6th March 2022

Rev George van der Westhuizen conducting the service

Welcome: To St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church

The minister welcomes the congregation.

Read the great Judgment Morning

I dreamed that the great judgment morning Had dawned and the trumpet had blown I dreamed that all nations had gathered To judgment before the white throne From the throne came a bright shining angel And he stood on the land and the sea And swore with his hand raised to heaven That time was no longer to be And oh what weeping and wailing As the lost were told of their fate They cried for the rocks and the mountains They prayed but their prayers were too late The rich man was there but his money Had melted and vanished away A pauper stood there in the judgment His debts were too many to pay The widow was there and the orphan God heard and remembered their cries No sorrow in heaven forever God wiped all the tears from their eyes And the souls that had put off salvation Not tonight I'll get saved by and by No time now to think of religion At last they must find time to die

George announces the first hymn.

After the hymn has been sung, while the congregation remains standing, he reads one or more of these, or other suitable verses from the Bible, followed by the exhortation.

Chorus: Go tell it on the mountain

Chorus: Bind us together Lord

Daniel 9:5–6 NASB95

5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 6 “Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.

Psalm 51:3 NASB95

3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.

Exhortation

Dear friends, the scriptures urge us to acknowledge our wickedness before almighty God our heavenly Father and to confess our many sins to Him, that they may be forgiven through His infinite goodness and mercy in Jesus Christ our Lord.

We should always humbly admit our sins before God, but especially when we meet together to give thanks for the great benefits we have received from Him, to praise and worship Him, to hear His holy word and to ask what is necessary for our bodies and souls. Therefore let us come before the throne of our gracious God and say together :

General Confession said together.

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have strayed from Your ways like lost sheep, we have left undone what we ought to have done, and we have done what we ought not to have done. We have followed our own ways and our own desires and we have neglected and broken Your holy laws.

Have mercy on us Lord.

Restore those who repent and confess their sins according to Your promises declare in Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant, merciful Father, for His sake, that hereafter we may live a righteous and obedient life, to the glory of Your Holy Name. Amen..

Assurance of forgiveness said by the minister standing.

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, does not desire the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live. He has given authority and commandment to His ministers to declare to His people that He pardons and forgives the sins of all who truly repent and believe His holy gospel.

Therefore, let us ask Him to grant us true repentance and His Holy Spirit, that we may please Him now, and that the rest of our life may be pure and holy so that at the last we may come to His eternal joy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer said together.

Hymn before the sermon: As the deer panteth

Sermon: THE SIGNS OF HIS COMING

We see that the “blessed hope” of the Christian is the personal return of Christ, and that He will return first into the air for His own (1 Thessalonians 4:17), and then to the earth with His own (Jude 14; Zechariah 14:4; Acts 1:11). Now, is there any way in which we can receive guidance as to when He will come? We would, of course, be foolish and wrong to try to fix the exact day and hour of His return (Zechariah 14:7; Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32; Acts 1:6-7), but the Word of God mentions certain signs or indications that we are nearing the end of the present age –- look up Luke 21:28. The Lord Jesus, the Old Testament prophets and the apostles all foretold that certain events would take place on the earth and in the Church which would herald the second advent. Just as the appearance of John the Baptist was the token that Jesus the Messiah was about to be revealed the first time (Isaiah 40:3), so today the presence of certain unmistakable signs in the Church and in the world tell us that His second coming is near at hand. Strictly speaking, there are no “signs” connected with the rapture of believers, which is the first phase of the return of Christ; the coming of the Lord into the air for His saints is always proposed as the imminent hope of the Church (Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 1:10). “Signs” only have to do with His return in power and glory, to reign as the Son of Man; but seeing that the coming of the Lord for His people must precede His coming with His people, it follows that if the signs of His return in glory “are shaping themselves visibly before our eyes and tell us that His return is not far off, the rapture must be much nearer.” If we take our Bible and make a careful study of the scripture references tabulated below, we shall discover that (1) The World Signs; (2) The Church Signs and (3) The Jewish Signs all proclaim the Lord’s coming to be near at hand.

1. THE WORLD SIGNS An increase of sin and lawlessness and conditions similar to the days of Noah and Lot –- 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Luke 17:26-30; Genesis 6:11.>

Great national distress, perplexity and fear –- Luke 21:25-26 and, in particular, the fear of nuclear war –- Matthew 24:3-6; 2 Peter 3:10.

Famine, pestilence and earthquakes –- Matthew 24:7.Labour problems, strikes and widespread commercial and industrial unrest –- Zechariah 8:10; James 5:4.An amazing increase in travel and knowledge –- Daniel 12:4; Nahum 2:3-4; Isaiah 31:5; 60:8.The amassing of wealth –- James 5:1-3.Much talk of peace, and the holding of peace conferences – – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.Are not these signs evident in a very marked degree today? Do not these world signs proclaim the nearness of our Lord’s return? 2. THE CHURCH SIGNS The increase of apostasy –- 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3-4.Hypocrisy and much empty profession –- 2 Timothy 3:5.Lukewarmness in the Church –- Matthew 24:12; Revelation 3:14-20.Many who scoff at the Truth –- 2 Peter 3:3-4.False prophets and a great increase in false religions and demonism (the occult) –- Matthew 24:11; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10; 2 Peter 2:1-2.Much persecution of the faithful ones –- Matthew 24:9-10; Mark 13:9-13.Worldwide evangelism –- Mark 13:10.Do you not agree that these signs are evident in a very marked degree today? Do not these church signs proclaim the nearness of our Lord’s return?

3. THE JEWISH SIGNS Please read Luke 21:29-33. In this scripture our Lord compares the Jewish nation to a fig tree, and He tells us that when the fig tree begins to bud and bear fruit we may be sure that His coming again is near at hand. The budding of the fig tree is taking place today. Over the past 30 years, the Jews have been returning to Israel in fulfilment of many prophecies –- Isaiah 11:11-12; Ezekiel 36:24; 37:21; Jeremiah 23:3-8; 32:37-41; Amos 9:14-15; Luke 21:24. “Jews from all parts of the world have been regathering in the land of Israel. Week by week, month by month, by ship and plane, great throngs of the sons and daughters of Abraham have been arriving at the ports of Israel.”There are wonderful industrial, agricultural and cultural developments in Israel, in fulfilment of prophecy -– Isaiah 35:1-10; Jeremiah 30:18-22; 31:7-14; Zechariah 14:9-11; Hosea 3:4-5.This is a truly significant Jewish sign that proclaims the nearness of our Lord’s return. As you study and meditate upon the above scripture portions, is it not clear that we are living at the end of the present age and that we are justified in believing that “the Lord’s coming is near”? (James 5:8). This truth is at the same time most glorious and most solemn. It is glorious for all who know Him and who are trusting Him as their Lord and Saviour, but it is terribly solemn for those who do not know Him, who have never turned to Him in repentance and faith. Please conclude this study by looking up Isaiah 55:6-7.

Isaiah 55:6–7 NASB95

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

Notices: Mr John Oberholzer

CHURCH NOTICES

Collection:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow:

Prayer of consecration:

Hymn: When the roll is called up yonder

Benediction Hymn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwyyN86Z3fc

Now unto HIm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAx6FCXctwU