Good evening, everybody. Oh, really, is that it? Good evening, everybody. Hi, there you go. There's a bit more warmth and alertness in that. We give you a warm welcome to our evening service. Whether it's your one millionth time here, there's no special prize for that, I'm afraid. But there is a blessing, we hope, from the Lord here this evening. If you're a visitor, it's great to have you as well. And we do give a special welcome to Callum Webster from the Christian Institute, who's come along to share on this missionary Sunday with us this evening. And so it is great to have him. Alon he'll be sharing later on in the service. So in Drew's absence I'm here to share some necessary information that you guys need to know for this week and so that is that all organizations are on as normal and so that also means on Tuesday at 7.30 we have our Bible study and prayer meeting in the hall. This week Connect then is on as well on Thursday at 7.30 in the Sports Hall. And then next Sunday, again, is a special day for us in the fellowship with our Harvest Services. And so we have a guest speaker of the Reverend Ian Gilkinson. We have singers called Heavenly Sunshine. We maybe could have used them today, actually. And as well, after the evening service, we will have a supper over in the hall. I'm not sure if Drew mentioned that this morning or not. Maybe he was trying to keep the numbers down to get a bigger plate load as well. But we have a supper on in the hall after the evening service next week. Some special announcements just around the arrangements for harvest as well. For those who've signed up to bring flowers or fruit, there are vases or baskets in the prayer room that you can get. And then you can please bring all items on Saturday morning between 9am and 10. So when was that? Saturday morning between 9am and 10. And for those who have opted to give a monetary gift to purchase extra items, if you could please bring that on Tuesday evening. And so one other event this week as we announce this morning, our condolences to the family and friends of May Fraser. Just to remind you to pray on for Catherine, for Billy, for Lorraine, and for all of the family circle. The Thanksgiving service for the life of May will be here in the church on Tuesday at 12 noon. That's Tuesday at 12 with refreshments in the hall afterwards. And so if you're able to attend that, that would be great. And just to show our our sorrow as a church family as well at the loss of another sister in Christ, but to rejoice. at her now experience of being alongside her Savior, the Lord Jesus. So that's Tuesday at 12 o'clock. That, I believe, is all the announcements. I'm sure somebody's sitting there going, you forgot to say this one, but hopefully not. Let's focus ourselves as we open our service in prayer, and as always, don't just get lost, in a sense, listening to somebody else praying, but really focus your own heart and spirit as we really seek the Lord for this evening's service and for the week ahead, and let's pray together. Dear Gracious and Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord God, for the majesty of the Almighty One, for the glory of the Eternal One, for the Ancient of Days who rules, has ruled, and will always rule with supreme authority and power. We thank you, Father, that indeed, as always, here is another Sunday, Lord, where we have an audience with the King. where you have promised, Father, to be in the gatherings of your people, where Christ is lifted up, that you, Father, will indeed take pleasure and fellowship with us. For, Father, we recognize that this service, Lord, it's not about us, it's about you. And this is for you this evening, Father, in obedience to your word, but also we thank you, Father, that indeed when we put you at center, when we recognize you are the center, so we find a blessing, so we find, Father, a truth to stand on, that indeed, Father, when we seek you first, we find that all of the other aspects of our life fall into correct order, into correct significance, that indeed, Father, in your presence, we find comfort when we need it. We find joy that is unlike any joy this world has to offer. We find peace that is separate from all of the circumstances, Lord, with which we're in. So, Lord, we thank you that there is nothing like being in your presence, nothing like worshiping you, Nothing like joining in fellowship with fellow believers. and Father, being edified and being equipped, being built up as we praise you. We do pray for our gathering here this evening. We pray, Father, for those who would love to be here and would be if they were able but are unable. We pray, Father, that each heart that would seek to engage in worship of you this evening, to receive from you, Father, your blessing. We ask, Lord God, that indeed we will be overawed at you. and that you would receive all of the praise, the honour, and the glory. As we would lift our voices, Father, in Psalm, may it come from the heart. As Callum would share and would also open up your word, Father, tonight, may he know a warmth and a liberty in this place. As we do pray, Father, not even just for every gathering within our own but Father, for the nations around the world where our brothers and sisters are meeting in the name of Jesus, Father God, would you build your church? Father God, would you equip us to be light, to be a city on a hill that shows and proclaims and speaks of the light of the world? So Lord God, would you have your way here this evening? And Father, we ask your help. Your help, Father, to listen. Your help, Father, to apply it to our hearts. Your conviction, Lord, to help us to respond and to act, not just hearers but doers of your word. In Jesus' wonderful name we pray, amen. Amen, we'll hand over to Brian and to Daphne to lead us in praise, thank you. Good evening, folks. Good to see you out on such a wet evening. Glad you're able to gather in with us. Our opening song tonight is one that we will know, but before we get that far, you may or may not have heard of Exotle Dixon. She's a Christian writer, and in one of her articles, she shares a very personal story. She says, after my mom died, one of her fellow cancer patients approached me. Your mom was so kind to me. Then sobbing, she said, I'm sorry she died. And then she added, instead of me. Exotle replied, my mom loved you. We prayed God would let you see your boys grow up. Exotle took her hands and wept with her as she prayed and asked God to help her grieve peacefully. Exotle also thanked God for this lady's remission that allowed her to continue loving her husband and two growing children. Our opening song this evening is to encourage all of us to give thanks. And if you're physically able, please stand as we sing it through twice. Thanks so much. Give thanks with a grateful heart Give thanks to the Holy One Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ His Son Give thanks with a grateful heart Give thanks to the Holy One Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ His Son Because of what the Lord has done for us. And now, let the weak say, I am strong. Let the poor say, I am rich. Because of what the Lord has done. As clouds in the sun Let the weak say, I am strong Let the poor say, I am weak That was really great singing. Thank you for singing it out so well. Please feel free to sit back down again. Don't be intimidated by me. Just almost ignore me. We're going to sing another well-known song together. It's entitled, There's a Work for Jesus. And if your mind works anything like my mind, whenever you think of that term, work, you tend to think of maybe it's the job that you go to every day or used to go to if you're fortunate like me and you're retired. But work, yes, very often it's a very practical thing and we're so glad We have so many folks in the church family here who are practically able to work in terms of serving the Lord. But we were reminded this morning that work is more than just what we can do. Sometimes it's by what we give. Sometimes by those folks who lift the phone and phone someone else just to encourage them. Or maybe they send a card or a little letter just to encourage. So there's a work for Jesus. Whatever it is, you can do it for Him. And if you're able, please stand again as we sing this through. Thanks. There's a work for Jesus ready at your hand It's a task impossible for you to find As you do His will in excellent strength There's a work for Jesus, humble though it be, Though our fields are whitened, and the labors few, There's a work for Jesus, not what few can do. Work for Jesus, day by day, Serve the better, forward, never cry obey. Yield in service, loyalty, There's a one for Jesus, precious so to bring Tell him of his promises, tell him of his love That was great. Please be seated again. The next one we're going to sing is all about when we first get saved. And of course, we want to grow closer to the Lord day by day. And the chorus of this is, the longer I serve him, the sweeter he grows. And I hope that is how you feel today. I'll let you sit down for this one if you sing well. Since I started for the kingdom. Since I started for the kingdom Since my life No longer I serve Him, the Savior He knows. Each day is like heaven My heart overflows with love He is coming, plenteous grace He bestows. Every day I wake and pray to Him no longer I sigh. Anybody never sung that before? Oh, very few. That was good. That was good singing. Thanks so much for that. We really appreciate it. It's good we allowed them to sit down. Yep. And I'm sure you're pleased we allowed you to sit down. In Revelation chapter 16 and verse 12, we are told that when the sixth bowl was poured out, on the earth, that the consequence of that was that out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, three unclean spirits emerged that looked like frogs, which deceived what are described as the kings of the whole earth. Commenting on this, Dr. Juergen Buehler says, this means the deceptive spirits will not only impact the man on the street, but explicitly target government leaders and rulers. Perhaps we might feel we can see something of this even in our society today. So our last song before Callum will speak to us is Speak, O Lord. And we know that God's word speaks only truth. Once again, please stand for this three verses. Speak, O Lord, as we come to You to receive the fruit of Your holy Word. Take your truth and in thee we ask Shame and fascist fear likeness That the light of Christ might be seen today of a Rejoice, Lord, in obedience Holy reverence to the new-born King Test our thoughts and our attitudes In the radiance of your glory Close our eyes to see your majestic crown. Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds, help us cross the heights of your plans for us. Changed from the dark of time, But the Lamb forgot the eternity, And my praise could stand on the Father's hand. We're looking forward to what Callum will have to share with us. Thank you Callum, you're very welcome. Well, it is a privilege to be with you in Abbots Cross this evening, and if you have your Bibles there, if you would turn to Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7, and we want to read from the verse number 13. Matthew chapter seven, beginning to read at verse 13. Enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat, because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which buildeth house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell. and great was the fall of it." And may God bless the reading of His Word to every one of our hearts. And we want to think about this passage for a few moments, because here at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ is teaching that there are two responses to His Word. There are those who put His Word into practice, and there are those who do not. The first group, the wise, are like those who build upon a rock. The second group, the foolish, are like those who build upon the sand. Now I'm no architect, no surveyor, but I do know enough to know that no house built upon sand will survive the storms of life. No house built upon sand, no life built upon sand will survive the judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns. But whoever hears what our Savior has to say and puts his word into practice, these are the ones with the sure foundation. And what a glorious foundation we have in the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, died in our place on Calvary's cross, took the penalty that you and I deserve from a holy and a righteous God who cannot overlook sin. We have been rescued, we've been redeemed from the dominion of darkness, and we have been brought into the kingdom of God's beloved Son. God has raised us up with Christ and seated us in heavenly places with him. The Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of our lives. His obedience, His death, and His rising again are the only basis for our salvation. And His gospel is to be obeyed, and crucially, His gospel is to be left out. This living out of the faith, this putting of the Word of God into practice requires much courage, it requires much wisdom, and one reason for this is because we are living in a minority. We are among the few who are walking on the narrow way in contrast to the many who are on the broad road. Our foundation is sure, but that does not make the Christian walk an easy walk. Christian believers are being confronted all of the time with enforced secularism. We're seeing it in our media, in our workplaces, in the political arena. We're seeing it in colleges, in universities, and even in schools. And it is attacking biblical truth, including what we know from Scripture, to be the right foundation for human society. Scripture teaches that marriage between one man and one woman is God's design for the human race. It is crucial to the well-being of any healthy society. Scripture teaches that our identity as either male or female is a God-given blessing, is something that He has decided for us, not something we decide for ourselves. And Scripture teaches that human beings are created in the image of God, whose lives ought to be protected in law and not to be taken in the womb or when weak or vulnerable. And yet all of those things are under attack in our nation today. We have seen marriage redefined in the laws of our land to include same-sex relationships. We've seen marriage repeatedly undermined by ever-easier divorce measures. We are witnessing the indoctrination of children in gender ideology, which removes any sense of objective biological sex and tells the children wrongly that they can choose their own gender. And we are seeing the value of human life treated with contempt as calls for abortion on demand and for assisted suicide grow louder and louder in our Western nations. And remaining confident in the Word of God on those issues is an important means by which we build our lives upon the rock of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. Our sovereign Creator God is good. The instructions he gives to men and women on how to live are designed for our best. And if we do not stand for the Word of God, then both as individuals and as a whole society, verse 27 of the passage gives the result. and it fell, and great was the fall of it." So, as Christian believers seeking to love our neighbor, we must defend those sure foundations. Now, of course, our intentions may be misunderstood, they may even be misrepresented. Although we are motivated by the glory of God and by the good of our neighbor, we at times may be accused of hatred or bigotry or intolerance. But our Lord has already prepared us for that. Two chapters earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew chapter 5, he says, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. And in the passage we read from in Matthew chapter 7, we are warned that some of the danger comes from wolves masquerading as sheep, people who claim the name of Christ but who do not know Him and who are out to harm His true church. And we're witnessing examples of that at the present time from people who profess to be Christians but who are campaigning to criminalize faithful Bible teaching through a broad conversion therapy ban. So then the Christian believer is in the midst of a conflict. Running away, remaining silent, or compromising can all seem like attractive options. But the Lord Jesus Christ prayed to the Father in John chapter 17, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. So the Lord Jesus Christ calls us to follow him in this world, not to retreat from it. not to hide from it, not even simply to limit our involvement to evangelism, although, of course, the sharing of the gospel is of central importance to the church. But the gospel also prepares for good works. It is both a saving from and a saving to. In Ephesians chapter 2, we read, For we, that is, believers, are his, that is, God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. So we cannot trade off obedience versus evangelism. Both of them are called for, both of them are necessary, both of them are intertwined. Yes, we must always remember that obedience is not about earning salvation. We are only saved through Christ's death in our place on Calvary's cross. We are saved by grace through faith. It is not Christ's work plus our own works. It is the work of Christ alone. And yet, as the Reformers insisted, although we are saved by faith alone, faith that saves is never alone. True faith will always be accompanied by obedient living, and for the Lord Jesus Christ that is the test of true faith. In verse 20 of Matthew 7, which we read, Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them." So Christian believers are to be those bearing good fruit, to be those recognizable as men and women putting the words of the Lord Jesus Christ into practice. And we have this tremendous encouragement from Galatians chapter 6, and let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. So in a few moments as I come to consider some of the contemporary issues facing us as Christian believers in our nation today, let's be encouraged that we have a sure foundation in the Lord Jesus Christ, including a certain hope for the future. And let's remain confident that the Word of God gives us the sure foundations for living in human society as well. So as we consider these biblical principles, I want now just to pause the worship part and we will look at some of the issues going on that the Christian Institute is dealing with in our society today. I want to report on some of the issues we are involved in. And the first area I want to share with you tonight relates to what is being called gender ideology. We know from Genesis chapter 1 that our identity as either male or female is central to God's creation of human beings in His image. God has deliberately created men and women different from one another, but interdependent upon one another. Men and women are equally made in the image of God, but equal does not mean the same thing as sameness. Each sex has its own distinct role to play in God's design for the family unit, in God's design for human society, and in God's design for his church. But gender ideology is seeking to destroy the distinction between male and female that God in his goodness and in his wisdom has set in place. Gender ideology teaches, falsely teaches, that every person has a gender identity which may or may not match with their biological sex. It says that a person's subjective internal feelings of gender are who they really are, and that those subjective internal feelings override the physical biology of our bodies. So that's what gender ideology teaches. But, of course, the truth of Scripture and the truth of science is that your body is not separate from the real you. The Bible teaches that a person is a coherent whole, both body and soul together. But this ideology that a person can be trapped in the wrong body, or as society puts it, that they are transgender, is an ideology that has taken hold in many areas of our nation's life, including the loss of our land. The 2004 Gender Recognition Act, which applies across the United Kingdom, including here in Northern Ireland, allows an adult to change legal sex, providing they have lived as if they were a member of the opposite sex for at least two years. So under this law, which has been in place for 18 years now, A man in his fifties who has fathered children can be issued with a birth certificate stating that he was born female. Well, that is bad enough, but at the end of 2018, Westminster held a public consultation on making it even easier and quicker to change legal sex. Thankfully, at the end of 2020, the government announced it was abandoning these plans. This is encouraging news. on an issue that many Christian Institute supporters had prayed about and had written to their MPs about. We give thanks to God for answering those prayers. But the campaigners have not given up. Just in January of this year, the Women and Equalities Committee at Westminster again published a report calling for the law on gender recognition to be liberalized. So we must pray that the proposals do not return. The impact of gender ideology upon children and young people in our nation is increasing. There's been a dramatic rise in recent years in the number of children and teenagers claiming to be transgender. In the year 2009 to 2010, the Gender Identity Development Clinic in London received 77 referrals, and I should say that this is the main clinic in England that treats under-18s. In the year 2019 to 2020, the same facility received 2,728 referrals. Commentators are concerned that this is being driven by social influences, particularly online influences. Teenagers going through what are fairly common adolescent struggles are being encouraged to think about themselves as transgender. The Christian Institute has prepared briefings on this issue to help you understand the issues at stake. There's this one entitled Social Contagion, and this one entitled Gender Craze, which argue that transgenderism can be viewed as a social contagion. And I have copies of those leaflets on the table out in the foyer. Do help yourselves to them on your way out this evening. They're all free of charge. year, hundreds of gender-confused children are being put on courses of puberty-blocking drugs. The drugs are being described as a living experiment. They have largely unknown long-term consequences, but we do know that they affect bone density, they affect fertility, and they possibly affect brain development. And what is more, in up to 90% of cases, childhood confusion about gender resolves itself by the end of puberty. But of course, puberty is the very process being blocked by the drugs, so almost all of the children taking those blockers then go on to receive more damaging hormone treatment. You may recall that there was some good news in relation to this in December of 2020. The High Court ruled that in order to be given puberty-blocking drugs, children needed to understand their potential life-changing consequences. Three high court judges said it was highly unlikely that children aged 13 and under could ever grasp enough to genuinely consent, and it was very doubtful whether 14 and 15-year-olds could do so. The case was taken against the NHS by Keira Bell, now in her 20s, after she had been given hormone-blocking drugs as a teenager. And then, of course, come her 20s, she regretted that. But sadly, this ruling, which could have helped protect children in our nation from being given those drugs, was overturned. The NHS appealed to the Court of Appeal and the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court ruling. Well, there was some good news, of course, in that following an investigation, the Tavistock Clinic in England, which was one of the main centres for treating children and teenagers in this manner, is to be closed down next year. However, the Sandiford Clinic in Glasgow is still operating. Christian believers need to be clear about how to, the Bible's teaching on this matter and about how to answer the challenges it is presenting. That's true at a public level as we declare the word of God in our nation, but it's also true at a personal level as well. Some of us may have been affected by this issue through friends, through family members, through work colleagues, or through neighbors. And Christian believers need both grace and wisdom as we seek to love our neighbor. We must show grace but also truth to those living transgender lifestyles. We must hold faithfully to the Word of God, showing compassion but not showing compromise. In 1 John chapter 3, we are called to love indeed. And in truth, and specifically, we need to continue to hold that it is wrong for the medical profession to deliberately mutilate a healthy body to match the mental wishes of someone who thinks themselves trapped in the wrong gender. Instead, the medical profession should be working to help people come to accept the body they have been born with. Lives are being damaged. by the current approach. The number of detransitioners is increasing. These are people who undergo so-called gender reassignment and then regret that decision. One detransitioner told Sky News that she had heard from hundreds of people expressing regret over having undergone this line of treatment. There are people being left in desperately sad situations where they have done major damage to their physical body. I want to play a short video clip interview with one such individual now. The assumption from the outset was that if I said I was transgender, then I must be. Nobody at any point questioned my motives. The only cure for this would be hormones and surgery. Lu, not her real name, was born a girl. As a child, she experienced gender dysphoria, which intensified with the onset of puberty. I became very self-conscious of my body. I was developing breasts and periods, which for me felt like there was an alien crawling out of the inside of my body. became very depressed. I thought the only explanation for my gender dysphoria must be that I was actually a man. I was struggling with self-harm and had attempted suicide on a number of occasions and was very much told by the community that if you don't transition you will self-harm and you will kill yourself. I became convinced that my options were transition or die. I didn't understand that the degree of disconnect from and hatred of my body could be considered a mental health problem. At 20, Lou had her breasts removed in a double mastectomy, a decision that now haunts her. The darkest moment was when I realised that I had actually looked normal for a girl, that I had actually been slim and pretty, that my body hadn't been grotesque the way I thought it was. Now, as a result of having transitioned, I will always have a female body that is freakish. I will always have a flat chest and a beard. and there's nothing I can do about that. Well, we must pray about this very serious issue. Pray for the protection of children and adults from this harmful ideology and legislation, and pray that the dangers of puberty-blocking drugs will be publicly exposed Pray for people like the lady in the video who have already been victims of this false ideology. We give thanks to God in his mercy that the government has dropped the plans to make it easier and quicker to change legal sex, but we must pray that the activists will not force it back onto the agenda. And we should pray too that churches and individual Christian believers will be gracious but also courageous and wise in upholding biblical truth that we are created in the image of God as either male or female. Well, the next issue I want to bring to your attention tonight is related to what is being called conversion therapy. Some of you will know that politicians are seeking to ban conversion therapy in England and Wales, here in Northern Ireland, in Scotland, in the Irish Republic, and in a number of other Western European nations. Politicians are intending to create a new criminal offence outlawing coercive talking conversion therapy. Government and the media are claiming that there are people in our society who are trying to coerce those living in homosexuality to live in heterosexuality. And some of the coercive techniques they are citing are actually illegal already. But the politicians are saying that they want to make sure by taking existing coercion and control offenses against domestic abuse and substantially widening them. Well, before we go on, we need to remember that this phrase, conversion therapy, is a deliberately broad term. It is a term chosen by the LGBT activists themselves. Now, it is true there have been quack therapists about over the years, some of whom have exploited people or used abusive practices. But the activists want the ban to go much further than that. They want to capture the ordinary work of churches. They are saying that the new law must cover prayer, preaching, and pastoral conversations. In other words, they want the criminal law to force Christians to endorse LGBT ideology. One of the prominent advocates of a ban is Jane Ozan. She is a member of the Church of England General Synod. And Jane Ozan claims that church prayer ministry is conversion therapy, and she attacks churches for teaching that homosexual behavior is sinful. Jane Ozan wants conversion therapy to be made a criminal offense. Baptist pastor Steve Chalk is another prominent advocate of a ban. He has said that pastoral care of those facing same-sex temptations, as well as informal prayer and sermons that do not affirm LGBT identities are all damaging and require the government to intervene. ITV news reader Paul Brand, who is also an LGBT activist, has said, conversion therapy often takes more subtle forms, including prayer and spiritual guidance. And Matthew Heinemann, co-founder of the Ban Conversion Therapy campaign, has said, spiritual guidance is really just religious speak for conversion therapy. And the BBC has said that conversion therapy involves treatments ranging from psychotherapy to religious teaching and discussion. So it is clear those calling for a ban wanted to cover the everyday work of churches, including mainstream Bible teaching on sexual behavior and on repentance from sin. And sadly, many politicians are buying into this and are muddling the ordinary work of churches with coercive and abusive practices that are in the most cases illegal already. In a debate in Westminster last year, several MPs branded prayer and pastoral support as conversion therapy. The Australian state of Victoria is being cited by the activists as a good example to follow. The state of Victoria has introduced a conversion therapy ban and now in that state pastoral advice and prayer that uphold the Bible's teaching on sexual behaviour has been labelled conversion therapy and outlawed. Official guidance on the legislation in Victoria states that the law means not affirming someone's gender identity is unlawful conversion therapy and that parents who do not support their children receiving puberty-blocking drugs are breaking the law. The guidance for the state of Victoria also says that the following would be considered illegal under the act, a religious leader telling a member of their congregation that they will be excommunicated if they continue to live in a same-sex relationship. So it is clear what is at stake here is basic Bible teaching on conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ, which requires faith, accompanied by repentance in living. If in certain cases it becomes illegal to call men and women to repentance, then in those cases the gospel itself becomes illegal. So we need to be praying about this issue. The Christian Institute is supporting the Let Us Pray campaign to defend gospel freedom. These little cards about that campaign are on the literature table by the door. And the aim of the campaign is to protect the ordinary work of churches from an overly broad conversion therapy ban. Bible teaching, prayer, and pastoral care must not be criminalized. Politicians must not allow activists to exploit concerns about genuine abuse to further their own agenda against Christians. A broad conversion therapy ban could also impact family life. The consultation on the mainland said that the ban would apply more strictly to under 18s. So it has a clear potential to interview with Christian parents raising their children in the faith. So do please pray that The government would listen to the concerns raised by Christians and churches, pray that the ordinary work of churches will not be outlawed anywhere in the UK, and pray that politicians and the media would acknowledge the difference between Christian conversion and so-called conversion And do pray for us at the Christian Institute, myself and my colleagues, as we respond to this challenging issue and very serious issue which is being proposed in all four parts of the United Kingdom. Well, I'm conscious that our time has moved on, and I just want to talk to you about one third area of the Institute work more briefly. Many of you will be aware of the legal defense work of the Christian Institute. You will know about the cases of Christian believers whom the Institute's legal team has had the privilege of supporting. Probably everyone here will be aware of the case of Asher's Baking Company in this area, which was taken to court by the Equality Commission because they politely declined to decorate a campaign cake with slogans calling for same-sex marriage to be introduced. And through the work of the Christian Institute's Legal Defense Fund, we've had the privilege of supporting Christian believers who are facing hostility because of their faith. And I would recommend to you two leaflets about our legal defense work, which are also available on the table in the foyer by the door. Do help yourself to those on the way out if you've not already received them. Tonight, there's only time just to mention one case that we have been supporting recently, and that is a case from Scotland, a gentleman called Kenneth Ferguson, pictured here, who was unlawfully discriminated against in his workplace. He was sacked from his job because of his biblical beliefs about marriage. Mercifully, in December, an employment tribunal in Glasgow found that Scotland's biggest grant-making trust had unlawfully discriminated against Kenneth Ferguson on the basis of his beliefs about marriage. And I want to play a very short video clip in which Kenneth Ferguson explains his own story. I was the Chief Executive of the Robertson Trust, the largest charitable funder in Scotland. I'd been with them nearly 10 years and in that 10 years we really were creating a huge impact in terms of support of the charity sector in Scotland. I was discriminated against by the Trust and I was discriminated against personally by the Chair of the Trust. I'm an elder and a treasurer at Stirling Free Church. The church is growing, and the minister came to me and said, look, the church has really outgrown the premises that we were renting. Is there any chance of us being able to rent the space which you're about to open in Stirling for charities? And I said, well, I'm obviously conflicted, but speak to my team and see if we can do it, because you are a charity. It's exactly what this space is to be used for. And so they agreed terms and they signed a license to occupy and off we set. And then on the Friday before the barracks were due to formally open, my chair, Shona McPherson, she came to visit it. And at that point the staff team were putting out the chairs for the church on the Sunday and she said, what's this for? And they explained, they said, oh, it's for Kenneth's church. And she said, whose church? And they said, a Stirling Free Church. And she said, they don't believe in same-sex marriage, not the Free Church. And so I went in on Monday morning to find her sitting in my office. And she looked at me and said, are you an elder in the Free Church? And I said, yes. And she said, are you aware that they've rented space? I said, yes, of course. But I've had nothing to do with it because I've absented myself from it. And she said, there's got to be a formal investigation. I was then issued a letter to say, you have to appear at the lawyer's office on the Monday. I was given this on the Thursday night at 6 o'clock. And an outcome of this will be that potentially you'll be sacked. And as you can imagine, that was horrendous. Well, interestingly, one of the emails that came into my inbox absolutely struck me as if God was speaking to me directly there. And it said, do not be afraid of this vast army. Stand still and watch the deliverance of the Lord. And it's from 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, verses 15 to 17. And I read it and reread it. I just couldn't believe it. It just felt as if God was really speaking to me at this incredibly difficult time. On the Monday at 4.30 I get this email through saying you are dismissed with immediate effect. The press statement went out and they said that I had stepped down as Chief Executive. Just lies. It wasn't true. and the Trust were very keen for me to settle, to sign a non-disclosure agreement, and to be honest, without the Christian Institute, I would have had to sign that, because I could not have taken on that battle. The CI were fantastic, an absolute godsend to me. I didn't know how I was going to try and deal with this, but the CI just brought a whole confidence, a whole calmness to the situation, and said, yeah, let's have a look at it and see what they could do to help. So what happened was we went into court and Shonag McPherson, the chair, was being cross-examined by our barrister and he said to her, how do you know this? How can you be certain of what you've just said? And she said, I wrote it in a notebook. And he turned to the judge and said, I would petition the court that this notebook be released because it hadn't been released to us. And the judge said, yes, it should be released. And this notebook was basically verbatim her conversations with all the other trustees saying, he's got to go, we've got to sack him. And this is before they'd even met me, before they'd even started anything of the investigation or any of the process. And my barrister after it said, I've been in court a long time. And he said, I wouldn't use this phrase lightly, but that was miraculous. He said, I have never seen something come from nowhere which has had such a profound impact on the case. And I said, well, people have been praying. And he said, well, whoever it was, those were powerful prayers. The day before the result came out, both my wife and I read the Bible in a year, and we just keep reading through it. And the reading that day was, tomorrow, go out tomorrow, for tomorrow you will see the deliverance of the Lord. And then the next day, out of the blue, the judgment came. God was saying to me, tomorrow you will see, you will see the deliverance. And it was. And it was a clear vindication of our position. We won on the unfair dismissal and the judgement was really damning. Praise God for the way that he has enabled me to really hold fast to the truth that is in his scriptures, to say, don't worry, this battle is not yours. Stand and you will see the deliverance of the Lord. And that has been my lasting impression of this. I have been able to stand and see the deliverance of the Lord. Well, we do give thanks to God for his overruling in this case. The ruling is a welcome restatement of the principle that the biblical belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman is a belief protected in law and worthy of respect in our democratic society. It sounds a warning. to all those who think that they can mistreat Christian believers in the workplace. So we return praise and thanks to God. Cases like Kenneth Ferguson's or the Asher's Baking Company, the cases you hear about, are just the tip of the iceberg. Every weekday, behind the scenes, the Christian Institute legal team are helping Christians who are facing pressure because of their stand for the Lord Jesus Christ. That includes providing advice to those involved in open-air preaching and evangelism, supporting Christian couples with the adoption and fostering process, helping Christians in business avoid problems arising under the Equality Act, and supporting Christians in the workplace who are under pressure to say things that they do not believe. So if you or any Christian believer you know gets into difficulty because of your stand on an issue of biblical principle, then do get in touch with the Christian Institute. Our legal team are at the end of a phone line and they may well be able to help. Every year our legal fund provides help and advice to many churches and individual Christians across the whole nation and we may be able to help you. And just before I finish I want to say one more thing. I know tonight that a good number of people here in Abbots Cross receive the Christian Institute updates, you receive our literature and our prayer news in the post or our Friday news email and that's good if you already get it, can encourage you to pray as you're asked to, can encourage you to write to your MPs and your MLAs when you're asked to and respond to the public consultations. We prepare those briefings and they only make a difference if Christians pray and Christians take action. But if there are any here tonight who do not already receive our updates, you don't get our briefings, then at the end of the pews I have put little cards like these. Before you leave tonight, Simply pop your name and address on one of the cards. There's a blue basket on the literature table by the door. Simply pop the card in that basket and you can join our mailing list and for any other Scots people here tonight it is completely free. So you've had a free offer from a Scotsman tonight. It doesn't happen very often but those who get the literature I'm sure will testify. The materials are informative, they're helpful, they do keep you up to date with what's going on so you can pray for other Christians who are in difficulty for the faith and they do help you write to MPs and MLAs and to respond to public consultations. It's vital that Christians do respond because there are so many bad laws being pushed that if Christians do not respond then there's the danger of restrictions upon gospel freedom in our nation. So any tonight who don't already get our mailings, then don't leave without picking up one of those cards and filling it in, and if you don't have a card beside you in the pew, there are more cards on the table beside the blue basket, and there are pens available there for filling them in. Just before I hand back, we will unite our hearts in prayer, let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we do come tonight recognizing we come to the one who is God, the sovereign and righteous Lord of all the earth, the one who is the judge of men and of nations. And Lord, we are mindful tonight that there are many things in our own nation, our own culture, our own society, which run so very contrary to the word of God and its truth. We have seen a turning away from biblical principles, and Lord, we recognize that there are threats to gospel freedom and Christian liberty in the pipeline in our nation, but we're mindful that we are commanded in Scripture to pray for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth. And Lord, we pray for those who are ruling our nation. They are ordained of God, and they are answerable and accountable to God, whether they acknowledge that truth or not. And Lord, we pray, turn the hearts of our rulers back to the word of God, that they would rule in harmony with biblical truth and would not rule contrary to it. And we pray that as Christian believers, we would be salt and light for the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ. We would be gracious, we'd be kind and loving to those who oppose us, but we would also present truth. because we recognize that there is only salvation when the truth of sin is presented and the truth of salvation in Christ is presented. So, Lord, we pray, protect gospel freedom. May we be faithful, gracious, but firm ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ and salt and light for him in a decaying fallen world. Undertake for us, undertake for the Christian Institute and prosper the witness of the congregation here in Abbots Cross as they point men and women to Christ. May men and women be drawn savingly to him for we ask in the Savior's precious name and forgive our many sins. Amen. Well, we thank Callum for his presentation this evening, very clear and scriptural. We're going to close our service by the singing of our final song, which is Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus. And we invite you to stand if you're able and sing. We'll just do the first verse and the last verse. And when we finish the song our service will then be closed and no one else will be coming to the pulpit. So the first verse and the last verse after which the service will be closed and you're free to leave at that stage or you can sit and chat for a little while. Thank you. you