Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / A Song for His People

Transcript

A Song for His People · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

0:00
We can turn back to our reading in Isaiah chapter 26.
0:05
We can just read again at the beginning of this chapter, Isaiah 26.
0:10
!
0:30
It may seem strange to talk about a storm today when outside is such a gloriously sunny day.
0:50
But the storms of life is something that's always a reality to us.
0:55
And I'm sure maybe you've heard of a phrase called the perfect storm.
1:01
It's when two low pressures will come, maybe from different directions and merge together,
1:07
and they bring a more serious storm that brings so much devastation and destruction with it.
1:14
This was a case in a film that was made a number of years ago now called by that name,
1:19
The Perfect Storm.
1:21
And it showed just how it happened on that occasion back in the 90s.
1:25
It was, I think.
1:26
And it just showed the devastation and destruction that these kinds of storms can bring.
1:33
It may seem a strange thing to call a storm a perfect storm when all it brings is devastation with it.
1:41
But the perfect storm is something that the Bible speaks about as well.
1:46
It speaks about it in a way when we see a collision taking place of different things merging together
1:53
that bring a sense of devastation with it.
1:58
We see the perfect storm of sin.
2:02
And everything that sin brings into this world.
2:04
And how the more that sin brings its forces together, the more devastation and destruction it brings.
2:12
And when we think of a natural storm, when we think of the destruction that that brings,
2:19
what do we look for at a time when a storm is coming?
2:23
We look for shelter.
2:25
We seek shelter.
2:26
And that is what Isaiah is talking about here.
2:31
In chapter 26, he's talking there about not a perfect storm,
2:35
but he's talking about a perfect peace.
2:39
And the peace that the Lord is able to give.
2:42
You keep him in perfect peace,
2:44
whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.
2:50
And so there is a place to find that perfect peace.
2:54
And here in chapter 26,
2:57
what we're seeing is a song that the Lord is giving to his people.
3:01
And a place that they can find this perfect peace.
3:06
And it is in a city.
3:08
It's a song of a city.
3:10
We have a strong city.
3:13
It says at the start there in the middle of verse 1.
3:18
And Isaiah is writing in the midst of this storm of sin.
3:23
If you look back in chapter 24, just a page previously,
3:28
the heading of that chapter is judgment on the whole earth.
3:33
And this judgment is like a storm.
3:36
See how it speaks about it in verse 12.
3:39
Desolation is left in the city.
3:42
The gates are battered into ruins.
3:45
A city that is devastated.
3:48
And it's really by sin.
3:50
That's what Isaiah is highlighting for us here.
3:53
The city that is battered,
3:55
that is left in desolation as sin.
3:58
Passes through.
4:00
And so it's in the midst of this sense of judgment
4:03
that Isaiah is writing.
4:06
But it's also at a time
4:08
when the people are thinking that they have peace.
4:13
And so it stands as a warning.
4:17
What keeps us going from day to day so often?
4:21
What keeps our hearts filled with joy
4:24
and a sense of release in many different ways?
4:26
What gives us hope in difficult times?
4:31
So often it's song.
4:35
So often it's music that we turn to.
4:38
When we think of finding a sense of release and of joy,
4:42
how often do we just start maybe singing a song?
4:47
It's expressed in song so often.
4:50
And we all maybe have our own favorite song.
4:52
And this time of year is a time
4:55
when we're often maybe hearing songs being played
4:58
when people are outside enjoying the good weather,
5:01
whether it's in the garden or on the beach
5:03
or out in the streets as we'll see in this coming week
5:06
and out in the grounds as the weekend comes.
5:09
When the tents go up,
5:10
we'll hear a lot of song.
5:12
We'll hear a lot of music being played.
5:14
We'll hear a lot of people
5:15
who are finding a sense of joy in that.
5:20
But do we have that true sense of the joy of the Lord
5:24
and the peace that he gives in the songs that we sing?
5:28
Well, here Isaiah is reminding the people
5:31
that in all the different things
5:32
that they have going on in their lives,
5:34
and they themselves would have probably been singing
5:36
their own songs in many different ways
5:39
and many different situations.
5:42
Well, Isaiah is reminding them of the need
5:44
to have this song of the Lord in their hearts.
5:48
That it's the song of the Lord
5:50
that is able to bring peace.
5:53
A song that speaks not just for the moment for today
5:57
and a song that's forgotten in the days
5:59
or the weeks ahead.
6:00
We move on to the next one.
6:02
But it's a song of a city,
6:04
a song of salvation,
6:06
a song of the joy that the Lord gives.
6:09
We want to just think about this song
6:11
that Isaiah is giving here.
6:14
And just think about it under three different headings.
6:18
And we see three different things about this song.
6:21
The first thing is it's the song of a city.
6:24
So it's directing us towards a place.
6:28
It's also directing us towards salvation.
6:32
So it's a song of salvation.
6:35
And it's also a song of remembrance.
6:39
A song that helps us to go back
6:41
and reflect on these things again and again and again.
6:46
A song that we can keep singing.
6:49
How often do you hear a song
6:51
or even just a few lyrics of a song
6:54
and it's stuck in your head the rest of the day?
6:58
I'm sure it happens very often to people.
7:01
You just hear a little snippet of a song
7:03
and it's just there in your head
7:04
the rest of the day or even the rest of the week.
7:08
Well, here is a song that should resonate in our hearts
7:11
and stay in our hearts
7:14
and stay with us through all the ups and downs of life
7:18
to see a place of perfect peace
7:21
that the Lord is able to give.
7:24
So the first thing we see is it's a song of a city.
7:29
In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah, it starts.
7:33
And then the song itself starts with these words,
7:36
we have a strong city.
7:39
We have a strong city.
7:41
Cities were so important in the days of Isaiah.
7:45
Indeed, throughout the Old Testament into the New Testament,
7:48
you see the importance of cities.
7:51
They were more than just a place to live or to work or to study
7:56
as we might think of today.
7:59
They were places of safety, of security.
8:04
They were places where people felt they could dwell
8:08
and dwell in that security to know that they were safe
8:11
from the outside enemies.
8:14
But no city was ever 100% secure.
8:19
There's always the fear that the enemy would attack
8:23
and bring devastation.
8:24
That devastation that we see in chapter 24 of Isaiah
8:28
that the Lord was showing was going to come.
8:33
And you think of these cities in the days of Isaiah,
8:36
their walls were thick, their doors were strong.
8:40
They tried to have as few doors as possible
8:43
so that there wasn't easy access into the city.
8:46
And everywhere was well guarded.
8:48
And secure.
8:50
They would have their towers where people would be on watch,
8:53
looking out to see if the enemy was coming.
8:57
And so the people had this sense of security in this city.
9:02
But Isaiah is warning that the city that they are putting
9:06
their trust in is not going to keep secure.
9:10
Battles are fought over cities.
9:14
They have been throughout all generations.
9:17
Here in the Old Testament, into the new to our present day,
9:20
you find that when there's conflicts going on,
9:23
cities or vantage points, high places,
9:27
they're always important and they're always fought over.
9:32
Isaiah writes as God's people are enjoying this peace and security,
9:38
but a battle is on the horizon.
9:42
And at the heart of this battle that's coming
9:44
is not just the enemy that's around them,
9:47
but the enemy within them.
9:49
You see, their hearts have gone cold towards the Lord.
9:53
They've forgotten the Lord.
9:55
They have been disobedient to the Lord.
9:59
They've forgotten all his goodness to them,
10:02
and they've just started doing their own thing,
10:04
turning to their own ways.
10:08
And that's what this song is about.
10:11
It's got warning in it,
10:13
but it's also got reminders in it as well.
10:17
That as the battle is on the horizon,
10:19
as the enemy is about to attack,
10:21
that they can look to God
10:24
and see with him that he has a city for his people,
10:30
a city where they will dwell secure.
10:33
We have a strong city, he says there.
10:36
He sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.
10:41
So there is a city of God,
10:45
a place of refuge.
10:46
And what a song that is to sing
10:48
in the midst of the enemy attacking,
10:50
that they have the Lord on their side.
10:54
But it's a question to us today,
10:56
do we have the Lord in that sense?
10:59
Do we look for just the here and now
11:02
and the cities or the towns or the villages
11:04
that we live in and have our sense of peace
11:08
and that all is well?
11:10
Is that the way that we are living our lives just now?
11:15
Are we thinking about the future?
11:17
Are we thinking about eternity?
11:19
Are we thinking where we will dwell secure forever?
11:23
Or is that just something for way down the road
11:25
or for not at all?
11:28
Well, God gives his people a city to look forward to.
11:32
A city that will be a secure place for his people
11:36
for all eternity.
11:38
So no matter what this world brings to us,
11:42
that we have a place to look forward to.
11:44
A place described in Revelation 21,
11:48
where John sees this vision of a city.
11:51
He says there in verse 10,
11:54
he carried me away in the spirit to a great high mountain
11:56
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
11:59
coming down out of heaven from God,
12:02
having the glory of God,
12:04
its radiance like a most rare jewel,
12:06
like a jasper clear as crystal.
12:09
It had a great high wall and with 12 gates.
12:14
So John there in Revelation is looking to the city
12:17
that God has promised for his people.
12:21
The same city that Abraham, by faith,
12:23
was able to look to as well.
12:25
In Hebrews 11, verse 9,
12:28
it speaks about Abraham there.
12:30
By faith, he went to live in the land of promise,
12:33
as in a foreign land,
12:35
living in tents with Isaac and Jacob,
12:38
heirs with him to the same promise.
12:41
For he was looking forward to the city
12:44
that has foundations,
12:45
whose designer and builder is God.
12:50
God is preparing a city for his people.
12:54
So we won't just live with our minds
12:57
on this world and this place
12:59
and the fulfillment that we seek in this life,
13:02
but instead that we will think of God
13:05
who has prepared a place for his people.
13:11
A battle has been fought for us
13:13
that we maybe even don't realize
13:15
that the Lord Jesus came into this world
13:19
to go to battle,
13:20
to go to war for his people,
13:23
that they might dwell secure
13:25
in a city of salvation forever.
13:28
Do you realize what this city means?
13:32
In this world, in this day,
13:35
we sing our songs,
13:36
and so many do sing their songs
13:38
of enjoyment and fulfillment,
13:41
but it's only temporary.
13:45
But here we have a song for the ages,
13:48
a song for the generations,
13:49
and a song for eternity,
13:51
a song of a city that is strong and secure,
13:55
and for God's people,
13:57
we have a strong city.
13:59
Whatever may come,
14:02
we will remain secure
14:03
if we are trusting in God.
14:07
We also see the second thing here,
14:09
it's a song of salvation.
14:12
We have a strong city.
14:14
He sets up salvation as walls
14:17
and bulwarks.
14:20
If you go through chapter 24 to 27 here,
14:25
salvation is what ties it all together.
14:30
When you see the devastation of chapter 24,
14:36
even in the midst of that,
14:37
as we saw in verse 12,
14:39
where it speaks about desolation
14:41
is left in the city,
14:42
you jump forward to verse 14,
14:44
and it speaks of the joy of song.
14:47
They lift up their voices,
14:48
they sing for joy
14:49
over the majesty of the Lord.
14:51
They shout from the west.
14:54
Therefore, in the east,
14:55
give up glory to the Lord.
14:57
And so it goes on.
14:59
In the midst of devastation,
15:01
there's still singing,
15:02
there's still song.
15:04
And what is the song?
15:06
It's the song of salvation in the Lord.
15:10
This chapter,
15:11
and you see it too in chapter 27 there,
15:14
it begins with these words,
15:15
in that day.
15:19
So it's looking to a point
15:21
where God is going to act.
15:24
And sometimes it's talking about God
15:26
acting in the now,
15:28
and sometimes it's talking about God
15:30
acting finally in the day of judgment.
15:34
But at all these points,
15:36
we see that God is acting.
15:39
God is doing something for his people.
15:42
If you look at how it's in verse,
15:46
chapter 25, verse 9 there,
15:49
it speaks about,
15:49
it'll be said on that day,
15:52
behold, this is our God.
15:54
We have waited for him
15:55
that he might save us.
15:57
This is the Lord.
15:58
We have waited for him.
16:00
Let us be glad and rejoice
16:01
in his salvation.
16:04
So all throughout,
16:06
the fact that judgment is coming
16:08
is the hope of salvation.
16:10
that there is this joy,
16:13
that there is this singing
16:14
and song of salvation
16:16
that the people of God have
16:18
when they trust in him.
16:21
We have this song, he says,
16:24
and salvation is at the heart of it.
16:28
And we see here,
16:30
God is working.
16:33
And that this salvation comes
16:35
from relationship with him.
16:37
In verse 3 in chapter 26,
16:41
you keep him in perfect peace
16:43
whose mind is stayed on you
16:45
because he trusts in you.
16:49
There is this relationship.
16:52
There is this joy in knowing
16:54
the Lord as our refuge,
16:57
as our strength in time of trouble.
17:01
Salvation comes from knowing God.
17:03
And salvation comes through faith
17:06
in Jesus Christ.
17:08
And we set our mind on him.
17:12
And when you think of the battle
17:13
that Jesus has won for his people,
17:16
when he was taken outside of the city,
17:20
outside of Jerusalem,
17:21
onto a hill at Calvary,
17:24
and there he fought a battle
17:26
that we could never fight ourselves.
17:28
There he gave his life
17:30
that we might have salvation in him.
17:34
We read that in Hebrews 13, verse 12.
17:37
And so Jesus also suffered,
17:39
it says, outside the city gate
17:41
to make the people holy
17:43
through his own blood.
17:46
He went outside of the city.
17:48
He went to face the enemy for us
17:51
that we might have salvation
17:53
through him.
17:56
There was an army chaplain
17:57
during the First World War.
17:59
He was called John Esselmunt Adams.
18:03
He was 49 years old
18:06
when the war broke out.
18:07
And he'd been a minister in Scotland.
18:10
And within a month or two
18:12
of the war starting,
18:13
he found himself
18:14
at the front line of battle
18:16
in the trenches
18:18
alongside the other troops.
18:21
And there he spoke
18:22
about the reality of war
18:25
and how people would see
18:28
their own eternity
18:30
there before them,
18:32
of how many were lost
18:34
in a moment,
18:36
in a blink.
18:37
And he spoke about it
18:37
in this way of seeing,
18:40
fighting men.
18:41
He spoke,
18:41
multitudes have had
18:42
their faith deepened
18:44
and multitudes have learned
18:46
as never before
18:47
the need and the value
18:49
of faith in God.
18:52
When the reality was right
18:54
in front of them
18:55
of their eternity,
18:57
their need of God
18:58
was made so much clearer.
19:01
And for us,
19:02
we've maybe lost
19:03
that perspective
19:04
of eternity
19:06
and eternity
19:07
being before us.
19:10
But we're reminded
19:11
again and again
19:13
and again
19:14
of how eternity
19:16
is within a blink.
19:18
The tragedies
19:19
that we see happening
19:21
all around us.
19:22
Famous people,
19:23
we've seen it
19:24
with a footballer,
19:25
two footballers,
19:26
two brothers,
19:28
Diego and Andre
19:30
died in a tragic car accident.
19:33
The devastation
19:34
that that brings,
19:36
eternity in a moment.
19:39
We saw it in the last week
19:40
with the devastating floods
19:42
in Texas.
19:43
How just in a moment
19:45
so suddenly
19:46
eternity is there
19:47
before our eyes.
19:49
and we seem
19:50
to think
19:51
that we're living
19:51
in peace.
19:54
But none of us
19:55
know
19:55
what is ahead
19:57
of us
19:57
and how in a moment,
19:59
in a blink,
20:00
eternity is there.
20:03
But do we have
20:04
this song
20:05
of salvation?
20:08
John Esselstyn
20:09
Adams,
20:09
he spoke about
20:10
where these men
20:12
found their hope
20:13
in the time of need.
20:15
he said
20:15
the most read book
20:17
was the New Testament.
20:19
And he said
20:19
one man,
20:20
a machine gun officer,
20:22
he writes to say
20:23
he never read
20:24
so much of it
20:25
at home,
20:26
but that it's the only book
20:27
he can settle
20:28
to read
20:28
as he sits
20:29
through the long nights
20:30
in the trenches
20:31
beside his gun.
20:33
He found his hope
20:34
in the gospel,
20:36
in the word
20:37
of God.
20:38
And here is the word
20:41
of God
20:41
before us today.
20:43
The word of God
20:44
that gives us
20:45
a song
20:45
of salvation
20:47
to sing.
20:49
Salvation
20:50
that has come
20:51
at a great price
20:52
because the Lord Jesus
20:55
gave
20:55
his life
20:57
so that we might
20:59
have
21:00
eternal life.
21:02
Eternity
21:03
is before
21:04
us all.
21:06
But are we singing
21:07
the song
21:08
of salvation?
21:09
Are we trusting
21:10
in the Lord
21:11
with all our hearts?
21:13
You keep him
21:14
in perfect peace
21:15
whose mind
21:16
is stayed on you
21:17
because he trusts
21:19
in you.
21:21
Do you have
21:22
that peace?
21:24
Are you trusting
21:25
in the Lord?
21:29
Well,
21:29
it's a song
21:30
of remembrance
21:30
finally we see
21:32
here as well.
21:33
Song of a city,
21:34
a song
21:35
of salvation
21:36
and a song
21:37
of remembrance.
21:40
In verse 4
21:41
there we are told,
21:43
Trust in the Lord
21:44
forever
21:45
for the Lord
21:46
is an everlasting
21:48
rock.
21:50
And then in verse 8
21:51
and 9,
21:52
In the path
21:53
of your judgments,
21:54
O Lord,
21:54
we wait for you.
21:56
Your name
21:56
and remembrance
21:57
are the desire
21:58
of our soul.
22:00
My soul
22:00
yearns for you
22:02
in the night.
22:03
My spirit
22:03
within me
22:04
earnestly
22:05
seeks you.
22:07
And so we see
22:08
here it's a call
22:09
to remembrance.
22:12
To remember
22:12
the Lord
22:13
today.
22:15
To remember
22:16
the Lord
22:16
as we have
22:17
opportunity.
22:19
To yearn
22:19
for him.
22:20
To trust
22:21
in the Lord
22:22
forever.
22:25
Peace
22:26
is something
22:28
we speak of
22:29
and pray for
22:30
often.
22:30
and yet
22:32
in this world
22:32
that's full of sin
22:33
it's always
22:34
only temporary.
22:37
Wars
22:37
and conflicts
22:38
and suffering
22:39
goes on
22:40
generation
22:41
after generation.
22:44
And so
22:44
it will be.
22:45
Because the word
22:46
of God
22:46
tells us
22:47
there will be
22:47
wars
22:48
and rumors
22:48
of war
22:49
until the
22:50
coming
22:50
of the Lord.
22:51
Lord.
22:53
But are we
22:54
learning
22:54
anything
22:55
in the midst
22:55
of it?
22:57
Are we
22:57
learning
22:57
anything
22:58
for our
22:58
own soul
22:59
even today?
23:01
Do we
23:02
have
23:02
that peace?
23:05
Do we
23:05
have this
23:05
song
23:06
that we
23:06
can call
23:07
to remembrance?
23:08
A song
23:08
that gives
23:09
us hope
23:10
in the midst
23:10
of all
23:11
the different
23:11
things
23:11
that we
23:12
experience
23:13
in life?
23:15
When you
23:15
hear a song
23:16
being played
23:17
that you're
23:17
familiar with
23:18
very often
23:19
it will
23:20
take you
23:21
back to
23:21
a moment
23:22
or a time
23:23
in your
23:23
life
23:23
to an
23:24
experience.
23:26
It might
23:27
be a day
23:27
in your
23:28
life.
23:29
It might
23:29
be a
23:29
portion
23:30
in your
23:31
life.
23:32
But a
23:32
song can
23:32
often take
23:33
us back
23:34
to remember
23:35
different
23:36
things,
23:36
to remember
23:36
different
23:37
times,
23:38
places,
23:39
and people.
23:41
But this
23:42
song,
23:43
it always
23:44
takes us
23:44
back to
23:45
think of
23:45
God.
23:46
The song
23:47
of a
23:48
city.
23:49
We have
23:50
a strong
23:50
city,
23:51
a city
23:51
of salvation,
23:52
a city
23:52
that we
23:53
are to
23:53
remember
23:54
every day
23:55
that we
23:56
have a
23:56
hope in
23:57
the Lord.
23:58
So as we
23:59
go on
23:59
trusting in
24:01
the Lord,
24:02
we call
24:02
to mind
24:03
his goodness,
24:04
his mercy
24:05
that follows
24:06
us all
24:06
the days.
24:08
And the
24:09
question could
24:10
be asked
24:10
as we
24:11
call these
24:12
things to
24:12
mind,
24:14
how do
24:14
we get
24:14
in to
24:15
this city?
24:17
How do
24:17
we find
24:18
this place
24:19
of refuge,
24:21
this place
24:21
of rest?
24:23
We can
24:24
be used
24:24
to coming
24:26
and going
24:26
from cities
24:27
as we
24:27
please.
24:28
We can
24:28
drive into
24:29
cities from
24:30
all different
24:31
directions.
24:32
We arrive
24:32
by planes,
24:33
trains,
24:34
cars,
24:34
all sorts
24:35
of ways.
24:37
But in
24:38
the days of
24:38
Isaiah,
24:39
to find your
24:40
way into
24:40
a city,
24:41
it was
24:41
more
24:42
complicated.
24:44
You had
24:44
to find
24:45
that gate
24:46
that let
24:46
you in.
24:47
You had
24:47
to pass
24:48
through a
24:48
gate that
24:48
had to
24:49
be opened
24:49
for you.
24:51
You had
24:51
to be
24:51
let in.
24:53
Well,
24:54
here it
24:55
speaks about
24:56
getting
24:57
into this
24:58
city.
25:00
Call to
25:00
remembrance
25:01
your name
25:02
and the
25:03
desire of
25:03
our soul
25:04
is to
25:04
see you.
25:06
But when
25:06
we think
25:07
of getting
25:07
into this
25:08
city,
25:09
we have
25:09
to think
25:10
about,
25:10
well,
25:10
what is
25:11
the way
25:11
in?
25:13
Well,
25:14
the way
25:14
in is
25:15
through
25:15
faith.
25:17
You think
25:18
about going
25:18
in to
25:19
a football
25:20
match or
25:21
a stadium
25:22
for a
25:22
concert.
25:23
How do
25:24
you get
25:24
in?
25:25
You go
25:26
through a
25:26
turnstile.
25:28
You go
25:28
through a
25:28
narrow
25:29
axis.
25:30
And you
25:31
have to
25:31
give your
25:32
ticket or
25:32
scan your
25:33
code or
25:34
whatever it
25:35
is, but
25:35
there has
25:35
to be a
25:36
way where
25:36
you gain
25:36
access in.
25:37
You can't
25:38
just appear
25:38
and go
25:39
through the
25:39
gate without
25:40
any ID or
25:41
any access,
25:42
any ticket.
25:43
You won't
25:44
get in.
25:45
Well,
25:46
the way
25:46
in to
25:47
this city,
25:49
the way
25:49
into this
25:50
place that
25:51
God is
25:51
speaking about
25:52
here is
25:53
by faith.
25:56
By faith
25:57
in the
25:58
Lord Jesus
25:59
Christ.
26:00
It's the
26:01
only way
26:02
to get
26:03
in.
26:05
By
26:06
trusting
26:07
in him.
26:08
to gain
26:11
access is
26:13
to believe.
26:15
And to
26:16
believe in
26:17
the only
26:18
one who
26:19
is able
26:19
to save.
26:22
We have
26:22
to fix
26:23
our mind
26:24
on him.
26:27
Keep
26:27
your mind
26:28
on the
26:29
Lord Jesus.
26:30
Trust in
26:31
him.
26:32
Trust in
26:32
the Lord
26:33
forever.
26:33
For the
26:34
Lord God
26:35
is an
26:35
everlasting
26:36
rock.
26:38
He is a
26:38
place of
26:40
security.
26:41
An
26:41
eternal
26:42
place.
26:43
He has
26:43
access to
26:44
this city.
26:45
He is the
26:46
access to
26:47
this salvation.
26:48
And we are
26:49
to call to
26:49
mind and
26:50
remember all
26:51
that the
26:52
Lord has
26:53
done.
26:54
In verse
26:55
12, it
26:56
speaks of
26:57
there, O
26:57
Lord, you
26:58
will ordain
26:58
peace for
26:59
us.
26:59
You have
27:00
done for
27:01
us all
27:02
our works.
27:03
He has
27:04
done
27:05
everything
27:05
for us.
27:08
Are we
27:09
singing
27:09
this song
27:10
of salvation?
27:12
In our
27:12
week, when
27:13
we will
27:13
hear many
27:14
songs being
27:15
sung, many
27:16
that we may
27:17
be familiar
27:17
with and
27:18
sing along
27:18
with ourselves,
27:21
may we
27:21
remember
27:22
this song
27:23
of a
27:23
city,
27:24
this song
27:25
of salvation,
27:27
this song
27:27
to remember
27:28
what the
27:29
Lord has
27:30
done for
27:31
his people.
27:32
let us
27:33
trust in
27:34
him.
27:35
Let us
27:35
pray.
27:38
Lord, our
27:39
gracious
27:40
God, we
27:40
do thank
27:41
you that
27:41
you give
27:42
that joy
27:43
of song
27:43
in our
27:44
hearts and
27:44
that song
27:45
that is
27:46
able to
27:46
express the
27:47
hope that
27:47
we have
27:48
in you.
27:49
In a
27:49
city you
27:50
have prepared
27:50
for your
27:51
people, a
27:52
place of
27:53
peace and
27:54
rest for
27:55
all who
27:55
put their
27:55
trust in
27:56
you.
27:57
And we
27:57
do pray,
27:58
Lord, that
27:58
your blessing
27:59
would help
28:01
us to call
28:01
these things
28:02
through
28:02
remembrance
28:02
in all
28:03
the days
28:03
ahead, that
28:05
you would
28:05
guide us
28:05
by your
28:06
spirit, guide
28:07
us by your
28:07
truth, by
28:08
your word, to
28:09
be able to
28:10
look and fix
28:11
our hearts and
28:13
our souls, our
28:14
minds on our
28:15
Lord Jesus
28:16
Christ and to
28:17
follow him the
28:18
way to perfect
28:19
peace.
28:20
Hear our
28:20
prayers and
28:21
continue with
28:21
us.
28:22
That's all we
28:23
ask.
28:23
We ask in
28:23
his precious
28:24
name.
28:25
Amen.
28:25
Amen.
28:25
We're going
28:31
to conclude
28:31
by singing
28:32
to God's
28:33
praise in
28:33
Psalm 48a,
28:35
the Sing
28:35
Psalms version.
28:37
Find this
28:38
on page
28:39
63.
28:42
Psalm 48a
28:44
will sing
28:45
from
28:45
verse 9
28:46
down to
28:47
the end
28:48
of the
28:48
psalm.
28:49
We
28:53
contemplate
28:54
your
28:54
steadfast
28:55
love within
28:56
your house,
28:57
O God, for
28:57
like your
28:58
name, your
28:58
praise extends
28:59
through all
29:00
the earth
29:00
abroad.
29:01
All that
29:02
you do is
29:02
righteous,
29:03
Lord, Mount
29:04
Sion's joy is
29:05
great, and
29:06
Judah's towns
29:07
rejoice as
29:08
they your
29:08
judgment
29:09
celebrate.
29:10
And then
29:10
you have
29:11
these words
29:11
in verse
29:12
12,
29:12
round Sion
29:13
walk and
29:14
count our
29:14
towers, view
29:15
every citadel.
29:17
Speaking
29:17
there about
29:18
that city
29:18
of peace
29:19
and protection,
29:20
and then
29:21
it goes on
29:21
to say,
29:22
so that
29:22
to children
29:23
yet unborn
29:24
her story
29:25
you may
29:26
tell.
29:27
It's a
29:27
song that
29:28
is to be
29:28
shared and
29:29
remembered
29:30
for all
29:31
generations.
29:33
We'll sing
29:33
from verse
29:34
9, the
29:34
tune is
29:35
Morvan,
29:36
9 to
29:36
14, we
29:37
stand to
29:38
sing to
29:38
God's
29:39
praise.
29:39
Amen.
29:45
We
29:45
contemplate
29:47
praise.
29:48
Let your
29:49
steadfast love
29:52
within you
29:56
house, O God.
30:01
For like your name,
30:06
your praise extends
30:10
through all the earth abroad.
30:20
All that you do is righteous, Lord,
30:29
Mount Zion's joy is great,
30:38
and Judah's times rejoice
30:45
as they your judgments celebrate.
30:55
Round Zion walk and countertiles
31:08
view every citadel,
31:14
so that to children yet unborn
31:27
a story you may tell.
31:34
For God the Lord, who is our God,
31:47
forever will abide,
31:55
he is our God forevermore,
32:06
and to the end our guide.
32:16
We'll close with a benediction,
32:17
and after the benediction,
32:18
I'll go to the door to my left.
32:21
Now may grace, mercy, and peace
32:23
from God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
32:26
rest upon and abide with you all
32:28
now and forevermore.
32:30
Amen.
32:30
Amen.
32:30
Amen.
32:45
Amen.