Transcription downloaded from https://legacy.freechurch.org/sermons/3278/the-cross/.

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[0:00] we make a great deal of the sinfulness of coming to the Lord's table unworthily. We say much less of the greater sinfulness of not coming to the Lord's table.

[0:21] No Christian has a right not to come to the Lord's table. He has no right to neglect any means of grace.

[0:38] We mustn't neglect reading or hearing the word. We mustn't neglect prayer. We mustn't neglect the sacraments.

[0:51] Because all of these are God's appointed means of grace. And the omission or neglect of any one of these is detrimental to our spiritual well-being and prejudicial to our soul's salvation.

[1:15] As I said before, it's for all the Lord's people. It's not for some.

[1:27] It's not for special ones. It is simply for each and every one of them. Indeed, in a very important sense, the weaker we are, the more fragile, the more vulnerable, the more we need the Lord's supper.

[1:49] You bear in mind that as those disciples sat with Jesus at the first Lord's supper, they were very, very immature.

[2:01] In fact, we may even suspect that at that point, they were all backslidden.

[2:14] And very soon, they would all forsake Him. And they would all flee. And perhaps, we know their inward spiritual condition at that particular moment, we'd have borrowed every single one of them from the Lord's table.

[2:39] Satan had them, but he would sift them as wheat. The crucial thing, then, is do we love the Lord?

[2:52] Absolutely nothing else matters. Do you love me? Do we think that He is, without question, the greatest, the most lovely, the most beautiful person, person, concept, imaginable?

[3:18] Do we long to have Him for ourselves? Do we miss, regret, perhaps feel homesick for experiences of Him that we once had?

[3:41] do we say, do we understand, it's not what we think of ourselves that matters this morning.

[3:57] It's what we think of Jesus. We have a great high priest. some of you may say, I don't know if I have.

[4:14] And because of that, for various complex and non-biblical reasons, you may hesitate to come to the table. You don't know if you have.

[4:26] love. But I ask you this, do you know that if you did have Him, it would be well with your soul?

[4:40] That's what matters. And to those who love Him, He says, keep my commandments. And among those commandments there is this, this do in remembrance of me.

[4:58] it has the same force. It comes from the same person, the same divine authority, the same other commandment.

[5:13] It has all the weight of the Ten Commandments, any weight of any of the other elements of the Lord's teaching. We have no right to evade its force.

[5:34] No believer should feel guilty or apprehensive this morning at the table. But I am prepared to say that if there is one person who loves the Lord who has defied, defied this commandment, then that person should feel guilty.

[6:05] If you love me, keep my commandments. And sometimes when it's low with your soul, that is the one great standing warrant left to you for sitting where you sit this afternoon.

[6:29] We sometimes hear brethren on the question day saying that they rise in obedience and we gave the other moonwalk.

[6:45] They don't feel like it, but they rise in obedience. It is no bad reason to be at the Lord's table today because you love him and you want to keep his commandments.

[7:06] I hope that as we come God's spirit will fill our hearts and his mercies will satisfy our souls.

[7:24] We shall now sing to God's praise in Psalm 118 for the elders furnish the table with the elements, the signs of the broken body and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[7:44] Psalm 118 we sing in Gaelic. We shall sing from verse 17 we shall sing two stanzas Chanaik mi baas achmad and pyo esi isham oik priyein.

[8:03] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[8:14] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[8:25] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[8:37] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[8:51] Amen. Amen. Muslim Muslim There's just no way Why God saw me Why do you speak, the night What's the moment that 딱 déc schlimm To me Oh Oh

[10:31] Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Let us hear the word of God And he took bread and gave thanks and break it and gave unto them saying this is my body which is given for you

[11:45] This do in remembrance of me Likewise also the cup after supper saying this cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you May God bless to us this word Let us pray and give thanks in the Lord's name Oh Lord the first time it was you yourself who took the bread and broke it and blessed it and glorious though the occasion was those who were with you then it said little it said little of its significance and perhaps received little of its blessing to prevent us to prevent us Lord lest we have today a similar experience

[12:57] We have had a similar experience A similar experience Lest regret for a non-recoverable past Our yearnings for an unfulfilled future may come between us and what you are for us at this particular moment.

[13:25] Although we cannot see you here or hear you or touch you, yet we know that you are here. You are here in the heart of each one of your children. You are here in the fellowship of your people. You are here with us, not only as you are with us when we are alone and apart and solitary, but in that special way in which you are with us, we will gather in numbers together.

[14:14] You have often been in this place. You know it well. You are here in past days. You spoke great words of comfort. You touched hearts. You changed lives.

[14:38] You are here today, Lord, the same risen Savior, the same God the Father, the same Holy Spirit.

[14:53] May we know you in the breaking of the bread. May our hearts know your peace. Fill our souls with thankfulness. Fill our hearts with anticipation, with longing for the feast of the Lamb in the glory above.

[15:22] At this moment, O Lord, we are one with all those all over the world who today remember you in the sacrament.

[15:41] We are one with you, and one with your people, down through all the ages.

[15:53] We bless you for every single one who is with us here. We bless you for each other. For the brother, the sister beside us. For those with us for the very first time.

[16:14] For each and every one whose lives have impacted our own down through the years. We taught, encouraged, loved, nourished, cherished, guided, admonished us.

[16:34] For all who had fleshed before us the love and loyalty of the Lord Jesus. For these, Lord, we bless you. Bless now these moments to us. In our Savior's name. Amen.

[16:53] I'm not going to say much more.

[17:05] But I want to remind you of the words of Saint Paul to the church at Philippi. Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men.

[17:24] Rejoice. If you love me, keep my commandments. That too is a commandment. Rejoice always.

[17:38] That must mean rejoice even today. And then of course we can find some of us. The reasons to dismiss that command as inappropriate or as absurd.

[17:56] Because our circumstances are not conducive to rejoicing. We might even think rejoicing inappropriate.

[18:10] We might even feel guilty about rejoicing. The way things are. But it's not saying rejoice in circumstances. It's saying rejoice in the Lord.

[18:26] He is as lovely today as ever He was. As great. As competent. As faithful to you. As ever He was.

[18:40] And He is there. And no matter how empty. And dark and desolate. The world may seem to be. If you look.

[18:52] If you look just even into the darkness. He is there. Rejoice because He is. Rejoice because of what He is.

[19:09] We read that Lord took bread. And blessed. And broke it. And gave saying take eat. This is my body. Which has broken for you.

[19:33] And likewise after the supper. The cup saying. This is the new covenant. In my blood. All of you. Drink from it.

[20:01] From it.

[20:22] In that same chapter. Paul says that the peace of God. God will keep or guard our hearts and minds. That's a remarkable promise. He's talking about. The need. To be careful for nothing. To be free from worry. And all of us know how difficult that is. Because.

[20:51] We're so prone to. We're so prone to. Ponder what may happen. What a day or an hour may bring. And Paul forbids us. And Paul forbids us. To engage. To engage. In such anxiety. Or such carefulness.

[21:05] And he. And he. Instead tells us. That we should make. A request. That we should make. A request. A request. A request known to God. We should come with prayer. A supplication. A thanksgiving. And make. A request known to God.

[21:19] A request known to God. That is so important. To learn to. Bring everything. Before the Lord himself. That. Rent.

[21:35] The veil of the temple. To go. To go. With whatever burdens us. And whatever interests us. You know. Sometimes children come to their parents with. Very childish things.

[21:52] And yet. And yet. Parents listen. Because. They're important to the child. And all I say is that. If it matters to you. And if it's troubling you. Then it matters to God. And so.

[22:13] You take it to him. But it's also very important. Once we have done that. To leave it. With God.

[22:24] Because sometimes we forget that. There's a kind of. Almost shuttle service. We go with our burden to God. We say. I'm leaving this with you.

[22:40] And then. And then back we go. Carrying the same burden. Then tomorrow. Back again. And back again. And back again. Back and forth. With the same load.

[22:53] And the same burden all the time. If you cast all your cares upon the Lord. Then you don't take them back with you. You don't. You leave them with the Lord.

[23:06] And then he says. This amazing thing happens. The peace of God. Keeps your heart and mind. And that word keep is very interesting. Because.

[23:20] It's a soldier term. Somebody on sentry duty. Sentry duty. And it's a marvelous picture of.

[23:31] The peace of God. Standing as a sentry. At the door of your heart. And saying to. Every thought. Halt.

[23:42] Who goes there. And I think it is a very very important thing. That God would keep certain thoughts out of our hearts.

[23:56] Sometimes. People who come through great danger. You say to them. But. Did you not think that this might happen?

[24:07] Or did that not occur to you? And they say. Well you know. It didn't enter my mind. And I think that is a very very precious part.

[24:23] Of God's care of his own children. That it keeps certain things from simply never entering our heads. The peace of God.

[24:34] Guards. Our hearts. And our minds. And I hope that today. As we leave this. Wives on this table. We go with thankfulness in our hearts.

[24:47] With enhanced love for our Savior. With greater commitment to his service. And above all. With that peace that passes all understanding.

[25:01] You have so many burdens. There are so many uncertainties. So many fears. So many worries. And yet somehow. There is God's peace.

[25:14] We can't explain it. It's not due to any logical process on our part. There is a marvelous word in Psalm 127.

[25:26] And it's a very very precious word. God gives sleep to his beloved. Jesus you know slept in the boat in the storm.

[25:40] Sound asleep. There was chaos and mayhem around him. But he slept. He had cast all his burdens upon the Lord.

[25:54] Every single one of them. And God's peace. Was keeping his heart. And his mind. And we shall sing in Psalm 103.

[26:11] Again we sing in Gaelic. And we sing the first two stanzas. Psalm 103 verses 1 and 2.

[26:26] O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. Inia Yehova Mo. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish.

[26:38] O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish.

[26:48] O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. Inia Yehova Mo. B'yali Hiusenish. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish. O Manim B'yali Hiusenish.

[27:09] They haveところ steadfast spirit. RedöttlyAD-L-ano 249Ron I bon't shut down.

[27:24] To true love and freedom this Ho the свой That armor of a demon

[28:49] Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh child Oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh you Let's go in prayer.

[30:06] O Lord, we bless thee for thy goodness to us this day, for the means of grace, for the word of God, the sacrament, the people of God, for our providence, which works all things together for our good.

[30:33] Go before us, Lord, in the rest of the day. Meet with us here and elsewhere in our evening services.

[30:46] We bless your servants who will bring the gospel to the people. May their word be in the power of the Holy Spirit.

[31:00] Remember each one, Lord, in our own different states and conditions before you at this time.

[31:12] And we pray especially, O Lord, for the young folk who have been present throughout this service and have behaved with such admirable propriety and decorum through what is a long service.

[31:34] Bless them, we pray, and draw them to thyself through Christ and through his people. And may they be raised up to continue thy witness in this place in generations to come.

[31:53]  For thy glory's sake. Amen.