you give you all a very warm welcome to this evening's worship service. We're again grateful to our own pastor who's been leading this time and bringing to us God's word. Just a reminder to everyone we meet in the middle of the week on Wednesday for a time of midweek meeting and a missionary prayer meeting. Make a joyful noise unto God, O ye lambs, sing forth the honour of his name, make his praise glorious. Let us pray. O gracious God, we have been reminded there that thou art a glorious God, If we are exalted to make thy praise glorious, how glorious, how wonderful, how mighty, how thou art clothed in majesty, O Lord, we thank of who thou art. O help us, we're so small compared to thee, we're so weak and we are sinful. O Lord, forgive us, we pray, Strengthen us, and remember us in thy mercy and love tonight. We come to give thee the glory that is due unto thee, to make thy name glorious, to rejoice in thee. O may we know that accompanying joy as we come to thee tonight. O Lord, as we come again, we are sinners, and heavenly Father, we would ask for the forgiveness of our many sins, even of this day. May we rest in pardon this night. May we rest in our Savior, in what he has done for us souls. Hear our prayer. Come near in a special way a little further now, we pray. Touch our hearts. May we go from this place tonight knowing we have met with thee. Oh, how wonderful is the thought that we should meet with thee. Hear us for Christ's sake. Amen. Amen. Our first praise is Psalm 89, verses 5 to 9, and the tune is Winchester. The praises of thy wonders, Lord, the heavens shall express, and in the congregation of saints thy faithfulness. Psalm 89, 89 in the Psalter, verses 5 to 9, and the tune is Winchester. The praises of Thy wonders, Lord, the heavens shall express, and in the congregation of saints Thy faithfulness. For who in heaven with the Lord made once himself a man? Who is my God among the sons of the Almighty God? Great Phil in meeting of the saints, his due unto the Lord, and he of all about him should with reverence be adored. O thou that art the Lord of Hosts, Lord, Lord in mightiness, His light to me who cometh round, art with thy faithfulness. In the raging of the sea, Thou, O God, didst reign, And when the waves thereof do swell, Thou still expend Thine aim. If you attend with me tonight to Isaiah 61, Isaiah 61, and we're reading verses one through to the end of the chapter. Isaiah chapter 61. And we're particularly notice verse six in light of the sermon tonight. Isaiah 61. The spear to the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to hell to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn, to appoint unto them that morning sign, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. They shall build the old ways, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations, and strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the aliens shall be your ploughmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named the priests of the Lord, men shall call you the ministers of our God, ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. For your shame ye shall have double, and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess the double. Everlasting joy shall be unto them. For I am the Lord of love judgment. I hate robbery, burnt offering, and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people. All that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God, for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her birth, and as the garden calls up the things that are so many to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. Amen. Now the Lord have the blessing to the reading of his preface. Well we're turning to our second praise 147 in the Psalter verses 1 to 5. And we notice in Isaiah 61, those words concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted. Well, come with me to verse 3 of this psalm. Those that are broken in their heart and grieving in their minds, He healeth on their painful wounds, He tenderly abides. 147 in the Psalter, verses 1 to 5, praise ye the Lord, for it is good, praise to our God, to sing. Praise ye the Lord, for it is good. Praise to the Lord, to sing. For it is pleasant, and to praise. It is a comely thing, it is a comely thing. God's love filled up Jerusalem, and He, it is alone. That the disciples of Israel, God gather into one, God gather into one. Birds that are broken in their hearts, and green in their minds, He heeded them, their faithful words, He tenderly advised, He tenderly advised. He cast the number of the stars, He names them, every one. Great is our Lord, and of great power. His wisdom such can numb. His wisdom such can numb. Well, let us turn again to 1 Peter, chapter 2, and we're reading from verse 1 through to verse 12. 1 Peter, chapter 2, and we're reading from verse 1 through to verse 12. Let us hear God's word. Therefore, laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby, if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. Ye also, as lively 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 lay in 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 made the head of the corner, and the stone of stumbling, and the 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, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath 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 had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstained from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that, whereas they speak evil against you as evil-doers, that they may, by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Amen. Let us continue by keeping the face of the Lord in prayer. O gracious God, we come to thee through one who is precious to us, one we esteem, one we love, one we hold dear, the loving and our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we think of him, we pray, as the days pass, for the remainder of this year, without a spare, as we go into a new year, that the Lord Jesus Christ will become more precious, and that we, by faith, would hold him closer all the week. I held him and would not let him go. Oh, may that be our testimony increasingly, as the days pass, Oh, we thank Thee that through Him there is access, there is communion, He is the mediator, and our prayers are heard and presented, covered, that which is omitted, put to one side, because of Him and through Him. And we thank Thee for His work at this very moment, His ongoing work, making intercession as we considered this morning, but also presenting our prayers and our praises, O Lord, what a thought that is when we pray, when we sing, and we pray in the Spirit and in truth. Lord, a great work is being done. O Lord, impress this upon us more often, day by day, and when we gather. O Lord, we could not pray if it was not for our Saviour who accomplished redemption here upon earth. O the blessings of what He did, even this very night. And O may we value Him, may we value the blessing of prayer, the blessing of praising Thee, the blessing of hearing Thy voice, because these are blessings not deserved. Blessings that flow to us through our Saviour, all we thank Thee for Him, truly He is precious. We pray for anyone here, anyone listening online who does not know the Saviour, O Lord if it please Thee that Thou would draw near and open our heart, that they too of us may know Jesus Christ to be precious. Those in our families, may be sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers or fathers, O Lord, who are strangers to grace, O may it yet be, they would know thy grace and no longer be a stranger to it. that they would know the Saviour, they would rejoice in Him. O Lord, we thank Thee, there is power in the Gospel. We are examples of this, O Lord, what Thou has done for us. Lord, we pray for those who are strangers to grace in our families, that Thou would do it for them. Open hearts. O Lord, we think of the hearts of the unbeliever. They are the barricades of unbelief and ignorance over the heart. O Lord, if it please thee, come, take down those barricades, give life within, and may Christ be found therein. Oh, we do pray for a work of the Holy Spirit tonight, in this village, in this country, in this world. We thank thee for the promises that the earth should be full of the knowledge of thee as the waters cover the sea and we're reminded there are so many places where the glory of the Lord has not shone in the gospel yet. O Lord, open hearts, may there be a work of grace done. We do pray for those labouring long years where they've seen no fruit. May hearts be opened. Lord, we beseech thee. Would you pray for thy word tonight? Use it. O Lord, we thank thee we can come around thy word. May we remember who we are, O Lord. Help us to be those seeking to be more holy. Lord, we'll never be perfect till death, but Lord, help us to be more holy. Help us to be more like Christ. For Lord, when we think of holiness and sanctification, we're led to consider Christ and growing in the knowledge of him and being more like him. O Lord, at times we feel there's such a distance. O may the distance be closed tonight and this coming week, O to be more like Christ. Help us as we turn to the word, sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth, our saviour said. Use thy word in our hearts, hear, preach, and day by day, all may we grow. Help us, O Lord, in our walk, all to walk in him, all to follow him, all to walk circumspectly, all help us in these things. May we give diligence to the way in which we walk, Lord, help us to be concerned, we pray. We do pray for the preaching of thy word here and in other places near and far. Lord, do bless, we beseech thee, use it for thy glory, we pray. We do pray for the work of the Trinitarian Bible Society. We pray for the committee meeting in London tomorrow. As we look back over this past year, we give thee praise for what thou hast done. O Lord, we thank Thee for the new translation projects that have commenced this past year, and because there are opening doors and there is a hunger for the Word of God, we pray for those new converts in Northern India, those who have a hunger for Thy Word. O Lord, may it not be too long before they're able to read. We take it so for granted, O Lord, just to open our Bible and to read a verse, Oh, we pray for those in Northern India and other places where there is a hunger for the word and they yet have one verse to read. Lord, that's amazing to us in the 21st century. But Lord, we're encouraged because thy word is not bound and thou art causing thy word to go further into this world. Blessed America, the Trinitarian Bible Society, we pray for all the calendars, so many of them, and diaries, going into prisons, into the military, not only from the TBS but other organisations, at this time of year, use it for thy glory. Oh, we thank Thee there is power in this precious book, in the hands of the Spirit. Oh, may there be a movement of the Spirit, we pray. So Lord, we come to Thee, help us, bless us as a people here. We do thank Thee for the auditions we have been seeing and we pray for them all. And Lord, we pray that this will continue on into the new year. Lord, do things beyond what we think or ask. Lord, we beseech thee, open hearts in this community, draw people in. May this place be full for the glory of thy name, full to capacity and overflowing. O Lord, we pray for this, thou art a God of power. O Lord, hear our prayers, we pray for our nation. O we pray for our Prime Minister. As one of old, pray that thou would open the King's eyes. We pray that thou would open the Prime Minister's eyes. We pray for the Royal Household. O may grace be known in that household. Lord, we pray, may many be found bowing the knee to King Jesus. We beseech thee, at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. We thank thee for what we've read tonight. We thank thee for what we have sung tonight. Of one who was sent to heal the brokenhearted. We thank thee that our hearts were healed in the gospel, crushed by sin, but healed by the Saviour. O may he who healed the brokenheart in the gospel, heal our broken hearts in affliction. For any who have broken hearts here tonight, May the Saviour make his way this evening on. All glory be to thee, worthy thou art, for Christ's sake. Amen. In light of what we read in Peter, let's turn to our third praise, 34 in the Psalter, verses 1 to 9, and the tune is Main. Peter is reasoning, You've tasted that the Lord is gracious. We're going to sing in verse 8 through tonight and see that God is good. We who love the Lord, here's the exaltation. Keep tasting, all to know, to experience, to have that experimental knowledge of the Lord in our hearts tonight. Psalm 34, verses 1 to 9, God will I bless, all times His praise. God will I bless all time, his praise my mouth shall still express. My soul shall worship in God the King, Shall live with joyfulness, Exalt the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together. I saw the Lord, He handed me from all sins delivered They looked to Him, and lightened were, not shame, yet were their faces. This poor man cried, God heard and saved, came from all his distresses. The angel of the Lord encast and crowned encompassed, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O chase and see that God is good, who trusts in Him is blest. Fear God, He's sane, none that Him fear shall be. Just a reminder after this midweek meeting, The next midweek meeting will be two weeks' time on the Friday. The first prayer meeting for Church and Nation of the New Year will be from Malcolm Watts from Salisbury. So after this week, the next midweek meeting will be on the 3rd of January on the Friday after the member come out to this meeting, the first one. of the year, but how much we need to pray as we look back at this past year, how we need the Lord, how we need the Lord to come upon the church in reviving power, and how we need the Lord to turn this nation around again. Well, we continue tonight in our series in Peter, First Epistle General of Peter, we come to chapter 10 and verse 5. You also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. the congregation in Joshua 24 and verse 15, having reasoned with the people, Joshua says this by way of testimony. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. He's reasoning there. Choose you this day whom you will serve. He presents it all before them. And then he speaks his own testimony. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. That was his focus in his life. though he had not much time left. That was his purpose, let me ask you. Is it your focus? Is it your purpose to serve the Lord, to worship Him, to offer up spiritual sacrifices unto Him? Over in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1 verse 21, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. You see the focus he had on Christ. Christ was the source of his life. and Christ was the object of his life and the end of his life. For to me, to live is Christ. Is that your focus tonight? The Lord, that you desire to serve him now, this evening hour, and into the days of this coming week and throughout the remainder of this year, you want to serve him, you want to worship him, you want to offer up spiritual sacrifices unto him. Oh, consider what he has done for you. As we did this morning, he is the high priest, offered up himself. He went all the way to the cross of Calvary. He shed his precious blood. Are you not focusing on Christ, having this desire to so serve him? Going back to the Old Testament, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. But here in this chapter, the apostle Peter focuses on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now if we saw last week in verse four, he's referred to as the living stone. To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. The living stone, he had life in him of himself, and there is life through him. And then if you think of a stone, the stone doesn't move. It's lasting and it supports. The Reverend John Bernard Paddington wrote, Christ is called a stone to mark his firmness and duration. And as we think that he is the living stone, he's there, he's alive, you can rest in him. You can trust Him. You can rely on Him. And what a comfort are these, dear brothers and sisters, at the beginning of this week. You have one you can lean on, one you can trust. Others will fail you. You can look back over your lives. Maybe someone in the family, one of your friends, have let you down, and it's painful, and it hurts, and you have a broken heart, but then you turn to Jesus. He's never let you down. He's never fell, because He is the Living Stone. Duration. Jesus Christ is saying yesterday, today and forever. You can build your hope on Him. Well, He's the Living Stone. Well, with that in mind, we come to verse 5. He also is lively stones. You see the connection? are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. There's connection there. He's the living stone and we are lively stones. There's union with him. We've been quarried by grace as we saw last Lorsday evening. We've been brought together because of his precious blood. the last week we considered that the Lord's people are likened to a house and we are a spiritual house and then Peter goes on and says and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ now just note what Peter says there a spiritual house And then when we come to consider a holy priesthood, offering up spiritual sacrifices. You follow this through. In the Old Testament, there was the tabernacle, and then later, the temple. And therein, the priests offered up sacrifices. Well, the Lord's people are known as the house. And we offer up spiritual sacrifices to the Lord. let me underline again we are not considering a physical building we're not considering the temple or the tabernacle we're not bricks are we we're not physical stones we're lively stones we're thinking of that which is spiritual and then when we come to the priests here what we read here the priesthood we're not thinking of such as was known in the old testament the order of priests offering up animal sacrifices. No, all that is past. But we're set forth as being, we're viewed as a holy priesthood. The temple, the tabernacle, and the sacrifices, that's all past. As we considered this morning, Christ is the only high priest. And what 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 continual forever, have an unchangeable priesthood. There's one high priest, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. However, if we come to our text tonight, we're viewed as a spiritual house, and we're viewed as the Lord's people as a holy priesthood. Just notice the word spiritual again, a spiritual house. And then if we think of the priesthood, it's not like the priesthood of the Old Testament, no. For the people of God offer up spiritual sacrifices. So we're not thinking here, going back to the Old Testament, we're thinking here the Lord's people as a whole, viewed as a house, viewed as a priesthood, servants, holy servants, Serving the Lord. Well, lastly, we consider the spiritual house. Tonight, we consider a holy priesthood. Now, just come down to verse 9, but you have a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. Verse 5, a holy priesthood. Verse 9, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. You see how the Lord's people are described. We're not literally priests, are we? No, that's all past. A royal priesthood, a holy nation. a peculiar people, that he should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." We are spiritual priests, we could say. We are those people who have access to God through the High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. And we offer up, not animal sacrifices, because that's all past, but spiritual sacrifices. So as we come to this verse, we're thinking in view of the Lord's people, spiritually considered here as a house and a priesthood. Well, let's come to this tonight. First of all, holy. What do we read in verse 5? He also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Holy, just come with me to verse 9, we're viewed as a holy nation. And we here, we feel so small. We're not a nation in one respect, are we? But we're viewed as a holy nation. When we think of all the people of God together, a holy nation. Holiness. And let me say right at the beginning, none of us are perfect. Perfection comes at death. And that needs to be underlined. And we know that all too well. We don't understand those. who believed that they could be perfect here upon earth. They just didn't understand, did they? We know it all too well. We battle with sin. And we say to the Apostle Paul, O wretched man that I am. And we long for deliverance, do we not, at death? And what a moment of death it will be when our souls will be made perfect and we will be overwhelmed. Never wrong thought again. But here we're not perfect. But notice how the Lord's people describe an holy priesthood, a holy priesthood. We're not perfect, there's indwelling sin, but we've been delivered from bondage. and believers are said to be sanctified in the Lord. Now tell with me to 1 Corinthians 1 verse 2. Unto the church of God which is in Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that is in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Sanctified in Christ. because of Christ. Now we're particularly considering in a moment what we call progressive sanctification. But you notice the terms. They that are sanctified in Christ. We consider this at the beginning. After there's been progressive sanctification of death, there will be perfection. complete and we're looking forward to it but all that needs a work to be continued in us does it not but let's consider these words here at the beginning to them that are sanctified in christ there's a principle of grace within from the lord put within because of him holiness has begun we're not perfect But holiness has begun, and we see this in 1 Corinthians 6. The Apostle Paul makes this claim, and if you read through these verses, you'll see how this truth is set before us. We're not perfect, but oh, we have a new life. We've been washed, justified, sanctified. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you that ye have watched, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Now consider there is taking place the new birth. One's justified, sanctified further. Well, just consider the new birth. We think of a washing, but then consider justification. From the event of faith, because of Christ and his righteousness put to, one is justified. We're forgiven, covered by the precious blood of Jesus, and we're accepted as righteous because of Christ. As we will consider a little later tonight, there's a robe of righteousness, and we're seen as not guilty. Yes, the Lord knows we battle within dwelling sin, but before God as a judge, Not guilty because of the precious blood of Jesus. He as a Father will rebuke us and correct us because he knows the sin that still remains with him. But you consider him as a judge, they're not guilty. Why? because of the precious blood of Jesus. Turn with me to Romans 3 verse 24, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins of the past through the forbearance of God. Justification, sins forgiven, clothed in Christ's robe of righteousness, accepted, justified, but we also read there in 1 Corinthians 6, sanctified. The Holy Spirit has entered within, a new life has been put within, a principle of grace. We're sanctified. Initial sanctification, in a moment we'll consider the need of progressive sanctification, but we speak of initial sanctification, sanctified. There's some faith likeness to Christ at the beginning and Christ is holy. We're not perfect are we? But in Christ we've been sanctified. There's a little likeness. You may look at a picture years ago that was taken of you. You know there's a few pictures of me and if you saw them you'd think well Nathanael and Samuel just look like their dad. all those years ago. The blonde hair, the wide eyes. There's Nathanael, there's Samuel. There's a likeness to some measure. And at the beginning, there's to some measure a likeness. We have a new life. We've been delivered from the bondage of sin, sanctified. And this is seen in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. Old things are passed away. We've been set apart to serve the Lord, to live for Him, sanctify. Yes, there is the need of sanctification. is the need of this progressive sanctification, but we don't overlook right at the beginning. There's a vast difference between the unbeliever and the believer. You have a new life from the Lord. Old things are passed away, behold old things are become new. Just go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 11 and search for some of you, but you're washed, you're sanctified, You're justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, you're sanctified. Let's not overlook this. We're different from the world, aren't we? Yes, we still have sin, but we're different. We've been set apart, sanctified. All things are passed away. Now as we come to this tonight, let us not lose sight of the old, old gospel and what the Lord is able to do. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 11, and such were some of you. And you think of that list there, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, covetousness, drunkards, revilers. We think of that list, but what the Lord is able to do, A news item came up on my phone the other day of someone going back to prison. He'd been convicted 32 times for theft. He's lived as a thief. Yes, sadly, the Christian can still. But consider this man. He's lived as a thief. There have been those who have lived as a thief, habitually, stolen, and yet the Lord has intervened and turned their lives around. And we can consider those, we can consider those who live in immorality, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, what the Lord is able to do. That's what the Apostle Paul was showing. Such were some of you, but you're washed, you're sanctified, you're justified. Oh, consider what the Lord is able to do. Let us not lose sight of the old, old gospel. Now, why do I say this? Well, there was compromise at the door of the evangelical church. Compromising on these things laid out in 1 Corinthians 6. And it's belittling the gospel. And it's belittling the power of the blood. The Lord is able to turn a man's life around. A certain lady out in America, she lived with a woman for many years. Then a Protestant wife came alongside her and told her the gospel. And her testimony is this, I still have thoughts in my mind. I can remember those things. But the Lord has turned my life around and this lady She's married to a psalm singer in America. I had an email from him last year. She's on that boat with grandchildren and she's seeking to help people in America and show to them what the Lord is able to do in the gospel. And I tell you this, the Lord has done it again and again. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 11. These words, and such were some of you in the church of Corinth There were so many engaging, well, before they were brought to faith in Christ, in Corinth, there were those who were engaging in morality, in theft, in drunkenness, living a life as a drunk. But the Lord intervened, and are we not thankful there is hope in the Gospel? And you consider that list there? You're justified, sanctified, set apart, holy, for the service of the Lord. That's what the Lord is able to do. The Lord is able to change a man's life. Don't lose sight of that. What did the Lord Jesus Christ say in John 8 verse 36? If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. You know, even some in the evangelical church are losing sight of what Jesus the Saviour can do. If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Consider those living in such immorality, in such bondage, they're indulging in it week after week, year after year, decade after decade, this hope in the Gospel. If the Son shall make you fit. Yes, we're in a battle of temptation. But the Son is able to deliver from bondage. Oh, the old, old gospel needs to be preached in this land. What a nation we're living in. What immorality is being presented. And the church is being asked to compromise. Compromise on the old gospel. Compromise on the power of the gospel. Oh, what the Lord is able to do. Such were some of you. Oh, there's power in the gospel. There's power in the blood. Sins have been forgiven. Men have been justified. One of old wrote, there is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb. And for those who are living in such a way, what are we to do? We, like John the Baptist, are to say, behold the Lamb of God, there's hope for you in Christ. And the Lord is able to justify. And the Lord is able to sanctify. Such were some of you that you justified, sanctified. What a powerful gospel we have. What a powerful Saviour we have. This was brought home to me on Tuesday, as I went into prison on behalf of the Trinitarian Bible Society. And there the inmates came, the prisoners came, and there was at least one who was soundly converted. And as the Bible study continued, he was given opportunity and he spoke of his repentance, turning from sin, unto God. He's still got a little more time to serve, and he knows he must serve that. But all his life has been turned around. He was given a Bible, and he began to read the Bible. There is power, wonder-working power in the Gospel. Such were some of you, but you are washed, you're sanctified, holy. The Son has set you free. There's freedom. Blessed be his name. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. Sanctified. But there's need of progressive sanctification. We weren't made perfect, were we? We know that. But there's a work being done in us. We are to be concerned about this as we see in 2nd Corinthians 7 verse 1. Now turn with me to Proverbs 4 verse 18. But the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The path of the just. Shining, shining more brightly. Becoming more like Jesus. Are we not thankful that we've been delivered? There's been initial sanctification. within, the Lord dwells within, our concern is to be more like him, to shine in likeness to Jesus. Well, as we think of this progressive sanctification, there needs to be the mortifying of the deeds of the flesh and the living unto righteousness. Romans 6 verse 13, neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Oh, how we need to say no to sin. We're thankful we've been delivered from the bondage of sin. We're not in bondage, the Son has set us free but there's indwelling sin and how we need to say no. Remember Potiphar's wife tempted Joseph. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? And he ran. And you know sometimes we're not to stand there, we're to run, we're to say no, we're to resist the devil. Action needs to be taken, mortified, put to death. We need to confess our sin. 1 John 1 verse 8, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we confess and we need to go to our heavenly Father every day, Lord, I am sorry truly in my heart for what I have done. I felt it. I've left undone the things I should have done, and I've done those things I should not have done. Lord, forgive me, heavenly Father. We're to confess, and here's the comfort, He is faithful. And just to forgive us our sins, He's faithful. He'll forgive, and He'll help us, and He'll help you and me to be more like Jesus. That's your desire, isn't it? You desire to be more like Him. Westminster, sure the catechism is helpful here. Sanctification is the work of God through grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness. Now we have in 1 Peter chapter 1 a call to holiness. Come with me to verse 15. But he which hath called you, you've been called, set apart, you're sanctified, is holy. So be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy. Here's a call to holiness. Thou wilt never be perfect, here upon earth, but our concern is to be more holy. We want to be more like Jesus, don't we? Do you want to say something wrong tomorrow? No. Do you want to do something wrong tomorrow? Do you want to think something wrong tomorrow? I'm sure the answer is no, no, no. Lord, help me. Help me to be more holy. As one of those said, help me to be as holy, to be holy as a sinner on earth can be. As we think of holiness, we're thinking of being more like Christ. Oh, to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Be holy in all manner of conversation, in every area of our life. Not just one area, but every area. Is there some besetting sin you're confronted with every week? Ask the Lord to help you and take action. Be holy for I am holy. Now what do we read here? An holy priesthood. A holy priesthood. As we go out in this world, do men and women see there's something different about us? How I've let the Lord down. I never forget my supervisor coming to me after a few years of work in my first employment and he said this, I didn't know you went to church, that hit me. Picked up by the world. I didn't know you went to church. I'm glad he knew then. And I spoke of my saving. All of the world would see the church as holy. So much has taken place in recent years that has let down the name of Christ, given a bad press to the church, or that the world would take note of a people desiring to be more like Christ. Listen to John Calvin, set Christ before you as the mirror of your sanctification. Set Christ before you as the mirror of your sanctification. Remember those words, come unto me and learn of me for I am meek and lowly. or to be meek, or to be lonely, or to be more holy. And we consider the work of the Holy Spirit in sanctification and how we need his help. But we're also to consider our duty as set out in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1, having therefore these promises dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. We've been sanctified affecting holiness, to be concerned about it. Are you concerned at this time to be more like Jesus, to be more holy? That's to be my concern and your concern. Well, as we draw to a close, we thought of holy, but let's consider secondly our spiritual priesthood. He also is likely so to have built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood. to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Now remember again, we're thinking in the light of spiritual things. We're not priests, like in the Old Testament. That needs to be underlined. We're not physical stones, are we? Can I say that? Do you see that? We're lively stones, a spiritual house. spiritual priests. Now turn back to Isaiah 61 and verse 6. But ye shall be named the priests of the Lord. Now we're thinking here of all believers. The Apostle Peter makes that abundantly plain in verse 9 of chapter 2. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, A peculiar people that he should show forth the praises of him who have called you into darkness into his marvellous light. Now what do all the Lord's people have in common? They were in darkness once and they've been called into his marvellous light. I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of light. We're in the marvellous light, aren't we? When we think of priests, it's the Lord's people, spiritually seen as spiritual priests. Just open this up as we close. We thought of holy, a holy priesthood. First of all, cold of God. Go back to 1 Corinthians 1 verse 2. You think of the priests, they were cold, weren't they? But the Lord's people are cold. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 2. And to the church of God, which is at Corinth. To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be sanctified. Called! I just think of the situation in Corinth. Such immorality. So like the situation before us today. People engaging in such immoral acts, men with men and women with women. Such fornication, such drunkenness and theft. Yet the Lord had a people. unto the church of God which is in Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, and with all that is in every place, called upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, called to be saints, set apart, holy ones, appointed for a life of service, consecrated because of the precious blood of Jesus, says the Reverend John Brown of Harrington, called to be holy, 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 7, For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. Now I say this again, there is pressure at the door of the evangelical church. God hath not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness. And there is power in the gospel. He's able to turn one's life around. He doesn't make them perfect, dear Robin, but he calls them unto holiness. He turns their life around. How we need to remember this. We're to surrender to sin. Keep saying no. And when we yield to temptation, ask the Lord to deliver us, to pardon us. Call them to holiness. We're not alone, are we? We're bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus, and we've seen that in chapter one. And through his precious blood, we've been forgiven, justified, and through the power of God in the gospel, we've been sanctified, we've been set free. Live your life for Jesus, not for uncleanness, but unto holiness in view of him. Remember your calling. You're bought with a price, you're not your own. we're to serve the lord we're to seek to be holy we're set apart to serve him on we consider this a little further joshua 24 verse 15 and if it seemed evil unto you to serve the lord choose you this day whom you will serve you see how joshua is reasoning if you think it's an evil thing well you choose as joshua choose you this day whom you will serve whether the gods of your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwelt. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Oh, consider, you've been called. You serve him. He's worthy, isn't he? In Romans 12 verse 1 we read, I beseech you therefore, my brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Your reasonable service. So have holy thoughts, holy words, and holy actions. Present your bodies We feel like saying, would the Apostle Paul, a wretched man as I am, who will deliver me from this body of sin? Oh, to be concerned in the way we act, it glorifies the Lord. Seeking to live a holy life. You consider the priests, they had to wash, didn't they? Exodus 30 verse 19, verse 20 to 21. They had to wash because of defilement. They took action. You ought to take action as you serve the Lord. If a wrongful comes to your mind, don't let it linger there. If something is presented before your eye, don't watch on in the day that he watched on. You turn your eyes. Take action. Perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Remember your calling. You've been called, not unto uncleanness, but to holiness. Called of God. How unthankful to be called. Called effectually then, particularly called for a life of living for Jesus. What a life that is. Called to live for Him. Who are we to serve him? Who are we? We're sinners. Who are we to come before such a God? Yet we've been called to offer up spiritual sacrifices unto him. Remember your calling. Remember you're a royal priesthood. Verse 9. Through grace you have bowed the knee to King Jesus. who is the high priest. So we think of calling, secondly, just three points here as we close. Secondly, as we think of spiritual priests, they wear the robe of Christ's righteousness. They wear the robe of Christ's righteousness. Now think back to the Old Testament, the Old Testament priests. In Exodus 28 verse 2, there were the holy garments that were made and they were to wear them. We have not such garments today, but we have something far more precious, far more glorious, the robe of Christ's righteousness. Isaiah 61 verse 10, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness. He's clothed The priests were to be clothed. We've been clothed with the garments of salvation. We've been covered with the robe of righteousness. Remember Luke 15 verse 22, the lost son, and he was brought to himself and he went and the father embraced him. And what did the father say? Just three words we're going to focus on the best role. You think of the Old Testament priests, they had precious robes, such detail in the robes. But what is that? To the best robe, the robe of Christ's righteousness. But the father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe. You think of that son, he was in the pit filled, covered in filth. Oh, we were covered in the filth of sin. bring forth the best robe upon the event of faith. And the robe of Christ's righteousness was put to us, the best robe, sanctified. And now a life of service, the best robe. You may go to a certain place on a special occasion, and you pick a precious garment, You ladies, you may have a number of garments and you pick something to wear. It's a special place. You may go to a wedding and you take your best suit, man. You ladies, your best dress. The best. Something special to wear. You ladies, you think of something special. There's a rare at home and there's a few garments on there and I know one garment that is special to my wife. Precious. You think of a wedding dress. Precious little jewels sewn into the fabric and the amazing lace. It's the best, isn't it? But oh, then consider Christ and his righteousness. What a robe he provides, which is pleasing to the Father. How do we know that? Well, the Father said in Luke 15, bring forth the best robe. Oh, we're led to consider that the father was pleased with the son. You children here tonight, what did the Lord say at the baptism? This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Oh, we consider this morning that the father smote the son, but he was pleased with the son. Bring forth the best robe. It's pleasing to the father. And upon the advent of faith, the best robe was brought. and placed on you. You wear garments tonight, not a literal garment as the priests did of old. You wear something far more glorious. You look at the garment, a precious garment, with all the detail. How the threads are interwoven together, how the jewels are sewn in, the precious garments. You may go to a museum and you see what some queen of old wore, amazing garment. Consider the best robe, the robe of Christ's righteousness, his holiness, his law-keeping, his suffering, all such perfection. The best robe thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty. For glory and for beauty. Consider the robe of Christ's righteousness for glory and for beauty. For glory worthy is the lamb that was slain for the glory of God. You wear a robe that glorifies the Father, and it's a beautiful robe, so precious. As we think of spiritual priests, they're called of God, they wear the robe of Christ's righteousness and thirdly they offer up spiritual sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise. Just follow it through. Likely stones built up a spiritual house and therein is spiritual sacrifices. Oh Lord, truly I am thy servant. I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid. Thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord. The sacrifice of thanksgiving. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. Offer up that thanksgiving. Consider, you're a sinner that you're clothed with the robe of Christ's righteousness. You be thankful for the garment. You know, a husband goes and buys a garment and gives it to his wife. Sometimes the wife looks at it. Thank you, but it's not me. That's been said to me before. It's just not me. The robe of Christ's righteousness. for it, that you're covered by the precious blood of Jesus, that you're accepted. Bring forth the best robe when you believed in Jesus. Be thankful that the best robe, the only robe that a sinner could wear to be forgiven and to have the hope of heaven, thank him. Thank the Lord Jesus that he came to this world, that he kept the law perfectly for you. Every commandment, every aspect. Be thankful to Jesus that he suffered. It's humbling, isn't it? That he suffered in our place, but you be thankful. You thank Jesus that he shed his blood upon the cross. It's one thing to think of Calvary, isn't it? It's another thing to thank Jesus. They offer up spiritual sacrifices. We haven't got time for this. Just tell me in closing, Revelation 5 verse 12, saying with a loud voice, worthy is the land that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing. Worthy! Here they are, worshipping, offering praise. The sacrifice of praise, worthy is the Lamb. Oh, just cast your mind to the heavenly world. We will be clothed still with the robe of His righteousness, but now in complete perfection, we will say, worthy is the Lamb. Here upon earth, yes, we have this desire, don't we? We're clothed in His righteousness and we have this desire to worship Him. But what happens in times when you're singing, when you're praying, some distracting thought comes, some sinful thought comes. But one day in heaven and in the heavenly world, you're clothed in the robe of His righteousness in complete perfection now. You will say, worthy is the Lamb that was slain. He went to the cross for me. He shed his precious blood for me. He is worthy. Have you ever gone to hear a choir? And you're stunned, you're amazed, you're silent. Oh, in view of him in heaven, you'll be so amazed. If you consider there's such singing in the praise that is taking place, and you will be silent, but then you will join in. Worthy is the Lamb. In closing, you've been called, you've been saved, you've been sanctified. You've been called for a life of service to serve King Jesus and to worship Him. No better life than this is there. And what a privilege to serve Jesus. Amen. Let us pray. O gracious God, we thank thee none other than the best robe was brought forth and put on us, and we stand clothed in the righteousness of Christ spiritually, and our prayer is heard. We bring our thanksgiving Blessed Saviour, we thank Thee for Thy righteousness. We thank Thee that Thou didst go to the cross for us. We thank Thee that Thou didst rise again for us. We thank Thee that Thou art in heaven for us. We thank Thee that Thou didst keep the law perfectly for us. All to thank Thee more often. Help us to remember who we are and help us to be more holy May we shine in holiness. May men and women around us and further afield see us as like people, shining more like Jesus. May people be drawn to inquire by the way we act, the way we live. O help us, what a privilege to serve thee. Forgive us where we fail thee so often. Help us to serve thee better. Help us to praise thy name for Christ's sake. We conclude by turning to our final praise. Time is gone, but we will sing from verse 4 to 8. To the tune 1, fear and sin not, talk with your heart on bed and silent be. Offerings present of righteousness and in the Lord. ♪ Heaven's signal to break your heart ♪ ♪ All men and silent be ♪ ♪ A brief present of righteousness ♪ and in the Lord trust ye, and in the Lord trust ye. The Lord will show us very good, It is love which many say, But on thy captive hands the light, Lord, lived on that long way. Lord, lived on that long way. Upon my heart is stirred by thee, more gladness I have found The day in that went cold and white, In those with heaven abound. In those with heaven abound. I will put Lady down in peace, and quiet sleep will take. Because Thou only need to dwell in safety, Lord, as may. In safety, Lord, as may. Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.