[0:00] Well, if we could, this morning, with the Lord's help and the Lord's enabling, if we could turn back to that portion of Scripture that we read, the book of Exodus. Exodus chapter 20.
[0:23] Exodus chapter 20, and if we look at verse 12. Exodus 20 at verse 12. Where the Lord says, Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land, that the Lord your God is giving you.
[0:45] Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land, that the Lord your God is giving you. Since the beginning of the year, as a congregation, we've been going through the Ten Commandments.
[1:02] And in our study, we've referred to the Ten Commandments as house rules. House rules. And they're house rules not because they teach us and tell us how to be a good person with good morals and good values for life.
[1:17] But rather, they're house rules because we need to have a right relationship with God. Because we're all sinners in need of a Savior. We're all sinners in need of a Savior.
[1:29] However, the God of the Bible is not some distant and detached deity who demands our absolute obedience. No, God is, as we pray each week in the Lord's Prayer, He is our Father which art in heaven.
[1:45] He's our Heavenly Father. And as our Heavenly Father, He speaks to us as a family. He speaks to us as a church family. He addresses us as His children.
[1:56] Therefore, as His children, we need family rules. We need house rules. Because as you know, without rules, there's recklessness. Without laws, there's lawlessness. Without commandments, there's chaos.
[2:09] And our Heavenly Father, He has given us these ten house rules in order to parent us and protect us. And we can see that because, as we were saying to the children earlier on, it's not good for a child to always get their own way.
[2:23] It's not good for them to have Coke and crisps and sweets first thing in the morning. It's good for a child to be told no. But when an adult says no, as we were saying to the children, it's not to spoil their fun.
[2:36] It's often to parent them and to protect them from hurt or harm. And so they're told no out of love for them. They're told no to look after them.
[2:47] And in many ways, that's what we see in these house rules. Because when you read through the Ten Commandments, you see that eight out of ten of them are no's. They begin with the familiar phrase, thou shalt not.
[3:01] Thou shalt not. Thou shalt not. But as you know, two of these house rules, they don't begin with that familiar phrase. Last week, we were looking at house rule number four, which begins with the parental word, remember, kaini.
[3:18] Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Remember to rest on the Sabbath, and remember to rejoice on the Sabbath day. But the other house rule that doesn't begin with the familiar phrase, thou shalt not, is the one that we're looking at this morning.
[3:34] It's house rule number five. Because it begins with another parental word, honor. Honor your father and your mother. Honor your father and your mother.
[3:47] And I'd like us to consider this house rule, house rule number five, under two simple headings this morning. I want us to see that house rule number five is a parental house rule and also a promising house rule.
[4:02] So it's a parental house rule and a promising house rule. So first of all, we see that it's a parental house rule. A parental house rule. We read there in verse 12, honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land, that the Lord your God is giving you.
[4:23] Now, as you know, bringing up children isn't easy. Whether you're a parent or a grandparent, an auntie, an uncle, a teacher, or someone who works with children, you will know that bringing up children isn't easy.
[4:40] And we might think that it's harder to bring up children in the 21st century than in any other century before us. Because nowadays, with the presence of the internet and social media and all these attractions around us, there are so many dangers for children, so many deceptions, so many distractions for our children.
[5:00] But the thing is, it has never been easy to bring up children. It has never been easy to bring up children. You consider the first parents, Adam and Eve.
[5:12] They struggled to bring up their children. We read right at the beginning of our Bibles in Genesis chapter 4, Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel.
[5:23] And because of envy, we know the story, because of envy and rivalry, their eldest son, their firstborn son, Cain, killed their secondborn son, his younger brother, Abel, which would have been dreadful and devastating for any parent, but especially our first parents, Adam and Eve.
[5:42] And no doubt, like any parent would, Adam and Eve would have had so many regrets. They would have probably blamed themselves for what happened with their children. They would have questioned whether they could have done a better job to prepare and protect their children in life.
[6:00] And you know, it ought to remind us that from the outset of the Bible, we've been reminded that it's not an easy thing to bring up children. It's not easy to bring up children whether you're Adam and Eve or Murdo and Allison.
[6:14] But this is why our Bible has such an emphasis upon teaching and training our children in the young years of their life. Because the thing is, if we don't teach and train them, the world will.
[6:29] If we do not teach and train our children, the world will. And the world won't teach and train our children according to Scripture. The world will teach and train our children according to self.
[6:43] Which is why our Bible has such an emphasis upon teaching and training our children to walk in the paths of righteousness. We see that even in Deuteronomy chapter 6.
[6:55] Moses is standing before the whole congregation of Israel. He's standing before a whole congregation of parents. And he says to them, Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
[7:09] You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words I command you today shall be on your heart. And then Moses goes on to say, And you shall teach them diligently to your children.
[7:26] And you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Moses not only emphasized to the congregation and these parents.
[7:38] He emphasized the importance of them loving and following the Lord. But he also emphasized the importance of teaching our children to love and follow the Lord.
[7:50] That's why Solomon in one of his proverbs, in all his wisdom, Solomon said, Train up a child in the way that they should go. And when they are old, they will not depart from it.
[8:03] Train up a child in the way that they should go. And when they are old, they will not depart from it. And you remember what Jesus said. Jesus said, who is the greater than Solomon? He said, Let the little children come to me.
[8:17] For to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. My friend, our Bible is such an emphasis upon teaching and training our children in the young years of their life.
[8:27] Because if we don't, the world will. And this is why house rule number five is all about loving your family. It's all about loving your family. Because this commandment, it's not just addressed to children and to grandchildren that they show honor and respect towards parents and grandparents.
[8:47] That is implied. But the onus isn't actually on the children or the grandchildren. The onus is on the parents. The onus is on the parents to teach and train their children to honor their father and their mother.
[9:04] You know, it was my late professor of Old Testament. He taught me when I was in college. Professor John L. Mackay. He wrote in his commentary, he says, This commandment, commandment number five, is not just a matter for young children, but presents the family as the foundation upon which a well-ordered society is to be built.
[9:26] This commandment is not just for a matter for young children, but presents the family as the foundation upon which a well-ordered society is to be built.
[9:38] My friend, house rule number five is a parental house rule because the onus is not on the children or on schools or social media or society to teach and train the next generation.
[9:52] The onus comes back to the ones who brought them into the world. It's on the parents because it's the parents' responsibility to teach and train their children to honor their father and their mother.
[10:06] That's why it's parents who make baptism vows because we're promising to love our family. We're promising to love our family and that our family home, our family home will be a foundation upon which our children are taught and trained in order to prepare them for life because as we all know, the world out there is a scary place with so many distractions, so many dangers.
[10:37] And you know, that's the thing about being a parent. On the one hand, it's one of the greatest privileges in life and yet on the other hand, at the same time, it's one of the greatest responsibilities to be in charge of and to have the care over another soul.
[10:57] Another soul. I'm sure you know that it was the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who once said, give me a child until he's seven and then I will show you the man.
[11:12] Give me a child until he is seven and then I will show you the man. Of course, Aristotle said that because the first seven years are the formative years for a child.
[11:24] But the frightening thing about the formative and the childhood years of a child is not only that they pass very, very quickly, but very often, children don't learn by our explanation.
[11:36] They learn by our example. Very often, children don't learn by our explanation. They learn by our example. There's my good friend J.C. Ryle.
[11:49] He once said, Fathers and mothers do not forget that children learn more by the eye than they do by the ear. Imitation is a far stronger principle with children than memory.
[12:02] What they see has a much stronger effect on their minds than what they are told. And you know, I always find it amazing that J.C. Ryle was a 19th century minister and yet what he says is still as relevant today in the 21st century.
[12:19] But when Ryle spoke about the example that parents are to their children, he spoke from experience. Ryle was a father to five children, which is why when it came to parenting, Ryle had this emphasis.
[12:33] He laid weight upon the example that parents are to their children. He says on another occasion, he says, the parent who tries to train their children without setting a good example is building with one hand and tearing down with another.
[12:51] I find it hard to read it as a parent. The parent who tries to train their children without setting a good example is building with one hand and pulling down with another.
[13:04] And you know, J.C. Ryle, he said this not only as a preacher and a pastor, but also as a parent. And I'm repeating, Ryle, to you this morning, not only as a preacher and a pastor, but also as a parent.
[13:15] Because there's one thing for sure, I am not a perfect parent. Far from it. But I find what Ryle says about this house rule, I find it so challenging, but then at the same time so comforting.
[13:33] And it's comforting because as parents, we're all in the same boat. We're all in the same boat together because we all know that bringing up children isn't easy.
[13:45] Bringing up children isn't easy. But what we see secondly is that house rule number five, it's also a promising house rule. So it's a parental house rule and it's also a promising house rule.
[13:59] A promising house rule. It says, Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Now as you know, the word honor, it means value or respect.
[14:16] Therefore, we're to honor, value, and respect our father and our mother whatever age we are. Whatever age we are. Because as we said, house rule number five, it calls us and it commands us to love our family.
[14:31] Because loving our family, it involves showing honor, value, and respect for all members of the family whether parents or children or grandchildren. And you know, it's hard but parents with older children have to honor, value, and respect their children's privacy.
[14:49] That's sometimes very difficult. Equally so, grandparents have to respect their children who are also parents themselves. And I say this because the thing about the fifth commandment is that the fifth commandment, it actually extends beyond the four walls of our family home.
[15:08] In fact, this commandment, it actually extends out into the community and even into the country. Because the fifth commandment teaches us that we're not only to honor, value, and respect our parents and our grandparents, we're also to honor, value, and respect the elderly in our community but also those in positions of authority such as teachers or police or employers, members of parliament, and royalty.
[15:37] It takes in the whole lot. That's why Paul calls us to pray for those who are in positions of authority. We're to pray for them. We're to pray for them because we honor, value, and respect their position of authority.
[15:51] We might not think much of their policies or what they do in life but we're to pray for them because the Bible tells us we're to pray for them, we're to honor them and value them and respect them in their position of authority.
[16:07] But as you know, people often say, and I'm sure maybe you've said it yourself or heard somebody else saying it, the youth of today, the youth of today shows no honor, value, or respect towards parents or people in positions of authority.
[16:26] And yet, over two and a half thousand years ago in the fifth century BC, another Greek philosopher, Socrates, he said exactly the same thing.
[16:38] Socrates said about the youth of his day, and I'm going to quote what he said, children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect for elders, and love chatter in place of exercise.
[16:55] Children are now tyrants, not servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and terrorize their teachers.
[17:13] And you know, when you read what Socrates said, you realize Solomon was right. There is nothing new under the sun. There's nothing new under the sun.
[17:25] Times have changed, but the heart of man hasn't changed one bit. Which is why in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, Paul explains, he explains and expounds upon house rule number five, this fifth commandment.
[17:40] And he says that the fifth commandment is a commandment with a promise. In Ephesians chapter five, Paul is emphasizing that he emphasizes that Christian marriage is to be built and mirrored upon the marriage that Jesus Christ has with his church.
[17:57] And it's upon that foundation that Paul goes on to say in chapter six, Ephesians chapter six, children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
[18:08] And then he quotes verse 12, house rule number five. He says, honor your father and your mother. This is the first commandment with a promise. And the promise is in the second half of the verse.
[18:20] That it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. And then with that, Paul adds another instruction. He says, fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
[18:36] So this is a commandment with a promise. It's a commandment with a promise. Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
[18:49] It's a promising house rule because it's a commandment with a promise. And you know, when I see someone who has lived a long life well into their 90s, I'm sure you can think of somebody right now.
[19:04] When I see somebody who's well into their 90s, I often think, well, they must have honored their parents to be blessed with such a long life. Because that's what the commandment promises.
[19:15] It says, honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. It's the commandment with a promise. It promises long life to those who honor, value, and respect their father and their mother.
[19:32] But there's also another promise that's being highlighted here in this commandment. Because as we read, house rule number five, it's a promising house rule. But it's not only a commandment with a promise, it's also a covenant.
[19:44] A covenant with a promise. And it's a covenant with a promise because it's a promise of blessing to us and to our children.
[19:56] It's a promise of blessing that is to us and to our children. And you know, this is why we baptize our children. Because in baptizing our children, we're not only following a biblical pattern pattern of bringing our children into a church family, we're also faithfully pleading a biblical promise.
[20:19] We're pleading a biblical promise, a promise that is, a promise of blessing that is a promise to us and to our children. A promise that as parents, we will teach and train our children to honor their father and mother that they may have a long life.
[20:39] But more than that, it's a promise that as parents, we'll teach and train our children to honor, value, and respect Jesus Christ and His church.
[20:51] It's a promise that as parents, we'll teach and train our children that Jesus Christ is the only Savior of sinners. It's a promise that as parents, we'll teach and train our children to grow up and to know and to love and to follow the Lord.
[21:06] It's a promise that as parents, we'll teach and train our children how to look to Jesus and listen to Jesus and lean upon Jesus and love Jesus and even live for Jesus all the days of their life.
[21:23] And of course, we can't make our children committed Christians. We would love to. We would absolutely love to. I know that for many of you as parents with children who have grown up, that's your heart's desire.
[21:40] Your heart's desire is that they'll be saved because you have such a care for their soul. as a parent. But you know, the best thing we can do for our children, whether they're young or whether they're older, is be a committed Christian.
[21:56] Be a committed Christian committed to praying for them, committed to speaking to them, committed to sharing with them this wonderful Savior that is Jesus. You know, the greatest need of our children is for us to be a Christian example to them because that's essentially what we are vowing to in baptism.
[22:14] we're vowing that we want our children to know Jesus. That's what it's all about. We want them. The water is a symbol of cleansing.
[22:26] We want them to know the cleansing power of Jesus. That's what we want for our children. You know, it brings us back to the example that we're to be as parents.
[22:38] And as parents, I have another quote from my good friend J.C. Ryle. I always find Ryle so relevant. If you've never read J.C. Ryle, read him.
[22:50] He's so relevant. Ryle says, parents, and he says it so lovingly. Don't say, don't think that he's getting at us. He's saying it as a parent.
[23:02] Parents, seek to imitate Christ for your children. Take care what you do in front of your child. It is a true proverb. He who sins before a child sins double.
[23:15] Strive to be a living epistle of Christ such as your families can read. Be an example in reading the Word of God with them. Be an example of prayer.
[23:26] Be an example in the means of grace and coming to church. Be an example in remembering the Lord's day. Be an example in words and temper and diligence and restraint and faith in love and kindness and humility.
[23:41] Do not think, says Raoul, do not think that your children will practice what they do not see. You are their model picture. They will copy what you are.
[23:55] They may not understand your lecturing, wise commands and good advice, but they can understand your life. And you know, my friend, I say to myself when I say it to you, we need to be a Christian example to our children in order to teach and train them in the young years of their life.
[24:16] We need to be a Christian example to them because if we don't, the world will. If we don't, the world will.
[24:27] And they're precious to us, are they not? They are precious. So we must teach and train them in the young years of their life.
[24:39] But as we conclude, I want to speak, I always want to take the opportunity to speak to my uncommitted or my unconverted friend here this morning. And I want to speak to you as those who may have grown up going to church or going to Sunday school.
[24:58] I'm sure I speak to many, if not most of you by saying that. Many of you maybe had Christian parents and many of you had probably Christian grandparents. And maybe you're older now.
[25:11] Maybe you're getting on in years and your parents and your grandparents, they're either older or they've passed away. But the thing is, you've never forgotten their example. You've never forgotten it.
[25:24] Even some of the things you do today, you still do them. And you do it because your parents or your grandparents taught you to do it. And like these parents this morning who are going to make baptism vows before God, and we will all witness it, they're promising that they will teach and train their children.
[25:44] Your parents. your parents made the same promises for you when you were baptized all those years ago. You don't remember the day you were baptized.
[25:56] I don't remember the day I was baptized. But your parents made these same promises for you when you were baptized. And they promised that they would point you to Jesus.
[26:08] They promised that they would sit with you at family worship. They promised that they would encourage you to attend church, even take you to church. They would promise that they would take you to Sunday school.
[26:20] They promised that they would teach you the path of righteousness and following that good shepherd who is Jesus. They promised that they would set before you a godly example.
[26:32] And like every parent, every parent can, there may have been areas in their life that they failed in. Every parent fails. But their heart's desire as a parent was to be faithful to their baptism vows.
[26:47] Therefore, I want to say to you today, if you're still uncommitted, still unconverted, still not closing in with Christ, still walking the broad road, you know house rule number five, it's a commandment that still calls you and still commands you to honor your father and your mother.
[27:12] They may have passed away. You might have moved out and lived somewhere else. But this commandment still calls you and commands you to honor your father and your mother.
[27:23] You're to follow their example, the example that they set before you in the young years of your life that they instilled in you. And these things you might have forgotten, you might have ignored, you might have pushed them to the side for a time.
[27:37] But we're all being reminded this morning in the fifth commandment that we are to commit our lives to Jesus Christ. We are to call upon him as Savior.
[27:50] We're to confess our sins before him. My friend, house rule number five, it calls you to honor your father and your mother. And so it's a parental house rule and it's a promising house rule.
[28:05] It's a promise to us and to our children. So let's not neglect this precious house rule. A house rule that says to all of us, whether a parent or a child, honor your father and your mother that your days may belong in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
[28:28] Well, may the Lord bless these thoughts to us. Let us pray. O Lord, our gracious God, we give thanks to thee for thy word, thy word that teaches us.
[28:41] It is the only rule to direct us on how we may glorify God and enjoy him forever. We give thanks, Lord, for reminding us this morning that we are to honor our father and our mother.
[28:54] And Lord, we pray that these covenant promises that are to us and to our children, that they would be realized in our experience if they are not already realized.
[29:06] Bless us, Lord, we pray. Guide us, we ask. Bless us as we come together for both word and sacrament that everything would be done to thy glory. Hear us then, we pray.
[29:17] Take away our iniquity. Receive us graciously for Jesus' sake. Amen. Now we're going to sing again, this time in Psalm 103.
[29:30] Psalm 103. It's in the Scottish Psalter, page 370 of the Blue Psalm book. Psalm 103. We're singing from verse 13 down to the verse 18.
[29:49] During the psalm, the children will come back through from Sunday school. And if you want to pick up your children from creche or leave them, it's entirely up to yourself. you can do so.
[30:00] So Psalm 103 at verse 13. In Psalm 103, it's a psalm that reminds us that the God we're worshiping this morning is a God of all grace. He is gracious and merciful to us.
[30:13] And He's a Father. That's what we read there in verse 13. Such pity as a father hath unto his children dear, like pity shows the Lord to such as worship Him in fear.
[30:26] He's a Father to us because He remembers that we are dust. He knows our frame. He knows that we're weak. But His mercy extends. And this is what's wonderful.
[30:37] Verse 17. But unto them that do Him fear, God's mercy never ends. And to their children's children still, His righteousness extends. So we're singing Psalm 103 from verse 13 down to the verse marked 18.
[30:52] And we'll stand to sing, if you're able, to God's praise. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Such pity as a father hath unto his children dear, like pity shows the Lord to such, as worship Him in fear.
[31:27] For He remembers we are dust, and He our frame well knows.
[31:44] Frail man, His days are like the grass, as far in field He grows.
[32:00] For over it the wind of pass, and it away is gone, and of the place where once it was, it shall no more be known.
[32:30] But unto them that do Him fear, God's mercy never ends.
[32:46] And to their children's children still, His righteousness extends.
[33:01] To such as keep His covenant, and by full are all weir, of His most just commandments, that they may them obey.
[33:34] Please be seated. Well, we now come to the part of the service we've all been anticipating.
[33:48] In a moment, I'm going to ask the families to come up one by one into the elders' box for baptism. But first of all, we'll read our scriptural warrant. There's a reason why we do what we do.
[34:01] It's always good to ask why we do what we do. And everything we do, it comes from the Bible. And so our scriptural warrant for baptism is found in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 18.
[34:14] But it says that Jesus came and said to His disciples, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold, I am with you always to the end of the world.
[34:41] When these lovely parents met with the Kirk session, they expressed their desire to baptize their children. Not because they believe that baptism would save their children, because as you know, there's nothing mystical, there's nothing magical about baptism water.
[34:58] It's just water that came out of the tap this morning. But the water is a sign. The water is a sign which symbolizes the parents' desire for their children to be cleansed from sin through the blood of Jesus Christ.
[35:14] And of course, their children will be taught about that in their home and also here in God's house. Because as parents, they're vowing that through their Christian example in their home and in God's house, they will be brought up to know that.
[35:31] But you know, as we hear these parents take vows, we'll all hear it. It should remind us and reaffirm to us the vows that we have made as parents for our children.
[35:43] It should remind us about our role and our responsibility as parents. But it should also remind us about our role and responsibility as an entire church family. Because we're all here before God.
[35:56] We're all here as witnesses to this special occasion. Therefore, as these parents make their commitment to their children and to our church family, we as a church family, and this is important for us, we as a church family are also making a commitment to their children and to them as a family.
[36:18] And we're committing that we will pray for them. We will love them. We will look after them as part of our church family. You know, it's a solemn moment, but it's also a very special moment in the life of our congregation.
[36:34] It's a solemn but very special moment in our congregation. So if I could ask the parents to both stand if you're able.
[36:46] You can please. Just the parents. Children don't need to stand. Okay? And I've got four questions for you. You know what they are in a way. Okay.
[36:58] Do you believe the Bible to be the Word of God and the only rule of faith and life? I'll start this side and go this way. Yes? Yeah?
[37:09] Yes. Okay. Do you believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as revealed in the Word of God? Yeah? Yeah?
[37:22] Yeah? Okay. Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and the only Savior of sinners? Yes?
[37:37] Do you promise in God's strength to bring up your child or children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Yeah?
[37:48] I love the baby! Yes? I love the baby! Okay. Could I ask the congregation to please be upstanding? We're going to come before the Lord in prayer.
[38:01] Let's pray it again. O Lord, our gracious God, we give thanks to Thee for these precious moments in life that remind us that the Lord the God who is the giver of life, the God who brings life into experience and into being, the Lord, one who breathed first into the nostrils of Adam and brought life.
[38:22] And that is the same experience for each and every one of us and also our children. And Lord, we thank Thee for these precious lives, lives that remind us, Lord, that there are a covenant-making and a covenant-keeping God, a God who promises to us that all the families of the earth will be blessed when they come to know and to understand the promises that are found in Thy Word.
[38:47] Lord, bless this sacrament to us, that this sacrament would be an encouragement to both parents and to us as a congregation, reminding us of Thy faithfulness, reminding us, Lord, that Thou art the one who is our Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who is our provider.
[39:05] And Lord, we pray that we would always say with the psalmist that God's mercies I will ever sing and with my mouth I shall Thy faithfulness make to be known to generations all.
[39:18] O Lord, help us, we pray, to make known Thy faithfulness and Thy mercy to our children and even our children's children, that even the generation that is yet unborn, that they too would praise and magnify the Lord.
[39:32] Go before us and we pray, do us good, take away our iniquity, receive us graciously for Jesus' sake. Amen. So please remain standing if you can.
[39:43] I'm going to ask the Morrison family if you could come up first. Okay? You're coming up too.
[39:55] Are you? Aren't you lovely? I'm going to wet your hair, okay? Don't worry. I promise I won't be bad.
[40:06] Okay? Hannah, Rachel, Morrison, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God.
[40:19] The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
[40:29] She's just lovely. You can go and sit back down. Thank you. Now we're going to do the next baby and we'll leave the girls to last. Is that okay, girls? We'll take Annabelle to remember all these names.
[40:48] Oh. Ready? Sure. Okay. Annabelle Grace McCrory, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God.
[41:07] The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
[41:19] Thank you. Okay. You go that way. Right, girls. Come.
[41:31] Don't be shy. You'll be okay. Okay? There's a wee line here for you all to stand on so you know where to stand. Okay? You stand there. And we'll do one after the other, okay?
[41:43] Is that okay? I won't wreck your hair, I promise. I'll try not to. Okay? Cara Louise Campbell, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God.
[42:00] The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Okay, Chloe, you're next.
[42:15] Chloe Campbell, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
[42:29] The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Okay, Kate, last but not least. Okay? Kate Campbell, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God.
[42:47] The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Well, thank you, girls.
[42:58] You can go and sit back down or stand beside your parents. Okay? Well, again, come before the Lord in prayer.
[43:09] Let's pray together. O Lord, our gracious God, we give thanks to Thee for family life. We thank Thee that Thou art a God who is able to be the head of our home and the unseen guest at every meal and the silent listener to every conversation.
[43:27] We pray that Thou wouldest bless these families, these precious lives. We thank Thee for them. We thank Thee, Lord, for John and for Anne and for Alexander and Hannah. Bless them together as a family unit that they would seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, knowing then that all other things will be added unto them, that Thou wouldest encourage them as they bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, that they would know Thy presence and blessing and Thy goodness and Thy mercy, following them all the days of their life, remember also the Campbell family.
[44:01] We thank Thee for them, for bringing them into our congregation. We thank Thee for Katrina and Norman. Bless them, we pray, in their own souls as they grow in knowledge of Jesus.
[44:12] And we pray for their children, for Cara and Chloe and Kate. Uphold them and support them as they grow up in this world with many voices and many vices calling out for their soul.
[44:24] But Lord, we ask that they would hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, that they would follow Him all the days of their life, knowing that He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep.
[44:35] And Lord, we pray for the McCrurie family. We thank Thee for them. Oh Lord, that Thou wouldest bless them. We thank Thee for Scott and for CJ. We thank Thee, Lord, for their diligence and their desire to bring up their children.
[44:48] We pray for Archie and for Angus and for Annabelle. Bless them, Lord, we pray as arrows in the quiver that Thou wouldest use them for Thine own glory. And even as they lay a foundation for their family home at present, we thank Thee, O Lord, that they have a sure and a steadfast foundation in Christ.
[45:07] That as Jesus said, that upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. That that would be so in our experience as a church family, that we would look to Jesus, knowing Him and loving Him, as the author and the finisher of our faith.
[45:25] Go before us, then we pray. Take away our iniquity. Receive us graciously. For Jesus' sake. Amen. Please be seated. Now I have little Bibles for a few people, for little ladies.
[45:45] So I've got one for Annabelle. This is for you. Do you want to take it, Archie? Will you take it for Annabelle? Okay. It's a Bible and a children's book. Here's another one for little Hannah.
[45:59] Do you want to come and get it, Alexander? Will you get it for Hannah? Good man. Thank you. You look after that. And we've got three for these ladies too. So we've got...
[46:10] I'll bet it to be... Take all three. So this is... This is for you, Kate. Okay. It's a Bible. Okay. Okay. This is for Chloe. Chloe, you're there.
[46:22] Don't get you all mixed up. All right. And last one is for Kara. Okay. Here you go, Kara. All right.
[46:33] There you go. Well, thank you. You all did very well. They're all so quiet. Even the older girls are quiet. But we're going to bring our service to our conclusion this morning.
[46:46] We're going to sing in the well-known words of Psalm 23. Psalm 23 is in the Scottish Psalter. If you're using the Blue Psalm book, it's on page 229. Psalm 23.
[47:01] This is, as you know, the Shepherd Psalm. A psalm that's often sung. As they often say, it's one thing singing about the shepherd. It's another thing knowing the shepherd.
[47:13] And we have to know the shepherd. That's what we pray for our children and our grandchildren that they would know the shepherd. But we have to know the shepherd ourselves. We have to be able to say with David, the Lord's my shepherd.
[47:26] I'll not want. He makes me down to lie. In pastures green he leadeth me. The quiet waters by. My soul he doth restore again. And me to walk doth make within the paths of righteousness.
[47:40] E'en for his own name's sake. So we'll sing the whole Psalm of Psalm 23. And we'll stand to sing, if you're able, to God's praise. The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want.
[48:02] He makes me down to lie. In pastures green he leadeth me.
[48:20] The quiet waters by. My soul he doth restore again.
[48:40] And me to walk doth make within the paths of righteousness.
[49:01] In for his own name's sake. Yea, though I walk in that dark vale, yet will I fear none ill.
[49:31] For thou art with me beyond thy rod. And stop me comfort still.
[49:49] My table thou hast furnished. My table thou hast furnished.
[50:01] In presence of my foes, my head thou dost with art anoint.
[50:21] anoint, and my cup overflows. goodness and mercy, goodness and mercy, all my life shall surely follow me.
[50:43] shall surely follow me. And in God's house forevermore, my dwelling place shall be.
[51:14] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all, now and forevermore. Amen.