Good morning, everyone. Give you a very warm welcome to the service this morning on this Remembrance Sunday. And since it is Remembrance Sunday, we're going to begin with an act of remembrance. We hope that you'll be able to join with us, whether here in the church or looking on at home or perhaps listening to a recording of the service. We welcome everyone this morning. And if I may, a special word of welcome to girls from the Girls Brigade And we're glad to have you girls this morning. Just to explain what's going to take place, in a few moments, we will stand and receive the colors, which will be brought in. Following that, we'll have the hymn which we always sing on remembrance Sunday morning. Oh God, our help in ages past. Following that, Louise is going to come and read some verses from scripture, from the words of the Lord Jesus. And after that, we will go into a period of silence. And that will be brought to an end by the playing of the last post. And I shall collect our thoughts together in prayer. And if you're able to stand for all of that, then please, please do. So that's what's going to happen. And can I invite you now to please stand. Now we join together in singing the hymn, O God our help in ages past. For I speak the word of truth and it's here to stay. I loved an angel till I slept, for I could hear him call. ♪ Like an ever-rolling stream ♪ ♪ Where told it sounds away ♪ ♪ They fly forgotten as a dream ♪ ♪ Dies at the opening day ♪ The reading is taken from John chapter 15, verse 9 to 17. As the Father loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. Amen. We pause in our service to remember those who gave their lives in two world wars and subsequent conflicts. They grow not old as we who are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. We will remember them. ["The Last Post"] I'm Gracious God and loving Heavenly Father, on this Remembrance Sunday, We give thanks for the freedom that we enjoy today, brought about in large measure by the sacrifice of others. We thank you, Lord, for freedom of worship, freedom to work, freedom to choose those who govern us, freedom to share the gospel with young and old. We thank you for those who fought and died that such liberties might be ours. And today we pray especially for those who are remembering loved ones, fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends. Please bring to them your comfort and sustaining grace today. We pray also, Lord, for your protection upon our armed forces serving in different parts of the world. And we pray that conflicts brought about by hatred between nations, such as in Ukraine, between Israel and Gaza, in the Sudan, Father, we cry to you that bloodshed and destruction will come to an end. We give thanks, too, for those who are serving our country in different ways. the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the PSNI, the Fire Service, other emergency services, we thank you so much for those who play a vital role in our province and nation. And as we thank you for those who served and who died, we praise you for one who came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many, our Savior, Jesus Christ. And so we bring our prayer in his name, the name of the one who loved us and gave himself for us. Amen. Please be seated. Now, boys and girls, thanks so much for being so good during that time, that special time of remembrance. We do have a song for you. Would you like to come up to the front and help me with it? Why not? Come ahead. Hope you brought your singing voice with you. There we go. Great. Now, boys and girls, you know this is a special Sunday, and that's why people are wearing the poppy. And some of you have got a poppy on as well. And you'll know that the poppy is very significant on today, but it also tells us something about the Lord Jesus. I don't know if you've ever thought about this, but the black in the middle of the poppy reminds us about how sinful we are, the wrong that we've done. And then the red reminds us of the blood of the Lord Jesus shed on the cross for us. And the green leaf reminds us that when we come to Him and be Christians, we live for Him and we grow in our Christian faith. When you look at the poppy, you do remember all of those things. Now the song that we're gonna sing is one of my favorites. He made the stars to shine, he made the rolling sea. Now I'm gonna give you some time off this morning and I'll not ask you to do the actions, okay? But I want you to sing your very best for the two verses that'll come up on the screen. He made the stars to shine. Well done, boys and girls. Now, time to go out to stepping stones and tiny steps. We'll see you later. God bless. Now, a little bit later than usual, but no less in importance, our church secretary is going to come with the announcements. Thanks, Billy. Morning, everyone. I do know that we have a number of visitors with us this morning. We have the parents of the girls of our girls' brigade, and you're very welcome, and also those who are here this morning because of the special remembrance service, and you're all very welcome. And just turn around and say hello to the person sitting beside you. Tell them it's good to see them in church this morning, but don't give them your life story. Okay, we're very glad to have the Reverend Philip Campbell, one of our own folk, taking the service this morning and Philip will be speaking to us later on. Then five o'clock this evening there will be a prayer meeting before our evening service which is at six o'clock and that will be our GB enrolment so the girls will be back again tonight to be enrolled into the company. The speaker this evening is Philip Agnew from CEF and there will be a cup of tea after our service this evening. Tuesday at half past seven our Bible study and prayer meeting meet in the prayer room and the speaker this week is again Pastor Andrew Daly from Shankill Road Baptist. Next Sunday our services are at 11 in the morning and 6 in the evening and we do invite you all back again for those. And in the morning we have Andy Williamson from Bilston Road City Mission and in the evening Jim McGill from Carrick Fergus. Both of these men have spoken in our church before. One other announcement on our church prayer calendar today, we are remembering Stephen and Heather Cuthbert and the children. Stephen and Heather are working in the New Tribes Mission Bible College over in England. And then two of the ladies in our congregation have birthdays today. And so first of all, happy birthday to Jackie. Come back again this evening, we're having a very special parade for Jackie's birthday. And then it's Karen Miller's birthday. So happy birthday, Karen, wherever you are in the church this morning. Yes, Karen, happy birthday to you, and this your special day also. So these are all the announcements. They're all made, of course, God willing. And I'm just going to hand over to Philip again. Thanks so much, Billy. We're coming now to our offering hymn for which we shall remain seated. It's one of Graham Kendrick's lovely songs, From Heaven You Came, Helpless Babe, The Servant King. So the offering will be received and we'll just remain seated for all the verses of this song. We deserve what you deserve. you ♪ Come see His hands as they speak. ♪ ♪ The stars are speaking of shining hearts. ♪ ♪ As life was charged into space. ♪ ♪ So through all ages surrender. ♪ He calls us now to follow Him, to make our lives a day of glory, of worship to Him. Let's bow together in prayer. Our gracious Lord and loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for the opportunity to come together once again in worship and praise and thanksgiving to the one who is the Servant King. We thank you, Lord, for those lovely words which reminded us not only of the life of Jesus, but of his death on the cross, hands that flung stars into space to cruel nails surrendered. How we thank you for that atoning sacrifice made on our behalf. Lord, we come to you today and we want to pray for those who are especially upon our hearts today. We pray for those of our congregation who are not well. We pray for Alfie Davies. We pray for Frank McFerrin as he recovers at home. We remember David Brown, and we commit him into your hands also. We pray for the pastor and his dear wife as they continue to enjoy some time away. Bring them back refreshed to us for further ministry here in this place. And Father, we do want to pray for Stephen and Heather Cuthbert over there in the New Tribes headquarters at Northcote. We pray, Lord, for their ministry. We pray for Stella and Zoe and Joshua. And we ask, Lord, that as a family they will know the presence of God in a special way. And then, Lord, we want to pray for a moment for the boys and girls who will be taking the transfer test very soon. Lord, we pray that they might be well prepared for that. We pray, Lord, that they'll not be anxious. We pray, Father, that you will guide their lives in the future. Help them, dear Lord, to trust in the Lord with all of their hearts and not lean on their own understanding, but in all their ways, acknowledge him, knowing that he will direct their paths. We bring these and all of our prayers as we bring our offering in the worthy and precious name of Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen. Now, we're going to have a reading from the Old Testament this time, and Reuben's coming to bring that reading to us. The passage we're reading is from Jeremiah 31, verse 31-34. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them. By the hand that lead them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they all shall know me. From the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. Thanks very much indeed, Rowan. Now we're going to sing one more song before we come to the Word of God. And I hope it's one that you can make your prayer. Teach me thy way, O Lord. Teach me thy way, thy gracious aid afford. Teach me thy way. Three verses to this lovely song. And after the introduction, we'll stand together while we sing. God's plan. Please be seated. By the sound of it, you'll know that one better next time. I hope the words were sincerely prayed as you sang as well. Just a brief prayer as we come to the Word. Father, we pray that this morning you will open your Word to our hearts, and that you open our hearts to your Word. And we bring this, our prayer, in the worthy name of Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen. It's not often that I read out a poem when I'm preaching, but I read this one entitled Recessional by Rudyard Kipling. Here's what he wrote. God of our fathers, known of old, Lord of our far-flung battle line, beneath whose awful hand we hold dominion over pain, palm and pine, Lord God of hosts, be with us yet. Lest we forget. Lest we forget. I wonder how good your memory is. I know the wee boy said when he was asked what memory was, well, memory is the thing you forget with. Maybe you're just a bit like that. Some years ago, a very famous conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham, He's famous and you've never heard of him, but I have. And he was in a gathering of a lot of distinguished people. And he met up with a person that he kind of recognized, but he couldn't remember his name. And he thought, now his dad does something special, he thought. You know the way you do when you're talking to somebody, you can't remember their name, and the filing system's going like mad. so that you try to remember the person you're talking to. And so he was talking to this guy, he said, your dad, is he well? Is he still in the same line of business? Oh yes, he said, he's still king. Embarrassing moment, maybe. Today we're remembering especially those who gave their lives in the World Wars. Remembrance Sunday is on the calendar every single year because of the fact we so often forget, don't we? And we're thinking today of those who gave their lives on our behalf. And I want us to think just of three things that the Bible tells us we ought to remember. Three big things, so don't forget. Here's number one. First of all, the Bible tells us that there is a creator we should remember. The girls are having their enrolment services this evening and when the Boys Brigade had their enrolment services years ago, I'm sure Brian and others will remember, we used to get a little card, a little enrolment card to say that we were now members of the of the 10th BB. And on it was a scripture verse every single year. Ecclesiastes chapter 12 and verse 1. Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth." We have a creator to remember. And we're going to consider this for a few minutes because it really is that important. First of all, I want to think about it in relation to the existence of the universe. Psalm 19 in verse 1 says, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows forth his handiwork. Why is it that there's something rather than nothing? How come we're here? How come we exist at all? Well, the Bible tells us that God was the maker of heaven and earth, and we remember him as our creator. Now, that's not always what you hear on the media, is it? Some years ago, a friend of mine was listening to a radio program on Radio 5 Live. It was a kind of a phone-in program. And on that program was a guy from Liverpool, I believe, Professor Steve Jones. And my friend rang in to ask him a question or two. Because the professor was talking about an anniversary of Charles Darwin, the originator of the theory of evolution. And my friend Vinnie rang in and said, Professor Jones, I have a couple of questions for you. He said, can you tell me, how can order come from chaos? And when the Big Bang happened, what was it that went bang? And then he also asked, how could life come from non-life? Do you know the answer to those questions? How could order come from chaos? How could life come from non-life? When the big bang happened, what was it that went bang? Well, do you know the professor was stumped? He had to be kind of helped out by the presenter of the program. But folks, you and I need to hold confidently in our minds and in our hearts that God is the one who is creator of heaven and earth. Some people think that the world began with a big bang. A lot of people are more worried that it might end with one. But God's in control of that as well. So we have to think about it in relation to the existence of the universe, but also in relation to evidence of creation. Now, I know that some people think there is no such evidence at all. Psalm 8 tells us that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. And it talks about the heavens being the work of God's hands. People may be surprised that there's evidence for creation, but believe you me, there is. I know that maybe you don't like to get into discussions about this in case you're embarrassed because you don't know what to say. Well, listen, don't feel embarrassed. Don't feel intimidated. Unashamedly share what the Bible says about creation. Remember your Creator. Evidence for creation? Oh yes, there is. First of all, we can see the beauty of it. Creation takes your breath away, doesn't it? It's amazing that an atheist might look at that and have no one at all to worship. Isn't that sad? But you can, because you believe in God and you worship Him for what He has done and what He has made. The beauty of it, the order of it, We see design and we say there must have been a designer. Think about where the earth is in the universe. How come, is it by accident that the earth is just the right distance away from the sun? If it was any closer and we would burn up, any further away and we would freeze. Is that just by accident? Is it by accident the earth is spinning so that we get day and night? Is it by accident that the earth's axis is tilted so that as it makes its way around the sun, we get the different seasons? Did all of these things happen just by accident? I would point to the one who created our world and everything in it. We know about the creation as far as the beauty of it is concerned, the order of it, and the detail of it. It's wonderful to pick up a telescope and look out into the heavens, but when we take up the microscope, again we see the hand of the Creator. Some years ago, we used to show a fact and faith film in different places called City of the Bees. Anyone ever remember that? And it showed how bees made their hives and made the honey and so on. And it's a marvelous thing. And I'll just give you one little detail, something that God organized. that whenever a bee is scouting and finds a source of nourishment, it'll fly back to the hive and all of the other bees will gather around it and they'll lick him to see what it was he's seen and found, you know, in case they're interested in it. And do you know that that bee does a little dance And by the little dance, shows exactly the direction that they need to fly in to get to the nourishment he's found. And the length of his little wiggle tells them how far away it is. Wasn't it marvelous that evolution organized that? No. No. God, our creator, organized that. A friend of mine often thinks about DNA and challenges people to think about DNA. Well, he says, listen, design, not accident. Design, not accident. DNA. There's evidence of creation. And I would encourage you folks, familiarize yourself with it so that you can share why it is we believe in creation. So there's the existence of the universe, there's evidence of creation, and then we need to point to the excellence of man. The excellence of man. Psalm 139 and verse 14 tells us that we're fearfully and wonderfully made. Fearfully and wonderfully made. We're not just another animal. As Professor Verner Wright said, man is not a developing creature who's the product of an evolutionary process. He's a special creation of God. And we're distinct from the animal creation, mentally, physically, spiritually. Check it out, check it out, and you'll find that it is true. You see, some folk don't like to believe in creation because they don't want God messing with their lives. We want God out of the way. And what do we get by ignoring God? We get broken marriages, children confused and abused. We get easy abortion. We get crime and violence. We get international conflict. The list could go on. Anybody really going to tell me it was a great idea to get rid of God? Not at all. Not at all. Why don't we be honest with ourselves and recognize that the principles that God has laid down for our lives are such that will be a blessing to us? God wants us to be content and filled with joy and happiness. We don't get that by shutting Him out and by forgetting the One who created us. So there's a creator that we should remember. But something else the Bible tells us to remember is a particular day. Exodus chapter 20 in verse 8 says, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. And by the way, that commandment in Exodus chapter 20 is well worth looking at for another reason. Because if we think about the creation of the world and we ask how it came about, how did God say he did it? Exodus 20 verse 11, he says, for in six days, God created the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that in them is. God created this world in six days. And he did it for a particular reason. He was setting a pattern for human life. Though six days were available for work, one day set aside for rest and for worship. That's God's pattern. And again, in many ways, we've messed it up, haven't we? Last Sunday, Catherine and I were heading to a church where I was going to speak in Lisburn, and I've been there numerous times, but on this particular Sunday, I missed the turn. Perhaps I was distracted by her perfume as she sat beside me in the car. Well, we missed the turn off and so I had to turn left and come all the way back. But we went through the place in Lisbon which has restaurants, the cinema, the leisure centre. 11 o'clock on a Sunday morning and the car park was almost full. You see folks, Sometimes it's not that we want to do these things along with worship, we do it instead of worship. And that's where we go wrong, because there is a day to remember. Whenever I was growing up, all my Friends had families that went to church. All of them, all of my boyhood friends were members of the Boys Brigade. And it was a happy time. And part of that happiness was due to the fact that we were worshiping families. I may have told you sometime before about the visit that Charles Colson paid to our country a number of years ago. At that time, he was president of the Prison Fellowship, and he had a meeting with the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, after whom I am named. But Colson was talking to Prince Philip, and Prince Philip asked him if he had any thoughts about reducing crime in our country. And Colson gave this reply, send more children to Sunday school. The prince thought he was joking. But Colson then pointed out the fact that those who go to church, those who learn about God and his principles, they are far less likely to trouble their families, to trouble their teachers at school, to get in trouble with the law. And he showed them, showed Prince Philip that that was a worthwhile way of providing a basis in life of good principles in government and for society. I reckon, folks, and I don't know if you'll agree with my analysis, but we today are suffering from ignorance of Scripture. and ignorance of God. I know if you watch any of the game shows on TV, let a Bible question come up and brace yourself to cringe for the answer that might come. Basic information, simple questions that in our day, Sunday school knowledge would have brought to our minds very, very quickly. Well, it's not so today. And why do we worship on Sunday, just in case somebody's asking? Wasn't the Jewish Sabbath Saturday? Well, as I say, the fourth commandment laid down the principle of one day and seven to be set aside for the worship of God. The word remember reminds us that it wasn't established there. It wasn't introduced there. It's a reminder of what happened at creation when God made the word in six days and then rested on the seventh. But why Sunday? Why Sunday? Well, we know that the Lord Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. We know that the early church was invaded by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Pentecost was a Sunday. Acts tells us they established a pattern of meeting on the first day of the week. That's why we meet together on a Sunday. And I would encourage you Always to make time for the Lord on a Sunday. Gather with other Christians as regularly as you're able to. I was just thinking this morning about the time that we spent over there in Manila, and the church that we went to on that first Sunday morning. That was some experience, guys, wasn't it? It was truly Pentecostal. Christ Forever Faithful Church is the name of it. And Amor's brother is the pastor there. But I tell you, the worship was noisy. It really was. And when the church were all worshiping together, there was joy. That was joy. Now, the worship might be OTT for some of us, but nevertheless, it was heartfelt and joyful as they met together on the Lord's day. And we find out that the church there in Navitas, a lot of them, they stay on the premises the whole day. You know, they don't run home and come back again. They stay on the premises all day and they have lunch there and the young people meet in the afternoon, et cetera. we meet together because of the fact that we know the Lord and we want to learn from His Word. There's a day we should remember. But there's a third thing we need to remember, and that is that we're instructed that there is a Savior to remember. The Lord Jesus, before he went to the cross, he introduced to his disciples a very simple service, where we eat bread and drink wine. And he said, this do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. Paul recalls it in 1 Corinthians, in chapter 11. This Remembrance Weekend, we are hearing stories once again of heroism and sacrifice, and it's a very moving thing to listen to all of these stories, isn't it? And Louise read for us from John 13, greater love hath no man than this, the man lay down his life for his friends. But Jesus had a greater love than that. Jesus did not lay down his life for his friends. He laid down his life for us, for we who were his enemies. God commends his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And that's why we need to remember him. Yes, we're grateful for those who gave their lives in the world wars, and it's right that we pause every single year to remember them. But do we remember Him? Do we think of the Savior, the one who died on the cross for us? Some years ago, the American preacher, Robert G. Lee, was in Israel. And he visited a place which is known as Gordon's Calvary. Some of you who have been to Israel will have been there. It's thought that that might have been the place where the Lord was crucified, places called Golgotha, skull hell, and this hell is the shape of a skull. And that's why they think it might be the place where the Lord was crucified. Now, Robert G. Lee decided he wanted to climb right to the top. And the Arab guide who was with him was rather concerned about this and didn't really want him to do that. But he was determined he would get to the top. And so he did. And when he got to the brow of that hill and stood there, he took off his hat and bowed his head, obviously greatly moved, and tears welled up in his eyes. And the Arab guide said to him, sir, have you been here before? He said, yes. I was here before. 2,000 years ago, I was here. And so were you, because the one who gave his life on that cross died not just for Robert G. Lee, but for you and for me. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. Do you ever think about that? Have you ever thanked the Lord for what he's done for you? Have you ever welcomed him into your life as your Savior? there's a Savior we should remember. Ah, folks, on this Remembrance Sunday, let's not forget the one who created us. Let's not forget the day we should join together to worship. Let's not forget the Savior who loved us and who gave himself for us. Let's bow together as we pray. Our Father in heaven, we do want to thank you for this particular day in our nation when we remember with thanksgiving those who gave their lives in two world wars. Father, we're also grateful to remember the one who created us, to remember on this special day which you have given to us on a weekly basis to pause and draw aside to worship. And we're glad for the Savior, the one who shed his precious blood that we might be cleansed and forgiven and free from the guilt and power of sin. For this, Lord, we thank you. And we ask, Lord, that you will help us to remember. We bring this, our prayer, in the worthy and precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Just before we sing our final song, let me tell you that at the end of the service, I'll ask you to remain standing at the end of the hymn for the national anthem and the benediction. And then please remain standing while the girls leave the church. But we're going to sing together a lovely hymn by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. My heart is filled with thankfulness for him who bore my pain, who plumbed the depths of my disgrace and gave me life again. After the introduction, we'll stand together to sing. His bliss and my faultless days to come. Through the sampling of His busy job, for every step I take, it's just making me feel unsold. The National Anthem. And now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us work to His will, doing in us and through us that which is well-pleasing in His sight. And we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.