust in you alone so we'll stand in just a minute to sing to God's praiseNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING still waters, His goodness restores my soul, and I will trust in you alone, and I will trust in you alone, for your endless mercy follows me, your goodness will lead me home.

[25:08] He guides my ways in righteousness, and He anoints my head with oil, and my hand is over clothed with joy, I feast on His pure delight, and I will trust in you alone, and I will trust in you alone, for your endless mercy follows me, your goodness will lead me home.

[25:56] And though I walk the darkest hour, I will not fear the evil one, for you are with me, with me, I'm too broad and sound, a comfort I need to know, and I will trust in you alone, and I will trust in you alone, for your endless mercy follows me, your goodness will lead me home.

[26:45] Okay boys and girls, if you had to Sunday school, remember to pray for them as they go. And if we turn now in our Bibles please to Matthew chapter 11.

[27:22] Matthew chapter 11.

[27:44] NING Jesus is and what Jesus came to do and then we see those who are opposed to Jesus those who resist him those who who know better than him and Jesus he pronounces judgment he warns of judgment for those who don't trust him for those who will not repent and it's a dark very serious section in the verses prior to this and now we come to verses 25 to 30 and we've got this wonderful contrast between the darkness of those who will not repent and those on whom judgment will fall and now the blessing the light that is promised to those who who come to Jesus and to trust him so verses 25 to 30 of

[29:08] Matthew 11 at that time Jesus declared I thank you father lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children yes father for this for such was your gracious will all things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father and no one knows the father except the son and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light amen and may God bless that reading of his word to us we're going to sing again to God's praise we'll sing again from Psalm 34 verses 10 and 11 of the Psalm I'll read the verses in English the lion's young may hungry be and they may lack their food but they that truly seek the Lord shall not lack any good oh children hither do ye come and unto me give ear I shall you teach to understand how ye the Lord should fear we'll sing these two verses in gala and remain seated to sing to God's praise you wish be in your own a song is a song of ye you wish be in your own a song is a song of ye you wish be in your own a song is a song of ye

[30:59] NINGNINGNING Oh, yeah.

[31:45] Oh, yeah.

[32:15] Oh, yeah.

[32:45] Oh, yeah.

[33:15] Oh, yeah.

[33:45] Oh, yeah.

[34:15] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[34:49] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[35:01] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[35:13] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. we hear in Sunday school just now and we ask that you would reach them Lord in their early years that they would come like little children to Jesus in the early years and trust them we pray for the babies as well those that we've prayed for those that we see coming and as we hear them and see them in the creche we thank you for them and we ask Lord that you would bless them that they would grow up knowing that Jesus loves them and that Jesus calls them to come to him we pray for the congregations around us as well we pray for Scott as he preaches in Leverborough today we pray for Stuart as he preaches in Graver we ask Lord that you would give them liberty as they preach that you would give them the words to say we pray for the other denominations around us here as well in Tarbert and across the island we thank you that where your word goes forth it will not go forth and be empty be void but it will do what you determine it will do and so we pray that as your word goes forth today it would be received as the word of God and not the word of of men and Lord God that you would help us to to respond give us faith here and across the island across all the churches that many would be brought to Jesus hear our prayers and help us we ask in Jesus name

[36:52] Amen if you could have your Bibles open please Matthew chapter 11 the verses that we read one subject that we find mysterious a subject that we quite often talk about and we wonder about is is God's will we want to know God's will for our lives in terms of the big picture and even in terms of smaller pressing decisions as we as we're faced with decisions in life we we want to know God's will and even in in common conversation we find ourselves quite frequently talking about God's will sometimes for example we'll be invited to go and attend a wedding or go to a party some kind of a function it might be six months down the line so the invitation will come through with RSVP we'll check the calendar and if the date and the calendar is free we'll we'll reply yes thank you for the invitation that's fine

[38:13] I'll be there DV DV is Dio Valente which means God willing that's come into our common conversation when we pray at the prayer meeting as we enter into the prayers of those who lead us we pray we make our petitions we ask for things publicly and privately but very often we will add as we ask if it be thy will if it be your will now God's will and God's ways they're mysterious to us there is much in terms of God's will and his ways that's perplexing and it's hidden from us but there are some aspects of God's will that are revealed they're shown to us and Jesus speaks in this passage about the will of God the will of the Father and that's where we'll begin today in our thoughts so three points first of all the will of the Father

[39:31] Jesus talks about the will of the Father the second point is the way to the Father Jesus again directs us of the way to the Father the way to heaven the way to be saved and then the final point this morning is we hear the call of the Son so the will of the Father the way to the Father and the call of the Son so first of all the will of the Father verse 25 we'll step through the verses as usual at that time Jesus declared I thank you Father Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children yes Father for this was your gracious will now in Jesus ministry even if we only had Matthew even if we'd only been here for a few weeks and this was the first time we were opening the Bible it's clear to us that in Jesus ministry he met a lot of resistance and his his greatest resistors were people who were wise and understanding in their own estimation

[40:54] Jesus greatest critics were people who had a very high opinion of themselves I remember being warned of a of a character such a character when I was in Loch Caron I had a neighbour his name was Donnie Colonel a real Highland gentleman a really witty warm wise character and we'd been in Loch Caron for a few weeks we were getting to know people and packing our bags and getting organised and Donnie said to me have you met this one have you met the next one and he said have you met I'll change his name have you met Jim and I said yeah actually I have met Jim and Donnie said Jim is a very very very important man and then with a half a smirk he paused and he looked and he said by the way

[42:06] Jim told me that myself Jim told me that himself Jesus you could say met a lot of people like Jim people who thought that they were very very important and mainly sadly these were religious people they were scribes they were Pharisees they were Sadducees as well and they in their own view and their own estimation they were the wise and understanding of that time and that place they were very very proud people and the tragedy is they would have been able to recite large sections of the Bible they would have scored top marks in a Bible trivia quiz they would have had the catechism off pat they would have had a good grasp of church law they may have been those who were considered the religious experts but when it came to the gospel when it came to the good news about

[43:18] Jesus these things Jesus talks about these things they were hidden from him the things of salvation the good news about Jesus these things were hidden from him and the point of application even early on here is we are to be hugely alert to the danger of spiritual pride if we were to ask what is the thing that keeps the greatest number of people out of heaven it's probably not drinking drugs it's probably not the nature of the grave crimes that fill our newspapers that the greatest obstacle the biggest obstacle to seeing

[44:22] Jesus is spiritual pride if we are going to be wise and understanding in our own eyes if we are going to be considered to be the wise and understanding people of this world if we allow pride to grip us to fill us to cause us to have a high opinion of ourselves and a low opinion of Jesus and a low opinion of the people around us then we won't be able to see Jesus we won't have any clarity over who Jesus is and what he came to do the good news that Jesus preaches if we are full of spiritual pride the good news that he preaches will be hidden from us which is a serious thing we can sit in these chairs we can sit in cathedrals we can sit in church pews and yet the good news about

[45:37] Jesus the message of grace can be absolutely hidden from us J.C. Ryle says those to whom the gospel is revealed are generally humble simple minded and willing to learn let us watch against pride in every shape pride of intellect pride of wealth pride in our own goodness nothing says Ryle is so likely to keep a person out of heaven and prevent them seeing Christ as pride so long as we think we are something we shall never be saved let us pray for says Ryle and cultivate humility and that's what Jesus is teaching here he identifies the wise and understanding those who thought they were wise and understanding and he highlights the danger that they were in and then he turns to describe and to point us to the little children verse 25

[46:56] Jesus teaches us that we need to become like little children little children in that day in particular they had a much lower position we give children an elevated position in our culture in that culture little children were of lower position little children didn't have money they didn't have iphone 16s they didn't have power they didn't have influence they couldn't shout about their rights in that culture little children hadn't become cynical and hard hearted like the adults the wise and understanding had little children were not clashing with Jesus little children were not pushing Jesus away like the so-called wise and understand it little children as we see elsewhere in the gospels they were coming to

[47:56] Jesus readily and Jesus says it's the will of the father it is the will of the father to hide salvation from the spiritually proud and to reveal salvation to reveal these things of salvation to reveal the savior to the humble the broken those who know their need augustus top lady in the hymn rock of ages wrote that line which we love so much nothing in my hands i bring simply to thy cross i cling and that's the way that we're to come to jesus we're to come like little children whether it's the first time or whether it's the millionth time this is how we come to jesus like little children nothing in our hands we bring we don't come with certificates of excellence from a denomination or a seminary or we don't come with a portfolio of religious works saying will you accept this nothing in our hands we bring we come with empty hands ready to receive the salvation grace grace that jesus offers and with the communion in mind god willing we'll be we'll be at the table in a week's time from now let's just ask the question for a moment who comes to the lord's table who should be there well it's only those who see that they are not worthy the people who should come to the table are those who can see that they have nothing good to offer god nothing that we can trade in when you go to get a new car you look for the new car but you come with your old car you're trading in the old car you're saying how much will you give me let's do a deal

[50:57] I don't want to pay the full price of 18 thousand or whatever give me 11 for the old car let's do a deal let's trade when we come to Jesus and when we come to the table we are recognizing that we have nothing that we can trade in we can't do a deal with God we can't make a contribution to our salvation I can't remember who said it that might have been John Owen but the quote was the only thing that we contribute to our salvation is the sin that makes it necessary and that's how we come confessing that recognizing that we don't come like the wise and understanding telling Jesus about all the good religious things we do we don't come with the wise and understanding telling

[52:02] Jesus about all the great robust theology and spiritual truths that we've grasped we come in humility we come with the gift of simple faith like little children this is the will of the father the wise and understanding these things are hidden the door is locked the simple contrite believing little children they see the things of salvation they see Jesus they hear his call to come the will of the father secondly the way to the father verse 27 Jesus says all things have been handed over to me by my father what is

[53:08] Jesus saying in that statement if we start there well he's saying very clearly what Jesus what Matthew has been teaching in this gospel so far Jesus is saying that he is king all things have been handed over to me by my father Jesus is proclaiming here that he is king and that's one of the main themes that's running through this book all things all authority has been handed over to Jesus by the father he is king and we see the authority of Jesus in lots of ways when Jesus preaches people listen Matthew 7 29 he was teaching them as one who had authority not as their scribes they heard a thousand boring sermons before but Jesus when he taught when he preached there was a listening there was a realisation that this is one who speaks with authority and then when we think about the miracles the healing of the sick the casting out of demons the raising from the dead that all demonstrated the authority the kingship of

[54:21] Jesus even if we rewind just a few verses in the chapter that we're reading Jesus he's pronouncing woe on Chorazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum he's showing as he does so that he has authority to judge he is the judge he is the kingNING!

[54:41] NINGNINGNING! Teach that he has authority to save. Verse 27, as we continue through it, no one knows the Son except the Father.

[55:00] And in that statement, Jesus is giving us a glimpse into the Trinity. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

[55:10] And that relationship within the Trinity has eternally been the most perfect and pure, intimate relationship.

[55:29] Every relationship of love that we see finds its root there. Jesus shows us a little of the intimacy between Father and Son.

[55:49] Jesus is teaching here that he is God the Son. He calls God his Father. Which would have absolutely shocked and appalled these religious leaders.

[56:03] Then Jesus says in verse 27, no one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

[56:17] And with that statement, Jesus, again, he's intimating the intimacy, the closeness, the closeness, the nearness within the Trinity, this relationship of love, as he speaks of how he knows the Father.

[56:38] But then Jesus goes on to open the door so that we can know the Father. And that should blow our minds.

[56:59] I hope it does. Jesus is teaching here that we, finite, sinful, human beings.

[57:15] We can know, not know about, but know personally, God the Father. We can enter into a relationship, finite human beings, with the infinite God, the eternal, the holy, the all-powerful, the almighty, the creator, the sustainer, the saviour God.

[57:46] We can know him. So how can we know the Father? How can we be brought into this relationship with God?

[57:59] How can we gain access to heaven where the Father is? The answer to that question is, it's through Jesus.

[58:15] The wise and understanding in academic institutions across the world would struggle with this question. We should get the children down here to answer it for us because they know the answer.

[58:26] The way that we can come to know the Father, the way that we can be brought into relationship with God, the way that we can gain access into heaven where the Father is, is through Jesus and only through Jesus.

[58:46] The only way that we can know God, the only way that the Father can be revealed to us, is through Jesus. This connects with John 14, verse 6, where Jesus says, I am the way, the way, the truth, the life.

[59:10] No one comes to the Father except through me. No other religions, no other ways, no other philosophies, no other roots, no other person, no other faith.

[59:28] Every other faith will crumble like that garden chair. The only faith that keeps us safe forever and opens the door to heaven and opens the door into relationship with the Father is having faith in Jesus.

[59:50] John 10, and verse 9, Jesus says, I am the door. Singular. Not many doors, not many windows.

[60:04] One way, one door, one gate, Jesus. One commentator says, Jesus bears the keys.

[60:14] To him, we must go for admission into heaven. He is the door. Through him, we must enter. He is the shepherd. We must hear his voice and follow him if we would not perish in the wilderness.

[60:29] He is the physician. We must apply to him if we would be healed of the plague of sin. He is the bread of life. We must feed on him if we would have our souls satisfied. He is the light.

[60:39] We must walk after him if we would not wander in darkness. He is the fountain. We must wash in his blood if we would be cleansed and made ready for the great day of account.

[60:56] The so-called wise and understanding, they were rejecting Jesus. and they were choosing woe.

[61:12] They were choosing judgment. They were selecting the road that took them down into Hades, into hell. But those who came like little children to Jesus were being assured here by Jesus that this was and this is the way to the Father.

[61:43] The will of the Father is that we will come to Jesus like little children. The way to the Father is through Jesus, the Son.

[61:56] And we'll finish with the call of the Son. So listen to it in verse 28 to verse 30. Come to me, says Jesus, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

[62:25] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. For I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls.

[62:41] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. One commentator says the Pharisees all said do and tried to make the people follow Moses and the traditions but true salvation is found only in a person.

[63:09] Jesus Christ. And that person, Jesus Christ, God the Son, the Savior, the King of Kings, he says come.

[63:26] He says come to me. Maybe there's somebody here this morning and you're asking the question but who can come?

[63:39] Is this call for me? Who can come? And the answer to that question is those to whom the Father has revealed the Son. Those who are seeing the Son.

[63:54] They, we can come to Jesus. There were many on the day that Jesus first made this plea who could see no good reason to come to Jesus.

[64:08] There were many on that day when Jesus first made this call and they would not come to Jesus. The beauty of Jesus, the glory of Jesus, the necessity of coming to Jesus, it was hidden from them.

[64:26] It's possible that someone here today, there may be some people here today, you don't see any beauty in Jesus.

[64:36] you don't see any need to make responding to this call a priority. Maybe your mind you're thinking about work and thinking about TV and thinking about Playstations and thinking about friends and thinking about last night and thinking about what's happening next week.

[64:54] Jesus is hidden from you. You don't see any beauty in him. There's no urgency to come to him. So how do we know if the Father is revealing the Son to us?

[65:15] Well, we know because we feel weary. We feel burdened, heavy-weighted. and we know that the reason we feel the way we feel is because of our sin.

[65:38] We recognize that the reason for our restlessness is our sin. And when we feel that weight of sin, God is working in our lives I often hear people saying, what a miserable message about sin.

[66:01] Who wants to feel the weight of sin? You know, there's no more encouraging message in all the world. There's no better weight to feel in all the world than to feel the weight of sin.

[66:15] Because when we feel the weight of sin, God is working in our lives. John 16 verse 8, Jesus makes clear that when the Spirit is working, He will convict us of our sin.

[66:38] And when God the Father is working in our lives, He reveals to us Jesus as the Savior of sinners. sinners. The Father reveals these things of salvation to us.

[66:53] And when we see these things, when we see that we are great sinners and that Jesus is the singular great Savior, we're to come to Him.

[67:15] in response to His call that we are hearing. And we're to confess our sin. We're to ask Him to take the weight of our sin from us.

[67:34] And that's what the cross was all about. The weight of our sin is taken from us by Jesus. We sang last Sunday, behold, a man upon a cross, my sin upon His shoulders.

[67:55] When we come to Jesus, His promise is that He will take our sin away. And His promise is that He will give us rest.

[68:08] rest. Is anyone here looking for rest this morning?

[68:23] Anyone here conscious that no matter how many things you accumulate in this world, no matter how many life goals you meet, there's still a restlessness?

[68:41] Jesus says, come to me. Anyone this morning who just can't seem to shake the weight of sin, past offenses, present offenses, things that maybe we think we can never be rid of.

[69:04] Unrighteousness that goes right to our very core. Jesus says, come to me. Confess your sin, I will give you rest. rest. He purifies us from all unrighteousness.

[69:19] That's the promise, not some all unrighteousness, every stain, every sin, nothing that is too big, nothing that is too ingrained for Jesus' blood not to purify.

[69:35] But he says, come to me. I will give you rest. rest. And then having given us rest, he takes his yoke and he places it upon us.

[69:54] And without going out into the details of this, time is gone. The yoke was a symbol of authority. It was a picture of submission from fire.

[70:07] And it's a picture that we can take for ourselves and advocate when we accept Jesus as Savior. We submit to him as Lord.

[70:22] There aren't different packages. You know, you can get Sky TV or you can get internet. Different packages, different deals that are offered. There aren't different packages when it comes to salvation.

[70:38] There's one deal, there's one way. if we accept Jesus as Savior, we must submit to him as Lord and King.

[70:52] And if we will not submit to him as Lord and King, we cannot have him as Savior. We cannot have him as Savior. so when we respond to this call, we receive the rest and the forgiveness that he alone can give and we bow our heads and ask him to place his yoke on us.

[71:18] We accept that he has authority over us and we commit to spending the rest of our days close to him, yoked together with him.

[71:33] And when we do so, we find that Jesus' yoke is not heavy and restrictive and miserable and awkward.

[71:48] It's easy. It's light. There's a legend, there's a story told which is almost certainly not true but it makes a decent point.

[72:03] The picture that's painted is the picture of the carpenter's shop that Jesus worked in. Joseph has the family business. He's got the carpenter's shop and the shop is there and the shop front there was always banners, signs over the shops and in this legend it's got the picture of Joseph's carpenter's shop and it says underneath our yokes fit well.

[72:32] And it's a legend. But the truth is in it. Because the yoke that Jesus crafts for your life, it will fit well.

[72:50] to be under the yoke of Jesus, to have Jesus as Lord, the Lord who is gentle and lowly.

[73:04] This is a life of true freedom. We've all had to submit to bosses who have been anything but gentle and lowly and have made our lives miserable.

[73:18] submission has been torture. But Jesus, the King, the Lord, he is gentle and he is lowly and he knows us and he knows what fits.

[73:35] And if we trust him, we experience a life of true freedom and rest for our souls.

[73:50] The call of the Son is come to me. So will you come to Jesus? and then will we come to the table that Jesus has set to say that we are his children, to remember what he has done for us at Calvary to be our Savior and to obey him, to submit to him.

[74:24] When he says do this in remembrance of me, as Lord. We will sing to conclude the hymn 275 in Mission Praise.

[74:42] I heard the voice of Jesus say, come unto me and rest. lay down the weary one, lay down thy head upon my breast.

[75:24] I gave to Jesus as I was really and warm and sad.

[75:37] I found in him a resting place and he has made me glad.

[75:49] I heard the voice of Jesus say, behold, I freely give the living water, first he one, stood down and drink and live.

[76:17] I did to Jesus and I drank of that life here in stream.

[76:29] My thirst was quenched, my soul refined, and have I lived in it.

[76:43] I heard the voice of Jesus say, I am this dark world's light.

[76:55] Look unto me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be right.

[77:07] I looked to Jesus and I found in him my star, my sun, and in that light of night I walk till traveling days are done.

[77:33] Amen. the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit, be with us all now and forever more. Amen.