[0:00] We give you a very warm welcome to our evening service on the first Sabbath of our new year.
[0:30] We give you a very warm welcome to our new year. We give you a very warm welcome to our new year.
[0:47] Let us begin our service and we will read to sing in Psalm 130 from the beginning. And I will read the first two verses.
[1:00] But we will sing the whole psalm. Lord, from the depth to thee I cried. My voice, Lord, do thou hear. And to my supplication's voice give an attentive ear.
[1:16] Lord, who shall stand if thou, O Lord, shouldst mask iniquity, but yet with thee forgiveness is and fear that thou mayest be.
[1:31] Lord, from the depths to thee I cried.
[1:42] My voice, Lord, do thou hear. Unto my supplication's voice give an attentive ear.
[2:04] Lord, who shall stand if thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquity, but yet with thee forgiveness is that fear thou mayest be.
[2:32] I wait for God. My soul doth wait. My hope is in his word.
[2:47] More than they that for morning watch. My soul waits for the Lord.
[3:01] I say more than they that do watch. The morning light to see.
[3:16] Let Israel open the Lord. For with him mercies be.
[3:29] And plenteous redemption is ever found with him.
[3:44] And from all his iniquities he Israel shall redeem.
[3:59] Let's come to the Lord in prayer. Lord, O Heavenly Father, that this evening ever again we thank thee that we're able to come to thee and give thee the thanks that is due to thee.
[4:18] Thou art the one that knows us better than we know ourselves. Thou hast been the one that loved us from the beginning of time.
[4:31] Thou hast been the one that we know. And thou art the one that loved us to the end. And we thank thee for thy known day that thou was set apart from all other days. When we thank thee for our spiritual benefit.
[4:48] And to our growth and grace. We thank thee that this day reminds us that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week.
[5:02] And that he intercedes for us at thy right hand. We thank thee that he came to the world to seek and to save that which was lost.
[5:17] We were all dead in trespasses and in sin. But he came to save us. And we thank thee that he went to our cross on Calvary and gave his life.
[5:33] So that we would have a life worth living. And a death to look forward to at the end of life's journey here on earth. We thank thee heavenly Father for the love thou had for fallen man.
[5:50] And we thank thee for the change that was brought into the lives of thine own people. When they knew they were indeed dead in trespass and in sin.
[6:04] That was given them a new life. A new life. A new aims in life. And a destination at the end of life. To look forward to.
[6:15] To be with thyself. We pray that this year would be a year when thy kingdom would grow here on earth.
[6:26] And that the word of God would penetrate through the hardness of the hearts of men, women and children and the hearts of nations.
[6:37] And that they would hear thy voice beckoning them to follow thee. We thank thee heavenly Father. Down through the generation.
[6:48] That thou hast had people. That feared thee. And went on with thee. We pray that this year. Would be a year that many would return.
[7:01] To thee. And give thee the honour. That is due to thee. We remember those that are suffering today. With illnesses and ailments.
[7:14] And concerned about the ailments they have. At the beginning of another year. Be with them. Sometimes when they are down in the depth. When they know not a step to take.
[7:28] But they are the one that is able to guide them and direct them. We pray for thy servants who proclaim thy word.
[7:39] Dilitionally from Sabbath to Sabbath. Be with them as they sowed the good seed. That would bring a good growth.
[7:50] And we remember our own servant. Who was on holiday at this time. Be with him heavenly Father and with his family. And we are thankful.
[8:02] For being through to thy word. And all the other servants. In each branch of the church here on earth. Bless thy work.
[8:14] And their service. And we pray heavenly Father. That thy kingdom would grow. The kingdom of Satan destroyed.
[8:25] And peace coming to the hearts of men and women. And children and nations. This we ask. And we ask it all in the name of Jesus.
[8:37] Amen. Amen. Boys and girls.
[8:52] I would like. To tell you a couple of stories today. First of all. First of all. I'll tell. A story to the girls.
[9:04] There was this young woman. And she was going to get married. But before she was. Going to get married. And before her marriage day.
[9:17] The communion. The communion. Was coming. To the area. And to her church. And she was a believer.
[9:28] She had given her heart to Jesus Christ. And she thought that first things must come first. And that she would like to go.
[9:40] To the Lord's table. For the first time. So she approached the. Minister. And said to him. That she would like to.
[9:51] Become a communicant. Member. Oh. And the minister was very happy. And he says to her. She said. She said. She said.
[10:02] She said. She said. Well. Could you tell me the difference. You see. In the love. You have. To the Lord. Now. We will come. Together.
[10:13] To the session. To the session. And the day was mentioned. And the day was mentioned. And the hour was mentioned. And they came. To the session. And the session. The session welcomed her. And the first. Question.
[10:24] The minister asked. You're getting married soon. Aren't you? Yes. In the love. You have. For the man. You're getting married to. And the love. You have. For Jesus.
[10:35] Oh. Well. She says. I find. That question. Very easy. To answer. The love. I have. For the man.
[10:46] I'm getting married to. I wouldn't like. Any other. Woman. In this world. To have. That love. For him. That I have. For him.
[10:57] For Jesus. I would like. Everybody. In the world. To have. That love. For him. That I have. For Jesus. This was a.
[11:10] Young. Woman. That I put. Her trust. In the Lord. And Savior. Jesus Christ. We know. That marriage. Is only. For this.
[11:21] Side. Side. Of the grave. But. We put. Our trust. In Jesus. He will. With us. In time. And in eternity.
[11:33] And. Blessed. Are those. That put. That trust. In him. Now. I'm going. To tell. A story. Of a young.
[11:44] Boy. He came. He decided. He would. Build. A boat. For himself. So he took. The tools. Out. The saw.
[11:55] The plane. And the sandpaper. And he started. Building. A wee boat. That he could sail. Down at the beach. And day after day. He was working. At the boat.
[12:06] Till it was complete. He saw. The wood. He plane. The wood. He sandpapered. The wood. And then. Painted the boat. And then.
[12:17] He put. Masts. And it. And put. Sails. On it. And then. He went down. To the beach. And. He had a long.
[12:28] String. A ball. Of twine. And he tied it. To the stem. Of the boat. And with the wind. Coming from. Offshore. He set the boat. In the water.
[12:39] And on. She sailed. Beautifully. And he was delighted. And the boat. And the boat. Would sail. As far out. As the. String. Would let.
[12:50] And then he would. Pull her in. And start all over again. And day after day. Week after week. He was going down. To the beach. And sailing the boat.
[13:02] And he was delighted. And the holidays. Were passing very quickly. Completely. But this day. He went out. And. There was a strong wind. Uh.
[13:13] From. Offshore. And when he set the sail off. She went. At a good rate. Out. The fastest. He had seen her. And he was slackening off.
[13:25] The twine. Till she came to the end. Of the. Of the. Of the string. And then. When he was going to pull her in. Did the.
[13:36] String not break. And away. Drifted the boat. And he kept his eye on her. Till she went out of sight. And he came home.
[13:47] With a very. Heavy heart. And down in the dumps. He was. And day after day. He was sad. He had lost the boat. But his mother said to him.
[14:00] This day. Would you like. To go. To the village. On the other side of the bay. And we'll do a bit of shopping. Oh yes. He says. I'll go with you.
[14:11] So when they reached the village. And. He was walking down. The street. And looking. In the shop window. Did he know. Notice his boat. For sale.
[14:22] So he went in. And said to the. To the merchant. See the boat you have in the window. That's my boat. He says. I lost it.
[14:33] The string broke. And it drifted away. And the shopkeeper said to him. Well he says. I bought that boat. And he says. I put a price on it. And if you have the money on you. I'll sell it to you again. But he says. The boy said.
[14:44] I haven't got the money on me today. But will you hold on to it. And I'll be back in a few weeks. And I'll have enough money then. To buy the boat. So that's what he did. He went home. Did we job is here and there. And got money for it. And soon he had enough money.
[14:55] To buy the boat. So the next time his mother was. Going to that village. Took the money with her. And he said. I'm going to the boat. I'm going to the boat. But he said. He said. I haven't got the money on me today. But will you hold on to it.
[15:06] And I'll be back in a few weeks. And I'll have enough money then. To buy the boat. So that's what he did. He went home. Did wee jobs here and there. And got money for it. And soon he had enough money. To buy the boat.
[15:17] So the next time his mother was. Going to that village. Took the money with him. And he bought the boat. And when he was going home with the boat. He had it under the sorrow.
[15:29] And somebody heard him speaking to the boat. He says. I made you for myself. I shaped you the way I wanted you. And I was delighted with you.
[15:41] But you. Broke away from me. And drifted from me. And you were lost. But then he says. I bought you again.
[15:52] But this time. I won't let you go again. You'll be with me. Forever. And this is the story. What God did too.
[16:04] When God. Made man and woman. In his own image. He was delighted with the work. Of his hands. And all the other.
[16:15] Things he. He had in this world. All the things that were in the world. Animals and fishes. Trees.
[16:26] They were. A delight. In the sight of God. He had created them all. And he said. They were good.
[16:37] And in that goodness. Was man also. But man sinned. And the ties between. God and man was broken. And man drifted away.
[16:50] But Jesus came to the world. To buy. To buy. To buy. To buy. To buy. Their. Pardon. To buy.
[17:01] Their salvation. But the price was high. His son had to go to a cross. To die. For the sins. Sins of his people. So that they would be set free.
[17:14] And. Those that would have rest in Christ. They've been born again. And they've been brought. Bought. By the precious blood of Jesus.
[17:27] And he'll never leave them. Or forsake them. They'll be with them. Forever. May God bless you all.
[17:48] Our reading. This evening.
[17:59] Is from the Old Testament. From Psalm 130. From the beginning. And we'll read. The whole Psalm.
[18:11] Out of the depth. Have I cried. Unto thee O Lord. Lord, hear my voice. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
[18:25] If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
[18:38] I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My hope, my soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning.
[18:53] I say more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him his plenteous redemption.
[19:10] And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. May the Lord bless his word to us.
[19:22] And we'll turn again to the psalm we read together. And we'll read verse 6 again.
[19:35] My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning. I say more than they that watch for the morning. And I would like, first of all, to tell about my former days before I was converted.
[19:58] We were brought up on the island of Scapulpe. And we were taught in the day school in spiritual matters.
[20:11] We were taught the catechism. And then we were to revise some verses of scripture and the psalms.
[20:21] But the catechism was very difficult sometimes to follow at that time. But they insisted that we learned it off by heart.
[20:37] And I remember the last years in school. Our headmaster was very strict on the catechism. And one of the boys, one day, when he was asked to say a catechism question, he stopped in the middle of it.
[21:00] And before he could start again, the punishment was he had to write it 90 times. And what happened after 70 times, it was always the long answers you were in trouble with.
[21:19] And he ran out of paper after 70 times. And the worst, he thought, was that the following evening he would write the remainder 20 times.
[21:35] And when he said this to the schoolmaster that he ran out of paper, the schoolmaster said to him, why did you not use your brains and write it in an old roll of paper that your mother left over when she was papering?
[21:55] And if he had done that, you wouldn't have to do it tonight another 90 times. Well, his face changed and he went pale.
[22:10] And I thought he wouldn't make the seat of it. But he did. And that's what he had to do that night. He would have been writing from half past four, from the time he came home to the time he went to bed at half past ten.
[22:27] And the other boys made sure they had the catechism. They didn't want to lose a night's fishing. And we made sure we had the catechism so that we wouldn't have to sit at home and write it.
[22:42] And that's how hard they were on the catechism. And then when people were converted, they understood the catechism then and that it was very beneficial for their spiritual education.
[23:03] And we were also in the church getting the catechism in Gaelic. In school it was English. But in the church, the Sabbath school, it was Gaelic.
[23:18] And we found it very interesting when we were converted. And we enjoyed the communion seasons when visiting preachers came.
[23:32] And they would be very good in telling us stories with spiritual meaning. And we looked forward to the communion. And the nice time people had together.
[23:44] And the visitors we had in their homes. And then, I always liked to be in the company of these Christians.
[23:59] As I spoke in verses in the Bible. They put light on it. And I was very fond of the Christians in the neighbourhood.
[24:12] They were so kind and gentle to us all. And we looked forward to the time we would be Christians ourselves.
[24:22] But we knew the Bible teaching that when Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden that sin came into this world.
[24:38] And that those that were born into the world were dead in trespasses and in sin. And it was like the watchman looking for the day time to come.
[24:53] The watchman was in darkness. We knew that we were dead in trespasses and in sin. And that there was no healthiness in us.
[25:04] From the soles of our feet to the top of our legs. To the top of our heads. And then the watchman was looking to the dawn.
[25:18] But the darkest hour was the hour before the dawn. And there was a time in my life that I knew that I was dead in trespass and in sin.
[25:36] I knew whatever I did or say I wouldn't win God's favor back. That it had to be done from God's side.
[25:52] And that God sent His Son into this world to seek and to save us all from our sins.
[26:04] and the heavy guilt of sin was upon me. And I knew it was the darkest hour of my life.
[26:18] The hour before the break of the dawn. And then we went forward like the watchman and seeing the signs of the noon dawn coming.
[26:36] Some places I used to go to I had lost interest in it. The drawings on me wasn't the same as they were at one time.
[26:50] I wasn't satisfied with the life I had. and at that time there were signs that the dawn was coming.
[27:03] I was getting very interested in the other Christians that were about. And I was working in Sky and there was Christians there that had been newly converted and I used to be with them in their homes when they would speak on spiritual matters.
[27:24] I had had knowledge of scriptural things but I didn't know it in my heart. I didn't have the assurance that I was a Christian at all.
[27:42] I had had the knowledge of it but no heart knowledge. And this was the situation I was in when I came to a church in Sky one morning and I sat in the pew and before the minister started preaching he says I have prepared a sermon for today and it was complete yesterday but during the night I cannot preach on it I cannot preach on it.
[28:24] I have to preach on it and it's for somebody here today. And may that somebody listen attentively to what I have to say to them for it is for them.
[28:39] Remember that Jesus is passing this way today. And my eyes wandered around the congregation wondering who that person would be and it rested on a old lady and on her sister too that was sitting a pew or two in front of me.
[29:04] and the thought that came through my mind was isn't it great that these two ladies came to church today if they're going to be blessed by the word of God.
[29:21] Then I relaxed to listen to the service. I was always listening to the service because when I was young I had to bring the service home to an old lady that stayed beside us on the croft.
[29:42] She would ask what psalms they had, what reading they had, what headings they had and I had to bring all these things to her and I had to learn it off by heart.
[29:59] So I was very interested to hear what the preacher was going to preach on. And this was the psalm he preached on.
[30:10] And this verse, my soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning. I say more than they that watch for the morning.
[30:23] And then I was putting it to myself as it was going on. I was waiting for the Lord too. And I was waiting for the dawn of a new day coming into my heart when I could personally say that Jesus Christ was my Savior.
[30:43] I used to listen to the men speaking on the questions in the Tarborg Church and how well they would speak on the question. just ordinary people, common people.
[30:59] But I also remembered that the common people heard Jesus gladly. And they would speak of their own experiences of Jesus Christ.
[31:13] And at that time I couldn't say a word on these matters. But then the minister went on and spoke on the watchman in darkness.
[31:28] The watchman in the hour before the dawn, the darkest hour. And also that there was signs that there was a dawn coming into his life.
[31:41] He was interested in spiritual matters now. And he didn't have the desire to be going to the places he used to go to.
[31:54] There was no feeding farm there. And he liked the company of other Christians. And I was saying well I can follow it as far as that.
[32:09] But I couldn't follow it to the dawn. I could follow it to the time that the dawn, that the signs of the dawn was coming and to be sent.
[32:26] But I couldn't say that the dawn had come, that I was born again. But this he said, there's a prayer meeting in the middle of the week and make sure you're there.
[32:40] there. Oh, and that's where I threw a line. Because I didn't expect Satan to be coming with wisdom, worldly wisdom and saying, you're not starting to go to the prayer meeting already when it's just one sermon you heard.
[33:01] You have seen others starting at the prayer meeting and then stopping. And would you not think it would be better if you didn't go there? Oh, there was a fight within me from Monday to the Wednesday night.
[33:19] But then I decided to go. And when I went to the prayer meeting, the peace and the joy of Jesus Christ being in your company came into my heart.
[33:34] And the dawn had come, and the sunrise had started, the warm sunrise of sin forgiven.
[33:47] But of course, when the sun shines, it shows the dust, and it showed me that I had to deal with sin, that sin had polluted my mind, that I needed Christ to cleanse me from all sin, and it was only the blood of Christ that could cleanse me for that.
[34:16] and then the cross and Calvary came in an important place in my life.
[34:32] And at my daily work, I was seeing signs that Jesus Christ was working in my heart.
[34:43] and I also remember at that time, it was about November, I think, and the forest squad, the local forest squad, was burning on a quiet, quiet day.
[35:01] they would burn the heather that was on the outside perimeter of the forestry boundary, they would burn about six metres right along that perimeter edge, right round the forest.
[35:23] so when the springtime came and the moorland fires would start and they would come so quickly across the hills, they would have to stop at this bit that was burnt already.
[35:42] And I looked on Calvary and saw that Jesus Christ, the wrath of God came upon him, not because of any sin, he did himself, because he was sinless and he was perfect, but he carried the sins of his people on his own body on the cross of Calvary and gave his life so that we would be set free.
[36:13] And I saw that my sins rested on him when the fire of God's wrath came upon him and there was no other place for safety for me but at the cross of Christ.
[36:33] His wrath won't burn twice because Jesus carried our sins and Jesus was the one that I had to follow now because I was in debt to what he did for me.
[36:58] And also I saw when we would have landslides and forestry roads like we have nowadays on the storm by pass and on the road to rest and be thankful that I landslides there because of the quality of the ground above it.
[37:24] And when heavy rain came the hillside would move down the way and close the roads. And I also saw that when sin entered into this world that it closed the road back to God, the way back to God.
[37:51] And I call that sin's light. And it could only be opened from God's side. Whatever I or anybody else would do from our side, we wouldn't win God's favor back by anything he would do, say, or even think.
[38:17] But God had a plan of salvation and he opened the road by sending Jesus Christ into this world.
[38:30] And he takes the sins of his people away and he puts them in the ocean of his forgetfulness where they will never surface again.
[38:45] And round about sky there are places, zones they call them, that the Navy and the MOD use and you're not allowed to fish or set nets or drag nets there for safety reasons.
[39:03] And the landslide we were clearing, we had to find a safe place to put the material in where it wouldn't trouble us again so that we would open the roads.
[39:18] But God opened the roads and the way for us by the way of the cross and Jesus taking out sins.
[39:30] And we have a great Savior and Redeemer. And we must remember what God has done for us in putting away our sins that we mustn't fish here there again in that sea or go near it.
[39:51] for when God forgives he forgets and remembers no more. He wipes the sin away.
[40:04] And then the day came into my life when I could say I was born again. Can I say that there wasn't clouds in my daytime since I was converted?
[40:23] No. But every cloud that came on my skies they had a silver lining. And I felt the presence of the Lord sometimes more when I was in sadness than when I was on top of the mountains.
[40:46] the swallows always on the wing on the top of the mountains. Psalm 54 says the sparrow is always near the ground but they come to nest in God's house.
[41:05] Both of them. Though they are different birds and they have different ways of flying the swallows are always on the wing and the sparrows always on its leg down on the ground level but they have a place in God's sanctuary and all kind of people have a place with God and there's a place for them in his house.
[41:39] And what do I look for? I look at the horizons and we know that the best is yet to come and to be with Jesus is better than any other thing.
[42:00] When our lifespan is over and on eternity shore Jesus will be waiting for us. what a friend we have in Jesus.
[42:12] Those that put a thrust in him will never regret it. May the Lord bless his word to us. We'll say a wee word of prayer.
[42:25] we thank we thank thee that they work in the hearts of thy people and that they work calling them from darkness into their light and they work with them each step of the way and those that put their thrust in thee will never be put to shame.
[42:47] we thank thee that they work in every nation that they work in the people of the islands and of the highlands so that they will know that they have a friend that stick us closer than any brother.
[43:08] Be with us all now and go before us and may this year be a blessed year when many will return to thee and rejoice in salvation.
[43:25] Amen. ?! Thank you.
[44:25] Thank you.
[44:55] Thank you.
[45:25] Thank you. Thank you.
[46:25] Thank you. May the grace of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of his Holy Spirit, Amen.