Good morning. Can you hear me okay? I can't hear myself, to be honest. I'll assume you can hear me. Welcome to our service this morning. It's good to see you out. I can see a few visitors with us, so you're doubly welcome and we hope you'll feel blessed in our service today. Just some announcements for the incoming week. Stepping Stones, Tiny Steps and Caresses are on this morning, so feel free to leave your children out at the appropriate time. Our pastor will be speaking later in the service. He'll be continuing his series on Romans. 5 p.m. today is our church prayer meeting, and then come back at 6, we have a testimony from Stuart Cahoon, and our pastor will bring a closing word. Just for the incoming week then, Tuesday at 7.30 is our combined Bible study and prayer meeting. And as far as I know, all the rest of the organizations are on as normal this week. Saturday the 3rd, senior citizens Christmas dinner in the hall. I know, I can't believe it's December and Christmas as well, but it is. and there's Christmas dinner for the seniors in the hall. If you're going to that, I eaten at it, please be seated for 2 p.m. Okay, 2 p.m. sharp for your vegetable broth. Next Sunday, the 4th of December, in the morning, Andrew Cuthbert will be speaking, and there'll be communion after the morning service, and then at 6 p.m., There's a guy from Lurgan Baptist who will be speaking, a guy called Andrew Daly. So a young fella who is just entering the ministry. So he's coming along next Sunday night, Andrew Daly. So he'll be speaking at our evening service. A couple of other announcements just finally. Last week was our 10th Sunday. And just the total offerings came to £2,867, which will go to our missionary family. So thank you very much on behalf of the church. We thank you for your generosity and we praise God for it. Preliminary announcements. An advance notice, okay, of our quarterly members meeting, which is Thursday, the 8th of December. So if you're a member, Thursday, the 8th of December at 7.30 in our church hall is our quarterly members meeting. And then finally, just for some literature to read, the InFellowship measurement, measurement? The InFellowship, I can't even remember. The InFellowship magazine, that's the word, is out in the hall. Oh dear, this is a shambles this morning. Out in the hall, if you read that, take one with you. There's actually a good article on SASRA, Jim. So I know Jim Muir was involved in SASRA for many years. So there's a wee article in there on SASRA and other things that will keep you busy this afternoon. So have a read of that. Sorry about that. We're just going to open in order prayer, all right? Father, we just thank you that you have promised to be here this morning. Father, thank you we're gathered in and we're under your presence. You have said where two or three are gathered. There you are in the midst. And we take you at your word. Father, you're here this morning and to bless us. So we're glad we're found in the house of God this morning. We're glad we're here, Father. And we just pray, Lord, that you would come and be very near to us, that we would feel your presence. and you would bless us each and every one this morning as we gather in. Father, I pray that you would give us a listening ear and an open heart to what you have to say to us. Lord, we're not here on our own. We're not left to our own devices. Father, we've got the one, the holy one of heaven looking out for us and we praise your name. Father, we just look to you just to bless and to comfort those who need comfort this morning. We know, Father, that in our midst there are people who are going through troubled times. We think about those who are ill at this time. We think about those who have loved ones who are ill at this time. And we bring them before you, Father. We maybe don't remember their names, Father, but you know all about them. And Father, we look to you to touch heal them at the point of their need. You are the great physician. Father, you're the healer of all diseases. Father, and we look to you to touch and to heal and to bring through your children this morning, father. And lord, I know that there's people in our in our congregation this morning that are plunged into the house of have died, father, and we pray, father, that you would bring all comfort and all peace to their hearts. Lord, that you would be very near to them this morning. Father, you would pray for the, I pray for them and their families that, Lord, that they would be comforted. And father, you'd be very, very close to them, Lord. And they would draw from your strength and your peace at this time. And Lord, we're not mindful, Lord, of those who have lost loved ones in recent weeks, Lord, and still need a touch. And father, we pray, Lord, that you would that they would again, even this morning, they would draw strength from you. Lord, we know that your comfort and your peace are immeasurable, Lord. Lord, we can't get to the bottom. You're bottomless, Lord. Lord, we can't, your peace and your grace, we can't run out of, Father. And Lord, we look to you to draw again this morning onto you. So, Father, Lord, accept our worship and our praise this morning. Lord, as the band plays, Lord, as the AFE team ministers, Father, Lord, as the music team and the praise team gets open, let's join with joyful hearts unto you this morning. We just pray this in your name. Amen. Thank you. Good morning. It's really lovely to see you all out at church this morning. You're very welcome, and you're also very welcome if you're watching online. It's so great that we can come and sing praises to a risen King this morning, and that's what we're going to do. And we're going to start off with our first hymn, which is Come People of the Risen King. So if you would like to stand and sing with us. The Lord is coming, the Lord is coming. Oh Come on, Lord, you already have said it. Come on, Lord, you already have said it. Come on, Lord, you already have said it. Come on, Lord, you already have said it. Come on, Lord, you already have said it. Come on, Lord, you already have said it. And if you're able to remain standing do before you all sit down and we'll just sing our next hymn which is Man of Sorrows. ♪ By His holy name ♪ ♪ The sin of man and wrath of God ♪ ♪ Has been on Jesus' name ♪ ♪ Silent as He spake ♪ How much hope I've found, how great the glory of His hand on earth ought to be. Send a message from above. Hallelujah! Praise and honor God's name. How I let it rain, feel it's raining through. By the precious blood from my Jesus' pill. Now the curse of sin has no cure. O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, I love you, Lord, my salvation I love you, Lord, my salvation I love you, Lord, my salvation I love you, Lord, my salvation I love you, Lord, my salvation Thanks so much for singing so well. Are any boys and girls in the church this morning? I would love it if you would come and meet me at the front so that we can sing our kids' song together. Oh come on, there's more of you. I can see you. That's a bit better. Morning. So our kids song this morning is Our God is a Great Big God and I hope that you will join us and join in with the actions as well. I am a human Well thank you so much boys and girls, you can go on out to Stepping Stones and Tiny Steps. And our final hymn just before the pastor comes up to speak is Before the Throne of God Above, so we'll stand and sing if you're able. The faith I preach, whose name is God, who ever lives shall be his own. My name is greater than all his hands. My name is greater than all his hands. O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord! I sing this song in praise of thee. His Father, Christ, has met. In reign of change, Lord, who I am. In reign of glory and of peace. On earth, and still on high, and on high, my soul will cry. I forget my head don't need a screwed on Just to let you know that Lily Caldwell, she was married in this church in 1984, and she and Tom Caldwell attended the church up until she took Alzheimer's, and then she was in a care home ever since in the last 11 years. Her funeral, I didn't put it up on the Prairie News, but her funeral is tomorrow in James Brown's and Sons at half past 10. So those of you who would have known Lily Reid, or she became more laterally known as Lily Colwell. Her funeral service is tomorrow at half past 10 in case you'd like to come and support the family. Tom is in a care home in Cookstown and his memory is also failing as well. So please remember the family and please remember us as we conduct that funeral service tomorrow at half past 10. I was in seeing Clifford on Friday. I thought that Clifford looked a lot fresher than he had done. and a lot brighter, and he certainly seemed to recognize me on Friday, and I was in with Lily, sorry, Emily Thompson as well on Friday, and she was out walking a little bit, but she's not yet talking, so that's very frustrating. If you know Emily Thompson, you'll know that was very frustrating for her, and she just seemed a little distressed in her circumstances. So we're going to remember those folk in prayer at this time, so let's bow together in prayer, let's pray. Our Father, as we gather around your throne, as we lift our hearts in praise and thanksgiving and worship to the God of heaven, we thank you, Lord, that we can come and we can approach your throne, the mercy seat. And Lord, many of us could jump to our feet and witness to the fact that God hears and He answers prayer. Lord, many of us have accounts, issues, situations, circumstances, where we have known the Lord moves in answer to prayer. And so, Lord, we thank you that we come with a confidence, boldly, not because of any merit of our own, but purely because of the merits of Calvary and what Christ has done. He opened the way back to God from the dark paths of sin. Christ opened the door that all may go in. We thank you, Lord, that the Spirit answers to the blood. and witnesses who were born of God. Our Father, thank you for the children of God that have met in this house today. Thank you, Lord, for each person that has been redeemed by sovereign grace. Thank you, Lord, for every head that's bowed that has a testimony of God's saving and keeping power and knows the light and life and liberty of the Holy Spirit dwelling within their breasts. Thank you, Lord, for that joy and that desire, that holy desire that you placed within our souls to seek, serve, and follow Christ. Thank you, Lord, for the love that's shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Lord, for that joy in knowing that God is with us every step of the way. Thank you, Lord, for that light that lightens the way that we go, and thank you for your faithfulness. Great is thy faithfulness, O God, our Savior. And Father, as we bow together, as we lift up our hearts in thanksgiving, also we lift up our prayers in thinking of others, especially Lord of the Caldwell family and the passing of dear Lily Caldwell over June this week. We pray, Father, that you'll minister to the family circle, to her daughters from Carrick, and Lord, to her husband who's in Cookstown. And Father, we pray that you'll minister to them as they mourn the passing of a loved one. We pray, dear God, that you'll meet every need, even this incoming week and tomorrow. We think of Clifford and we ask, Lord, that he would know in a further touch from God himself. as he recovers now from various health issues. We think of Emily Thompson, Lord, this dear saint of God, this mother in Israel. Think of Jill and Cameron and the family circle as they are concerned for a loved one. We think of all of those, Lord, who are struggling and battling with diseases and sicknesses. We ask, Lord, that you will be gracious and lay your healing touch in each one. We thank you, Lord, that we have witnessed time and time again how God undertakes. As we come now again, Father, to your word, we ask, Lord, that the gracious Holy Spirit will minister your truth to our hearts, that the Spirit of God would illuminate the page to us. And Father, help us to see what it is that the Lord is saying to us. at such a time as this. We commit ourselves to you, praying your blessing upon us, for we ask it in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. If you've got a Bible, then I'm going to invite you to turn with me to Romans chapter 13, and we're reading from verse eight down to verse 14. If we were looking at our civil duty last week, well today it's our moral responsibilities this week. And we'll be looking a wee bit at that. It's not only, it's one thing to obey the law of the land and it's another thing to live good, wholesome, godly, respectful lives with one another, towards one another. And that's what this passage is about. We trust that the Lord will enable us to to comprehend, to contemplate, to meditate, to apply his truth to our hearts. So let's read together from God's word, Romans chapter 13, and we're reading from verse eight down to verse 14 of the chapter, the last verse. So verse eight of Romans 13. Oh, no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, knowing the time that now is, that now it is high time to wake out of sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the day, not in revelry and in drunkenness, not in lewdness and in lust, not in strife and envy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. Amen, we trust that the Lord will bless that reading of his word to our hearts. As I've already said by introduction into the passage, last week we were looking at the governments of our world and how they're to rule our lives and keep us from anarchy and rebellion and from all sorts of things so that we live peaceful and happy together as such. We're to obey and to respect the various agencies that are under our governments and the laws as far as is godly and as divinely possible. The Christian has a responsibility to observe and obey the laws of our land and respect the government at the time and then at the same time honor God. Today we're looking at respecting God's law, respecting one another. The 10 Commandments convey the moral law, how God expects us to behave. It's one thing to obey the laws of the land, the laws of the speed limits, taxation and parking, but when it comes to morals, it almost seems like morals are a bad word. Especially when you go on these radio chat shows and you try to bring in a moralistic argument, they will say that you're archaic, outdated, and you're out of fashion. And yet in God's view, and as we read from the Ten Commandments, they are the record of God's moral code for practice for our lives. We're living in a day where morals are seen as an obstruction to healthy living in the world's view. Have you ever tried to define what good morals are? Because I've tried. It covers a wide variety, doesn't it? It covers holy, godly, wholesome, good, gracious, respectful living towards one another and towards the things of God. Driving down the road observing the law in case you kill someone by speeding is one thing, but killing the baby in the womb or annihilating someone's reputation and character by gossip is another. So there's this argument from God's word that we are to live holy, godly, moral, wholesome lives. And it's as important as obeying the law of the land. A person who has never been in trouble with the law and the land may well think nothing of adultery, jealousy, envy, and unforgiveness. There's more thought given to the laws of the world and the land than often there is to the law of God and our moral responsibilities. Paul warns against the neglect of proper behavior of Christians on the world stage, as well as amongst each other. He teaches us what governs our morals. He gives us a few principles that ought to guide our moral compass. Each of these principles ought to touch the conscience of every believer. therefore resulting in Christians with high moral values according to God's word. I'm gonna give you three principles that I see in this passage that ought to guide and order and conduct and define our moral living. There are three which I have plucked out from many others, but they're obvious here in this passage. The obligation factor, verses eight to 10. We're obliged to live moral lives. In the previous section, as I've said, Paul talked about paying what we owe in the legal arena, taxes, customs, VAT and such like. We find that in Romans 13 and seven. Now he talks about paying what we owe towards God and one another. And the debt is love. The debt is love. It's a huge debt that we owe to one another. And it says responsibility and obligation. And if we don't say it again in this sermon, I'm gonna say it now. It's an obligation we have towards God, our love for him, and because of his love for us, that we are to live respectful, decent, godly, upright, honorable lives towards one another. The Ten Commandments are God's moral code for practice. The child of God keeps the Ten Commandments not because they are the commandments of the law. He keeps them because of the Ten Commandments of the Lord. Our love for the Lord ought to be the governing principle in keeping these. It says in John 14 and verse 21, whoever has my commandments and keeps them, He it is that loves me. This word love is the basis then for our obligation to live decent, wholesome, godly lives in every respect of that definition. First of all, when we think of this obligation, out of a sense of indebtedness, we owe it to God, and to one another. Now Paul is not, as you see here, he's not discouraging the fact that we get into contracted debt. And I feel I'm going to go off on a little bit of a tangent here, but I will come back to the main point. It is not very difficult nowadays to get into debt. In fact, many people live outside of their means. But Paul is not talking about those that live outside their means and who get into debt and are not able to repay. In fact, as one commentator said, as I read what he was saying, he said, it is sinful to get into a debt that you know you can't repay. That's what he said. He said it's sinful, but he's not saying that it's sinful to have a mortgage. He's not saying that it's sinful to have debt that you're able to control. And he's lightening this idea of debt as to the great mountain of debt that we owe one another out of love. Let me give you something that I discovered about the debt that the United Kingdom citizens are in, of which you and I are part of. The average credit card debt of every citizen that lives in the UK is £2,300. Doesn't sound like much. The average household debt of people and credit cards within the home is £63,000. And here's a staggering figure, when you take in mortgages, when you take in debts of cars, and debts of carpets, and debts of houses, and debts of your good looks, and debts of holidays, or whatever it is that you squander your money on, it is 1.1, no sorry, it is 1,815 billion. A lot of which, by the way, it only increased by 72 billion last year. Here's what Reader's Digest said some years ago. We're living in a day when there are the haves, the have-nots, and the have-not paid for what the haves. And while some debt is inevitable, and I understand that in the world in which we live, there's another debt that we owe that we will never repay. It's the debt of love. The debt of love. You can pay from now until you die, and you'll still owe that debt of love to your neighbor. to your family, to your loved ones, to the community in which you live, and the people amongst whom you work. You may not be aware of that debt, but nevertheless, that debt exists. We get all alarmed about the debts that we get into in this world, trying to stay comfortable, or in this case, trying to live and trying to exist. But we don't seem to think about that great debt that we have to love one another, to forgive one another, show mercy to one another, be kind to one another, to be gracious to one another. to be helpful to one another. In fact, it says in Galatians 5, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith, kindness, and temperance. You know what temperance is? Controlling your temper, controlling your appetites, controlling every aspect of your life because it's under the power and the dominion of the Holy Spirit. every one of us here owe a great debt of love, one for another. A sense of indebtedness. Our obligation, which you will not find defined by the law of the land, is to love one another. We'll get into the nitty gritty of that in a few moments. Not only is there a sense of indebtedness, but in verse nine we see that there's a sense of inclusiveness. Love includes paying your debts, by the way, those financial debts. It is very, very difficult to reconcile a Christian who will get into debt and somehow by manipulating the rules of going into, what is that word, bankruptcy or whatever, that we can somehow write off debt, even though we've got lots of means to pay off the debt by way of properties and other things. We will stand before God. If you have the means to pay debt and don't do it, Morally, that's sinful. Even though the law of the land might agree with what you've done. But not only does it include paying back debts, Matthew 18, it includes forgiveness, mercy. You see, the Ten Commandments may be divided into two. You know that, Jesus did that, and not me. Love God, and if you love God, you'll love your neighbor, or love God and your neighbor. Those are the two laws. Matthew 12 and 19 to 31 will tell you that. But in Matthew 18, Jesus says, we forgive because we have been forgiven. We show mercy because we have been shown mercy. We love because we have been loved. and how that ought to spread out within the families, certainly of Abbots Cross, but also of the world around us. They're all connected if you love God. If you've recognized the measure of his love for you, if you have appreciated the depth of his love for you, you will forgive, you will not be envious, you will not covet, you will not steal, you don't want to harm or hurt your family or your brother or sister, because you're indebted out of love. Aaron Rogers says, in regard to the Ten Commandments, every time God says thou shalt not, He's saying don't hurt yourself. And every time God says thou shalt, he's saying help yourself to happiness and others around you. And there's something really worth reporting and repeating. I remember we took about 15 of the young folk to the faith mission convention and someone was speaking about our responsibility to live and to love God and to obey the laws of the commandments. He says, because we have been saved by the Spirit and God dwells within us, we will not take the name of the Lord in vain. We'll not want to. We'll not covet our neighbor's goods. We will not kill because we have been redeemed. The 10 Commands take on a different perspective. Because we have been saved, we will not take the Lord's name in vain. We will honor our father and mother. We will respect our neighbor and love them as ourselves. A sense of inclusiveness. By the way, if we did respect the Ten Commandments and the moral law, there'd be an awful lot of people's hearts not broken. The third thing then, verse 10, out of a sense of incentiveness, if you pardon the creation of a new word. As we continue to think of our debt of love, there is a negative, what we don't do. But don't we have a responsibility then, as people who live upright living lives, to have a responsibility to do not only what we don't do, but what we ought to do? We don't wish our neighbor ill. We don't wish our loved ones ill. We don't make them feel unloved, unwanted, unappreciated. We don't add to the worry. We don't cause them sleepless nights. Out of a debt of love, the incentive is there not only to not cause them harm, heartache, but actually to improve their well-being out of a sense of care. I once heard someone refer to, and it's in this passage in verse 10, someone refer to the members of other faiths as their neighbors. Or sorry, as their brothers and sisters. I couldn't say that people of other faiths are my brother and sister. I could say that they're my neighbor. They're my neighbor. But Paul, by using this word, and the Greek word is plession, the person that lives near you. So he's not only including this then in the people of our family and the family of faith as far as we understand the family of faith, but he's also saying this is how we are to treat our neighbor as ourselves. Paul is widening the issue to fellow man. What way to stop the name of Christ? What a way to stop the name of Christ from being brought into disrepute than to start loving our neighbor as ourselves. We see from 1 Corinthians 13 that Paul tells us that love is creative. It's always thinking of ways to improve the lifestyle of those around us as well as ourselves. Paul says, love does no wrong. And the Greek word for love doing no wrong is laetotes, which means seeks to do good. Not only to the family of faith, but to our neighbor, those who are not in the faith, thereby winning them for Christ. You've heard the saying, empty hands are the devil's workshop. Well, the only way to prevent them from becoming the devil's workshop is to fill our hearts and our heads with the love of God and seek to live amongst our neighbors with that same love that Jesus lived amongst the people that he walked and talked with. How this would revolutionize marriages, fellowships, communities, families, friendships. If we recognize the debt of love that we have from God towards one another, there'll be a lot of wives whose hearts are not broken because of their adulterous husband. There'll be a lot of mothers and fathers not at home with broken hearts because of their wayward children. If we paid our debt of love and held the moral code that God has under the power of the Holy Spirit, there'd be an awful lot of neighbors who would be more friendly than they are today. That's our obligation. Some dear wife wouldn't be suffering with the sense of rejection and dejection at the hands of a cruel, manipulating, domineering, dominating, misogynistic husband. Some poor man wouldn't have lost his self-respect for being a man because he has been so dejected and rejected and criticized and condemned by a vicious wife. The moral responsibility, whilst it ought to apply to everyone within the family of God, it also applies to the world in general and our responsibilities towards it. I think you get the point, the obligation. Notice the observation factor, verses 11 to 13. We'll see it there. And do this knowing the time. Knowing the time. I don't believe that Paul introduces the return of Christ as a scare tactic, although the Bible says that we ought to live as if Christ was coming back now. By the way, what would you have to do if the clouds rolled back and the trumpets sounded and you saw your saviour in the clouds? What would you do now? What would you feel that you should have done? To whom do you think that you should have went to? What debt was laying with thee? Red ink still on the paper concerning your debt of love towards others. Would you have paid if Christ came back? I add that little bit in, though I don't believe that's what Paul's getting at, although it is a good, sanctifying reason to live godly, holy, wholesome, good lives, not only within the family of the church, but in the community worldwide. But he says, when you consider the time. You see, it's easy. In the times that we're living, and I went to help out at the youth club, I really enjoyed this TV last night. I talked to about 10 young people about their soul last night, and I found it very refreshing that they were at least willing to engage in the things of God and about their soul. There's a sterling work happening there. We need to pray more about that work. One of the things that gripped me was the times that our teenagers, our young people are living in, the moral compass is well nigh but gone. Well nigh but gone. Those young people coming into our youth club have no moral compass because they have no standard on which to measure it. We are starting way down here. But Paul is saying to the church of Jesus Christ here, he says, now listen, don't allow yourself to be sunk down deep into the same moral values that the world has, because the world can put you in jail for murdering a grownup, but it'll not put you in jail for murdering a baby in the womb. It'll give you advice as to divorce and all sorts of things that breaks the very heart of God. but legally you can do it. And finding ways of avoiding paying your taxes, finding ways, legally speaking, it might be legal, but it may not be moral. So he's saying, listen, there's a time factor. don't allow yourself. I remember Harold Vaughan quite a number of years ago, there's some sermons that people preach that really stick out in my mind, and he's saying, listen, if the church keeps following the moral values of the world, then where the world was, here's the way we go, the world's there today, but then if the world moves there, we just keep a distance with the world. We keep keeping the distance, and if we just keep maintaining the distance, then one day, we're gonna be where the world was, you with me? There's a time factor. Don't allow yourself to get drawn down into the old immoral thinking of the world where it's all right to shack up. It's all right, and it seems to me that the church is very quickly doing exactly what the world was doing 10 years ago. And I'm gonna say something, and I know I'm not gonna get friends here. It absolutely pains me to see young Christians getting drunk. involved in alcohol, allowing themselves to go into these old hell holes of the world, to allow themselves to be dragged into the drug addictions of this world, and think that it's all right as long as it's in moderation. You tell me where you find that in the Bible. Because I can't. Paul says, writing to Timothy, in 2 Timothy 3 verses one to five, understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty for people will lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. And Paul closes with the proviso, avoid such people. How do you avoid them? You don't mix with them. What a bunch of no hopers. What a company of ungodly destroyers. How can we find ourselves entertained or finding ourselves refreshed from coming from some hell hole that has exalted the flesh and the lusts of the flesh? Instead, hang around with those who stretch you to reach higher and deeper in the grace of God. I thank God for a fellow called Gary Tutte. He's a superintendent, and he's also now the leader of the work of Faith Mission here in Northern Ireland. Gary, if you're listening, you can just close your ears for a wee minute. I just, he did a wee bit of painting, and so we employed him to do a wee bit of painting in our house. I didn't know what he was or what he stood for. I was just, Esther and I were only after being converted a few months. And of course, Gary had been brought up with the gospel under a wee man called Bob Graham, who was part of the AEB, that's the Irish Evangelistic Band. And Gary was brought up in the deep things of God and he read all these Greek books and he was telling me the various, when he came to our house and he discovered I was learning the guitar, he says, I play the guitar too. And that started a friendship. We used to come down and play guitar every night and sing songs and got us into the things of God. And he'd be telling me about the Greek words and the Greek application and the Greek meaning. And he'd be talking about all these men of holiness like Thomas Cook and John Rice and John Wesley and Charles Wesley. Who are these men? He got me to read books about holiness and holiness of standard. And I know at that time I'd say we were a wee bit mixed up. We thought that you just came to a crucial and crisis moment where all of a sudden you became perfect. And we know that that's not true. But the principle is that we have to go deeper and further with God. And Gary was this person. that was a good influence in my life, stretched me to believe, to acknowledge, to go deeper into the things of God. But the world will put you down on its thinking. Not only does Paul speak of a time factor, but Paul speaks of a task. Verse 12, he says, put it off. You'll find the same teaching The night is far spent, first twelve the day is at hand. Let us cast off the works of darkness. Remove the rags of the world. Remove the opinions of the world. Remove the appetites of the world. Remove the ways and the thinkings of the world. And then he says in Colossians 3, now put on Christ. You see, I believe that we live in the day when we want God to do everything for us, that if you switch on the little switch, we say a little prayer, and hey, pesto, hey, pesto, I'm doing everything perfectly right and godly before God. I have something to do. Paul says, I die daily. I put off the old rags. You'll find the reference here if you want to care. I'm not going to take time to read it. In Colossians 3, verses 8 to 14, where he says, but now you've put away all anger, all wrath, all malice, all slander, obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie. Want another scene that you put off the old self and its practices? And then he says, put on Christ. He's speaking of a task that you and I have to do. And then he speaks of a threat, verse 13. It says in verse 13, let us walk properly as in the days, not in revelry and drunkenness, but not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and in envy. He's not threatening us, rather he's speaking of the threat. He's speaking of the threat. When you live with them, you get like them. When you hang around with them, you will hang on to them. And I know I'm sounding like a negative Nancy here, but Paul says if you take most of your influence from the people that you hang out with, you'll soon look and sound like them. That's the threat. And you not even know it has happened. Their morals will become your morals. It'd be very easy to look good amongst herks and crooks. It's another thing. When you're living with godly people, they will pull you up. I'm telling you, they will. You listen often enough and long enough to the wrong crowd. and you'll be part of the wrong crowd. Now, I've probably scolded you enough. I want you to look at the third factor here, the opportunity factor, verse 14. I'm finishing in three minutes. Verse 14 says, put on the Lord Jesus Christ Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. Here's how another translation, I think it's the New Living translation, and how it puts it. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. I like that. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. Can you see something here? That evil desire, that fleshly desire that Paul spoke about in Romans 6, 7, and 8 will always be there, but he said the only way that we can combat it and the only way that we can gain victory over it is to put on Christ and allow Christ to reign and rule. Allow him to reign and rule. There is good company to keep. And it's Christ. It's Christ. Here's what Paul, sorry, not Paul, I don't know who the writer was. I haven't got any more information other than others. Some people think it was Paul, others think it wasn't. I think it's immaterial, it's still in God's word. Here's what it says in Hebrews chapter 12, verses one to two. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witness, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus. the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Tell me, are we living in the presence of Jesus? Do you know Christ? Have you a relationship with him? Are you walking with him? Do you fellowship with him? Do you spend more time on the internet? And there's a big, big conversation about the internet and its woes, encouraging people to take their lives, and now it's becoming a criminal offense to be involved in some of those, and I think it's high time to criminalize a lot more on the internet as well. If I had my way, the internet wouldn't exist. Do you fellowship with him? Is he your friend that sticks closer than a brother? Do you have a reason for walking in the distance from him? Do you have a sense of debt of love towards him and for others? Think of the opportunity here. Draw near to God and he'll draw near to you. Let's bow together in prayer, let's pray. Our Father, as we gather together, Lord, around your throne, as we make our response to you and to one another, we pray, oh God, that you'll cause us, cause us to have those high values, principles, conscience, and love as we seek, Lord, to show our love for you by treating others with that same value of love that you treated others, us. Grant that your word might be hidden in our hearts, for it is in Christ's name we pray, amen. We're going to stand and sing one of John Wesley's, or sorry, Charles Wesley's great hymns, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, Joy of Heaven to Earth Come Down. We'll stand and sing during the introduction, please, and we'll sing this great hymn of response to him. ♪ God rest ye merry ♪ ♪ Joyful all ye ♪ ♪ To earth add one more day ♪ ♪ Fix in us thy humble dwelling ♪ ♪ All thy faithful mercies crowning ♪ In the wings, my loving Spirit leads Amen. Amen. Amen. Let no flame but this beginning set our hearts to liberty. Alma Mater, we sing of thee. We, we were and never, never hope again. Oh, we, we, we would be always blessed. Glory in thy perfect love. May we spread thy new creation throughout the world. and may peace be strong in thee. Change from glory into glory. Till we meet again, we take our place. Glory! Glory! I wonder, can we sing that last verse again? And if you don't mind, just, can we have it just with the piano, if that's all right? Don't mind, men. Just with the piano, nice and softly, Glenn, and let's sing that last verse as we respond again to that wonderful, wonderful challenge that we are to live holy, godly, respectful, moral, upright, wholesome lives in our world and in our day. Thank you. Thy new creation, pure and spotless, let us be. Let us sing Thy great salvation, perfectly restored. Change from glory into glory, till in heaven we Amen, the choir's ready for heaven. Let's bow together in prayer, let's pray. Our Father, we thank you that you are changing us. You're changing us daily, you're challenging us daily, and you're channeling us daily. But Lord, one day we will be changed completely. Lord, we're looking and longing for that day whenever there'll be no more sin, sorrow, sadness, sickness, nor death. There'll be no need for a moral code. There'll be no need for the law of the land because we'll be living in the light of his love in the very presence of the God of heaven. Father, we pray that you'll help us to become fit citizens. for that great day. And so we pray you bless us as we part from this house. In Christ's name, amen. Amen. You may be seated.