[0:00] Good evening and welcome to our evening service.
[0:23] It's good to come together again to worship God and we pray that you'll indeed be blessed as you gather with us. While I'm leading the service, due to our minister being away on holiday, the service will indeed be preached by Gordon Thompson and I'm sure that you'll be blessed with what Gordon has to say to us.
[0:41] Just be aware that as the video comes on, there'll be a slight delay in the sound, but if you bear with that, I'm sure you'll indeed be blessed to hear what Gordon has to say to us from the Word of God.
[0:53] So as we come, we're going to sing in Psalm 126 to God's praise. Psalm 126 from the Metrical Psalm.
[1:03] When Zion's bondage God turned back, as men that dreamed were we, then filled with laughter was our mouth, our tongue with melody. And we'll sing to the end of the Psalm that man who bearing precious seed, then going forth doth mourn.
[1:19] He doubtless bringing back his sheaves, rejoicing, will return. Psalm 126 from the Metrical Psalm.
[1:53] Great things for them hath wrought. The Lord hath done great things for us, whence joy to us is brought.
[2:08] As streams of water in the south, out bondage Lord recall. Who so in tears are reaping time, of joy and joy they shall.
[2:29] That man who bearing precious seed, in going forth doth mourn.
[2:40] He doubtless bringing back his sheaves, rejoicing, shall return. We'll now bow in prayer.
[2:56] Let us pray. Our gracious and ever-blessed Lord, we thank you that we can come before you this evening. That we can once again enter into your presence.
[3:10] And Heavenly Father, as we come and as we seek to be still before you, we pray, Heavenly Father, that as we reflect on all that we have heard already today. That Heavenly Father, that we would recognise the importance of what it is to be born again.
[3:28] As the message was brought to the children this morning. That Heavenly Father, we are once born into this earth. That we would recognise, Heavenly Father, the gift that you gave us through your Son, Jesus.
[4:04] And that Heavenly Father, while your Son came and walked in this earth. While he bore our sins at the cross at Calvary. Where he was laid in a grave and then rose on the third day.
[4:19] And Heavenly Father, that each one of us that hears your message this night. Each one of us that listens to this message at any time. Would recognise, Heavenly Father, that that price was paid for our sin.
[4:32] And that there is a day that you will come back. And Heavenly Father, you will take us to be with you if we have come and bowed our knee before you.
[4:44] So Heavenly Father, as we come and we search the riches of your word once again this night. We would pray that each one of us would know what it is to be saved. That we would not listen to this message and walk away from it.
[4:59] But Heavenly Father, that we would indeed bow our knee before you before the end of this day. And that we would ask you into our hearts. That we would not seek to continue to cling to the things of this world.
[5:14] That will pass in the twinkling of an eye. And Heavenly Father, that we would know what it is to store up our treasure in heaven. So guide us this night.
[5:25] Be with us as we come together for this act of worship. As we have sung your praise, Heavenly Father. We thank you that while the children of Israel were one day in bondage.
[5:37] You released them from that bondage, Heavenly Father. And we pray that each one of us would know what it is to be released from the bondage of sin. That we may go out and be able to fulfill the great commission that is upon the life of each and every one of us as Christians.
[5:54] To go out and make disciples. And Heavenly Father, that as we may sow in tears for those that we know and love. That we would indeed, Heavenly Father, on that day of your coming.
[6:06] Be rejoicing. With tears of happiness. As that harvest is taken into you. So guide us this night, Heavenly Father. Watch over us.
[6:18] You know the situation that each one of us comes to in this night. And Heavenly Father, how our hearts can be heavy. That we may be laid down, Heavenly Father, because of sickness, with ill health, or because of bereavement.
[6:34] Because of worries that we have about the future because of our jobs. And Heavenly Father, we pray that we would come. And that we would cast all these cares and anxieties before you.
[6:46] And that we would indeed trust in you. So guide us this night. Forgive us for our sins. In your Son's precious name. Amen. We're now going to come and read God's Word.
[7:05] And we'll read in Jeremiah chapter 8. And we'll break into the chapter at verse 4. Jeremiah chapter 8. And at verse 4.
[7:17] This is what the Lord says. When men fall down, do they not get up? When a man turns away, does he not return? Why then have these people turned away?
[7:30] Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit. They refuse to return. I have listened attentively. But they do not say what is right.
[7:42] No one repents of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Each pursues his own course, like a horse charging into battle. Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons.
[7:55] And the dove, the swift, and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord. How can you say we are wise, for we have the law of the Lord, when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?
[8:13] The wise will be put to shame. They will be dismayed and trapped, since they have rejected the word of the Lord. What kind of wisdom do they have? Therefore, I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners, from the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain.
[8:33] Prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. Peace, peace, they say, when there is no peace.
[8:45] Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all. They do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen.
[8:57] They will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord. I will take away their harvest, declares the Lord. There will be no grapes on the vine, there will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither.
[9:10] What I have given them will be taken from them. Why are we sitting here? Gather together. Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there.
[9:21] For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him. We hoped for peace, but no good has come.
[9:33] For a time of healing, but there was only terror. The snorting of the enemy's horses is heard from Dan. At the neighing of their stallions, the whole land trembles.
[9:45] They have come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who live there. See, I will send venomous snakes among them, vipers and that that cannot be charmed, and they will bite them, declares the Lord.
[10:02] O my comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me. Listen to the cry of my people. From a land far away, is the Lord not in Zion?
[10:13] Is her king no longer there? Why have you provoked me to anger with their images, with their worthless foreign idols? The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.
[10:31] Since my people are crushed, I am crushed. I mourn, and horror grips me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then, is there no healing for the wound of my people?
[10:47] Amen. And may God add his blessing for the reading of his holy word. We give you a welcome to the evening service tonight, even watched through video.
[11:00] I hope you're all keeping well. We're just going to have a word of prayer before we turn to God's word. Father, we come before you in the name of Jesus, and we thank you that we are weak, that we know that you are strong.
[11:14] We thank you only, Father, that we can do nothing without you. And we ask you only, Father, to come and take your word and apply it to people's hearts tonight. Father, they may experience you no matter where they're sitting, whether it be in their kitchen or in their living room or wherever they may be just now.
[11:35] We ask you through the power of the Holy Spirit, as we share the good news, the gospel tonight, we pray, and Father, you'd come and touch someone's soul who'd know what it is to experience forgiveness of sins through the Lord Jesus.
[11:51] In your wonderful name. Amen. Amen. Do you know, in the book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet.
[12:03] He was a man whose heart was broken because the people of God just kept on refusing and rejecting the things and the ways of God and just going their own way and rebelling.
[12:16] And in Jeremiah chapter 20, Jeremiah chapter 8, in verse 20, it says, the harvest has passed, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.
[12:29] The harvest has passed, the summer has ended, and we are not saved. And isn't it true, the Bible is very clear in telling us that we need to get right with God.
[12:43] And here is Jeremiah, a man who had a broken heart because of the rebellion of the lost people just going against him. And you know, you may be here listening tonight and in this service or whenever you're listening to it, and you've heard the good news, the gospel, time and time and time and time and time again.
[13:08] And yet you're not saved. And yet you're not converted. And yet you've never came and given your life over to Christ. Well, it's so important that you stop and take a spiritual stock check of your life.
[13:25] because the Word of God tells us in Genesis chapter 2 and verse 7, the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.
[13:43] And man became a living soul. And the Word of God tells us clearly that God breathed into us the breath of life and we became a living soul.
[13:56] And it's important that we know that our soul is safe and secure in Christ. That we know that our sins are being forgiven and we've got peace with God in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.
[14:11] There's been people who have heard the gospel time and time and time again and sometimes it's just like water off a duck's back. because they just keep on rejecting it.
[14:24] And I wonder if that's your situation tonight. The harvest has passed. The summer has ended. And you know that you're not saved. And you know that you're not converted.
[14:38] Well, I want to tell you through the Word of God in Acts chapter 2 and verse 21 it says, And everyone who calls in the name of the Lord will be saved.
[14:49] And everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And here is Peter preaching to the crowd. And he's letting them know that forgiveness of sins is available.
[15:05] Being saved, knowing that you're saved from the wrath of God is available. And it's through Christ. Not through religion. through a relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
[15:18] And I'd like to say to you tonight, what's the problem? If you're listening to this tonight or whenever, what's the problem? God has told us that there's forgiveness of sins.
[15:32] Excuse me. And there's peace with God. And it's through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And he's made it possible for you to call upon the name of the Lord.
[15:44] He's made it possible for you to come and surrender and give your life to Christ. So what's your excuse? Because they're only excuses.
[15:57] What you're putting up is only excuses. Because God has made it available for you to come to him. God has made it available for you to know forgiveness of sins.
[16:07] God has made it available that you can know that your name's written in the Lamb's Book of Life. So what's your excuse? What's the devil feeding you? What's he saying into your heart and mind?
[16:20] Because he feeds people with lies. The devil's the father of lies. And he can be feeding lies into you. Wait.
[16:31] It's not your time. You'll see a big light in the sky one day. You'll see the green light to go. Nonsense. The Bible says if you call upon the name of the Lord you shall be saved.
[16:48] In Matthew chapter 16 and verse 26 Jesus says What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world yet forfeits his soul?
[17:02] Or what can a man give in exchange of his soul? What profit is there if you gain the whole world and then your soul is lost?
[17:19] God is not saying Oh, what a lovely house you're sitting in. What a beautiful car you're driving. Oh, you're used to go on lovely holidays.
[17:31] You can't go on big holidays now. You're used to go on lovely holidays and all that security you've got in the bank. You're doing wonderful. No.
[17:43] He's saying What benefit is all all the good things? There's nothing the matter with having a nice home a nice car money in the bank.
[17:54] There's nothing the matter with all that but there is there is have you put all that before God? Have you put not all before your soul? What profit is there?
[18:05] Have you gained the whole world but your soul is lost? How many men have worked and worked and worked and worked I want to give my wife the best I want to give my children the best I want them to live in the best I want them to have the best I want them to drive the best I want to take them to the best places and their soul is lost?
[18:28] Their soul is lost? Where are you tonight? How do you stand before God? What value have you put upon your soul?
[18:44] God loves us Christ died for us and we can become a child of God through the Lord Jesus Christ Christ Professor McMillan a free church minister who is now rejoicing in heaven tells the story of the rich farmer who came from the islands and Professor McMillan went in to see him and the rich farmer who was a Christian he says everything I've worked for all my life is slipping through my fingers like sand and I cannot stop it everything I've worked for all my life is slipping through my fingers like sand and I cannot stop it there's many people climbed a ladder of success and got to the top of the ladder and they realise the ladder is leaning against the wrong world what profit is there if you gain the whole world and yet your soul is lost when God made you he breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul and my relationship with God was broken down because of Adam and Eve and disobedience in the garden of Eden because sin came into the world we were separated from God but God sent his son into the world to die upon the cross of Calvary to pay the price of your sin and my sin and hallelujah the word of God says if we call upon the name of the Lord we shall be saved the summer has passed and venerated ended and you're not saved what's hindering you from coming and giving your life to God what excuses are you putting up
[20:53] Matthew chapter 19 and verse 16 says now a man came up to Jesus and asked teacher what good thing must I do to get eternal life what good thing must I do to get eternal life now this was a man who was rich a man who was a ruler a man who lived a righteous life but he knew there was something missing because being rich doesn't make you a Christian you can have riches and a Christian and praise God but your riches don't make you a Christian being religious what make you a Christian it's a relationship with God through Christ being a ruler in a church will not make you a Christian it's coming and repenting of your sins and giving your life to Christ what good thing must I do to get eternal life and here lies the problem what good thing must
[22:07] I do to get eternal life all our righteousness is like filthy rags and there's nothing that we can do so that we can have eternal life there's nothing that we can do so that we know that we're saved all we can do is come and cry out to God come to Jesus and ask for mercy ask for God's mercy ask for the mercy of God to experience the mercy of God in our life and what does the Bible say whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved and you can come and call upon the name of the Lord tonight don't allow hearing the gospel so many times that it does nothing for you the Bible tells us that God has given us a soul and we're going to die one day and stand before God and give an account of our life and there's heaven where there's no more tears no more sorrow and no more pain where we're rejoicing in heaven with the
[23:39] Lord and then there's another place which is Bible speaks about hell where it's weeping and wailing and gnashed of teeth but falling into a lake of fire don't leave it till it's too late today is the day of salvation now is your time where you can come and ask God to come into your life don't wait for the green light don't wait for the big bright light don't wait to hear God come saying it's your turn now you just come and ask God to forgive you and cleanse you of your sins and to come into your life God has made it available for you and for me we have to come to him in Deuteronomy chapter 30 in verse 19 it says this day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing thou choose life so that you and your children may live
[24:54] I have set before you life and death blessings and cursing thou choose life so that you and your children may live this was Moses speaking before the children of Israel life or death blessing or cursing God has set before you life or death saved or lost righteous in him are rejected outside of him what are you going to do tonight if you had to die tonight where would you spend eternity tonight is a great night where you can come and call upon the name of the Lord you know this morning we're looking at Jeremiah chapter 8 and verse 20 the harvest has passed the summer has ended and we are not saved and tonight you can know that you're saved tonight you can know that your sins are forgiven tonight you can know sorry this morning we're looking at the tongue and James and how it can destroy us but tonight we're looking at Jeremiah and how you can know forgiveness of sins by just coming you don't need to be lost condemned
[26:36] God has made a way back and that way back is through Christ you know many people think you need to be perfect you need to get this right and that right well you better always be honest and this morning after this morning service my wife and my daughter said you can't send that dad your reading was a disgrace you stuttered and stammered over that sermon don't send it redo it and I said to him I'm not a professional I'm not a professional and what do I mean by that I make mistakes loads of mistakes but I know who I am in Christ and I'm forgiven my sins are forgiven and I've got peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ and you can know the same you can come and know that your sins are forgiven and you've got peace with God what's hindering you what's hindering you from coming and repenting and giving your life to Christ none of us praise God there's mercy there's mercy and there's forgiveness with God through
[28:03] Christ we're not professionals we're saved sinners by the grace of God and you can be a saved sinner through the grace of God as well by coming and giving your life to God through Christ Amen Father we pray if they bury one listening in we pray Lord you know how their heart is before you and we're asking in the name of Jesus that you tell them to stop putting up excuses stop running away from the truth after hearing the gospel maybe through their parents and seeing their parents living for you and maybe other members of their family living for you but they know and you know that they are not living for you
[29:13] I pray that tonight that they'll come and surrender and give their life over to you through your son Christ in your wonderful name Amen Amen God bless you how deep the father's love for us how vast beyond all measure that he should give his only son to make the wretch his treasure how great the pain of searing loss the father turns his face away as wounds which mother chosen wore bring many sons to glory behold the man upon the cross my sin upon his shoulders ashamed
[31:02] I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers it was my sin that held him there until it was accomplished his tying breath has brought me life I know I know that it is finished I will not boast in anything no gifts no power no wisdom but I will boast in Jesus Christ his death and resurrection why should I gain from his reward
[32:13] I cannot give an answer but this I know with all my heart his wounds have paid my ransom my ransom my ransom my ransom my ransom my ransom and my ransom let us pray now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To God our Saviour, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forevermore.
[33:20] Amen.