[0:01] Well, good evening. It's wonderful to be together again. I didn't notice any visitors in the end, but if there are any, you're very much welcome, and we look forward to hearing what the Lord has to say to us this evening. No, I won't go through the intimations, as they were mentioned earlier on this morning, but I will say the Faith Mission meet at half seven this evening. I believe there are a number of cars heading south, so if you're maybe struggling for a lift or you would like to go grab somebody with a car at the door or speak to me at the door, I'm happy to see if we can get people down there, and I'll finish as sharp as I can. I'm conscious I don't want to leave anyone rushing too far down that road in a night like this. So we'll begin our public worship of God this evening by singing Psalm 103 in Gaelic. Psalm 103, we'll sing the first two stanzas of Psalm 103. O thou my soul, bless God the Lord, and all that in me is, be stirred up his holy name to magnify and bless. Bless O my soul, the Lord my God, and not forgetful be of all his gracious benefits he hath bestowed on thee. So we'll sing these two verses to God's praise in Gaelic, and afterwards if Ian wouldn't mind coming up to lead us in prayer in Gaelic, please.
[1:15] O man and my dear, be whole and whole.
[1:25] O man and my dear, be whole and whole. O man and my dear, be whole and whole.
[1:37] NINGNING CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS
[2:47] CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SNING Satsang with Mooji
[4:15] Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji
[5:45] Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with Mooji Satsang with MoojiNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING
[6:51] NINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING It comes toNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING It wasNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING
[8:21] It wasNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING!
[8:57] !NING!NINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING It's better to takeNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING
[10:20] It wasNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING It wasNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING
[11:50] It wasNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING thanks Ian and we'll turn again to the book of Psalms as we sing our second item of praise Psalm 91 we'll sing these verses in English so we'll sing the first six verses of Psalm 91 he that doth in the secret place of the most high reside under the shade of him that is the almighty shall abide I of the Lord my God will say he is my refuge still he is my fortress and my God and in him trust I will assuredly he shall thee save and give deliverance from subtle fowler's snaring from the noise and pestilence his feathers shall thee hide thy trust under his wings shall be his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler unto thee thou shalt not need to be afraid for terrors of the night nor for the arrow that doth fly by day while it is light nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness secretly nor for destruction that doth waste at noonday openly so we'll sing these verses verses 1 to 6 of Psalm 91 to God's praise and stand to sing
[13:37] Thank you.
[14:07] Thank you.
[14:37] Thank you. Thank you.
[15:37] Thank you. Thank you.
[16:37] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[16:49] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Well, if you could turn in your Bibles, if you've got your Bible with you, to the Old Testament and the book of Deuteronomy.
[17:03] Read from the book of Deuteronomy and chapter 33. Deuteronomy chapter 33.
[17:17] Deuteronomy chapter 33. And we'll read the whole of this chapter. So the previous chapter, the beginning of 32 is the start of the song of Moses.
[17:32] And as we move into the latter part of the book of Deuteronomy, this is Moses' final blessing on Israel itself. So we'll read these words.
[17:44] This is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the people of Israel before his death. He said, The Lord came from Sinai and dawned from Seir.
[17:55] Upon us he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came from the ten thousands of holy ones with flaming fire at his right hand. Yes, he loved his people. All his holy ones were in his hand.
[18:07] So they followed in your steps, receiving direction from you. When Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob. Thus the Lord became king in Jeshurun.
[18:18] When the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together. Let Reuben live and not die, but let his men be few. And this he said of Judah.
[18:29] Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people. With your hands contend for him and be a help against his adversaries. And for Levi, he said, Give to Levi your Thummim and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah.
[18:47] With whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah. Who said of his father and mother, I regard them not. He disowned his brothers and ignored his children. For they observed your word and kept your covenant.
[18:59] They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law. They shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar. Bless, O Lord, his substance.
[19:10] And accept the works of his hands. Crush the loins of his adversaries. Of those who hate him, that they rise not again. Of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety.
[19:23] The high God surrounds him all day long and dwells between his shoulders. And of Joseph he said, Blessed by the Lord be his land. With the choicest gifts of heaven above.
[19:36] And of the deep that crouches beneath. With the choicest fruit of the sun and rich yield of the months. With the finest produce of the ancient mountains. And the abundance of the everlasting hills.
[19:47] With the best gifts of the earth and its fullness. And the favour of him who dwells in the bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph. On the plate of him who is prince among his brothers.
[19:59] A firstborn bull. He has majesty and his horns are the horns of a wild ox. With them he shall gore the peoples all of them. To the ends of the earth.
[20:10] They are the ten thousands of Ephraim. And they are the ten thousands of Manasseh. And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice Zebulun in your going out. And Issachar in your tents.
[20:21] They shall call peoples to their mountain. There they offer right sacrifices. For they draw from the abundance of the seas. And the hidden treasures of the sand. And of Gad he said, Blessed be who enlarges Gad.
[20:34] Gad crouches like a lion. He tears off arm and scalp. He chose the best of the land for himself. For there a commander's portion was reserved. And he came with the heads of the people.
[20:46] With Israel he executed the justice of the Lord. And his judgments of Israel. And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's cub. That leaps from Bashan. And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali.
[20:59] Sated with favour. And full of the blessing of the Lord. Possess the lake and the south. And of Asher he said, Most blessed of sons be Asher. Let him be the favourite of his brothers.
[21:12] And let him dip his foot in oil. Your bars shall be iron and bronze. And as your days, so shall your strength be. There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.
[21:29] The eternal God is your dwelling place. And underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you. And said, Destroy. So Israel lived in safety.
[21:40] Jacob lived alone in a land of grain and wine, whose heavens dropped down due. Happy are you, O Israel. Who is like you? A people saved by the Lord. The shield of your help.
[21:52] And the sword of your triumph. Your enemies shall come fawning to you. And you shall tread upon their backs. Amen. And may the Lord bless the reading of his holy word to us.
[22:04] Well, before we come back to that word, we'll just sing Mission Praise 988 to God's praise. How deep the Father's love for us. We'll sing the whole of this hymn. How deep the Father's love for us.
[22:15] Hymn 988. And we'll stand to sing to God's praise. How deep the Father's love for us.
[22:29] How much beyond all measure. That he should give his only Son.
[22:41] To make our precious treasure. How great the pain of stealing loss.
[22:54] The Father turns his face away. As wounds which mar the chosen one.
[23:07] Bring many sons to glory. Behold the man upon a cross.
[23:20] My sin upon his shoulders. Ashamed I hear my mocking voice.
[23:33] Courage among the scoffers. It was my sin that held him there.
[23:46] Until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life.
[23:59] I know that it is finished. I will not boast in anything.
[24:12] No gifts, no power, no wisdom. But I will boast in Jesus Christ.
[24:25] His death and resurrection. Why should I gain from his reward.
[24:40] I cannot give an answer. But this I know with all my heart.
[24:51] His wounds have made my ransom. My God. My God. My God.
[25:03] Just before we turn back to God's word, we'll just say a short word of prayer. Our gracious and ever-blessed Father, Lord, we give you thanks that we find ourselves in your house this evening, Lord.
[25:17] And we ask that you would grant us a blessing as we open up your word, as we seek to learn more about who you are. As we open our books, we are blessed to not suffer the persecution that so many have across the world, Lord.
[25:33] As the young ones look each and every Lord's Day and Sunday school, we look at the persecuted church, Lord. And we thank you that as we come into your house, we are able to open your word without fear of persecution, without fear of being stopped from reading your word, from praying to you, and from preaching your word, Lord.
[25:50] So we pray that you would remind us afresh this day of that blessing, that we would not be complacent about it, that we would be praying for those that are not as well off as we are, Lord.
[26:00] But we ask, particularly just now, Lord, that you would speak to us in your word, that we would be able to meditate upon your word. We would go away from your house tonight and read over the word again, seek to learn more about who you are as you reveal yourself to us on each and every page, Lord.
[26:17] So be with us just now. Go before us in all that we do. Be round us, keep us, and pardon our many sins. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. If we could turn back to chapter 33 of Deuteronomy.
[26:33] And as we take our text, really just the first half of verse 27. Verse 27 of Deuteronomy 33.
[26:45] The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
[26:59] This is a verse that, personally, over the last year or so has been very helpful and encouraging to me. And it's clear when you just read those words, very short couple of lines, it's clear to us when we read that, that God cares for us.
[27:13] God cares for each and every one of us. He cares for the sinful, needy ones like you and I this evening. In each and every situation that we find ourselves in, the Lord stands ready and able to help and to protect us, where underneath are these everlasting arms.
[27:32] It's a beautiful picture of how our almighty and sovereign God has a care and a love to support you and to uphold you in whatever life throws at you.
[27:44] You see many faces here tonight. Everyone will have their own challenges in life. Each one of us face completely different difficulties in our lives. They may be physical, may be mental health issues, may be spiritual health, emotional health, financial health.
[28:00] The list goes on of the number of issues that we may be facing here this evening in North Harris. You and I can be going through all kinds of things that truly do begin to overwhelm us.
[28:13] And it may cause us to be anxious this very evening. And it possibly maybe sends some of us to the point where we feel we're at breaking point. Each and every one of us are in a different place.
[28:23] But the Lord knows and the Lord cares. One of the commentators, as I was doing my preparation, said that this description of God as a dwelling place, or in other translations, as a refuge, has been a source of great strength and support to many who have gone before us.
[28:42] I'm very much reflective of the fact that even just over the last few weeks, months and years, many of us have been going through very difficult situations. There's been a lot of loss in our community.
[28:54] There's been a lot of sadness, a lot of vulnerability in our community. So we need to be encouraged as we turn back to this passage, that it should be a source of strength and a source of encouragement for us.
[29:06] And I pray that as we quickly go through this over the next 15 or 20 minutes, that it will be an encouragement for someone here this evening. You don't have to spend too long talking to someone to understand that everyone has their burdens and struggles and challenges in their life.
[29:24] Not that everyone is desperate to share their struggles, but it's evident when we speak to people, and even when you open a newspaper, if people do that anymore, or you turn on the news or you look at your phone on social media, we see constant struggle across the world.
[29:39] Life isn't easy in this fallen world, but it's in this fallen world that we come before these words this evening. It's not easy for us here in 2024, but it wasn't easy for the Israelites either, well over 2,000 years ago in our passage.
[29:56] And the question maybe to ask is, are you here in church possibly with a heavy heart? Maybe there's a heavy burden that you're struggling with and you're struggling to bear this very evening.
[30:06] And if that's you, it certainly was me and is me most of the time, then I would urge you to listen to these words of Moses, what he says to us here in this text. The eternal God is your dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms.
[30:22] What an encouraging word for us this evening. Just by way of background, before I progress through a couple of points I want to do, just a little bit of background to where we are in this passage here in Deuteronomy.
[30:35] It's probably not a book that we often turn to. I'm guilty myself. It's probably not one I turn to often myself. But our text here takes place on the plains of Moab, where the Israelites are poised to cross the Jordan River into Canaan, the land promised to them by God.
[30:53] And this wonderful verse, or this first half of this wonderful verse, it's part of Moses' very last words before he was going up the mountain. And after seeing the promised land that the Israelites would enter, he would die and he would be buried and the people would be left without their leader.
[31:10] But through Moses, God left a great promise. And I want to think with you of just this phrase and these parting words that Moses had for Israel.
[31:22] This song from Moses in the last chapters of Deuteronomy is a final attempt to impress on Israel the importance of seeking God's guidance and depending on his strength as Israel prepares to conquer Canaan.
[31:36] And it's the same for us today. We can be turning to that same God and seeking that same guidance and depending on his strength, no matter where we find ourselves today. For them, for those in Israel, for the Israelites, it was the end of one journey and the beginning of another.
[31:52] As they would soon be crossing the Jordan into the promised land. And for us, it's this same God that still offers him himself as a dwelling place and a secure foundation for us.
[32:05] So I want us to just take a closer look at this first half of verse 27 over two points. I'm sorry, I didn't give you points. They were very late in my mind.
[32:16] But the first point is that God is eternal. So there's an eternal God. And the second point is the security of God. So we're secure in God. And there's two subheadings for that latter part, which I'll come to.
[32:30] We'll spend most of our time on the second point about that security that we find in God. But just firstly, one of the first truths that we can draw from this verse is that God is eternal.
[32:42] We read there, the eternal God is your dwelling place. God is eternal. This means that he exists outside of time and beyond the confines of human life.
[32:52] He's the same yesterday. He's the same today. He's the same forever. He is the alpha and the omega. There is no beginning and he is without end. And we live in a world where everything changes.
[33:05] Nations rise and fall. People come and go. The mountains will eventually erode. You don't have to go far. Sometimes into the curriculum in our nation's curriculum where you'll see gender and identity.
[33:20] All of these things are fluid. These can change at a whim. You can be one thing one day, change to another the next. So we should take great encouragement knowing that our God stands completely unchanged.
[33:32] He is eternal. Moses, who saw the Israelites through the wilderness, he would not be accompanying them into the promised land, but he knew that his eternal God would.
[33:44] And we should remind ourselves again that God's faithfulness and his promises, they're not subject to human limitations or the changes that affect the rest of creation. The truth is as real for us today as it was for Israel.
[33:59] The God that we trust, and I hope that we all trust, is timeless and unchanging, holding us all and all things in his steady hand.
[34:09] And we should take great encouragement from that. Thomas Watson, many of you have probably read a couple of books from Thomas Watson. I would encourage anyone to read his book, A Body of Divinity.
[34:21] He was a prominent Puritan writer and he emphasised that God's eternal nature applies to his love and promises as well. So this promise that we are seeing here about these everlasting arms, it applies to that.
[34:35] And he says here, and I quote, If God is eternal, then he is the fountain of all happiness. He is a sun and shield. His eternity is the ground of all consolation.
[34:49] He is eternal and he is ours. He is everlastingly unchangeable in his love. For Watson, who wrote that, I think it was in A Body of Divinity that I read that, for Watson, God's eternity is a source of consolation because it means that his love for us is unending.
[35:10] Unlike human love, which can waver or fade over time, God's love is eternal and unchanging. In this passage, when God promises to be our dwelling place or our refuge, he does so with a love that will endure forever.
[35:27] This assurance gives us a firm foundation knowing that God's love doesn't shift, doesn't fade, it doesn't alter, but it endures for all time. Because God is eternal, he is a trustworthy refuge for us all.
[35:43] And this morning, I was doing Sunday school this morning, I was talking to some of the older kids, the older group in the Sunday school class about the importance of considering our eternal destination.
[35:54] We were in Barvis for the big YF on Friday and we heard Murdo Campbell, or I should call him Fiona's brother, she's often called Murdo's sister, but we'll call him Fiona's brother, Murdo, the minister in Barvis was giving his testimony.
[36:09] I was trying to emphasise again to the young ones about when we hear testimony and hopefully this evening we'll hear another testimony at the faith mission, those that are making it there. When we hear a testimony, it's great hearing that story and I'm trying to encourage them to apply it to themselves.
[36:23] So put that mirror up. So what does this say to me? What does this say about my eternal destination? What does it say about the sin in my life? And we got talking about the choices that we make, the friends we keep, the things that we prioritise in our lives will be a clear indicator of our destination after this life.
[36:41] And it's the counsel of this world and the things of this world that we so often get tempted and drawn into. And that's really the choice. It's the choice between the world, the things of this world, or the eternal God.
[36:54] That's the choice that we're making. Trying to encourage them that our lives here are so temporary, they're fleeting and they're fragile. And a temporary shelter can only offer temporary protection.
[37:07] But God, as we read in this passage, is our eternal dwelling place who offers us refuge, not just for a moment, not for a season, not for a difficult time, but forever.
[37:19] And that's something that we need to be grabbing hold of this evening. And this is why Moses can speak of God, not merely as a place to turn in times of need, but as a dwelling place in this verse.
[37:32] God does not only offer refuge in times of trouble, he himself is our dwelling place. He, those of us that are in him, he is our dwelling place and he is our refuge.
[37:43] Just like we might find rest and security in our homes, particularly in a day like this, we don't want to be outside for too long, so we'll go in for shelter, we'll go into our homes and we find rest and security there. It's true of God as well.
[37:54] That's where we find our true rest in him. This eternal nature of God also assures us of his sovereignty. The God who has led us this far in our lives, whether we're young, whether we're old, will lead us into the future and he holds all our days, even eternity itself, in his hands.
[38:15] Nothing we experience, neither in the past, not today, nor in the future, is beyond his reach and we need to be mindful of that. Another commentator, Richard Baxter, a quote from him talking about the eternal God, says, eternity is that state of being where God exists outside of time, fully aware of all moments at once.
[38:36] His eternal nature provides the foundation for our hope as he remains our refuge in all circumstances, untouched by the passage of time.
[38:47] He has no beginning and he has no end. There will never be a time where anyone can say, God is not. Many will try and say it today, there will be many, even on our own island, that will try to say, God is not.
[39:01] But we know he is eternal. God is eternal and he is our dwelling place and it's a wonderful truth that we need to take hold of today. So, we've briefly looked there at the eternal God and I want us to now just move most of our time on to the security of God and we're not making it too difficult for you, but we'll just keep security of God up.
[39:22] But underpinning that, I just want to look at two particular things from our text. The first is the word underneath. So, you see there the second part, the eternal God is our dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms.
[39:34] So, I want us to look firstly at underneath and then I want us to think about the everlasting arms themselves. So, firstly looking at that underneath aspect, the security of God is that second truth that we're seeing.
[39:48] So, that's the overarching point here. In Deuteronomy 33 verse 27, that word underneath speaks to the nature of God's support.
[39:59] It's a support that's not just present or around us or beside us, but it's a deep one that is held from beneath. The word implies a God who does not merely walk alongside us as a companion or come to us occasionally in times of need.
[40:15] Rather, he is the very ground on which we stand, the one who sustains us even when we cannot see or feel it. And just by way of application, if you imagine a young child learning to walk, it feels, it was only a year or so ago, but it feels like a long time since Anna was learning to walk, but you think of the young child learning to walk at each wobbly step that child moves forward, thrilled yet unstable, often on the verge of falling.
[40:42] But right behind the child stands a loving parent, arms outstretched, ready to catch them at any moment. The child likely will be unaware of the presence behind them, focused only on that challenge ahead of taking these steps.
[40:57] Yet with every step, the parent is there, steady and attentive, ensuring that even if the child was to stumble, they will not fall too far or be left to hit the ground on their own.
[41:09] This is an image of what is described here in this verse in Deuteronomy 33, verse 27. Just as that parent is there underneath supporting the child, so God is with us, our eternal and unseen foundation.
[41:26] He is close, although he may not feel it sometimes, he is attentive and he's ready to catch us, even when we are completely unaware of his presence. And when we face challenges or moments of weakness, which will be often, we might feel alone or we might even feel unsteady at that time, like that child trying to walk, without knowing what's underneath to keep us safe.
[41:48] Yet God's everlasting arms are underneath, ensuring that no matter how uncertain or difficult the steps we take are, we are never, never without his provision and his support.
[42:02] And this verse assures us that God doesn't just give temporary relief or occasional comfort, he provides a foundational, lasting presence. And that's what we speak about when we've got the group, we talk about Jam Connect and Rooted and we chose the word rooted because we want these young people in our community to be rooted and grounded in the Lord.
[42:23] I'm seeing a few young ones, I'm going to ask, I'm going to be really, I'll leave my own daughter because she's given me eyes already. Katie, can I ask you a question? If I had two plant pots, okay, and I had a seed and I told you, plant pot one, if you plant it in there, it's never going to die.
[42:42] That plant will live forever. But plant pot two, it's nearly winter and it might not last very long. Which plant pot would you put the seed in? The first or the second? The first one.
[42:53] Because it's, we know that it's eternal and we're going back to this passage. Good answer. Thank you. You can go back to your writing. Sorry, I'll come back to you maybe later on. We'll see. But yeah, so we chose that word rooted for that group because we want these young ones to be rooted and grounded, not in a temporary God, not in a God that will be with us for a number of years or until they're in their adulthood, but will be with them eternally and as that foundational lasting presence for them.
[43:20] His arms are always there to catch, lift and to carry us. He is our true dwelling place, steady and secure like that parent who never lets go. To be underneath means that God's strength is there in the unseen places of our lives.
[43:36] Unlike the other forms of help that might be temporary or conditional, the everlasting arms of the Lord are always underneath us, supporting us from below no matter how low we feel.
[43:48] And that word underneath also hints at God's intimate knowledge of our frailty. He knows our limits, he knows our fears, he knows our weaknesses and he provides for us in a way that does not demand more than each of us can burden.
[44:03] Instead, he offers a foundation that is firm and dependable, allowing us to rest in him rather than striving to hold ourselves up because we know we can't.
[44:15] None of us can do anything in our own strength. We're encouraged to let go of the false idea that we can and must sustain ourselves but ought to find security in God's steadfast presence and power beneath us.
[44:30] Ultimately, this word underneath reminds us that we are not alone or unsupported. Even in our lowest moments, which you may be going through at this moment, I don't know, we can rest in the knowledge that God's arms are there.
[44:47] Not our arms but God's arms holding us up with his everlasting love and strength. So what about those everlasting arms that we are underneath?
[44:59] I'm going to ask the other kids again and I'll come back maybe to Katie, any one of you. Emily, it's Custy Bella. If I was, you're not allowed to use your words here, okay? You're not allowed to speak to me.
[45:11] But if I was to say to you, each of you, show me how strong you are. How are you going to do it? Show me how strong you are just now. Show me. How would you show me how strong you are? Emily, go.
[45:23] Just do it, just do it. Yeah, so we've seen arms going up, would you do this to me? Go for it, do it, do it at me. There we go. So when we're not allowed to use words, if we're trying to show strength to somebody, we often, we'll put our arms up and we'll show somebody our strength.
[45:38] And it's in our arms that we do that. We're not, anyone that doesn't skip leg day, they're not showing a thigh or a calf to show how strong their legs are. They go for their arms and they show how strong they are. And that's what we do.
[45:49] We show our arms. When we speak about these arms of God, we know that it refers to his strength and his power. And we see many references. I hadn't thought about them at the time, but when I was preparing for this, I just looked up the different passages where we see arms in the Bible and I'll just pick out a couple of them here.
[46:08] In Job 40 verse 9, God makes it clear to Job something of his immense power, majesty and glory by saying to him, have you an arm like God?
[46:18] Psalm 36 verse 12 tells us of God who with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm delivers his people from bondage.
[46:30] And although I was in Sunday school, I didn't hear the message this morning. The first verse of Isaiah 53, which Duncan would have read this morning, says, Who has believed what he has heard from us?
[46:43] And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? This image of God's arm beneath us brings a picture of unfailing security, of being held and upheld no matter what we face.
[46:57] When we feel weak, when circumstances knock us down or when we fear that we've reached the end of our strength, God assures us that we are not relying on our own strength to begin with and we ought to take note of that.
[47:11] This phrase, everlasting arms, speaks to the complete reliability of God. Just as he is eternal, his arms, his strength, his protection and his care will never falter.
[47:24] When we stumble, he will hold us up. When we fail, he will catch us. And when we fear, he will comfort us. These everlasting arms remind us that God's power is more than enough for any need, crisis or fear that we encounter.
[47:41] Consider how God's everlasting arms worked for the people of Israel, as is in this passage. Throughout their wilderness journey, God provided for them in supernatural ways. He fed them manna from heaven, provided water from a rock and protected them from their enemies.
[47:56] When Israel stumbled, God upheld them and when they sinned, he was faithful to forgive them. And this is the same for us today here in 2024. God's everlasting arms are still at work for us.
[48:10] The Lord supports us in our weakness, sustains us through every trial and brings us safely through to the end. Now just coming back to this passage in verse 27, when Moses says to the Israelites, the eternal God is your dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms.
[48:28] Moses is promising here in God's name that the arm of the Lord is for and with his people in all of their needs. Remember, these arms, these arms are eternal.
[48:41] They're not arms like ours. Now I know the girls put their arms up there. I'm not going to go around and see who's got the squidgiest and who's got the strongest arms. But if you think about our own life, a young child's arms are small, they're weak, they then grow up and they become strong and then if they're blessed to reach into older age, they then start to become frail again and the arms become weaker.
[49:02] But that's not these arms. These are all powerful arms that we are underneath, that are underneath us, sorry. And as my study Bible put it, the everlasting arms are arms whose strength is never exhausted.
[49:14] The security of God can never be shaken with God's everlasting arms under us. And we spoke earlier there of God being eternal. And as we come to a close, I want to think a little bit about those maybe that have rejected him.
[49:29] Maybe there's some here today that have rejected the Lord and don't see him as their dwelling place or refuge. But what we see is starkly that God's punishment is also eternal.
[49:43] Yes, God blesses his people in such a way that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed. But he also punishes those who are not his people.
[49:55] Remember, God's a holy God. Wherever he sees sin, it needs to be punished. And wherever we see sin forever, he will punish it forever. The pleasures of sin are but for a moment.
[50:07] The punishment of sin is but forever. And that's why God speaks of everlasting fire. If you look at, you don't need to go there in your Bibles, but Revelation 14, 11 says, The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever and they have no rest day or night.
[50:24] Just think of those words. The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever and they have no rest day or night. So where do we go from here?
[50:35] Where do we go? Particularly those maybe that have no regard for God or are maybe struggling at the moment with assurance. Well, we ought to do with every passage that we read, with every verse that we go to in the Bible, we go to the cross and we should be turning our eyes to the cross.
[50:52] But before we look at the wonderful hope of Christ's sacrifice, I want to think about the cross particularly very briefly in the context of this verse. Jesus Christ came as God's beloved Son and as a suffering Saviour, but there were no everlasting arms underneath him when he sat on the cross as a sin bearer in his time of need.
[51:14] And it's something I'd never thought about before, but it's something to maybe think ourselves. Have you ever thought about that, that when Jesus came to die on the cross, these everlasting arms, which are a hope for us, at the moment when he hung on the cross, and suffered there for our transgressions, those everlasting arms were not there for him.
[51:32] He was to bear the sins of his people and God the Father had to turn his face from him. God his Father hid his face from him and there were no everlasting arms underneath him when he would pay the punishment and make reconciliation for sinners like us.
[51:49] Yet it was in and through Jesus that Moses was able to speak this promise to the Israelites. And it's in and through his atoning work, that atoning work of Jesus, that we hear it today.
[52:02] And maybe for those not yet believing, we have that wonderful hope of his substitution this evening to bear in mind. These words that we see off here in verse 27 are ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
[52:13] We see Christ in them so vividly. The arms of Christ that were stretched out on the cross are the same arms that now hold us in grace, ensuring that nothing can separate us from his love.
[52:27] In John 10 verses 28 to 29 it says, I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand. Here Jesus is like those everlasting arms described in verse 27 he assures his followers of their eternal security and his care.
[52:44] And in Matthew 11 verse 28 he says, Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Like that eternal God that we read of in verse 27 Jesus offers rest and peace and protection to his followers.
[52:59] So we see just in these very short couple of lines in verse 27 there's a foreshadowing of Jesus as our eternal refuge and dwelling place. We will all one day have our time in this life come to an end and what a comfort it is to live and die with the eternal God as your refuge.
[53:19] And the question maybe to ask is do you know this God? Do you trust him as your only saviour? The unbeliever and this ungodly world has no one to fall back on for refuge from sin.
[53:32] No one. There are no everlasting arms waiting to lift you up. They have no remedy even in the day of judgement before God. However Jesus as his outstretched arms on sinners behalf with his nail pierced hands on the cross there is a wonderful hope we ought to cling to this evening.
[53:49] Think of the comfort of Jesus as saviour with his everlasting arms promising to lead us by his arm in all life's journey even unto eternity.
[54:01] He leads the sinners like us in the way. He does so by his word and spirit through his holy arm ever pointing to Christ.
[54:12] Jesus is the way the truth and the life even to all eternity. And in Songs of Solomon 2 verse 6 it says his left hand is under my head and his right hand embraces me.
[54:25] And just in closing I'm always conscious when I'm preparing a sermon I don't read someone else's sermon or listen to another person's sermon and I'm thankful I didn't because I would have either asked for somebody to step in my place because I was a couple of lines into this sermon and I thought oh wow this is fantastic.
[54:42] But I wanted to leave you with the ending that Spurgeon said in one of his sermons about this particular passage and his sermon is actually solely on that word underneath.
[54:54] And it says here underneath us are the everlasting arms less reliance upon self and more reliance upon God less counting of the barley loaves and fishes and a greater readiness to bring them to his hands who can multiply them till they shall feed the thousands this is what we want.
[55:13] And I pray that we would live each day in confidence that our God is eternal and his arms are everlasting and his presence is with us now and forevermore.
[55:23] And just remember just as we close these words the eternal God is your dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms and I pray that that would be a truth that you would know and I pray that those that don't know would come to the Lord this evening knowing that these arms can also be the ones that hold them up into eternity.
[55:43] Amen and may the Lord bless these very short reflections on his word. We'll come we'll sing to close back into the book of Psalms Psalm 46 and we'll sing six stanzas of Psalm 46 God is our refuge and our strength and straits of present aid therefore although the earth remove we will not be afraid.
[56:09] Down to the end of verse 7 we'll sing these stanzas to God's praise and we'll stand to sing. Amen. God is our refuge and our strength in saints of present aid let for our Lord the earth remove we will not be afraid for our LordNING!
[57:00] NINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING The hills and mistresses be cast, the waters groan in vain, and troubled me, yea, though the hills, by swelling seas to shake.
[57:41] A river gates whose streams do glide, the city of our God, the holy place wherein the Lord, the holy place wherein the Lord, most high of His abode.
[58:22] God in the midst of the earth dwell, nothing shall the earth remove.
[58:37] The Lord to help and help the will, the Lord to help and help the will, and act right early through.
[59:02] The heat, the great chubelchiously, the kingdoms move and wear.
[59:18] The Lord God uttered His voice, the earth did melt for fear.
[59:42] The Lord of hosts upon our side doth constantly remain.
[59:58] The God of Jacob's refuge, the God of Jacob's refuge, has saved me to make it.
[60:23] Now let's read from Ephesians 3 verses 20 to 21. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.