Number 160, the tune is Barnard, 107. There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners plunge beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains. Hymn 160, tune Barnard, 107. There is a fountain, well renowned, drawn from Emmanuel's vein. And sinners bound to need have none, those on their curfew stay.

The dying he rejoices in, The counting in his name. And the blind as far as he ? Watch all my tears away, watch all my tears away. ? Did I have thy precious blood? Shall never lose it now. Till auld lang syne, gentle home, Detectors never wrong, Each made to spin around. Lessons by faith are you sure, ? Like the rivers shall flow by ? ? Redeemer, bless me, O ye ? ? That shall make heaven on high ? and shall be delighter. A cleft is his lips, every tongue, like silence in the day. Then in a murmur sweet and slow I'll sing thy power to save. I'll sing thy power to

Let us read together from the holy word of God in the first epistle to the Corinthians and chapter one. The first chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians. Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes, our brother, unto the Church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place, call upon the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, both theirs and ours. Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ, that in everything you are enriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall also confirm you unto the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptize none of you, but Crispus and Gaius, lest any should say that I had baptised in mine own name. And I baptised also the household of Stephanus, besides I know not whether I baptised any other.

For Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world.

For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block, unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are, and that know flesh and glory in his presence.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

May the Lord bless the reading of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real prayer.

Gracious, merciful and eternal God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, we bow before thy glorious majesty. We solemnly realize the great disparity there is between us and thee. Thou art holy and we are unholy. Thou art righteous, we are unrighteous. Thou dwellest in light inaccessible unto which no man can approach unto, immortal and invisible. We are the children of time. We have a beginning and we shall each have an ending. There is a time to be born, there is a time to die.

So Lord, as we bow before Thee, we will confess our sins. and our sinfulness. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, Lord. Take and seal it. Seal it from thy courts above. We pray that if it could please thee this afternoon that it may be a sealing time, that the blessed spirit of truth may be present with us, that he may take of the things of Jesus and reveal them unto us, that he may take of the word of God and seal it into our hearts, that it may be made a living word, a powerful word, an effectual word, and that we may be brought into subjection unto thee.

We pray to be led, the spirit of God, For as many as are led of the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. And may we have the witness of thy spirit with our spirit, that we are the children of God, that we are the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty.

We pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst graciously come and open thy word to our heart and to our understanding. and that thou wouldst give us hearing ears and wise and understanding hearts. We read in thy word, for God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit. For the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. And we pray that we may look into those deep things of God.

We pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God our Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may be realized and known and felt in our hearts. We think of those wonderful words of grace concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, for through him we have access by one spirit unto the Father. And Lord what a wonderful thing it is that we have access unto our Heavenly Father, and we pray that we might know that freedom and liberty as sons and daughters, and that we may be favoured with that sacred spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. May we know those divine drawings of our Heavenly Father, drawing us unto his glorious Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, for none come except the Father draw. Oh, to know those sacred drawings unto Jesus Christ our Lord. And may we see a beauty and a loveliness in Jesus Christ, that thou hast said in thy word that I will draw thee with the bands of a man, with the bands of love, unto the glorious holy God-man. the man Christ Jesus.

We thank thee that there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. We thank thee for that profound mystery of godliness of God manifest in the flesh. Lord, we do thank thee that Jesus is the way to God, that Jesus is the way to bliss,

We pray for that grace that we may lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us, and that we might run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame thereof, and is now set down at the right hand of the majesty on high.

that may we keep our eyes on that prize to be sat down at the feet of Jesus in heaven in glory and that may we have little touches from time to time, a sweet expectation of that final deliverance of entering into the joy of the Lord and to behold him face to face

Thou hast promised, O Lord, in thy word, thine eyes shall see the King and his beauty, and behold, the land is a very far off.

We pray that thou would remember us as a church and congregation, and that thou would remember our brethren, the deacons, and give them grace, wisdom, and help continually. Help us to pray for one another. Help us to bear one another's burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ, help us to love each other with a pure heart, fervently.

Oh Lord, we do pray for the spirit and mind of Christ. And we pray, most gracious Lord, that thou would deliver us from the temptations of the enemy, who is the separator of the brethren. We pray to be delivered from his power and from his influence.

O Lord, we do pray that when the enemy comes in like a flood, that the spirit of the Lord would lift up a standard against him. We pray for each one of our brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus in church fellowship. We pray for all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and in truth.

We pray that we may bring forth fruit in our lives to the great glory of thy name, that by this shall they know that ye are my disciples because ye have love one to another. And Lord, let us not love in word only, but in deed and in truth.

We pray, most gracious God, that thou wouldst bless the little ones and the children that they may be graciously drawn after thee, that they may seek thee early, that the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, may be placed in their hearts. Each one of our dear young friends, grant them thy blessing. Grant them thy divine direction. Grant them a revelation of Jesus Christ.

that they may become true followers of thee and of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Grant that thou would guide and direct them in all matters and help them to commit their way unto the Lord, trust also in him.

We pray for those among us that would seek a partner in life's journey, that thou would be gracious unto them, And as we so often think of thy wonderful works in the word of God, how thou didst bring a Ruth unto Boaz, but unto Rebecca, unto Isaac. And we pray that it may be so. We love him and commend each one to thee. Lord, we pray for all that are sick and pray that thy healing hand may be put forth that thou wouldst be Jehovah Rophi, and we pray above all that thou wouldst restore their souls.

Lord, we pray for thy restoring love and mercy among us. Remember parents and give wisdom, grace, and guidance in the household and bringing up of children. We pray, Lord, that thou wouldst remember all in the midst of the journey of life graciously undertake for each one and bless each one.

We pray for a closer walk with the a calmer heavenly frame, a light to shine upon the road that leads me to the Lamb. We pray for our brother and sister in Holland, that thou wouldst draw near to them, that thou wouldst bless them.

We pray that thou wouldst be with Those of us are now in the evening time of life's journey, that thou wouldst graciously guide us safely unto thy heavenly kingdom, and that we may be led and taught and guided and directed by thee. And as the dear apostle expressed his desire for an abundant entrance into thy heavenly kingdom, Lord, do hear us.

Humbly beseech thee, forgive all our sins, our shortcomings, our heart wanderings, our backslidings. We often have to echo in our heart the language of the dear apostle, that when I would do good, then evil is present with me. And that which is would not, I would not, I do.

O gracious God, we pray to be delivered from our sinful self. to be delivered from the corruption of our heart, of our very nature. May we know more of the sanctifying presence and power of the Holy Ghost. May we know more of the love of Jesus shed abroad in our hearts. May we have clear views of the glory of his person and the power of his grace and the wonder of his love.

Lord, we thank thee for Jesus Christ. We thank thee for that fullness that dwells in him, that is full of grace and truth, and in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. We thank thee for his holy life, for the holy law fulfilled, for everlasting righteousness brought in,

We thank thee for Calvary, where the lamb was slain, where sin was put away, where divine justice was satisfied, where God and sinners are reconciled. We thank thee for that precious sin-atoning blood that we've sung of in our opening hymn. We thank thee that he died for our sins and rose again for our justification.

Gracious God, remember us for good. We do pray and send out the glory, light, and power of gospel truth into this village, among our neighbours, in the surrounding villages and hamlets, and bring our sons from far and our daughters from the ends of the earth. Oh, do hear us, Lord, as we enter this new year. We pray that thou wouldst be gracious unto us and that thou wouldst bless us, that we may see mighty signs and wonders following the preaching of the word.

Bless all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine. And we pray thee, the great Lord of the harvest, to send true labourers into the harvest. Oh, do hear us in heaven, thy holy and thy blessed dwelling place. Come and touch one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar, as we would ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

Let us now sing together hymn number 563. The tune is Alpha 693.

Come thou now exalted Savior,
bless us with a solemn frame.
Teach us now henceforth forever
to adore thy precious name,
lovely Jesus.
never let us stray again. Hymn 563, Tune Altar 693. O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, ? Give us hope on high, sweet Spirit ? ? And to Thee, O happy birth ? ? Our God with thee be glory evermore ? Thank you for watching! you. ? Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, to be.

And in the last hour of their life Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help, I would direct your attention to the chapter that we read, the first chapter in the first epistle to the Corinthians, and we'll read verse 23 for our text. First epistle of Corinthians, chapter one, verse 23. But we preach Christ crucified.

unto the jews a stumbling block and unto the greeks foolishness as it's joined we must read the next verse but unto them which are called both jews and greeks christ the power of god and the wisdom of god it was particularly the first clause of the text that rested on my spirit, but we preach Christ crucified. There seems to me to be a particular emphasis here. We often hear it said about preaching Christ, we preach Christ, but there's an emphasis here, we preach Christ crucified.

And this envelops the whole of the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God that was manifest in the flesh. The Son of God in his divine nature could never be crucified, but the Son of God in human nature, he could be crucified. The Son of God in his divine nature cannot suffer. the Son of God that was manifest in the flesh can and did suffer, bleed and die. His visage was so marred more than any man's.

And so in this expression we preach Christ crucified, of course it's pointing to his sufferings, it's pointing to when he was our sin bearer. That's why he was crucified, because he is our sin bearer. He took our sins. As the apostle says here in the Corinthians, he was made sin for us. He was made sin for us. He says there that he that knew no sin was made sin for us. What a tremendous thing is it. He that knew no sin. The Lord Jesus did no sin. The Lord Jesus lived a holy, spotless, pure life. The Lord Jesus lived a life of love, a life of kindness, a life of compassion.

But we read of our Lord Jesus Christ in Isaiah chapter 53 that he was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He was hated and you know friends the world will hate the Lord's people and what they hate is a life of love and a life of kindness and a life of compassion, a life that is not selfish because the Christian believer should not live a selfish life. They should live unto others. They should do good unto all men, especially the household of faith.

And what man hated in Jesus Christ was the glorious light that shone in his life. And that light was his holiness and by that i mean the practice in his life the way that he loved and the way that he did good unto all men and we're exhorted to do good unto all men especially unto the household of faith but we read that men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil And it's true today as it was then. We read in the Word of God, that they that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Because men don't like that. You might say, why don't they like that? Because it shows up their own sinful life. shows up to them just how we should be and men hate that. See that's why they hated our Lord Jesus Christ. The Pharisees in particular hated our Lord Jesus Christ because they held them up to be the model of humanity. They thought that they were the most holy, the most righteous of all people. But then along comes the holy God man, the man Christ Jesus, and he lives a life that is absolutely perfect. And it exposed their own hypocritical ways and traditions, etc.

You see, in the man Christ Jesus, But we preach Christ crucified. Unto the Jews, a stumbling block. Unto the Greeks, foolishness. You see, but we preach. It says here that we read together about the, in verse 21, for after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God. by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

The principle means that God uses in the salvation of his people, in the calling of his people, is the preaching of his servants. He has his servants everywhere. But central to their preaching must be Christ crucified. You know, a Christless sermon is a dead sermon. In him is life. A Christless sermon is a dark sermon. In him is light. He is the light of the world. And if we leave Christ out of our preaching and our teaching, then we leave the very essence of the gospel out of it.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, The man, notice the emphasis, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave his life for ransom for all to be testified in due time. But we preach Christ crucified. What a strange thing it is to poor sinful man who knows nothing of his own sinful corrupt nature. who's yet dead in trespasses and in sins, that a man should suffer, bleed, and die for the sin of others. It's very strange, isn't it, to human nature. And yet, the very essence and center of the gospel is the preaching of Christ crucified.

it's preaching of that one that was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed but we preach Christ crucified and uh crucifixion was a terrible barbaric way of putting someone to death. It was exceedingly painful and long. But that's what was prophesied in the Old Testament concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, that he would suffer, bleed and die. he would be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.

And this becomes the longing desire of the living soul to know Christ. The Apostle says in Philippians chapter 3 that I may know him in the power of his resurrection. the fellowship of his sufferings but I might know him in the power of his resurrection he wanted to feel that resurrecting power in his own soul and fellowship with Christ in his sufferings but we preach Christ crucified now unto the Jews a stumbling block They couldn't accept nor receive that he was the Son of God. They couldn't accept nor receive that he was the Messiah.

So, as the Apostle, he knew this very well, as he went about preaching the everlasting gospel, it was a stumbling block to the Jews. They could not receive the fact that this holy child that was born at Bethlehem, and that lived this holy, sinless, spotless life that did no sin, that went about doing good, that healed the sick, that bound up the brokenhearted, they could not receive this glorious person of Christ that was crucified. And the fact that he was holy, the fact that he was crucified, The fact that he suffered and bled and died for the sins of his people. The fact that he shed his precious blood to redeem his people. And the fact that he was wounded and bruised for our sins. They could not accept it. It was a stumbling block to them. What a sad thing when the gospel of Jesus Christ, when the good news of salvation when the glory of the suffering savior is rejected. It's a stumbling block.

And under the Greeks, the Greeks, as it says, they followed after wisdom. Paul speaks of when he was on Mars Hill and Athens and how they were always seeking to know something else. The Greeks were well known for their philosophy, which means human wisdom. They were well known for the study of it.

You see, but unto them which are called, this is the vital thing, them which are called. They're called by divine grace. There is a divine call reaches the heart. and there is a sense of the need of salvation, of redemption. There is a realization by the light given by the spirit that we're in darkness. There is a realization given that we're in bondage, that we need something.

It may be, you know, the beginnings of this these inward spiritual exercises that the true child of God knows, it may start like this, the Enrider puts it in a nutshell, an aching void that the world can never fill. And that is often the beginning of the work of grace in the heart, when one is given that aching void. You feel nothing seems to satisfy. Nothing in this life seems to satisfy. Your work doesn't satisfy, your wealth doesn't satisfy. There's an emptiness, there's a poverty. It doesn't matter where you turn, you can't find satisfaction. I mean that's human nature anyway. But there is this inward spiritual yearning. You need something. You know that something, my beloved friends, is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's what you need. That is what will satisfy.

You see, the preaching of the cross. The Apostle Lee says in the second chapter here, in the second verse, for I determined not to know anything among you, Save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Again, the emphasis on Him crucified. This is the center of the desire of the living soul. Was He crucified for me? Were my sins laid on Christ? Did He suffer, bleed and die for my sins? he shed his precious blood for my sins? That's what you want to know isn't it? You want to feel that and to see by faith that when he suffered and bled and died it was for your sins and that your sins have been put away in that precious sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I do love the way that the apostle in the Hebrews he opens up to us doesn't he something of the those wonderful thing concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and my mind it just goes to chapter 10 in the Hebrews and verse 12 but this man who the man Christ Jesus but this man after had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.

But what does it mean them that are sanctified well the word sanctification it has various nuances to the meaning of it but one is separation and in those eternal covenant transactions between the father and the son for the redeem of his people the father chose a people and he chose to save them and redeem them in his son jesus christ and in this sense they are sanctified. They are sanctified, separated in those divine decrees of our eternal father and given to his son to redeem. That's the essence of the meaning of it, for by one offering he has perfected forever them that are sanctified. see separated. Of course the other nuances to the meaning of that is the Holy Spirit is the one that sanctifies the believer. The Holy Spirit separates them from this world, the Holy Spirit convinces them of sin, the Holy Spirit brings them among those peculiar people are zealous of good works, that's the divine work of the Spirit. He brings them to feel their need and he brings them to see that Jesus can satisfy all those needs. He brings them to realise, give me Christ or else I die. They feel the preciousness of his blood, the wonderful glory of his sacrifice, that he suffered and bled and died for the sins of his people.

know in the um again in the hebrews and in chapter nine it speaks there firstly of the old testament worship the types and the shadows and then he goes on and points out but christ being common high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, that is his human nature, not made with hands, that is a knot of this building, neither by the blood of goats and of calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit, that's his own divine nature, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

You see, this cause he is the mediator of the new testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament that's the law they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance a promise of eternal inheritance a promise of eternal life eternal life at his request to every soul is given eternal life.

My dear beloved friends, what a mercy if you know anything of these things, if you know anything of the preciousness of Christ, if you know anything of longing desires after Christ, if you know anything, we quoted the dear apostle from Philippians, and it may be the very exercise of your soul that I might know him. How many here in this congregation today can really truly say that I might know him, that I might know Jesus Christ? The desire to know Christ, the desire to follow Christ and seeking after Christ I could from all things parted be, but never, never, Lord, from thee.

And the preciousness of his blood, and the preciousness of his sacrifice, and the preciousness of his death, and the preciousness of his resurrection, and the preciousness of his ascension into glory, to sit at the right hand of the Father, is something very precious, our crucified Redeemer. But we preach Christ crucified. Under the Jews, a stumbling block. Under the Greeks, foolishness. But under them, which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom I do rather love the verse 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

Christ is made all those things unto his people. people. He becomes their wisdom, he becomes their righteousness and the effect of his love shed abroad in the heart that sanctifies us and he becomes our redemption and as the apostle here he builds on that he says that according as it is written he that glorious let him glory in the Lord. We're not to glory in anything else. God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. You see, and it says here also, verse 26, for you see your calling brethren, how that not many wise went after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble,

The Countess of Huntington, a very wealthy lady but a very godly lady. She was a noble lady and she so thanked the Lord for the letter M. She says not many noble, she said it doesn't say any. But not many, noble, are caught.

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world. I came one Monday morning, just a few years after I was sent into the ministry. I was so tired. I think I'd travelled a long distance on the Sunday and I'd preached three services. And on the Monday I was absolutely exhausted. And I felt so cast out. And I remember saying to the Lord, I can't continue, I can't go on like this, it seemed to absolutely crush me.

And I opened my Bible that morning to read, and it was in this chapter, and I came to these verses, but God had chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things I felt all those things I felt to be base I felt to be weak I felt to be foolish and the base things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to naught things are that no flesh to glory in his presence.

I felt so humbled under that word. I felt willing to be nothing. I felt willing to be a fool for Christ's sake. We have to come down to these places to prove them and to realize it.

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, unto the Greeks' foolishness, but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

May the Lord add his blessings.