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Discover God's Goodness · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Let's turn again to Psalm 34.
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I'm not going to read but verses 1 to 8.
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! Just run through them.
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I will bless the Lord at all times.
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His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
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My soul makes its boast in the Lord.
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Let the humble hear and be glad.
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To verse 8, to taste and see that the Lord is good.
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As you know, this is a psalm that has brought a lot of comfort to God's people over the years.
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And it came out of a very dark and deep and dangerous experience that David had.
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And there's nothing like the deep, dark experiences of life
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where we come to learn in God's hand some of the greatest teachings that we can ever get.
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And it's always worth listening to Christians who have gone through deep and difficult experiences
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because God is a way of using these things to work in our heart, to teach us.
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And it's always worth spending time listening to people who have gone through experiences like that.
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Now, as we know, David lived on the edge for years.
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And it's strange that a man who had been promised the crown and the palace
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spent years living in caves and in the mountains.
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For David, it wasn't a bed at night.
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He often slept just wherever he could find somewhere to sleep
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because there was a price in his head.
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He was the number one outlaw in the land.
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A soul was trying everything to get him and to kill him.
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And things had become so difficult and so dangerous for David
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that he thought, there's nowhere left for me to hide in this land.
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And he said, I'm just going to go into the land of the Philistines.
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And talk of jumping out of the pan into the fire
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because the land of the Philistines was real enemy territory.
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And David, of course, was the one who had...
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And he went to Gath and he had killed the great legend, the great champion of Gath, Goliath.
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And as it said there that the women had sung afterwards
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because David had led that slaughter of the Philistines.
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Saul has slain as thousands and David as tens of thousands.
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So he was playing with fire going into Gath.
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And of course, it wasn't long until he was recognized
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and he was brought before the king.
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And David realized that his life was in mortal danger.
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And we find that David began to act like he was mad.
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He pretended that he was a madman.
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He was utterly insane.
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And he began to drool.
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He was letting his spits fall down
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and he was scratching at the door.
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And his performance was Oscar style.
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It was so good that the king was utterly convinced
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that this man was insane, that he was a complete lunatic.
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And he said to his men,
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What on earth have you brought this madman in here?
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Get him out of here.
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And of course, David manages to get out
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and then he goes, he departs.
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We're told that he escapes
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and goes to hide in the cave of Adullam.
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And of course, God was with David all the time.
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And David, of course,
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when there's so many parts of this psalm
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where we can understand exactly where David has come from,
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he was this poor man who cried
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and God heard and saved.
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And David knew that even although he was playing his own part,
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that it was ultimately down to God.
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Because we're told in the scripture
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that the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord
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and he'll turn it whichever way he will.
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We've always got to remember that.
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The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord.
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And so David was aware of that.
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And so David, he's praying furiously.
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He's crying to the Lord.
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And David, of course,
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manages to escape with God's help.
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And that's the background to this psalm.
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And David begins by saying,
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I will bless the Lord at all times.
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His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
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Literally at every time,
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I will bless the Lord.
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And David is really saying,
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whatever happens in life,
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always remember there's something to praise God for.
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And so often,
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we can be slow to praise God,
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particularly going through the difficult times
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and the hard times.
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But there's always something to praise God for.
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It's like we've heard the story before
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of the old man in America who had bought a stake.
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And he put the stake down on the ground for a second
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because his laces had opened.
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So he bent down to tie his shoe.
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And as he put the stake on the ground,
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a dog came away and,
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the dog came along and away with the stake.
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And he says,
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Oh no,
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my stake is gone.
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I'll praise the Lord.
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And a bystander said,
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What on earth are you saying praise the Lord for?
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Well, he said,
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I'm really sorry,
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my stake is gone,
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but I'm praising the Lord
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because I've still got an appetite.
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And there's a lot of people in the world
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who would give anything to have an appetite.
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So there was a man
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who saw that even although
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his dinner had gone,
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that he still had a reason to praise God.
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And we should be like that as well
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because sometimes we're slow to do that.
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And that's one of the features of David's life
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because David was stretched to the very edge so often.
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And yet virtually in every psalm,
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no matter how harrowing the experience,
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we find that David will still praise the Lord.
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No wonder he was termed a man after God's own heart.
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So I hope that praise characterizes our life.
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And then David goes on to say,
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My soul makes its boast in the Lord.
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Now a lot of people boast in different ways.
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Some people boast about what they've achieved
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and what they've done
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and they like to make it known.
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Some people boast in their wealth
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and they like to parade it.
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Some people boast about their abilities
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and their talents.
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Some people boast about their family.
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Some people even boast about their racial identity.
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You've got to ask the question,
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Should the Christian boast?
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Well, it's very obvious from what David is saying, yes.
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But our boasting is not about ourselves,
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not about what we are or what we've done.
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The boasting should be in the Lord.
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You find that a feature of Paul's life.
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Paul was always saying that he boasted in Christ Jesus.
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He gloried in the cross of Christ.
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He never boasted about himself,
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but he boasted about what Jesus had done
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and Jesus is able to do.
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And so should we.
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And as Christians,
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we love to hear other people speak well of the Lord.
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And then David says,
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Oh, magnify the Lord with me
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and let us exalt his name together.
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To magnify, we know,
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is to make something bigger,
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to make it clearer.
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So we say to ourselves,
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How can we make God bigger?
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Well, obviously we cannot make God bigger than he is.
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But very simply,
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what it means is that
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when you use a magnifying glass,
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you're able,
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whatever you're looking at,
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you're able to see it more clearly.
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You're able to get a better understanding
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of what you're looking at.
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And that's the idea that David has here,
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where he's saying,
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Oh, magnify the Lord with me.
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Let your life display the Lord.
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That's basically what he's saying.
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Let your life display the Lord
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so that people,
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as people look at your life,
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they will be able to see
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the Lord at work in you.
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And it's a very challenging thing
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because that question we have to ask ourselves,
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is that the way that we live?
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Are people able,
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as they see how we conduct ourselves,
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how we,
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our lifestyle,
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what we say,
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what we do,
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how we act,
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is that glorifying God?
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Is it magnifying God?
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Because remember,
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the Christian is the world's Bible.
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Many, many people in the world
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will never open the Word of God,
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never open a Bible.
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And they don't know the first thing
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about what the Bible is saying.
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So the only way they can take any form
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or idea of what Christianity is,
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is by looking at the life of the Christian.
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And if the life of the Christian
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is displaying and magnifying
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the Lord,
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then that's a great thing.
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It will bring people to,
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to maybe go to the Bible
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and say,
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well,
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why is this passion,
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why does this passion do this?
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Why does this passion
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not react the way that others do?
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Why?
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It is because
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they are magnifying the Lord.
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And then in verse four,
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David acknowledges
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what God has done.
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I sought the Lord
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and he answered me
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and he delivered me
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from all my fears.
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Now,
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at this particular moment
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in David's experience
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where he said,
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I sought the Lord
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and he answered me
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and delivered me
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from all my fears.
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We know that David
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was praying furiously,
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fervently,
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to the Lord.
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But it wasn't a matter of
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David saying,
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well,
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I need,
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I'm going to pray.
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I need to go down
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my knees.
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I need a wee bit
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of a quiet time.
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There was none of that.
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There was no opportunity
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for that.
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David was praying
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at the very same time
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as he was acting
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like a madman.
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He was crying to the Lord.
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He was praying to the Lord.
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I'm sure we've all been
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in situations like that.
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We're in a predicament.
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We don't know what to do.
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We don't know where to turn.
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We're not sure
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what we should say.
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We're stuck.
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And we're in the situation
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where you can't sort of say,
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oh, hold,
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give me a moment
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till I have a wee bit of time
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and speak to the Lord.
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No, we've often done it.
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We say,
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oh, Lord, help me here.
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I really don't know
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what to do.
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I mean,
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this is dire.
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Please, Lord,
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give me the words
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to speak
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or give me,
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show me what to do
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in this situation
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because this is,
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I'm in,
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for as far as I'm concerned,
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I'm in a real predicament.
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Do you know,
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that's real prayer.
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That's a prayer of faith.
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It doesn't need
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to be a long prayer.
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But it's genuine.
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It's from the heart.
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It's an urgent prayer.
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Please, Lord,
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help me.
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And the great thing
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we read here is,
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I sought the Lord
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and he answered me
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and he delivered me
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from all my fears.
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So you see,
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the deliverance
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was complete.
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He delivered
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so that if
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the sheer terror,
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because that's really
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what that word fear
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means,
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he delivered
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David from
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the situation,
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but he also
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delivered his mind
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from the terror
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that he was experiencing.
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So you see,
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it's a complete
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deliverance.
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And that's the way
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that the Lord
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so often works
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in our life
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and in our heart.
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So it was a cry.
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And then David says,
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You know,
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you can't focus
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on the Lord
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for long
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without it becoming
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evident in your life.
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People will see it.
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if you spend time
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in prayer
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and with the word
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yourself
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or with a group
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of people
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and then you come away,
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there will be something
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of the lingering presence
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of God's peace,
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of God's love
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will be evident
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in who you are.
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You can't hide it.
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It's part of what happens.
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It tells us
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of how they took note
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of the disciples
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that they had been
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with Jesus.
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You remember,
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Moses is a classic example.
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It's probably
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almost an extreme example.
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But when he was up
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on the mount
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with the Lord
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for 40 days,
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Moses couldn't see it.
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But when he came down,
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his face was shining
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so brightly
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that the Israelites
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couldn't look on him.
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When Moses was going
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to speak to them,
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they said,
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you have to put a veil
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over your face
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because your face
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is shining so bright.
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It's like the sun.
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We can't look on it.
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And that was because
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he had been
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in the intimate presence
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of the Lord
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for 40 days.
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Now,
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it won't be as evident
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or as extreme
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in a sense
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as that
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with us.
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But something,
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something will show.
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You can't,
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often your work
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will display it.
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I remember going down
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for logs and coal
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one time
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to my caskals.
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Bob Hepburn,
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you know,
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he's about six foot eight.
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I remember saying,
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how he did,
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I looked up
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and all I could see
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was the white
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of his eyes.
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His face was,
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everything was black
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because he'd been
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working in the coal.
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And I remember saying,
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do you know this,
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if you were transported
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this very second
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into the middle
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of Prince's Street,
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there's not one
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person passing
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but would know
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what you were working at
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because it was so evident,
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it was so clear.
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And in a sense,
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it comes,
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you can apply that
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spiritually
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because there is
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something of the
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radiance of the Lord
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will begin to manifest
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itself
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in God's people
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as they are
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in fellowship,
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as they are
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in close
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proximity
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with the Lord.
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2 Corinthians
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talks about
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the shining
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radiance
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of the Christian.
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Classic example
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of Stephen
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when he was
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being stoned.
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Remember what
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happened there?
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Stephen was given
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a sight into heaven,
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he was given
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a vision into heaven
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where he saw
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the risen Lord
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standing.
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And he was given
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such a sight
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of the Lord Jesus,
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it tells us
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that they saw
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his face
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was shining
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even as they were
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raining stones
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on him
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to kill him.
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His persecutor
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couldn't help
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but notice
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his face
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was shining.
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You see,
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so those who
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look to him
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are radiant
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and their faces
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shall never
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be ashamed.
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What a change.
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Shame
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and embarrassment
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is part
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and partial
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of life.
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It's part
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of the sin,
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it's part
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of what sin
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is.
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And we all
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know what it
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is to end
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up with a red
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face of
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embarrassment.
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Where we're
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ashamed
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of what we've
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said,
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ashamed of
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what we've
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done.
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If you're
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caught doing
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something
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that's wrong,
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there's always
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a look of guilt,
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isn't there?
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You'll even find
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it with a
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young person.
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You catch him
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doing something
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that's wrong,
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there's that
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guilty look.
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It's natural,
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it's what
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happens.
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And so shame
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has been part
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and partial
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of our life.
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But part of
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the wonder
15:54
is that Jesus,
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part of what
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he took on
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the cross
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was our
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shame.
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So that he's
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transferring
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this embarrassment
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and shame
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which is part
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of sin
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and giving us
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this radiance
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in place,
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this shining
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radiance
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that talks
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of in
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2 Corinthians.
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and then
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David says
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this,
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as we just
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mentioned that
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earlier,
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this poor
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man cried
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and the
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Lord heard
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and saved
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him out of
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all his
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distresses.
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Well,
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David was
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the poor
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man.
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And you
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know,
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we often
16:29
know what
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it is to
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be poor.
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So many
16:32
different
16:33
situations.
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We sometimes
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were poor
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in spirit,
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poor in
16:38
prayer.
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Have you
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sure you've
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often felt,
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oh man,
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I feel so
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poor in
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prayer.
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You look at
16:45
your Christian
16:46
service and
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you say,
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oh man,
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my Christian
16:48
service is
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poor.
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We feel
16:52
poor
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spiritually.
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We feel
16:55
often,
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oh man,
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I'm a
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poor witness.
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Sometimes
16:59
we have
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poor health.
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Sometimes
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our finances
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are poor.
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Sometimes
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we feel
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that we're
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maybe a
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poor husband
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or a
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poor wife
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or a
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poor father
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or a
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poor mother.
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We often
17:11
in so
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many different
17:13
situations
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in life,
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we feel,
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oh,
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I'm not
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very good
17:17
at this.
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I feel
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poor at
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what I'm
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doing.
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But the
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beauty of
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it is that
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we can
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go to
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the Lord
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and cry
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to him
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and say,
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Lord,
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you've
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got to
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help me.
17:25
This is
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not what
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I want
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to be.
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And we
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go to
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our Lord
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who is
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able to
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help us.
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And David's
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cry wasn't
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a vague
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cry,
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the cry
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of a
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kind of
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despair.
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Is there
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anybody out
17:37
there?
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It was a
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cry of
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faith.
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It was
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focused upon
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the Lord.
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He was
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crying there.
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And do we
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appreciate,
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I don't
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think we
17:46
do,
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the wonderful
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privilege that
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we have,
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that at
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any time
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of the
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day or
17:52
night,
17:52
in any
17:53
situation,
17:54
doesn't
17:54
matter what,
17:55
we can
17:56
go to the
17:56
Lord and
17:56
say,
17:57
Lord,
17:57
you've
17:57
got to
17:57
help me
17:58
just now.
18:00
Isn't
18:01
that amazing?
18:01
the Lord
18:05
is never
18:05
too busy.
18:06
He's
18:07
never
18:07
away.
18:08
He's
18:08
never
18:08
too
18:09
involved
18:09
with
18:09
somebody
18:10
else.
18:11
He's
18:11
always
18:12
available.
18:14
It's
18:14
one of
18:15
the most
18:15
wonderful
18:16
privileges.
18:17
And I
18:17
don't think
18:17
we take
18:18
it,
18:18
we appreciate
18:19
sufficiently
18:20
what we
18:20
have.
18:21
Irrespective
18:22
of whatever
18:23
we're going
18:23
through,
18:23
even if
18:24
it's of
18:25
our own
18:25
making,
18:26
we can
18:26
still go to
18:27
the Lord
18:27
and say,
18:27
Lord,
18:28
you've
18:28
got to
18:28
help me
18:29
just now.
18:30
I'm
18:30
stuck,
18:31
I'm
18:31
struggling.
18:31
I'm
18:32
not in
18:32
a good
18:33
place,
18:33
Lord.
18:33
Help,
18:34
help,
18:35
help.
18:37
That's
18:37
a cry
18:37
of faith.
18:39
It's
18:39
real.
18:40
That's
18:40
the kind
18:41
of prayer
18:41
that the
18:42
Lord
18:43
hears.
18:45
And
18:45
as the
18:47
hymn
18:48
writer said,
18:48
what a
18:49
friend we
18:49
have in
18:49
Jesus.
18:52
If you're
18:52
here tonight
18:53
and you
18:53
have to
18:53
say,
18:54
well,
18:54
I have
18:54
to
18:54
confess,
18:56
I know
18:57
all about
18:58
Jesus,
18:58
or I
18:59
know an
18:59
awful lot
18:59
about
19:00
Jesus,
19:00
but I
19:00
haven't
19:01
come to
19:01
this place
19:01
yet where
19:02
what you're
19:04
saying,
19:04
some of
19:05
it,
19:06
yeah,
19:06
I'm
19:06
hearing,
19:06
but I
19:06
can't
19:07
follow it.
19:08
Well,
19:08
it's
19:09
time you
19:09
did.
19:10
You have
19:10
no idea
19:11
what you're
19:11
missing.
19:12
You have
19:12
no idea
19:12
what you're
19:12
losing out
19:13
on,
19:14
because it's
19:15
a fragile
19:16
life,
19:17
a difficult
19:17
life.
19:19
Having the
19:19
Lord makes
19:20
all the
19:21
difference in
19:21
the world.
19:23
So David's
19:24
cry,
19:25
it was a
19:25
cry.
19:25
it was
19:28
literally
19:29
a cry,
19:29
this poor
19:30
man cried.
19:32
David
19:32
didn't make
19:33
a prayer
19:33
which was
19:34
full of
19:35
great
19:36
theological
19:36
terms.
19:38
He didn't
19:38
make a
19:39
prayer that
19:39
was so
19:40
eloquent
19:40
and a
19:41
beautiful
19:42
flow of
19:43
words.
19:44
It was
19:44
just a
19:45
cry.
19:46
Lord,
19:47
help me,
19:48
I'm a
19:49
dead man
19:51
unless you
19:52
help me.
19:53
It was a
19:53
desperate
19:54
cry.
19:55
And that's
19:57
a prayer of
19:58
faith that
19:59
the Lord
19:59
will answer.
20:02
You see,
20:02
the Pharisee,
20:03
and remember
20:03
the Pharisee
20:04
and the
20:04
publican,
20:05
the Pharisee,
20:06
he had a
20:07
very eloquent
20:07
prayer.
20:09
He was
20:09
talking mostly
20:10
about himself.
20:11
Very eloquent.
20:13
The publican,
20:14
he had nothing
20:14
really,
20:15
he just felt
20:16
a hopeless,
20:18
poor sinner.
20:19
All he could
20:20
say was,
20:21
Lord,
20:21
have mercy
20:22
on me.
20:22
Lord,
20:23
be merciful
20:23
to me,
20:24
a sinner.
20:25
That's all
20:25
he had.
20:25
But it
20:27
was more
20:28
than enough
20:28
because he
20:30
was the
20:30
one who
20:31
went to
20:31
his house
20:32
justified.
20:33
He was
20:33
the one
20:34
that the
20:34
Lord had
20:35
heard.
20:36
So the
20:36
cry is
20:38
an absolutely
20:38
essential
20:39
thing.
20:41
A baby
20:42
is never
20:44
taught to
20:45
cry.
20:46
It's natural
20:46
to a baby,
20:47
isn't it?
20:48
A baby
20:48
cries.
20:50
Cries when
20:50
it's hungry.
20:51
A baby
20:51
cries when
20:52
she's thirsty.
20:54
A baby
20:55
cries when
20:56
feeling dirty,
20:57
needing change.
20:58
A baby
20:59
cries when
21:00
babies
21:01
sore.
21:02
So many
21:02
things.
21:03
Nobody
21:03
teaches.
21:04
It's
21:04
natural.
21:06
So it
21:07
is for
21:07
the
21:08
Christian.
21:09
Because the
21:10
moment that
21:10
God begins
21:11
to work in
21:12
your heart,
21:13
the moment
21:14
the journey
21:15
of faith
21:15
begins,
21:16
you and
21:17
I are
21:17
spiritual
21:18
babies.
21:19
And it's
21:19
natural for
21:20
us to
21:21
cry.
21:22
It's
21:22
part and
21:22
partial of
21:23
your
21:23
Christian
21:23
life.
21:24
You start
21:25
crying the
21:25
moment that
21:26
God begins
21:27
to work in
21:28
your heart.
21:28
And it's
21:28
part,
21:29
something that
21:30
goes on all
21:31
throughout our
21:32
life.
21:34
And then it
21:34
tells us that
21:35
the angel of
21:35
the Lord
21:36
encamps
21:36
round those
21:38
who fear
21:38
him and
21:39
delivers them.
21:41
Now,
21:41
when it
21:41
says here
21:42
the angel
21:42
of the
21:43
Lord,
21:44
in a sense
21:44
it could
21:45
talk of
21:45
two things.
21:47
We know
21:47
that the
21:48
heirs of
21:49
salvation,
21:50
that the
21:51
angels are
21:52
ministering
21:53
spirits to
21:53
the heirs of
21:54
salvation.
21:55
So that if
21:55
you're a
21:55
believer,
21:57
you have
21:57
the angels
21:58
ministering to
21:59
you.
21:59
And how
22:00
little we
22:00
understand that
22:01
and how
22:02
little we
22:02
know.
22:03
And I'm
22:04
sure many
22:04
a time we
22:05
have been
22:05
protected and
22:07
kept and
22:08
delivered because
22:09
of these
22:10
ministering
22:10
spirits.
22:12
But the
22:13
angel of
22:14
the Lord,
22:14
as it
22:16
says here,
22:17
the angel of
22:17
the Lord is
22:18
sometimes spoken
22:19
of as the
22:20
angel of
22:20
the covenant,
22:21
the Lord
22:21
Jesus Christ.
22:24
And it
22:25
could actually
22:26
mean both
22:26
because both
22:28
are true.
22:30
That David
22:31
is talking
22:32
here and
22:33
he's saying
22:33
the angel
22:33
of the
22:34
Lord encamps
22:34
round those
22:35
who fear
22:36
the Lord.
22:37
So you
22:37
have the
22:38
protection
22:39
of the
22:40
Lord,
22:40
his presence
22:41
in camping,
22:43
which talks
22:45
of nearness,
22:46
and you have
22:46
the ministering
22:47
spirits,
22:48
round,
22:49
front,
22:49
back,
22:50
side.
22:51
You
22:51
couldn't be
22:52
more protected.
22:54
There isn't
22:54
anybody in
22:55
the world
22:55
who might
22:56
have the
22:56
best trained
22:57
SAS
22:58
bodyguards
22:59
giving a
23:01
protection,
23:02
anything near
23:03
the protection
23:04
that the
23:05
Christian has.
23:07
Protection of
23:08
soul and
23:08
protection of
23:09
body by
23:10
the Lord.
23:12
And the
23:12
very idea
23:13
that he
23:14
encamps
23:15
means that
23:16
it's permanent.
23:17
When you
23:17
camp down
23:18
and camp
23:18
round,
23:19
it means
23:20
this is
23:21
talking about
23:22
we're here
23:23
for the
23:23
long term.
23:25
It's not
23:25
just a
23:25
fleeting
23:26
presence.
23:27
It's a
23:28
permanent
23:28
presence.
23:30
What a
23:31
privilege we
23:31
have.
23:32
See,
23:32
so often we
23:33
don't think
23:34
about these
23:34
things that
23:35
this is what
23:36
we have.
23:38
The
23:38
presence of
23:39
the Lord
23:39
encamp
23:40
round us.
23:40
it's a
23:42
wonderful
23:42
thing.
23:45
And then
23:45
finally in
23:46
verse 8,
23:48
David says,
23:49
taste and
23:50
see that
23:50
the Lord
23:51
is good.
23:53
And I
23:53
love the
23:54
way that
23:54
David says
23:55
this.
23:56
Now David
23:56
has experienced
23:58
all throughout
23:59
his life
23:59
that the
24:00
Lord is
24:00
good.
24:01
He's proved
24:01
it continually.
24:03
And he
24:04
wants
24:05
everybody
24:06
else to
24:07
discover just
24:08
how wonderful
24:09
that the
24:10
Lord is.
24:10
and when
24:13
you become
24:13
a Christian,
24:15
you don't
24:16
become a
24:16
secret
24:17
Christian.
24:18
You might
24:18
be a
24:19
secret
24:19
Christian for
24:19
a little
24:20
while,
24:21
but it's
24:21
very hard
24:22
to remain
24:22
a secret
24:23
Christian.
24:24
Because part
24:25
of what a
24:26
Christian wants
24:26
to do is
24:28
to tell
24:28
others.
24:29
You want
24:30
to share.
24:31
You want
24:32
others to
24:32
know,
24:33
others to
24:34
experience
24:35
what you've
24:35
experienced.
24:37
You want
24:37
that other
24:38
people will
24:38
come to
24:39
faith in
24:39
the way
24:40
that you've
24:40
come to
24:41
faith.
24:42
It's like
24:42
if you,
24:43
supposing you
24:43
were to
24:44
discover some
24:45
amazing cure
24:46
for a fatal
24:47
illness.
24:48
And this
24:49
cure not
24:49
only cured
24:51
you of the
24:52
illness,
24:52
but brought
24:53
a sense of
24:53
well-being
24:54
into life.
24:56
You wouldn't
24:56
keep that
24:57
hidden away.
24:58
You would
24:58
want everybody
24:59
to know.
25:01
And so it
25:01
is when we
25:03
become Christians
25:04
that we want
25:05
to share,
25:06
we want to
25:06
tell people
25:07
there is
25:08
this Jesus.
25:11
And if
25:11
you've never
25:11
discovered how
25:12
good the
25:13
Lord is,
25:14
I would
25:14
ask you
25:15
tonight to
25:15
taste.
25:16
Taste,
25:17
taste for
25:17
yourself.
25:18
You see,
25:18
it's the
25:19
ultimate
25:19
blessing.
25:21
To reject
25:21
Jesus is
25:23
to deprive
25:24
yourself of
25:25
the greatest
25:25
good.
25:27
You know,
25:27
this is part
25:28
of the
25:28
absolute
25:29
madness of
25:30
our nation,
25:31
temptation is
25:32
this determination
25:33
to try to
25:34
silence the
25:36
voice of
25:37
the Christian.
25:39
The only
25:39
voice that
25:40
is bringing
25:41
hope, that
25:42
is bringing
25:42
meaning, that
25:44
could bring
25:45
well-being,
25:46
that could
25:46
bring hope.
25:49
And yet they
25:49
say we don't
25:50
want to hear
25:50
that voice,
25:51
God silence
25:51
that voice.
25:53
You know,
25:54
nothing shows
25:55
clearer that
25:56
hell is an
25:57
overdrive in
25:59
its attempt to
26:00
destroy us
26:01
as a nation.
26:02
And we need
26:03
to pray that
26:04
the Lord will
26:05
indeed have
26:06
mercy upon
26:07
us.
26:08
But it's the
26:09
ultimate
26:09
blessing.
26:10
It's not only
26:11
a blessing for
26:12
life, it's a
26:12
blessing for
26:13
eternity.
26:15
And also
26:15
taste and
26:16
see is a
26:16
command, it's
26:17
not an
26:17
option.
26:19
The Lord is
26:19
saying to
26:20
you tonight,
26:21
through his
26:22
word, oh
26:23
taste and
26:24
see that the
26:25
Lord is
26:26
good.
26:27
Some people
26:27
say, well,
26:28
if I could
26:29
see that the
26:29
Lord is
26:30
good, then
26:30
I would
26:31
taste.
26:32
Well, let's
26:32
put in the
26:33
cart before
26:33
the horse.
26:36
In order to
26:37
see how
26:38
good the
26:38
Lord is,
26:40
you have to
26:40
taste him
26:41
first.
26:42
You have to
26:43
receive him.
26:44
You have to
26:45
accept him.
26:46
You have to
26:47
come, fall
26:48
down before
26:49
him.
26:50
You've got to
26:50
say, Lord,
26:51
open my
26:52
heart.
26:54
Help me to
26:54
discover.
26:55
Help me to
26:55
believe.
26:57
believe.
26:58
Because, you
26:59
know, as we
27:00
said, it's a
27:01
greatest blessing
27:03
and it
27:05
brings a
27:06
guarantee.
27:08
There's a lot
27:08
of guarantees
27:09
in life.
27:10
Sometimes you'll
27:11
get a year
27:11
guarantee, a
27:12
five-year
27:13
guarantee, a
27:13
ten-year
27:14
guarantee.
27:15
Sometimes you'll
27:16
even get a
27:16
lifetime
27:17
guarantee.
27:19
Well, the
27:19
guarantee here,
27:21
when you come to
27:22
taste and to
27:23
see that the
27:24
Lord is good,
27:24
good, it's
27:25
not only
27:25
lifetime, it's
27:27
an eternal
27:27
guarantee.
27:29
The only
27:29
eternal guarantee
27:30
that you can be
27:32
given in this
27:33
world.
27:35
So I pray
27:35
tonight that
27:36
you will all,
27:37
if you haven't
27:38
already, come
27:39
to taste and
27:40
to see that
27:41
the Lord is
27:41
good.
27:42
Let us pray.
27:44
O Lord,
27:45
our God, we
27:46
give thanks that
27:47
you are gracious,
27:49
you are
27:49
merciful, you
27:51
are the God
27:51
who has given
27:53
us this
27:53
wonderful word
27:54
you have
27:55
revealed so
27:56
much of
27:56
yourself in
27:57
your truth.
27:59
And we pray
27:59
that we may
28:00
have an
28:01
appetite for
28:02
your truth.
28:03
And we pray
28:04
that your
28:04
word may have
28:05
a greater
28:05
place in
28:06
our life,
28:07
year by
28:07
year.
28:09
We pray
28:09
that our
28:10
lives may
28:10
display your
28:12
glory and
28:12
your grace.
28:14
We pray
28:14
that we
28:15
might be
28:15
living witnesses
28:16
!
28:16
before all
28:17
people.
28:18
Help us
28:18
in and take
28:19
us all to
28:20
our homes
28:20
and safety.
28:22
Grant us
28:22
your grace
28:23
in all that
28:23
we do.
28:24
Forgive us
28:25
our every
28:25
sin we
28:26
pray in
28:27
Jesus'
28:27
name.
28:28
Amen.
28:30
We're
28:31
going to
28:31
conclude
28:32
singing in
28:32
Psalm 63.
28:35
Psalm 63
28:36
in the
28:37
Scottish
28:37
Psalter.
28:40
The tune
28:40
is
28:41
Bass of
28:41
Harris.
28:41
We're
28:42
going to
28:42
sing
28:42
verses 1
28:43
to 5.
28:45
Psalm 63
28:46
verses 1
28:49
to 5.
28:50
Psalm 63.
29:20
2-9-5
29:20
Psalm 63
29:22
verses 1
29:23
to 5
29:24
to the tune
29:24
bass of
29:25
Harris
29:25
Lord
29:25
thee my
29:26
God.
29:26
Amen.
29:27
Amen.
29:28
Thank you.
29:58
Thank you.
30:28
Thank you.
30:58
Thank you.
31:28
Thank you.
31:30
Thank you.
31:32
Thank you.
31:34
Thank you.
31:36
Thank you.
31:38
Thank you.
31:40
Thank you.
31:42
Thank you.
31:44
Thank you.
31:46
Thank you.
31:48
Thank you.
31:50
Thank you.
31:52
Thank you.
31:54
Thank you.
31:56
May the grace, mercy, and peace of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rest and abide
32:00
upon each one of you now and forevermore. Amen.
32:03
I will go to the door on my left.
32:05
Thank you.
32:07
Thank you.
32:09
I will continue this through this through this through this through this through this
32:11
Thank you.