Let's just commit our time, please, to the Lord, a word of opening prayer. Our eternal Father and our God in heaven, we come into thy presence this evening. We come, O God, asking for your help and for your presence to be amongst us tonight. We pray, Lord, be pleased to help us as we seek to worship thee in spirit and in truth. Encourage us and be with us tonight, we pray, in the Saviour's name we ask. Amen. Hymn number 54, our opening hymn this evening, hymn number 54, Great God of Wonders. All thy ways are worthy of thy self divine, but the fair glories of thy grace beyond thine other wonders shine. Hymn number 54, we'll stand as we sing, please. Let's take the Lord again, please, in prayer. We still our hearts before him just now. Our Father and our God in heaven, we come into thy holy presence this evening, and in through that all-worthy name of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank the Lord tonight that it is through him, Lord, that there is pardon and that there is forgiveness from our sin. We praise Thee, O God, tonight, Lord, that we have an audience with Thee. We thank Thee, O God, tonight for that acceptance, Lord, that is to be found through Jesus Christ. And we praise Thee, Lord, this evening as we come, Lord, into Thy presence. Lord, we pray You'll help us, Lord, to worship Thee, Lord, to lift our hearts in praise and thanksgiving unto Thee. Lord, even as we have been singing this evening, Lord, who is a pardoning God like unto thee, O'er who has grace so rich and so free? We thank the Lord this evening, God, for the pardon and for the grace, Lord, that is found alone in the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank the Lord tonight that he is the only Saviour of sinners. We thank the Lord tonight that he is saved. Thank you, O God, tonight, that the blood of Jesus Christ still cleanses and still saves from sin. And our Father, we pray, Lord, that even as we come, Lord, to this meeting for tonight, Lord, that you will be pleased to speak into our hearts. Lord, move in this place tonight, O God, we pray. And Lord, bring the loss to thyself. Lord, even we pray, Lord, that as we consider the pardon, Lord, that is offered in the gospel, Lord, that the hearts of each one of thy dear people, Lord, that will be thrilled and encouraged. Lord, as we remember again all that we have and all that we are through Christ. Our Father, we pray that you will be pleased to be with us this evening. Come and presence yourself with us, O God, we pray. And Lord, meet with us, Lord, in this time together, we pray. Come and be with us, come and help us. Lord, move in this place tonight, we ask. And Lord, may we have a very blessed time together in the house of the Lord tonight. Remember, Lord, all that takes place in this meeting. Help us as we would sing thy praise. Pray, Lord, for our sister Carla. She'd come and minister to us in song. Just be with her tonight. Give her, Lord, that help that she needs. Lord, may she know even great help, Lord, as she sings, Lord, the songs of Zion this evening. Lord, bless, Lord, across our city. Remember, Lord, this city of Belfast tonight. Lord, where, Lord, there once was. So, such a move of God and many, Lord, witnesses for Thee. Yet, O God, we lament, Lord, the spiritual declension, departure that there is across our city and, yea, Lord, across our country tonight. O God, we pray. Be merciful to us. O God, we pray that You'll come and, Lord, revive the hearts of Thine own dear people. Lord, give us a love, give us a desire, after the things of God once again. And heavenly Father, we pray, Lord, that You'll set us on fire for the Saviour. Our Father, we pray that You'll come burn within us, O God, we pray. Lord, O God, we cry unto Thee for that move of God, the Holy Spirit. Lord, where is our hope of survival? Save in Thy life-giving breath. And yet, O God, we thank Thee tonight that we believe in a God who still answers by fire, Lord, send the fire amongst us, we pray. And Lord, O God, we pray that you'll be pleased to send thy Spirit, Lord, even into this place tonight, we pray. Remember this area, this community, Lord, around this church building. We ask, O God, that you will be pleased to speak into hearts. Speak into lives and homes, many homes, Lord, that have no thought or time after Thee. Lord, homes that are wrecked and ruined by sin. O God, be merciful to them. O God, we pray tonight. And Heavenly Father, we pray that You'll be pleased just to save them. Thank Lord of the texts on this church building. Thank Lord of the invitations that have been received down through the years. O God, we pray that You'll speak. Lord, speak very clearly, and, Lord, we cry unto Thee for that moving of God the Holy Spirit. So, just be with us now. Give us, Lord, a blessed time, a good night in the house of the Lord, and we will be careful to give Thee all the praise and all the glory, for Thou alone art worthy. Be with us this evening. In the Saviour's name we ask. Amen, amen. We're delighted to welcome Carla and John back to Sand Dunes. Good to have you both back with us. We're gonna ask you to come and sing for us just now, Carla, and the Lord richly bless you. Thank you. Praise thee, O God, for the Son of thy love. For Jesus, who died and is now gone above. Hallelujah, bind the glory. Hallelujah, amen. Hallelujah, bind the glory. Revive us. For the Spirit of Light, who has shown us our Savior and scattered our night. All glory and praise to the Lamb who was slain, who has borne Revive us again. Revive us, O Lord, with the water of life. With the bread of your word be our passage. again fill each heart with thy love may each soul be rekindled the glory, revive us again. Hallelujah, thine the glory, hallelujah, amen. Hallelujah, thine the glory, revive us This is my story, this is my song Praising my Savior all the day long This is my story, this is my song Praising my Savior Perfect submission, all is at rest. I and my Savior am happy and blessed, watching and waiting. Praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story. This is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story. This is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long. Carla, thank you very much for your ministry and song tonight. It's good to have you back with us after a long absence, but you've no Daniel with you tonight, somebody's babysitting him. Well, we congratulate you on the birth of little one, and thank you for being with us tonight. We're turning this evening, the Word of God, please, to the Old Testament, to the little book of Micah. Book of Micah. Six or seven books in from the end of the Old Testament. A little book of Micah, please, the chapter 7. Micah chapter 7, please. And let's read together the last few verses of this chapter, a chapter we've been in in the past. We want to come back to it this evening. Micah chapter 7, the verse number 14, please. Micah chapter 7 and the verse 14. Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitary in the wood, in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt, will I show unto him marvellous things. The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might. They shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent. They shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth. They shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee. Who is the God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again. He will have compassion upon us. He will subdue our iniquities. And thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days. Amen. May the Lord be pleased to bless the reading of His Word for His great name's sake. And I at this stage welcome you all along this evening to our evening gospel service. We're glad to see you in the house of the Lord, and we extend to you that very warm welcome in the Savior's great name. Also to any who may be watching online as well. Immediately after our meeting tonight, we'll meet around the Lord's table. You know and love the Lord, then you're encouraged to wait behind for that time of remembrance of the Lord's death in His own appointed way. Tuesday night, our Explorers Bible Club at 6.30, a Bible study and prayer meeting at 8 o'clock. Friday night, our Youth Fellowship will meet here in the church. Next Sunday, quarter past 10, Sunday School Bible Class 1015. Then next Sunday morning, we're having a special visit from a man from Kazakhstan, Yuri Skuridin. And as I said this morning, that is probably not how you pronounce his name, but you need to come along next Sunday, not just to hear how you pronounce his name, but to hear of the work that he is doing there in Kazakhstan. He works as the academic dean of Almaty Bible Institute. teaching and training pastors and evangelists there in Kazakhstan. He'll be along with the Reverend Derek Maxwell of Slavic Gospel Association. They've had a long association down through the years. And our brother Derek will be here as well. next Sunday morning. So we're looking forward to having these brethren, and I trust that you'll make every effort to come. And why not invite someone along as well next Sunday morning? There'll be an offering for the work of Slavic Gospel Association, so please do remember that as you come next Sunday morning. Sunday school in Redburn as well, next Sunday afternoon at 2.30. Then next Sunday night, 6.30, we have the next of our Family and Friends Night services, continuing on the theme of Children of the Manse, and our sister Jenny Hamilton will be along to testify next Sunday night, Galt Willing, and Abigail McGill will be here to sing. There'll be tea for everyone as well. Vision magazines are available today. They're all free of charge. You will have taken with the picture on the front. When I saw that initially a few weeks ago, I get this to proofread every time. I wondered, but anyway, wiser men than me. But there you go. So do get the magazine. Lots of good articles in it. And take it with you tonight. It's free of charge. This incoming week in our church in Lisbon, there are special meetings arranged by our mission board, the Mission Vision meetings, to mark and to give thanks to God for the 50 years of the mission board. Those meetings commence on Wednesday night at 8 o'clock. They continue through until Saturday night, Wednesday. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 o'clock. Our Mission Board Chairman, the Rev. Mercer, will be speaking on Thursday night. The Rev. Ryan McKee will be speaking on Thursday night. The Rev. David McMillan on Friday night. And then our moderator, the Rev. Samuel Murray, will be preaching on the Saturday night. And so, you're welcome along. I would encourage you to get along to those meetings, if you can at all, and encourage the work of the Mission Board. Do remember the consultation that's out at the moment, the Belfast City Council proposals to ban the use of PA systems. That consultation finishes tomorrow. So if you haven't got your reply in, please do that by 5 p.m. tomorrow at the very latest. Just a few other meetings up ahead in the month of March for you to keep in remembrance for our elders and deacons. We'll have a committee meeting on Thursday, the 14th of March. And then on Tuesday night, the 19th of March, that will be the final of our Explorers Club our Parents' Night, and we'll finish that Tuesday night, the 19th of March. That's open to everybody, and what we've been doing, or did last year, we'll do again this year. We'll combine it with our prayer meeting at night. The meeting will be at 7 o'clock that night, so please do remember that. We'd love to see all the congregation come and enjoy that meeting, come and encourage the children and the parents as they take part on that special Parents' Night. So that's Tuesday, the 19th of March, and our brother Chris Killen will be speaking at the Parents' Night on that occasion. Do remember the offering boxes that are available there as you leave for your tithes and for your offerings. So make these announcements subject to the will of the Lord. Let's turn again to another hymn, 215, in your hymn book, page 263. Years I spent in vanity and pride, caring not my Lord was crucified, knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary. 215, we'll stand again as we sing this hymn, please. As we said, we are glad to have Carla with us this evening. I'm gonna ask you to come and sing for us again, please. Thank you, Carla. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame. And I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophy's at last. ♪ An exchange of something for something more ♪ where his glory forever I'll share. So I'll cherish the old rugged cross till my trophies at And exchange it someday for a crown. Carla, thank you again, sincerely, for coming this evening. We appreciate your help. Thank you for singing so beautifully and so well this evening, and for bringing us again to the cross. May the Lord be pleased to bless you as you seek to serve Him in this way. The Lord bless you. Thank you for being with us tonight. Make it chapter seven again, please. Make it chapter seven. Want to consider the words of verse 18 especially. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage, he retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. With the Word of God open before us, can we just still our hearts, please, before the Lord in a word of prayer and ask for His help and His presence. Our Father and our God, we thank Thee already for help given in this meeting. We thank Thee, Lord, for help given to Carlos, his minister, to us in song. We thank Thee, Lord, this evening for that blessed assurance of which he was singing. We thank Thee, Lord, tonight for each one in this meeting that has that blessed assurance. And yet, O God, we thank Thee and realise tonight it's all because of that old rugged cross. It's all because of what was accomplished there when the Lord Jesus Christ died that we might live. When He died to pardon and to forgive our sin. O God, we pray tonight to be pleased to bless Carla in her ministry. Just be with her, and John, and Daniel, and the family. Just help them, O God, we pray, in the days that lie ahead. O God, we thank Thee for them giving of their time, and Carla giving, Lord, of her talents to minister and be with us tonight. Bless her richly, we pray. But O God, as we come now to Thy Word, we ask, O God, that You be pleased just to draw very near, Lord, we need Thy help. Lord, as we come to consider the word of the Lord tonight, we realise, Lord, that of ourselves, we cannot do this of ourselves. Lord, we need Thy help. We ask, O God, that You will be pleased to come and draw very near to us tonight, we pray. So be with us. Give us help, O God, we pray. And Lord, through it all, glorify and magnify Thy name. Lord, speak into every heart. Lord, send Thy Spirit, Lord, into this gathering just now. And, O God, we pray, pour out Your Spirit upon us. Give us help in the preaching, Lord. We need the help of the Spirit of God. Give us help, O God, to hear as we ought to hear. And, Lord, through everything, may the name of our Saviour be lifted on high. Hear and answer prayer in the Saviour's name we ask. Amen. Amen. The prophet Micah brings his little prophetic book to a close with what really are some of the most blessed and wonderful words in all of Scripture. Most blessed and wonderful words, especially considering the people to whom Micah is addressing. He's speaking to a people who have turned their back on God. He's speaking to a people, as many of the prophets spoke to, a people, to a nation who had rebelled against God and sought to do away with the laws of God and with His commandments. Yet Micah brings his little book to a close here by a remembrance and a reminder of a God who deals with us not after our iniquities, but according to His mercy. Thank God tonight, in spite of our sin, in spite of our rebellion, and in spite of our turning away from God, we have a pardoning God. We have a God who forgives sin. We have a God who pardons sin. And Micah reminds us of that by posing that great question in verse number 18. Who? Who is a God like unto thee that partneth iniquity? He brings before us tonight a God that is unsurpassed and that is unparalleled. There is none like unto him. And all the other gods that you care to mention, and all the other religions that you care to think about tonight, there is no God like unto our God. We tonight have a society that's filled with many social remedies and social antidotes for the ills of communities. and for the ills of our generation. People tramp around the streets of our cities and of our towns believing that they have the answer, they have what all our generation needs. And yet the reality is that our generation is bearing the results of its rebellion to God, bearing the results of its rejection of God, And so many organizations and so many institutions have been set up, and they come up with their grand and their wonderful plans to cure the ills of society, to try to get people who are lost back on the right track, people who have gone astray, try to get them back onto the right path. And yet tonight, none of the man-made solutions will ever deal with the problem of sin. Because tonight only God can forgive sin. Only God tonight can turn and change a life around. Micah's ministry was conducted against a backdrop of great idolatry and turning away from God. And even throughout his little book, he reminds the people that there was going to be a day of judgment. There was going to be wrath for such a rebellious and a sinful generation, yet he closes his book with a wonderful reminder that in spite of it all, there is a God of mercy. And thank God tonight, in spite of your sin, in spite of your rejection of God and my sin and my rejection of God, there is still a God of mercy. There is still a God who, as we read about in verse 18, delights in mercy. As we consider these words together tonight, I want us to consider, first of all, the consequences here of sin, because, as we've said, Mike is writing to a people who've sinned. Mike is a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea and Amos. And each one of those prophets are dealing with a people who have rebelled and disobeyed God. A people who've went their own way, done their own thing. And their sin is ultimately sin before God, because what they have done is that they have broken not the law of the land, but more importantly, the law of the Lord. And that's very simply what sin is. Sin is breaking God's law. Sin is disobedience to what God has laid down. Micah is writing to a people who were guilty of disobeying God's law, breaking God's law, and therefore guilty of sin. And yet, Each one of us is so guilty tonight. Each one of us tonight are lawbreakers. Each one of us tonight have turned our back on God. Each one of us tonight were born in sin, born with that old sinful nature that was dominant and prevalent in our hearts and lives because of the failure of our first parents way back in the Garden of Eden. Paul reminds us that, as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin. Death passed upon all men. Why? For that all have sinned. And you see, none of us tonight can escape that reality. You might be a good citizen, and you might be moral, and you might be upright. You might be good living, and you might care for others, and you might try to do your best in this society, but the reality is that before God tonight, you are a sinner. None of us can escape that. None of us can escape then the condemnation for that sin. As Paul wrote to the church at Rome, one man by one man, sin entered into the world and death by sin. Each one born in this world, born in sin, is under that condemnation of death, not physical death, we all must needs die, but eternal death, death that separates the soul from God in hell for all eternity. None of us can escape that. I thank God tonight for those in this meeting who are saved, because there's a refuge for that condemnation. There's a refuge for our sin, and it's found alone in Jesus Christ. In Micah, chapter 7, verse 18, who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity. How are iniquities pardoned? How is the sinner brought into that right fellowship with God? It is only through God's Son, Jesus Christ. By His coming into this world, by His living that perfect life, by His dying and atoning death, by His resurrecting again, and by His intercession at the Father's right hand in glory. That's how our sins, our iniquities are pardoned tonight. And yet tonight, for those in this meeting still out of Christ, you're still under the condemnation of God because you refuse to come to God through Jesus Christ. You come to God through your own way. You want to come to God your own way, but you'll only come to God through Jesus Christ. Saint Mark, the lives of the people in Micah's day as well, If you care to turn back to the opening chapter of Michael, in chapter 1, great sin of idolatry. People have turned their back on God. They've turned their God of their own thoughts and their own imaginations. Verse 2 says, Hear all ye people of hearkened worth and all that therein is, and let the Lord God be witness against you and the Lord from his holy temple. He's saying, you've removed God, the God who should be in his rightful place. You've removed him, but that removal will be a witness against you. You have idolized and you have apostatized from God. And that's sin, putting other things in the place of God. Micah chapter 2 in the verse 2, he talks about the sin of covetousness. They covet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away, so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. Like at chapter 3 in the verse 2, he talks about the sin of contempt for the standards of right. Chapter 3, verse 2, who hate the good and love the evil, who pluck off their skin from off them and from their flesh from off their bones, who hate the good and love the evil. Is that not descriptive of our day and generation? That which is right is called wrong, and that which is wrong is called right. That which is good is called evil, and that which is evil is called good. Sin characterizes this society, because sin always manifests itself in the hearts of the ungodly. And these people were marked out by sin, the sin of pride. They would have their own gods in God's house. They would covet and they would long for greater. And they would set aside that which the Bible and the Scriptures call good, and they would place in front of it evil. All without sin. or without Christ, and marked by sin. But you see, the problem is that sin always brings its consequences. Sin always brings its consequences. We see that played out in our own land and nation. Is there ever a time when, as a nation, we've departed so far from God? And for a time when the laws of God, the standards of God, they're set aside, and the whole time to try to better society. And yet our society today is worse than it's ever been. Sin, you see, brings its consequences. Sin will always bring its consequences. If you turn back to Micah chapter 1, You'll see some of the consequences of sin that this people were going to endure. Terrible consequences in verse number three. Micah chapter one and verse three, we see there was going to be humiliation. For behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. You see, the proud were going to be humbled. And those who had rose up in rebellion against God, and those who said, there's no God for me, God says, I'm going to humble you. I'm going to bring you down. In verse 6, we see there'd be devastation. Therefore, I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, as plantings of vineyard. I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof. There was going to be devastation. In verse number seven, there's going to be ruination. All the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate, for ye gathered it of the hire of a harlot, and they shall return to the hire Oh, the harlot, their land was going to be ruined. And there was going to be separation as well. You see what Micah speaks about here. I believe he's pointing forward to that day of judgment when the Lord himself will come in judgment and in wrath. And while at times we will see some of this being played out, it is not until the Lord returns, not until the Lord comes with power from on high, that the sinner will ultimately and finally be humbled before a holy God. And this old earth, which sin has ruined and which sin has destroyed, will be burnt up. And the Lord will usher in the new heaven and the new earth. speaking about the judgment of God and the wrath of God that was going to be poured out. You say tonight, what has that got to do with me? Sinner, if you're here without Jesus Christ, it's got everything to do with you. Because this is what will happen to the sinner, the religious sinner, the upright sinner, the moral sinner, the faithful sinner, the loyal sinner. Whatever term you want to use, you're still a sinner in the sight of God. But this is what's going to happen to you on that day of judgment. Oh, you'll be humbled. You'll be brought down. Your proud heart that states you don't need God. You'll be humbled. You'll be devastated. Whenever that wrath of God is poured out upon you on that last day, you will, as the Scriptures tell us, call, cry unto the mountains to hide you from the wrath of God. But the problem is, it'll be too late. There'll be ruination, and your soul will be destroyed. There'll be separation, separation from God. For all eternity in a lost hell, this is what awaits you. These are the consequences of sin, terrible consequences. God's judgment upon the sinner is an awful calamity, a final damnation in hell for all eternity. She will bear the wrath of God and the judgment of God, not just that day, but every day the sinner is in hell. They will bear the wrath and the judgment of God every day. There will be no escaping. There will be no turning away. Every moment that the sinner is in hell, they endure God's wrath for all eternity. In that place where the fire is not quenched and where the worm dieth not. A reference, I believe, to the conscience. Every day you remember every opportunity you had to get right with God. Every day you remember every opportunity you had to get saved. You remember every gospel invitation, and yet you rejected it. Those things in hell will rise up to condemn you, all because of sin. Oh, you might think tonight your sin, your rejection, your rebellion of God, it's got no consequences. It's of no significance. Oh, that you would realize tonight, even as Micah spoke about, that there is coming a day of judgment, and your sin will be judged. not only the consequences of sin here, but I want us to notice secondly here the compassion of the Savior, because into this scene of sinfulness and waywardness and wickedness, there are those verses that we have read at the end of this chapter, Micah chapter 7, that shine brighter and shine greater than the deepest, darkest of sin. You know, in many ways, that's where we really see the mercy of God, when it is set against the backdrop of the sinfulness of man. When it is set against the backdrop of man who's rejected God, rebelled against God, turned their back on God, wanted nothing to do with God, yet the mercy of God shines brighter when it is seen against such a backdrop. Who is a God? Verse 18, Micah chapter 7, verse 18. Who is a God like unto thee? This is the very same God that the people have rejected. This is the very same God that the people have turned their back on, and yet here He is tonight being merciful, being compassionate. You look at those verses, those words in verse 18. Who's a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity? Who's a God like unto thee that passeth by the transgression of the remnant? Who's a God like unto thee that retains not his anger forever? Who's a God like unto thee that delights in mercy? There's the love of God. There is the undeserved love of God, because here is a God who pardons sin. Here is a God who passes by the transgression of the remnant. Here's a God who doesn't retain His anger forever. Here's a God who delights in mercy. Thank God tonight there is pardon from sin. Thank God tonight there is a Savior from all sin. Thank God tonight that that pardon is still offered in the gospel. We're still in the day of grace, still in the day of opportunity, and there is still pardon for sin. Where is that pardon found? It's found alone. in God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's found alone in His work that He came into this world to accomplish and to attain, as Carla was singing tonight about the old rugged cross. That's where the sinner finds pardon. That's where the burden of sin is still lifted. That's where sins are still forgiven. That's where pardon is experienced. That's where God delights in mercy through the cross of his dear Son. The sin that Micah speaks about in this chapter and in this book, it implies that there's a debt that must be paid. It implies that there's a bondage that must be overcome. It implies that there must be a setting free. In fact, you look at that word, pardon, in verse 18. In the original, in Hebrew, it means to lift up. Lift up. You see, tonight the sinner is under the weight of sin, pressed down, weighed down by that sin. And that sin ultimately will weigh you down and bring you down to hell. But God, through His Son, lifts the burden of sin. He pardons sin. There on the cross at Calvary, the Lord Jesus Christ lifted the burden of sin, lifted the sins of all who would believe on Him. What did He do with them? He placed them on His Son. Every sin, past, present, and future, For all who would believe on Jesus Christ, He placed them there upon His Son on the cross. And Christ bore that weight of sin for us. Christ endured the agonies and the pains of hell. Christ there on the cross was humiliated. Christ there on the cross paid the price for our sin, counted amongst the transgressors, who in his own body on the tree bore, bore our sin. Oh, tonight there's pardon from your sin, sinner. There is a Savior who is compassionate. There is one who pardons iniquities. But that's only found in Jesus Christ, not found in this church or any church. Not found in anything you can do or anything you can try to do. It's found alone in Jesus Christ. How's your sin? How's your iniquity pardoned? through Him, through Christ and Christ alone. Will you come to Him tonight? It's only at the foot of the cross where you'll find this pardon. We see the consequences of sin here and the compassion of the Savior, but finally there is the certainty of salvation. Again, in verse 18, those terms, pardoneth iniquity, passeth by the transgression, retaineth not his anger forever, delighteth in mercy. You see, those terms are positive terms. Those terms are certain terms. If you come to God through Jesus Christ, your sins will be pardoned. You come to God through Jesus Christ, He will pass by your transgressions. Now, that doesn't mean that God is going to ignore them. That's impossible. That would go against the whole justice of God. But I tell you what it does do. You come to God tonight through Jesus Christ, it means that your sin debt is paid for by Jesus Christ. The payment settled, and you go free. That burden of sin under which you are right now, that sin can be lifted and settled by faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ. They're certainly there. By trusting Jesus Christ and Him alone. But it's not just some or any faith. You know today that we live in a society that has many different faiths, many different trusts. That itself doesn't save a sinner. Your faith doesn't save you. You say, what? It's your faith in Jesus Christ that saves you. Not some blind faith, not some abstract faith. It is faith alone in Jesus Christ that saves. You look at verse 19. He says He'll turn again. He'll have compassion on us. He will subdue our iniquities. Listen to this. And thou will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. What more certainty do you want tonight? What more assurance tonight do you want? You come to God through Jesus Christ. He will do all these things for you. Because if you come to Christ, come to God through Jesus Christ, and put your faith in Christ and His finished work alone for salvation, He has covenanted. to save, to justify the believing, the repentant sinner. He will turn again. He will have compassion. He will subdue your iniquities. And He'll cast all your sins into the depths of the sea. Child of God, tonight, if you're feeling discouraged, as often I'm sure you are, and the old devil's coming and telling you all about your past failures and all your sins and everything you did wrong this week, remember the words of Micah chapter 7 and the verse 19. God has cast all my sins into the depths of the sea. All your sins have been forgiven. and cast into the depths of the sea. Sinner, tonight, this is what God can do for you. If only you'll but come to Him through Jesus Christ. Have you forsaken your sin? Have you turned away from your wicked ways? Oh, don't doubt His promise tonight. Don't doubt His pardon, but rather come and experience it for yourself. Who? Who is a God like unto thee? There is no God like unto our God. There is none that can forgive sin but Him. What a certainty tonight, what a guarantee, all based on His mercy. Tonight He still delights in mercy. Tonight He still delights in saving the soul that will come to God through Jesus Christ. He still delights tonight to show His mercy. and to extend His mercy to the very ones who have turned their back on Him. Your sin is great, but His mercy is more. Oh, what a merciful, long-suffering God He is. What a message Micah had to bring, a message right up to date for this present generation. Who is a God like unto thee? Who is a God that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again. He will have compassion on us. He will subdue our iniquities. and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." That's what God has promised to do tonight if you'll come. You'll leave your sin and trust Him and Him alone for salvation. Will you come tonight? Will you trust Him? Who is a God like unto thee? There is no God like our God. He is the only one who can forgive your sin. It's all through His Son, the work of Christ, there on the cross, if only you will but come, repenting and believing. Will you come tonight? Experience His mercy, that your sins might be cast tonight into the depths of the sea.