Are you a bit better? A bit more tonight? What? He says you're a bit better. I'm a lot better now, this evening. Yeah, you can see it. Is it evening as well? I can relate to that, because I felt like that last week. I felt so bored. I don't know why I can even function when I'm bored. Good for you guys to know. Everyone's been up. We're still carrying on. Yeah, it was quite bad last night. So there's a spiral and a big plank in the cell. And it's only the sterile one that's going to work as well. So he has got something, hopefully. Yeah, the syndical, I don't know what you... I don't remember the name of it. Yeah, it's got a purple one. Yeah, it's pink. That's not the old one. Is that the blue one, which is the normal? That's the pink one. Yeah, we might have syndical as well, because that's the one I've got. Oh, thank you. give you all a very warm welcome to this evening's worship service. We're again grateful to our own pastor who will be leading this time and bringing to us God's word. We meet later on in the week, Wednesday at 7.30 for prayer and Bible study, and that time will be led by Mr. Lewis, our own pastor's father. Thank you. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases. Let us come now to the Lord in prayer. Let us pray. O gracious God, we do come to thee. We come to worship thee, we come to bless thy name. We thank thee for the opportunity we have just had around the table. We thank thee for our precious Saviour and what he did for us here upon earth, upon the cross of Calvary. And mindful still of what he has done, as the wine lingers on our tongue, we would think of him now and we would pray in this hour of worship that thou would accept our praise and be glorified through his beloved name and what he has done. We thank thee we can come, we come before an open heaven, We come to Thee, we are sinners but we can come, because of Christ our Saviour. Do forgive us our sins. Help us now, O Lord, to worship Thee in the evening hour of this Friday. Hear us, for Christ's sake. Amen. We turn to our first praise tonight. Number 89 in the Psalter, verses 5 through to verse 9, and the tune is Winchester. Psalm 89, verses 5 through to verse 9, and the tune is Winchester. The praises of thy wonders, Lord, the heavens shall express, and in the congregation of saints thy faithfulness. The praises of thy wonders, Lord, the heavens should express, and in the congregation all states thy faithfulness. For who in heaven with the Lord May one's in self compare? Who is like God, how humble doth sound, Flawless and mighty are. Great Virginity of the Saints, is due unto the Lord, and He of all the passage should with reverence be adored. O Thou that art the Lord of hosts, Lord, Lord in mightiness, which light to the earth hath bestowed, art with thy faithfulness. In Him, the Raging of the sea, Thou, Lord, the Ript of Spain, And when the waves thereof disperse, Thou still extend Thy hand. Our consecutive reading tonight is to be found in Proverbs, the fifth chapter. Proverbs, the fifth chapter, and we're reading from verse one. My son, attend unto my wisdom, and thou thine ear to my understanding. that thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. For the lips of a strange woman drop as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smooth as an oil, but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold on hell, Thou shouldst ponder the path of life, her ways are mutable, that thou canst not know them. Hear me now therefore, holy children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house, lest thou give thine honour unto others. and thy ears unto the cruel, that strangers be filled with thy wealth, and thy labours be in the house of a stranger, and thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, and say, Have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof, and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me? I was always did all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly, drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of water in the streets. Let them be only thine own, and not strangers with thee. Let thy fountain be blest, and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving-kind in pleasant row. Let her breast satisfy thee at all times, and be thou ravished always with her love. And why would thou, my son, be ravished with a stranger, a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his doings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be hoarded with the cords of his sins. He shall die without instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. Amen. May the Lord add that blessing to the reading of his precious and holy word. Well, that's what we just read. Let's turn to our second praise, number 128 in the Psalter. Blessed is each one that fears the Lord and walketh in his ways. For of thy neighbour shall he be and happy be always. Number 128. Blessed is each one that gives the Lord, and walketh in his ways. For of thy neighbor thou shalt be, and happy be your way. Thy white chalice and fruitful wine, by thy house I defile. My children, I will honor them as a proud Isabel girl. Behold the man that is the Lord, how blessed shall he be! The Lord shall come to Zion give is blest in all to thee. Thou shalt Jerusalem to behold, whilst thou upon earth hast dwelt. Thou shalt my children still bless me, and keep on Israel. If you would turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 2, and we're going to read from verse 1 through to verse 12. Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Lord, that ye may grow thereby. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. to whom coming is unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. Ye also, as like these stones, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore, also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I am Zion, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is become the head of the corner. And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of heaven that have called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which have not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles. that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Amen. Let us continue in this hour of worship by turning to the Lord in prayer. Let us pray. O gracious Lord, we sincerely appreciate the life we have O Lord, for some of us we have walked with the Lord for a number of years, for others not so long. But Lord, we all appreciate the life that we have. For that time when we were newborn babes in Christ, having that desire. And those of us who have walked for a while with thee, many still have that desire. For the milk, but also for the meat now, Lord. May we have that hunger, May we not grow cold, but oh, may we have that spiritual desire, as we considered this morning, to know more of Christ, to know more of his love. Oh, let's do longing after these things. Oh, may we be found often sitting at the feet of Jesus in a spiritual way. We've been blessed around the table earlier this evening, and we thank thee again for our Saviour. We look back to his death, Lord, we look up and consider that he is alive in the glory, this gives us great hope in these days. Our faith is not in vain, and we have the privilege of sitting at his feet in a spiritual way. O may he be there often, looking up like Mary of old, looking in expectation, longing, O give us that great longing, O Lord within. We do thank thee for this day, for thy goodness towards us, We thank thee for the Lord's day. Lord, we pray that thou continue to bless us, help us to keep it holy for thy glory. May we know the delight in the evening hour by day, the delight of particularly focusing on thee, the delight of focusing on our saviour who is precious to us. Oh, may the thoughts of Christ linger in our minds tonight as the wine lingers on the tongue, All may the thought of Christ linger in our hearts tonight as this day continues. We do thank thee for the morning hour of worship. We do thank thee for the opportunity around the table and just prior as we received Joseph Allen to the membership here, we prayed for him. O Lord, that Thou would bless her and keep her, keep the devil away from her this coming week. That is all, O Lord. Help us, as we have that love, to assist her as the brethren were to assist Phoebe all those years ago in whatsoever she have need. And bless her in the fellowship here we beseech Thee. So, Lord, we look to Thee. Bless us again in the evening hour of Thy day. We would remember those unable to be with us. We pray again for Dorothy. We thank thee she was here at the table. Oh may the preciousness of the table linger in your heart this evening and be with her in her home now. We pray for Steve as well and Annette on the take, for them who are laid aside through sickness. We pray that they would know a measure of recovery even this coming week. We do pray for Raph in the hospital tonight. We pray for her and others in the ward there tonight. We pray for them. We pray that Raph may know underneath us the everlasting arms. We pray for others who would remember Pauline in Totten in Southampton Hospital, be with her this evening hour. And others, O Lord, who are in the hospitals, knowing the frailty of the flesh, come alongside them and help them. Lord, thou hast such a care to thy people who are in hospitals tonight. We do pray that thou would go before us, lead us and guide us here, lead us on. We thank thee for new faces in the congregation in the morning hour of worship and we pray for them all, lead them and guide them. We thank thee for those who profess faith, we pray for those who are strangers to the gospel, strangers to grace, that It wouldn't be long before they know the Gospel, as we sing of in the 89th Psalm. Oh, we pray for this, and we pray that Thou would continue what Thou are doing at this present time, bringing in people from the locality. Lord, we thank Thee for those who have been brought in. May there be more brought in this coming year. Lord, we pray as this year soon comes to an end, with Thou the Spare, may Be a year of blessings as we look to a new year. Lord, we beseech thee. Lord, we do pray for our nation at this time. Have mercy upon it. O, what has Parliament done? Have mercy, O Lord. May not that which is proposed come into law yet, we pray. May yet many more just pause and consider this week the sanctity of life. We pray for this. We thank Thee for those who voted in a way that is right, in accordance to Thy word. We pray for them. Keep them strong. We beseech Thee. We do pray for our King and the royal household. We pray for them. We pray for the Prince of Peace to be known in that royal household, for hearts to be opened. We pray for them. We pray for the situation in Ukraine, O Lord, we beseech Thee, that Thou be with Thy true people in that place. We thank Thee there is Thy true believing people in Ukraine. Bless them, and may the war soon finish. We pray that Russia would be those who would come to conclusion in the conflict. Well, we pray for this. We pray for those who truly love in Russia. We thank them. There are many who love the Saviour in Russia and those we know of and bless them and keep them strong. We pray for the spread of the church in Ukraine, the growth of the church and in Russia. We pray for the Middle East. We pray for the situation in Syria at this moment. Though it seems to be that conflict is going from one country to another, Lord, we pray that the peace would hold in Lebanon. We pray for Israel. We pray for the situation in Gaza. We pray for the situation in Iran. Lord, we do pray that many Jews would have their eyes open, and then Iran, Syria, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, and further around this world, O may many have their eyes open, until that day when the earth shall be full of the glory of thee, as the waters cover the sea. Lord, what a prospect! Speed the work of the gospel. May Christ visit many a soul in this world, O Lord. Open hearts, O Lord, we thank thee that the gospel shall be preached in all the world, and there will be those found believing in Jesus out of every kindred, tribe and tongue. What a prospect, O Lord! He shall have dominion from sea to sea, as we sang this morning. O Lord, open the eyes of many in this locality and throughout the world. Help us, O Lord, as we turn to thy word each day. Help us to read, help us to meditate, and help us then to walk in the light of thy word. Lest thy word tonight, lest the preaching of thy word Give strength and help, O Lord, here in the pulpit. And others who minister thy way, we pray for thy servant in Cardiff, Pastor Dowie Hyman. Be with him. For thy servant, Pastor David Kaye, be with him. For Pastor John Thackway. And, Lord, many others we pray for, those we know near and far. Be near to them, help them. Bless every faithful congregation. because the church, it bells you green, just a handful there today. Lord, lead them and guide them. If it pleases you, build up that work, bless thy people there. In other places, we think of many churches smaller than ourselves, who haven't seen people coming of late. Lord, do encourage them, as thou didst encourage us in the long night of seeing no one come in. Oh, Lord, encourage them. O Lord, hear our prayers. Help us to so live for Thee, to follow Thee. We give Thee all the glory. We offer to Thee the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. We call upon Thee, Thou art worthy. Hear our prayer, for Christ's sake. Amen. If you would send with me to number four in the Psalter, Psalm number 4, verses 4 through to verse 8, and the tune is Wallace. Fear and sin not, talk with your heart on bed and silent be. Notice verse 5, offerings present of righteousness, and in the Lord trust ye. Psalm 4, verses 4 to 8, and the tune is Wallace. Here I sit not, O hear your heart, O let her silent be, O preach, present, O righteousness, and in the Lord trust ye, and in the Lord trust ye. Our view will show us any good, It is that which many say. But from thy countenance divine, Lord, lead on us away. Lord, lead on us away. Of all my love bestowed by Thee, More grandness I have found That they, in England, poor and white, Did most wicked abound. Did most wicked abound. I will go lay me down in peace, and quiet sleep will take. Because of only me, who dwell in saintly Lord God's name. In saintly Lord God's name. Tonight we continue in our series in 1 Peter and we've arrived in chapter 2 and verse 5. 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 5. He also wrote, lively stones are built up a spiritual house of holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Christ by Jesus Christ. Dear congregation, in verse four, the Lord Jesus Christ is referred to as the living stone. He is the living stone as we think of him. He has life in and of himself, and there is life through him. Why a stone? He's the living stone, but why a stone? Well, think of a stone here tonight. It does not move, and it supports, but then thirdly, it is lasting. So it endures, it supports, and it is his last thing. Reverend John Banner Pennington wrote, Christ is called a stone to mark his firmness and duration. So if you think of him as the living or the lively stone, he's there for you, dear child of God. And he will always be there for you, and you can trust him, because he is. The living stone. He's there. He hasn't moved. He hasn't departed. You can rest in him. He supports you. You can rely on him. Others will fail you. Others will leave, but not the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the living stone. In Hebrews 13, verse 8, we read Jesus Christ is saying yesterday and today and forever. He's the living stone, isn't he? You can rely on Him tonight and you can rely on Him tomorrow. You can build your hope on Him. He's the living stone. Think of a house that's built upon a stone or rock. The Lord Jesus Christ is the living stone and you can build your hope on Him. Your hope of the future. All will be well because of the Lord Jesus Christ and your hope of eternal life. is sure because he is the living stone. So in verse 4 he's referred to as the living stone. In Isaiah 28 verse 16 he's referred to as the foundation, a foundation, a stone. Isaiah 28 verse 16, Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tribestone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation, He the believer shall not make haste. He is the foundation, the foundation stone. He supports the people of God. He supports the church throughout all ages. He is the cornerstone, Matthew 21, verse 42. All is connected to him. Further, you consider all the concerns of the people of God is upon him, because he's the cornerstone. All goes back to him, he has such a concern, and so you can cast your care upon him. But then consider further, he's the cornerstone, the church is established. And then finally, Jews and Gentiles are brought together, Ephesians 2, verse 15, verse 20. So just very briefly, he's the living stone, verse four, the foundation stone, Isaiah 28, verse 16, he is the cornerstone. Matthew 21, verse 42, he's also the precious stone. Come with me to verse four, to whom coming as unto a living stone, to so now indeed have made a chosen of God and precious. He's the precious stone, and we consider him to be the precious stone later on in the month in verse seven. Now as we note in verse 4, he was rejected by men, the Jewish builders. And then as the nation as a whole, John Gill wrote, by the Jewish builders, high priests, scribes, Pharisees, and the body and bulk of that nation who rejected him as the Messiah. You know those well-known words in John 1 verse 11, he came unto his own and his own received him not. But note verse 4, It's marked, the one that was rejected was chosen of God. They rejected the one chosen of God, the one precious. And dear brothers and sisters in Christ, are we not thankful for him that was chosen and that he is precious? Verse seven, unto you therefore which believe, he is precious. Those Jewish builders, so many Jews, they see Him not as precious like so many unbelieving Gentiles, but we who love Him. He is precious. We esteem Him. We value Him. So we can say Christ in verse 4, the living stone. Well, this in mind, come now to verse 5. See how it follows on. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up of spiritual We begin with Christ in verse four, and then we consider his seed, his people. He also are lively stones. We'll come back to this in a moment. He is the living stone. We are in union with him, because what do we read in verse five? He also are lively stones, are built up a spiritual house. It's his house, he's the foundation, he's the living stone, there's life from him, there's union with Christ. we're brought together, there's union with him and we have life from him. Now Peter addressing these scattered believers as we notice in verse one of chapter one, and he describes them as stones built up into a spiritual house and then further as a holy priesthood. Now just very briefly, you can think of the house in the Old Testament, the tabernacle, first of all, but then the temple. And then in the Old Testament, you can consider the order of priests. Well, with this in mind, Peter is addressing these scattered Jews, and he leads them to consider the spiritual house, which they are part of, and then further that they are a holy priesthood, offering up, not animal sacrifices, but spiritual sacrifices. We can think of the temple and the priest there in the temple and the sacrifices that are offered. Consider now the people of God throughout all ages, a spiritual house and there they are found offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Well let's consider for the remainder of the time we will be brief because we've been a while already at the table and now in this service but two things here tonight first of all the spiritual house and then secondly the holy priesthood. Verse five, he also as lively stones have built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. We're not considering here a physical building. We have no temple today, nor are we considering a priesthood as in Old Testament times. Christ is our priest. What do we read in Hebrews 7, verse 23? And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death, but this man, because he continueth forever, have an unchangeable priesthood. Lord, when we next Lord's Day morning, we'll consider Christ the priest, and he's there, isn't he? He ever let us. We're not thinking of a physical building, are we? We're thinking of the people of God. We're not thinking of an Old Testament priesthood, no. We're thinking of believers who offer up sacrifices of thanksgiving. Well, let's consider first of all, then, the spiritual house. You also are lively stones, Yours through his lively stones are built up a spiritual house. By nature, we were in the quarry of bondage, and we are the heart of stone. There was no life within us, we considered a few weeks ago. However, in the time of love, in effectual calling, we were quarried by grace. Tell with me to Isaiah 51 and verse 1. Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord, look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are dipped. John Newton rejoiced in God's amazing grace and there were times when he reflected upon Isaiah 51 verse 1, he reflected on the pit whence he was dipped. Oh what a state he was in, a notorious blasphemer, immoral. You know, other unconverted sailors would back away from John Newton, but oh, what grace did for John Newton. Well, he would reflect, he would humbly reflect at the pit he once was in, but he was so thankful for the grace of God that it quarried him from the pit. Oh, consider what we were by nature. Psalm 51 verse 5, Behold, I was shaken in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. What a pit, what a pit we were in. What bondage, the bondage of sin. Are we not humbled when we think of the pit we were dug from? But are we also not amazed? Oh, we were quarried by grace. John Newton wrote, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. He reflects, doesn't he? But he looks up and he's so thankful. We were quarried by grace. What are we tonight? We are lively stones and we've built up a spiritual house. We have now a heart of flesh. We had a heart of stone, didn't we? But now a heart of flesh and we're Lively stone. We'll come back to this word in a moment. You have life. Life from Christ. Verse four. He's the living stone. Life from him. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. And dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have life. And what an abundant life. Yes, we shed tears. There's dark times, but we have one to collect, that is, and we have one to trust, rely upon in the darkness. Isaiah 50, verse 10. It's an abundant life, isn't it? Think of the unconverted, they go through dark times, but they don't have the Lord to trust. We do. Yes, dark times, we know, but he's there for us, supporting us, guiding us. Oh, what an abundant life. We know life, we have a heart for the Lord, we know what it is to praise Him. We're supported, His Spirit comes and cultivates the grace and we know joy and love in view of Him. It's an abundant life, isn't it? He's the living stone. We've been quarried by grace and we are lively stones. There's life through Him and life from Him. We're supported. John 15 verse 5, I am the vine, ye are the branches, he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing, nothing, but what we can do through Christ. Oh, there's a supply, there's grace and there's more grace. Now consider, believers are lively stones. We're all different, aren't we? But we're lively stones. We have life from Christ. We're all saved by grace. We were quarried by grace. Saved by grace through Christ alone and faith alone. We've already considered tonight this union. We've been brought together, this union with Christ. brought together as the Lord's people. Just notice these words here. Yields through our lively stones are built up a spiritual house. Think of every stone placed into the building. Think of every believer, quarried by grace, placed into the spiritual house. Think of every child of God in the family. There's so many children in the family. We celebrate in Psalm 128. And we're seeing the good of Jerusalem. You know, you're in the greatest family on earth. None like it. And if you consider those in heaven, how vast is the family. It doesn't just run into thousands, tens of thousands. It runs into millions, billions. And every child is precious to the Lord. Psalm 116, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saint. If that's true in view of death, it's true in view of life as well. We're all precious, all brought together. Oh, what a house, built up, a spiritual house, formed by the Holy Spirit, life put within. Grace runs through the branches, doesn't it? John 15, grace runs through the lively stones, and they're brought together because of Christ. Oh, what grace has done. Think of the house, consider the household. In Galatians 6 verse 9, let us not be weary in what we are doing, for in due season we shall reap if we think not, as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." The household, what does that mean? Belonging to a house or family. Closeness. Kindred. And if you consider the part of the Greek word, it speaks of related by blood. Oh, what Christ has done. We've been saved by the precious blood of Christ, and we're covered by the blood of Jesus. Everybody in the house, in the household, is covered by the precious blood of Jesus. You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house. Lively stones, there's life, literally from the Greek, There's breath. We're alive tonight in a spiritual way, aren't we? When one is breathing, they're living. Oh, you're alive spiritually. What a blessing to be alive. You have life with him. Well, let's consider a number of things as we think further of the spiritual house. First of all, the Lord dwells in the house. The Lord dwells in the house. 2 Corinthians 6 verse 16, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people. He dwells in them. It's not a building, is it? It's the people of God and God is in them. And he walks in them. He's walking with you. Now that's amazing, isn't it? The infant of God, who's so holy, hates sin. He's walking with me. He's walking with you. He dwells in the house. He dwells in the midst of the people of God in a special way. Yes, he is everywhere. Psalm 139, in heaven, but also in hell there in his wrath. But in a special way, where is he? He's in the midst of the people of God, and he walks with them. Do you feel alone in the right place at times? Do you feel alone in your community? Remember this, God is in the midst, and he walks with his people. Christ walks in the house. Turn with me to Revelation 1 and verse 13. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the hood, and girt about the paths with a golden garden. In Revelation 2 verse 1, unto the angels of the church at Ephesus write, These things say of he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. He walks! He walks in the midst of all the people of God, of every faithful church around the globe, That's amazing, isn't it? We come together as the gathered church here, and he's in the midst, but there are thousands upon thousands of congregations in this world, and he walks in the midst of every one of them, in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. He walks, he dwells. Oh, to remember it, where there is the gatherings of the saints in a very special way. He walks in the midst. He walks in the midst of the church as a whole in a special way, but in a very special way. Jesus is here, not because of the stones you look at on the wall, but because of you, dear children of God, the gatherings of the saints. Oh, to remember that he is near to us. Matthew 28 verse 20, what did he say to his disciples not long before he left the world? Though I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, I am with you. He walks with me and he talks with me and he will not leave me. Though the dark night may be on top of me, he is there with me. He doesn't depart. Not always do we recognise him, do we? Not always are we aware. We fought around the table when the disciples were aware of Jesus. They didn't ask him. They didn't ask who it was. They were aware. Not always are we aware of him. As a little child, many a night, I wasn't aware of my dad and mum in the house when I woke up. I wasn't aware, I didn't think of it, but they were there. There's times when you're not aware, but he's there, isn't he? I am with you always. Always. When you're in the green pastures, I'm there. When you're in the valleys, I'm there. You may not recognize me in the dark valley, but I'm right behind you because my goodness and mercy follow you. He's in the house. What a comfort. He walks in the midst. Do you ever feel alone? No one's around? That may be. But really, you're not alone. Because the Lord stands by you, as it was the Apostle Paul's testimony. He's in the house. He's with his people. Secondly, there's communion. It's a spiritual house, isn't it? And the Lord is in the midst. the Lord is there and there's fellowship. You think of that communion in the temple, in the tabernacle, God met there. 1 John 1 verse 3, that which ye have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. There's fellowship. Fellowship with us, the apostle thinks of that fellowship amongst the Lord's people with them as well, but then he considers this amazing fellowship. Fellowship with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. We could also consider in another place fellowship with the Holy Spirit, because we read of the communion of the Holy Spirit in the benediction. There's fellowship in the house. God dwells in the midst, and what does the Savior say? Let me hear thy voice. And we have this fellowship, we hear His voice and we speak to Him. This fellowship, Christ is known. This fellowship in the house, we know the Lord, don't we? We pray to Him, we commune with Him in our lives, in our own homes, maybe when you're on a walk. And then as we gather together in the very special presence of Christ, we commune with Him. He's known in the house and we have the blessing of talking with him. Consider if you went to see a friend and you knocked on the door and there was no reply, no one was home. The Lord dwells, he inhabits the house, the people of God. He's there and there's fellowship. And we can know this communion with Him, this fellowship in the house with Him, but also with other believers. Turn with me to Ephesians 4, verse 15, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fit the joint together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, make it increase of the body, unto edifying of itself in love. You see, together, joined together, edifying one another, that's fellowship, isn't it? Together in fellowship in the house. One of old wrote, let's be the tide of balance. Our hearts in Christian love, the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. Before our Father's throne we pour our ardent prayers, our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares. We share our mutual woes, our burdens bear, and often for each other flows the sympathising cheer. There's fellowship, communion. We're not alone, are we? There's fellowship. And oh, what communion one day we will enjoy in heaven with the Lord and with the family there. and I tell you when you get to heaven you'll be amazed if you're saving and then you'll look around how many he died for so many millions upon millions the heart was not told me how vast my family is or what fellowship you will know in heaven in the house Thirdly, a house purchased by His blood. A house purchased by His blood. If you were to consider buying a house or purchasing a house, you would need capital, money. Oh Christ purchased us by His blood. What a cost. What a cost it was to Him. So did the precious blood of Jesus. Oh, what a great value, infinite value. Acts 20 verse 28, take heed therefore unto yourself and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. Now just in passing, do you see there the deity of Christ? To feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. Note there, secondly, he's purchased. How much He loved you, that He died for you. How much He loved you, that in great agony His blood was shed. How much He loved you. We've just taken the cup of wine, haven't we? We've been reminded of the precious blood of Jesus and His love. Oh, how much He loved us, what He suffered. So great was the cost. So great. He drank the cup in full. He paid the price in full. He purchased the house with his blood. You're not your own. You're bought with a price. I've said this before, I can remember many occasion going out the door and my mother turning to me, Erin, remember who you belong to. You don't belong to yourself. I'm glad about that when I consider myself. I belong to Jesus. What a blessing to belong to him. He purchased, and in the time of love, he came to my heart. But life within, I was quarried by grace, and I'm in the house, the spiritual house. And he's there, this union. I belong to him, and I belong to him forever. How effectual is the precious blood of Jesus. for a Saviour who went to the cross, that I would know sins forgiven, that I would know salvation, that I would be in the house, that I would know fellowship, that I would dine with Christ. What do we read at the table? Come and dine. And he said it to us again and again. Here's a table before you, a table in the wilderness. Come and dine, commune with me. I will speak to thee. but let me hear thy voice as well. Oh, how blessed we are to be covered by the precious blood of Jesus. He purchased the house. What a blessing to be in. Forthly, and time has gone in. The house grows. The house grows. Now just note these words. He also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house. You consider how great the house is tonight. It's never been as large as it is tonight. The next Lord's Day, it will be even larger, and on this will continue until he comes. You're in a house that keeps growing. What did Jesus say himself, Matthew 16, verse 18, now of Peter, then turning to himself upon this rock, himself, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The gates of hell shall not prevail. Or we consider the evil influence, the attacks made on the church, but the gates of hell shall not prevail. Think of all the martyrs. Think of all the laws that have been brought in against the truth. The church is still growing. I will build my church. He also, in life, he says, I'll build up a spiritual house. When we think of the Lord building, what does he mean? He's going to come and save a poor sinner again and again. He will come to poor sinners. He's going to save. He's the shepherd. He's going after that which is lost to light. And he will keep doing that. until he finds he's going to save men and women, boys and girls. His kingdom will extend. He shall have dominion from sea to sea. Psalm 72, the house is growing and it will grow until the earth is full of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. You know, I'm amazed so often when I go to TBS and I hear reports from Sometimes Philip Hopkins brings us a report of how many people groups there are still to be reached and I sit back in amazement. What an encouragement. People are going to hear of my saviour in this world and they're going to believe in him. They're going to be quarried by grace. Again and again in this world, people are going to cry out, what must I do to be saved? And they will be told from the word of God, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. This is going to happen again and again. He is on the throne, the house is growing. And before this day is out, the house would have grown a little more. The house grows. house is strengthened. The house is strengthened. Think of the lively stones. Individual believers, they're strengthened. We're united to Christ and grace continues to flow. And we're strengthened, there's more grace. Each individual believer knows a strengthening But then consider further, their graces within are cultivated through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes, and He cultivates the grace. The Spirit, as it were, comes. He strengthens. The Lord, the Master, comes, and through His Spirit, He attends to the house. And we know a strengthening. We know a refreshing. The strengthening through the words. sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth you see this strengthening this sanctifying this growing in grace as we draw to a close we won't consider tonight the holy priesthood but consider that next week with verse 9 for the royal priesthood but consider this as we think of the house there's spiritual activity in the house now it doesn't exclude our bodies, they're involved, aren't they? When we pray, when we sing, we move our lips, don't we? And so on and so forth. But particularly consider there is spiritual activity. Now in the temple of old, there were the offering of sacrifices, all the spiritual activity, spiritual sacrifices. God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. There's this activity, this worship in spirit and in truth in the house. We found worshipping the Lord, aren't we? We found singing his praise. We found saying worthy is the lamb that was slain. There's a house, a spiritual house, and there's activity within. And as you think of the individual stones, There's activity within. What is my prayer? That I might be able to say more of the psalmist. My soul following hard after thee. I'm a lively stone. There's life. I'm breathing in a spiritual way. I can worship my Savior. I can show my love to him. I can pray to him. Keep showing your love, keep praying. Many go through demotions. My heart said unto thee, thy face would I see. Ye also, as lively stone, are built up a spiritual house. Built up numerically, but also spiritually, growing grace and the knowledge of him. You're in the house. and the house is grown, and you will be amazed one day how many have life through Jesus. Amen. Amen. Let us pray. O gracious God, we thank thee so much that thou dost carry us by thy grace. Lord, we look back to the pit from whence we were dug. We are so thankful we are no longer there. We thank thee for thy grace, amazing grace, that thou didst quarry us, that thou didst take us from the pit, and set our feet upon a rock, and put a new song in our mouth. O Lord, we thank thee for that fellowship we know with one another, and fellowship with thee. We are so amazed that we can talk with thee, and thou didst commune with us, Help us to hear thy voice, Lord, and to respond by speaking to thee in song and in prayer. O Lord, we recognise afresh the cost it was for Christ to purchase the house. Help us to live this week in the light of Calvary. May we be thankful. Worthy is the lamb that was slain. Lord, we don't deserve such love. What a cost it was to him. What great love. that he bore the cost in full. No one else would so love us like that but thee, Lord Jesus. O Lord, help us to follow hard after thee and continue to build the church we are encouraged tonight. What a building work is going to continue in this world until the whole earth is filled with thy glory. O hear us, say, precious souls, Be drawing sinners to thyself, blessed shepherd, find lost poor wandering sheep and bring them to the fold. Hear us, O Lord, for Christ's sake. Amen. Psalm 40, verses 7 to 11. And to the Lord these were my words, I come behold and see, within the volume of the book, it written is of me. Psalm 40, verses 7 to 11, and the tune is from Laps Creek. Psalm 40. Then to the Lord these turn my words, I come behold and sing. Within the volume of the book, its written is of me. To you I will write in delight, Holds all my hope at heart. Yea, that most holy Lord of light, I have within my heart. Within the congregation praise, Our righteousness be praised. Lord, Thou dost know, O Lord, that I refrain and love Thy speech. I never did live in my heart God to your righteousness, I thy salvation have declared, and should my faithfulness Thy kindness, which most loving is, God's feelings have not died. No trouble, no creation breaks, and keep thy heritage. Light and amnesty is o'erth from thee, and to the Lord be his reign. Thy loving-kindness and thy truth, let them be still maintained. The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Um...