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Look to Salvation · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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We begin our worship this evening by singing to God's praise. We're singing in Psalm 34,
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the Sing Psalms version. We're going to sing from verse 1 to verse 9. The tune is Jackson,
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Psalm 34 at verse 1. At all times I will bless the Lord, I'll praise him with my voice.
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Because I glory in the Lord, let troubled souls rejoice. Together let us praise the Lord,
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exalt his name with me. I saw it. The Lord's answer came from fears. He set me free. And then
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verse 5, we have these words. They look to him and shine with joy. They are not put to shame.
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The suffering man cried to the Lord, from him deliverance came. And this evening, our theme is
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really going to be about looking to the Lord. And that verse, they look to him and shine with joy.
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We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 9 to God's praise.
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The Lord's answer came.
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The Lord's answer came.
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But all times I will bless the Lord, I'll praise him with my voice.
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Because I glory in the Lord, let troubled souls rejoice.
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Together, righteous grace the Lord, exalted sing with me.
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I sought the Lord, his answer came, from fear she set me free.
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Look to him and shine with joy, they are not good to shame.
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Let suffering man cry to the Lord, from him be never to shame.
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The angel of the Lord's Sabbath and guards continually.
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All those who fear and not let him, he sends his people free.
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Come, taste and see the Lord is good, who trusted him is blessed.
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All fear the Lord, his saints with me, you will not be no rest.
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Amen.
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Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer.
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Let us pray.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Our gracious Father in heaven, as we come anew this evening together, worshipping you, praising
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your name, we do thank you for every reason we have to bless you.
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that we have so much to be thankful for
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and that we would come with these words of the psalmist in our heart
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that at all times I will bless the Lord, I'll praise him with my voice.
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And may we do that this evening as we sing praise to you.
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May our voices be what we recognise as a way of praising you.
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Even if we feel that we cannot sing, even if we feel that we have no voice,
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the praise is to come from our hearts.
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And we pray that you will give us that voice,
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that you will give us that song to sing,
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recognising in the words that we offer up to you
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that it is to give glory to you as the one who is Lord of all,
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the one who gives us our daily bread,
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the one who provides and sustains us on a daily basis.
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So that even as we begin a new week, we do so looking to you,
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thankful for your faithfulness in the past
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and pleading for your faithfulness in these days ahead as well.
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That you would keep us, Lord, that you would watch over us,
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that you would help us to live according to your truth,
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that you will help us to be salt and light in this world in which we live,
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that you would help us as a people to recognise,
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even in our own hearts, how easy it is for us to sin.
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And yet the wonder of your grace,
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the grace that we heard of this morning,
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the wonder of the grace of God to sinners such as we are.
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And may that grace be what keeps us looking to you.
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May we realise that when we take our eyes of Jesus,
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that we start to have faith in ourselves
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and we go on in our own strength.
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And in that we fall, in that we fail.
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And we see it so often in your word.
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And even as we read together this evening
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from both the Old and the New Testament,
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we see that our great need is to look to you as our God,
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to look to you as the one who is a saviour for his people.
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And so we ask your blessing on your word to us,
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that you would speak to us through it,
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that you would build us up by your word,
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that you would take us deeper into your word,
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that you would help us in our understanding of your word.
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So often we think that we have wisdom of ourselves,
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but yet we thank you for your Holy Spirit.
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We thank you that even this evening we can plead
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for your Spirit to be with us,
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prompting us, leading us,
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pricking us in our hearts,
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that we hear your voice speaking to us.
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And we ask that your Spirit be with each of us,
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to dwell upon us,
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to be in us,
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to guide us in all things.
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And we thank you for that promise
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that as we meet in your name,
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that you are in the midst to bless.
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And so hear our prayers as we offer them up together here.
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Hear them from us as a people,
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as we offer them up from all our different situations,
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from all our different hearts this evening.
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We thank you that every prayer offered is heard by you,
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that together we lift our voices to you.
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Together we come to taste and see
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of the goodness of God in you.
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And we just ask,
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O Lord,
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that you will be with us,
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that you will bless us around your word.
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And bless us as a people,
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in our homes and in our families.
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Again,
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as we think of all that goes on in our lives,
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we give you thanks for all the great reasons
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to rejoice in you.
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We give you thanks,
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O Lord,
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for your help in so many different ways.
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We give you thanks for our work opportunities,
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our school opportunities,
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our day-to-day lives.
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When we see how different things are for so many,
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make us thankful for the very homes that we have,
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the food on our tables,
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the water that we see so freely flowing in our homes,
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the things that we take for granted so often.
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Lord,
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we can be a people that grumble,
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even in the midst of having plenty.
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But Lord,
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give us to have a thankful heart,
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a thankful heart to you for all that is ours,
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in material ways and practical ways.
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And above all,
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all that is ours,
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through Christ Jesus as our Lord.
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the blessings that we have in our communities,
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of a praying community,
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the blessings we have of a Christian community.
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And even though we see that eroded in so many ways and places,
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we thank you that there is still that strength in our community.
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We thank you for your people that are around us,
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that are with us in so many different ways,
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in our homes,
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in our families,
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and in our communities.
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We thank you that even as we go into the workplace,
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we join with others who are believers,
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who are Christians,
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whether that's in schools,
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or workplaces around our communities,
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or just in our community in general.
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We thank you that so often,
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even day by day,
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we can bump into your people,
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and be encouraged by them,
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and build one another up.
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When there are so many places in this world,
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where to meet a Christian would be such a shock for people,
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even so dangerous for people.
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And we do pray,
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Lord,
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and thank you that you have your people to all ends of the earth.
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That the blessings that are ours here,
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although they may not be granted in many parts of the world,
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and yet the greatest blessing for all your people,
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wherever they are,
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is the promise of your presence with them,
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that you are near,
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that you are with them to be called upon.
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And we do pray,
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Lord,
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for your church,
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near and far,
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that together as your people,
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you would hear our cries,
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that you would hear our voices,
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offering up praise and thanksgiving to you,
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but also,
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Lord,
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pleading,
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pleading for your mercy,
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pleading for your help,
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pleading for forgiveness for all of our sins,
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pleading for your help in different situations.
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And we thank you that that is the God that you are as well,
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that you are the one who is a God of compassion,
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and a God of all comfort,
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that you look down upon your people,
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and that you are concerned for them.
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You are concerned for this world,
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and for all its people,
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that you are concerned even when there seems to be chaos all around us,
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and as we think of situations escalating in our world,
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in the Middle East,
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and in different parts,
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where there are conflicts going on,
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where there are threats of terror,
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where there are persecutions,
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so many things that seem outwith our control,
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and yet we bring them to you as Lord and God of all.
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And so hear our prayers,
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hear your praying people.
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May you come in your power.
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May you bring peace.
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May you bring blessing.
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May you bring a turning to you.
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May you bring days of mercy upon us in the midst of all our needs.
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And so we ask,
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Lord,
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that you will watch over us,
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that you will be with us,
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be with those with particular needs as well,
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even those in their own midst,
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as a congregation,
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who have been mourning in this past week,
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and go on mourning in these days.
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We thank you for the way that you comfort,
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the way that you uphold.
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And we pray,
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Lord,
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for all to know that you are there with them,
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that you are for them.
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Remember those who are unwell.
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Remember those who are going through times of great trial,
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going through treatment or diagnosis that is hard,
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awaiting results or looking ahead and not knowing what the future might hold.
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We thank you that in all our cares and anxieties,
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we are able to cast them on you,
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for you care for us.
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And so,
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Lord,
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hear our prayers.
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For those around us with these particular needs.
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Be with us as a congregation of your people.
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Be with us in the week ahead,
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as we gather for times of prayer,
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as we gather for times of helping others.
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We think of the Friday of the Free and Explorers,
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and the Bible study on Wednesday evening,
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the time with Muriel on Tuesday morning,
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the toddler time tomorrow,
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a busy calendar in our congregation.
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And yet,
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we thank you for all these opportunities to be together,
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to encourage one another,
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to encourage others.
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We do pray that in all things that you would bless us,
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that you would guide us.
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And we pray for your church,
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that you would build it up.
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We pray for our own denomination,
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that you would use it for your glory.
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We pray for even the commission of assembly taking place on Tuesday,
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the meeting of ministers and elders together,
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making decisions for the wider church.
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We do pray for Ivor Martin,
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as he oversees our denomination as moderator in this year.
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We pray for Callum McLeod as well.
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We remember him.
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Lord,
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that you be with him.
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Help him as role as well as moderator.
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And just help them together,
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Lord,
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to know your hand upon them for good.
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Help the clerks,
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help all who are involved in the work of the church.
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Help our seminary,
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Lord,
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to know your glory in their midst,
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as well,
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your presence with them for all the lecturers and students alike.
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We do pray,
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Lord,
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that your blessing would be upon them,
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each one.
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Lord,
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hear our prayers as we continue in our worship now.
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Look down upon us.
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Bless us in all that we seek to do in your name.
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And help us to give glory and praise to you,
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as we ask all with the forgiveness of our sins.
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And ask it for your glory alone.
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Amen.
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We'll sing again to God's praise in Psalm 123.
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This is in the Scottish Psalter,
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version page 417.
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Psalm 123.
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We'll sing the whole of this psalm,
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the tune of martyrs.
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Psalm 123,
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page 417.
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O thou that dwellest in the heavens,
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I lift mine eyes to thee.
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Behold,
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a servant's eyes to look,
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their master's hand to see.
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We'll sing the whole of this psalm,
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to God's praise.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Lord, be gracious to us, and to us, gracious me,
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because we manage with contempt and seeking we agree.
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My soul is filled with scorn of those that have their ease abide,
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and with the insolent content of those that have their ease abide.
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We're going to read two passages.
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Our first is in the Old Testament in the book of Numbers.
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In chapter 21, book of Numbers, chapter 21, you find it around page 154 of the Church Bibles.
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We're going to read from verse 1 to verse 9, and then we'll go into the New Testament and the Gospel of John, chapter 3.
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So our first reading in Numbers, chapter 21, and from verse 1.
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When the Canaanites, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim,
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he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.
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And Israel vowed about to the Lord and said,
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So the name of the place was called Hormah.
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From Mount Hor they set out by the way of the Red Sea to go round the land of Edom.
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And the people became impatient on the way.
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And the people spoke against God and against Moses.
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Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?
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For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.
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Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.
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And the people came to Moses and said,
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We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you.
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Pray to the Lord that he may take away the serpents from us.
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So Moses prayed for the people.
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And the Lord said to Moses,
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Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole,
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and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.
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So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole.
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And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
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Then we turn to the New Testament, to the Gospel of John,
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in chapter 3.
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We take up our reading at verse 14.
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It's a count when Nicodemus came to Jesus.
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And we take up our reading at verse 14.
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And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
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so must the Son of Man be lifted up.
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That whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.
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That whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
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but in order that the world might be saved through him.
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Whoever believes in him is not condemned.
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But whoever does not believe is condemned already,
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because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
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And this is the judgment.
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The light has come into the world,
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and the people loved the darkness rather than the light,
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because their deeds were evil.
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For everyone who does wicked things hates the light,
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and does not come to the light,
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lest his deeds should be exposed.
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But whoever does what is through comes to the light,
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so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God.
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And so on.
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And may God bless that reading from his word.
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We're going to sing again together to God's praise
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before we turn back to that reading in Numbers.
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We're going to sing in Psalm 78,
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in the Scottish Psalter, page 326.
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We're going to sing from verse 31 to 35.
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Psalm 78, verse 31.
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God's wrath upon them came and slew the fattest of them all,
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so that the choice of Israel overthrown by death did fall.
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Yet notwithstanding of all this,
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they sinned still the more.
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And though he had great wonders wrought,
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believed him not therefore.
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We're reminded here of the children of Israel
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as they were going through the wilderness,
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how they were seeing the wonders of God,
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and yet at the same time forgetting him.
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But then in verse 34,
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But when he slew them,
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then they did to seek him,
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show desire.
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Yea, they returned,
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and after God right early did inquire.
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So we see there a turning to God
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in the midst of all that's going on.
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So Psalm 78, verse 31 to 35,
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to the tune Talos,
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we stand to sing.
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of the William Hementor,
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the Song şurata,
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we stand to All again,
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the souls and husbands,
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we stand to theOutовали...
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of the Jnatite.
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And after God right now,
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our EspINth of Christ is the yard of the blood.
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So that the joints of Israel
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o'erpongue,
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From my death did fall.
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Notwithstanding the fallest,
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They still lived still the poor.
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And though he had made wonders what,
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Believed him not therefore.
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For their disinvality,
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He did conserve my grace,
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And by his wrath their wretched years,
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How they in trouble pass.
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When he's new men then made it,
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To see him sure desire,
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If they returned,
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And after God,
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Right early in choir.
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That the Lord can be fair of,
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They did remember them,
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In that the high almighty God,
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And their redeemer be.
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We'll turn back to our reading in Numbers chapter 21,
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And we're looking at this section of verse 4,
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Down to verse 9,
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Numbers chapter 21,
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We can read again at verse 8,
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And the Lord said to Moses,
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Make a fiery serpent,
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And set it on a pole,
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And everyone who is bitten when he sees it shall live.
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So Moses made a bronze serpent,
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And set it on a pole,
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And if a serpent bit anyone,
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He would look at the bronze serpent,
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And live.
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And we see the connection with John chapter 3,
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In verse 14,
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Where Jesus there speaks about even how,
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Moses,
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The serpent was lifted up by Moses,
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In the Old Testament,
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So the Son of Man had to be lifted up.
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And then you have these great words,
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Of John 3,
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16,
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That for God so loved the world,
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That he gave his only begotten Son,
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That whoever believes in him,
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Might not perish,
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But have eternal life.
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We see the connection,
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So clearly between the two,
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When we see the look at the serpent,
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And live.
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But ultimately how we look,
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In faith to Jesus Christ,
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And there find eternal life.
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That asks us the question then,
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As we begin this evening,
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Who are you trusting in,
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With your life?
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Who are you trusting your life to?
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We often speak about,
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Putting our lives into the hands,
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Of someone or something,
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But who are you entrusting your life to?
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What's your guarantee for help,
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For salvation?
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The psalm that we just sang there,
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Psalm 78 and verse 35,
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It speaks about,
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The God who is the high almighty God,
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Had their redeemer been,
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Is that the one,
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That you are looking to?
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We live in a day,
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When there are many opinions,
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Of God,
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And somebody once wrote this,
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And said,
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The atheist says,
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There is no God,
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The agnostic says,
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There might be a God,
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The humanist says,
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Let's remove God,
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Greed says,
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Money is God,
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Pride says,
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Power is God,
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Satan says,
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Be your own God,
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There's all these different opinions,
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That are still constantly,
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Pressed in upon us,
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The agnostic,
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The atheist,
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The humanist,
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The pride,
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The greed,
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Satan,
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They're all still active,
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In our lives,
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And they all make us wonder,
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Well who is our God?
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Do we have a God?
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Well the Bible makes it,
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Very clear for us,
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Who we need,
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As God,
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If we want to live,
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If we want to move,
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If we want to be a,
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A living being,
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In this place,
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We have to realise,
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Who is our God?
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The one who sustains us,
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The mighty,
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The almighty God,
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And the God who offers,
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A redeemer,
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Who is Jesus Christ,
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Tonight we see,
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Just how relevant,
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As we always do,
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Who the Bible is,
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When you think of,
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When Moses lived,
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And as he was leading,
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The children of Israel,
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It was about 1300 years,
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Before Jesus,
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Came into the world,
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Isaiah then,
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Wrote later on,
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In the Old Testament,
27:59
In chapter 40,
28:00
Verse 9,
28:01
He says,
28:02
Behold your God,
28:03
Look at your God,
28:05
That was about 700 years,
28:07
Before Christ came,
28:09
And then you come into,
28:09
The New Testament,
28:10
When you see Jesus there,
28:12
Speaking about Moses,
28:14
Even as Moses,
28:16
Lifted up the serpent,
28:17
So must the son of man,
28:18
Be lifted up,
28:20
And you think to yourself,
28:21
1300 years had passed,
28:24
Had the Bible lost,
28:25
Its relevance,
28:26
Had it lost,
28:26
Its focus,
28:28
Not at all,
28:29
The people were still,
28:30
Looking for this one,
28:32
Who would be redeemer,
28:33
For his people,
28:34
And here we are now,
28:36
2000 years,
28:36
After Christ,
28:38
And so many are saying,
28:39
The Bible has lost,
28:40
Its relevancy,
28:42
It's lost its importance,
28:43
It's not for us,
28:45
And yet we still,
28:46
Should be looking for Christ,
28:48
Looking for him as saviour,
28:50
And looking for him,
28:51
As the one,
28:52
Who is going to come,
28:54
Looking to God,
28:56
Is key,
28:58
But how are we looking to him,
28:59
And how are we looking to him,
29:02
Are we looking to him,
29:04
That we might live,
29:05
Are we looking to him,
29:07
By faith,
29:09
The setting here,
29:11
In the book of Numbers,
29:12
Is one,
29:13
Just to briefly,
29:14
Putting it into context,
29:15
Is,
29:16
As the children of Israel,
29:17
Have been coming through,
29:18
The wilderness,
29:19
All these years,
29:20
Moses had led them,
29:21
Out of Egypt,
29:22
Out of the captivity,
29:24
That they'd endured there,
29:25
God had heard their cry,
29:27
And he'd sent Moses,
29:28
To take them out,
29:29
Of the wilderness,
29:31
And in their stubbornness,
29:32
In their sin,
29:33
They had started to grumble,
29:35
Against God,
29:35
So early on,
29:37
After two years,
29:38
They'd come to the Jordan,
29:40
To be able to cross,
29:42
Into the promised land,
29:43
They'd sent spies,
29:45
To survey the land,
29:46
But they'd come back,
29:47
Saying,
29:47
Oh there's these giants,
29:49
There's these problems,
29:50
We need to look at this again,
29:52
God was saying,
29:53
But trust me,
29:55
Joshua and Caleb,
29:56
Had come back saying,
29:57
No,
29:57
With God,
29:58
We can go in,
29:59
And take over this land,
30:01
But the people had said,
30:02
No,
30:02
And so for another 38 years,
30:06
They'd wandered in the wilderness,
30:08
This was their punishment,
30:09
They'd been lost in the wilderness,
30:11
For all these years,
30:12
And yet God had still,
30:13
Continued to provide for them,
30:15
Through the wilderness,
30:17
He provided food,
30:18
He provided water,
30:19
He provided guidance,
30:21
To take them from place to place,
30:24
Their journey was not one,
30:26
Without hope,
30:27
And yet still,
30:29
They grumbled,
30:30
And that's really what we see again,
30:32
Here in chapter 21,
30:35
Of numbers,
30:37
God had been faithful,
30:39
To his people,
30:41
And yet again,
30:42
And again,
30:43
You see them growing sick,
30:44
And tired of wandering,
30:46
Tired of God's plan,
30:48
Tired of God's manna,
30:50
They were just tired,
30:51
Tired of everything,
30:52
Tired of Moses as their leader,
30:54
Just sick and tired,
30:56
Of everything,
30:57
Instead of looking to God,
31:01
They start looking to themselves,
31:03
We can do better ourselves,
31:05
Is almost what they're saying here,
31:08
And isn't that so common,
31:10
Isn't that just like we are,
31:12
How so often,
31:13
We can just become a grumbling people,
31:16
An impatient people,
31:18
You see in verse 4,
31:22
As they are travelling from Mount Hur,
31:24
They set out to the way of the Red Sea,
31:26
To go round the land of Edom,
31:28
Because it had been forbidden,
31:29
For going that way,
31:31
And the people became impatient,
31:32
Impatient,
31:33
On the way,
31:34
Impatient,
31:35
And what you find,
31:38
And what you find so often,
31:38
As you read through the scripture,
31:40
You find God's people,
31:41
Becoming impatient,
31:43
Again and again,
31:44
Is this impatience,
31:45
Leads to disobedience,
31:48
Forgetting about God,
31:49
Sinning against God,
31:51
And this disobedience,
31:52
Leads to a harsh walk,
31:55
Not just in the wilderness,
31:56
Here in Moses' day,
31:58
But as you go through,
31:59
The Old Testament,
32:00
Even into the New Testament,
32:01
You find that God's people,
32:03
As they abandon God,
32:05
Look away from God,
32:06
The way that they end up going,
32:08
Is always harsh,
32:10
Because they take their eyes of God,
32:13
But God reminds them again and again,
32:16
That he is there for them,
32:17
What a gracious God,
32:19
He is,
32:21
And what we want to see this evening,
32:22
Is in this section,
32:24
We want to see the lessons,
32:26
That we can learn,
32:26
From the people here,
32:29
In their impatience,
32:30
In their grumbling,
32:32
In the way they respond,
32:33
And in the way that they go on,
32:35
We want to see the lessons,
32:37
That we can learn,
32:39
The way our lives,
32:40
Can so often be just like theirs,
32:44
When we become impatient ourselves,
32:46
When we grumble ourselves,
32:48
How are we to respond,
32:50
How are we to act,
32:52
Even as we think of,
32:53
The way that we thought there,
32:55
Of the different kinds of opinions,
32:56
In God,
32:58
The atheist opinion,
33:00
The agnostic opinion,
33:01
The humanist opinion,
33:03
All of these things,
33:04
The way Satan tells us,
33:06
To be your own God,
33:07
To live your own life,
33:09
To think of all of these things,
33:11
And the lessons that we learn,
33:13
Who are we entrusting,
33:15
Our lives to,
33:16
How are we living,
33:18
Our lives,
33:20
Are we living our lives,
33:22
Looking to the Lord,
33:24
That we might live,
33:25
Or are we living in disobedience,
33:28
And perishing,
33:30
In that,
33:31
And there's three,
33:32
Lessons for us,
33:34
In this section,
33:35
We see first of all,
33:37
The sin,
33:38
Of the people,
33:40
And secondly,
33:41
We see the sentence,
33:42
Of the people,
33:44
But then thirdly,
33:45
And more wonderfully,
33:46
We see,
33:47
The salvation,
33:48
Of the people,
33:49
So the first thing,
33:50
We want to see is,
33:52
The sin,
33:53
Of the people,
33:55
And again,
33:56
Just to see the context,
33:57
As we come into verse four,
34:00
It's in light of what's happening,
34:01
In verse one to three,
34:03
Where they've come up against,
34:05
A challenge,
34:06
Once again,
34:08
The Canaanite king,
34:11
He had,
34:11
They had fought against Israel,
34:13
They had taken some of them captive,
34:14
You see that in verse,
34:15
One,
34:17
But then they'd made this vow,
34:20
The children of Israel,
34:21
In verse two,
34:21
The Israelites,
34:22
They vowed a vow to the Lord,
34:24
And said,
34:25
If you will indeed,
34:26
Give this people,
34:27
Into my hand,
34:29
Then I will devote,
34:30
Their cities,
34:31
To destruction,
34:33
And again,
34:33
You see there,
34:34
How often,
34:35
That's the way we live,
34:36
Making our bargains,
34:38
With God,
34:39
If Lord,
34:40
You do this,
34:41
Then,
34:42
I will do this,
34:44
And such a,
34:45
Common theme,
34:46
And what's more amazing,
34:47
Is how God,
34:48
Agrees with them,
34:49
In verse three,
34:50
The Lord obeyed,
34:51
The voice of Israel,
34:52
And gave over the Canaanites,
34:54
And they devoted them,
34:55
And their cities,
34:55
To destruction,
34:57
So they won the battle,
34:58
They won the victory,
34:59
Here against the Canaanites,
35:01
And you'd expect this,
35:02
To fill their hearts,
35:03
With praise,
35:04
To fill their hearts,
35:06
With thanksgiving,
35:07
And be grateful,
35:09
For everything,
35:10
That God has done,
35:11
For them,
35:12
And you see,
35:13
Here so often,
35:14
It's almost like,
35:15
A formula,
35:16
That we can come up with,
35:17
Of how we,
35:18
Live with God,
35:19
Of how we treat God,
35:21
How we expect God,
35:22
To treat us,
35:25
You pray,
35:27
You ask God,
35:28
For something,
35:29
You do what God,
35:31
Tells you to do,
35:32
You see God,
35:33
Answering prayer,
35:35
And you praise God,
35:36
And carry on,
35:38
And everything's,
35:39
Going to be fine,
35:39
As long as,
35:41
God is doing,
35:42
What we want him to do,
35:43
Everything's going,
35:44
To be fine,
35:46
But what we find here,
35:48
Is that it's not,
35:49
Long after this,
35:51
That that grumbling,
35:52
Spirit,
35:53
Comes into their midst,
35:55
God has answered,
35:56
Their prayers,
35:56
God has protected,
35:57
Them once again,
35:58
God has given them,
35:59
An amazing victory,
36:01
And yet,
36:02
Not long down the road,
36:03
In verse four,
36:04
They set out,
36:06
Along the way of the Red Sea,
36:07
To go round the land of Edom,
36:09
And the people became impatient,
36:12
On the way,
36:13
They're never,
36:15
Happy,
36:16
You would expect,
36:17
Gratitude,
36:18
You would expect,
36:19
Thanksgiving,
36:20
You would expect,
36:20
Praise to God,
36:22
But they're not,
36:24
They haven't turned over,
36:25
A new leaf,
36:26
They're still the same,
36:27
Kind of people,
36:28
As they've always been,
36:30
Grumbling,
36:31
Against God,
36:33
Still expecting,
36:34
God though,
36:35
To do as they say,
36:36
Still expecting,
36:37
God to be with them,
36:38
When they want him,
36:40
Still expecting,
36:40
All of these things,
36:41
But becoming impatient,
36:43
And grumbling,
36:45
Against God,
36:47
And what you find,
36:49
Is that sin,
36:50
Is never far away,
36:52
Sin,
36:53
Is never far,
36:55
Away,
36:56
And it's not,
36:57
So true of ourselves,
36:59
As well,
37:00
We can enjoy,
37:01
Blessing from God,
37:03
We can enjoy,
37:04
So much,
37:04
From the hand of God,
37:05
And we can count,
37:06
Our blessings,
37:07
And we can see it,
37:08
And look at it one day,
37:10
Maybe you finish the day,
37:11
In prayer,
37:11
And think,
37:11
Oh thank you Lord,
37:13
For all of these,
37:14
Good things,
37:15
That you've given to me,
37:16
Thank you Lord,
37:17
For all the people,
37:19
In my life,
37:19
Thank you Lord,
37:20
For where I am,
37:21
For the blessing,
37:22
Of your word,
37:23
And yet by midday,
37:25
Tomorrow,
37:25
You'll be impatient,
37:27
And grumbling,
37:28
And that's just,
37:30
The sin,
37:31
That is always,
37:32
In us,
37:33
Because what kind,
37:34
Of sin,
37:35
Do you see,
37:36
In the people here,
37:38
You don't think,
37:39
Here is,
37:40
A huge sin,
37:41
An obvious sin,
37:43
A serious sin,
37:44
You see,
37:44
Where is their sin,
37:47
Well you see it,
37:48
In verse 4,
37:49
And 5,
37:50
And it's not,
37:51
Like these,
37:51
Huge sins,
37:52
You think,
37:53
Well that deserves,
37:54
The judgment of God,
37:56
It's not,
37:56
They're not murdering,
37:58
They're not,
37:58
Going against God's word,
38:00
Just so,
38:01
Obviously and blatantly,
38:03
In one sense,
38:05
It's the little sin,
38:07
And yet it's,
38:08
So the sin,
38:09
That so easily,
38:10
Comes in and spoils,
38:13
It's a sin,
38:14
That we see,
38:15
Again and again,
38:16
Through the scriptures,
38:17
It's just the little sins,
38:19
That become,
38:19
Collectively together,
38:21
Build up,
38:22
And lead us away,
38:24
From God,
38:24
They became,
38:26
Impatient,
38:29
Just that,
38:30
Little word,
38:31
Is enough,
38:32
To trigger the warning sign,
38:34
In verse 4,
38:35
The people became,
38:36
Impatient,
38:38
On the way,
38:40
The word,
38:42
They are impatient,
38:44
Behind it all,
38:45
Is something,
38:46
Being shortened,
38:48
And what was being shortened,
38:50
Was their temper,
38:51
Their short,
38:52
Tempered,
38:53
They are easily,
38:54
They are easily,
38:54
Frustrated,
38:56
Their patience,
38:57
Is easily,
38:58
Running thin,
39:01
The people,
39:01
Became,
39:02
Impatient,
39:03
And that,
39:06
Can describe,
39:06
Me,
39:07
I'm sure,
39:09
I'm sure,
39:09
I'm sure,
39:09
I can describe,
39:09
Many of you,
39:11
Where you think,
39:11
To yourself,
39:12
Even in the midst,
39:13
Of giving thanks,
39:14
And being thankful,
39:15
To God,
39:15
For so much,
39:16
It doesn't take much,
39:17
To become,
39:18
Impatient,
39:19
It doesn't take,
39:21
It doesn't take much,
39:21
For my temper,
39:23
To be short,
39:24
In that sense,
39:25
Where frustration,
39:26
So easily,
39:27
Comes in,
39:29
There is frustration,
39:30
Here for them,
39:32
In so many,
39:33
Different ways,
39:34
They've had to take,
39:36
The long way round,
39:37
They've had to go,
39:38
A different way,
39:39
To what they would have,
39:40
Planned themselves,
39:41
It's taken longer,
39:43
And yet,
39:44
It's all because,
39:45
Of their sin,
39:46
And then it carries on,
39:48
Into verse five,
39:51
And you see there,
39:52
The complaints,
39:53
Through impatience,
39:55
Like it's rising,
39:56
To the surface,
39:58
It's like just,
39:59
Spilling something,
40:01
You spill a little,
40:02
Water on the floor,
40:03
And yet,
40:03
It can go everywhere,
40:05
Or worse still,
40:06
You can spill paint,
40:07
On the floor,
40:08
And it just spreads everywhere,
40:09
And the more you try,
40:10
And clear it up,
40:11
The worse it seems to get,
40:13
That's the way sin,
40:14
So often is,
40:16
Just little spots,
40:17
Here and there,
40:18
But it just seems,
40:19
To get worse,
40:20
And worse,
40:22
And you look at,
40:23
What's going on here,
40:24
And you just see,
40:26
The sin that is coming out,
40:27
In their hearts,
40:28
In verse five,
40:29
This people,
40:30
Spoke against God,
40:32
And against Moses,
40:33
Why have you brought us up,
40:35
Out of Egypt,
40:36
To die in the wilderness,
40:37
For there is no food,
40:39
And no water,
40:40
And we loathe,
40:40
The worthless food,
40:43
So it's just,
40:44
Let's just,
40:44
Pour out everything,
40:46
Before you,
40:47
This impatience,
40:48
Now is coming to our head,
40:49
Let's just get it all out,
40:51
Into the open,
40:53
The frustration,
40:54
Just leads to this groaning,
40:56
Against God,
40:57
And everything else,
40:59
And you look at this,
41:01
And you say,
41:01
Well how selfish,
41:04
You know,
41:04
Why are they like that,
41:06
Surely you should see,
41:07
What God has done for them,
41:09
And been thankful,
41:10
And yet,
41:12
Again,
41:12
It just shows,
41:13
Our own hearts,
41:15
How easy it is,
41:17
For us,
41:17
To judge them,
41:19
When in our own hearts,
41:20
In our own spirit,
41:20
We're just the same,
41:22
Impatient,
41:23
And we start grumbling,
41:25
Again,
41:25
It's not the big sins,
41:27
It's just the little things,
41:28
That together work,
41:30
To bring us,
41:31
Away from God,
41:32
And to take our focus,
41:33
Off God,
41:34
And you just look,
41:36
There's really,
41:38
Maybe five,
41:39
Probably sins,
41:40
Here you can see,
41:41
Five ways that,
41:42
This leads them away,
41:43
From God,
41:44
That first thing is,
41:45
Impatience,
41:47
They became impatient,
41:50
They allow things,
41:50
To get on top of them,
41:51
To weigh them down,
41:53
And this is what starts,
41:54
Taking them away,
41:55
From God,
41:57
And then you see,
41:57
That leads to,
41:58
To the way they speak,
42:00
The way they speak,
42:01
Against God,
42:03
And against,
42:04
Moses,
42:05
They speak against God,
42:09
They complain against God,
42:10
But then they turn,
42:12
It on to Moses,
42:13
Himself as the leader,
42:15
So,
42:16
They're speaking against God,
42:17
And against,
42:18
God's people,
42:20
And again,
42:21
You see,
42:21
How,
42:22
How rude,
42:24
How ignorant,
42:25
How brash,
42:27
And yet,
42:28
Do we not have to be,
42:29
On our guard,
42:29
Against ourselves,
42:31
How we,
42:31
Speak against God,
42:33
When things aren't going,
42:34
The way we want them to be,
42:35
How we speak against others,
42:37
Our own Christian,
42:38
Brothers and sisters,
42:40
How we speak about them,
42:42
About them to others,
42:44
Or about them to their face,
42:46
How we treat,
42:48
One another,
42:49
Impatience,
42:50
Can lead us,
42:51
Down that path,
42:52
And then,
42:53
And then,
42:53
You almost see them,
42:54
Questioning God's plan,
42:57
Questioning,
42:58
Why,
42:59
Why are we here,
43:01
Why have you brought us up,
43:02
Out of Egypt,
43:03
To die in the wilderness,
43:05
What are you doing,
43:06
Lord?
43:07
And again,
43:08
We see that in our own lives,
43:09
Lord,
43:09
Why,
43:10
Why is this happening,
43:11
Why are you allowing this,
43:13
Why is this the way,
43:14
My life is going,
43:15
Why is this my experience,
43:17
Just now,
43:18
Why have you brought us here,
43:19
And then,
43:22
You see,
43:23
They doubt God's ability,
43:25
To provide for them,
43:27
Why have you brought us,
43:28
Into the wilderness,
43:29
For there is no,
43:30
Food,
43:31
And no,
43:32
Water,
43:33
And that's a lie,
43:35
That's just a blatant lie,
43:36
A lie that's shown,
43:38
And the next thing they say,
43:39
They are swell,
43:40
We loathe,
43:41
This worthless food,
43:43
So they doubt God's ability,
43:46
To provide,
43:47
And they're ungrateful,
43:48
What God has provided,
43:49
And again,
43:51
Does that not reveal,
43:53
Our hearts to us,
43:54
As swell,
43:56
We say to God,
43:59
Why don't we have this,
44:00
Why don't we have that,
44:01
We're not happy,
44:02
About what we don't have,
44:04
And what we have,
44:05
We're not happy with either,
44:07
We're never happy,
44:08
With our lot,
44:10
And so you look at these things,
44:12
And you say,
44:13
Well,
44:13
There's not really a serious sin there,
44:16
But all together,
44:18
What it's doing,
44:20
Is leading them away,
44:21
From God,
44:22
They are turning,
44:23
Against God,
44:25
They are grumbling,
44:26
Against God,
44:27
And that is sin,
44:29
Forgetting God,
44:31
Is sin,
44:32
Not being thankful,
44:34
To God,
44:34
Is sin,
44:35
Not trusting God,
44:37
Is sin,
44:37
All these little things,
44:39
Add up,
44:41
And if we allow them all,
44:42
To go on and on,
44:43
Then we end up just turning,
44:45
Away,
44:46
From God,
44:48
So their sin,
44:49
And our sin,
44:51
Is before us,
44:52
And this leads us secondly,
44:54
To see,
44:55
Their sentence,
44:57
We see this in verse 6,
44:59
No sin,
45:00
Will go unpunished,
45:02
Verse 6,
45:04
It says,
45:04
Then the Lord sent fiery serpents,
45:06
Among the people,
45:07
And they bit the people,
45:08
So that many people of Israel,
45:10
Died,
45:12
There was a punishment,
45:14
For their sin,
45:15
And you see,
45:16
What the sins that you say,
45:17
Well,
45:18
They're not really that serious,
45:19
Are they?
45:21
Well,
45:22
The Lord shows how serious it is,
45:24
When he sends these fiery serpents,
45:26
Among the people,
45:28
They bite the people,
45:29
And many people of Israel died,
45:30
That is just how serious sin is,
45:34
Every sin,
45:36
Is serious,
45:38
In Romans 6,
45:40
We read there in verse 23,
45:41
The wages of sin,
45:43
Is death,
45:45
That is what sin,
45:46
Deserves,
45:47
And that's what the Lord is showing,
45:49
Here in verse 6,
45:50
The Lord,
45:51
Shows this,
45:52
The seriousness of your grumbling,
45:54
Your impatience,
45:55
And all of these things,
45:57
Is it will not go unpunished,
45:59
And these serpents,
46:01
That come in their midst,
46:02
Are the judgment,
46:03
That comes upon them,
46:04
A judgment,
46:05
That leads,
46:06
To death,
46:08
And that is what sin does,
46:11
We come under the judgment,
46:13
Of God,
46:14
And we are all judged,
46:16
According to our sins,
46:17
And all our sins,
46:19
Deserve death,
46:22
Someone once said,
46:23
Sometimes we only learn,
46:25
The lessons that we ought to learn,
46:26
In petty trials,
46:28
By facing greater ones,
46:31
And so,
46:32
You think of that,
46:33
In the light of,
46:34
Where the children of Israel,
46:35
Are here,
46:36
They've seen God,
46:38
Deliver,
46:38
From the Canaanites,
46:39
They've asked the Lord,
46:40
To help,
46:41
He's helped,
46:42
And they're unthankful,
46:43
They're impatient,
46:44
They're grumbling,
46:46
And you would expect,
46:48
In these small trials,
46:50
That they would see God,
46:52
And trust him,
46:53
Well now,
46:54
God is bringing,
46:54
A greater trial,
46:56
Into their midst,
46:57
The trial of this,
46:58
These fiery serpents,
47:00
That's bringing death,
47:01
Into their midst,
47:04
Surely,
47:05
They would see,
47:07
Surely,
47:08
They would see,
47:08
God in the midst,
47:10
Of this,
47:11
The Lord,
47:12
Uses these trials,
47:14
And in many ways,
47:15
You can see about,
47:16
The children of Israel,
47:17
The experience of going,
47:18
Through the wilderness,
47:19
Was all a time of testing,
47:20
They were being tested,
47:22
In their relationship,
47:23
With God,
47:25
And Deuteronomy,
47:25
Makes that so clear,
47:27
For us,
47:27
Even as they go,
47:28
Into the promised land,
47:29
There's a test,
47:30
Put before them,
47:32
Remember,
47:32
When you go into the land,
47:34
When you have all of these,
47:35
Homes that you have not built,
47:37
And the food,
47:37
That you have not planted,
47:39
Do not forget,
47:40
The Lord,
47:42
The lessons,
47:42
That they should have been learning,
47:44
In the wilderness,
47:45
Are the same,
47:46
As the lessons they learn,
47:47
In their plenty,
47:48
Do not forget,
47:50
The Lord,
47:50
And that speaks,
47:53
To ourselves as well,
47:55
The sentence,
47:56
That we are under,
47:57
Our sin,
47:59
Deserves death,
48:01
But it also,
48:03
Asks the question,
48:04
Well what do we do,
48:05
In our sin,
48:07
Where do we go,
48:09
In our sin,
48:09
As we see our sin,
48:11
Before us,
48:12
Where do we go,
48:14
Well you learn that,
48:15
In verse 7 here,
48:18
Do we come,
48:19
In repentance,
48:20
We turn,
48:22
To God,
48:24
In verse 7,
48:24
It says,
48:25
The people came to Moses,
48:26
And said,
48:27
We have sinned,
48:28
For we have spoken,
48:29
Against the Lord,
48:30
And against you,
48:32
Pray,
48:33
To the Lord,
48:33
That he may take away,
48:35
The serpents from us,
48:37
And so Moses,
48:38
Prayed,
48:39
For the people,
48:42
You see their sin,
48:44
You see their sentence,
48:45
But you see here,
48:46
The way they respond,
48:47
And that is what sin,
48:49
Should do to us,
48:51
As well,
48:53
As we realise,
48:54
How we are,
48:55
Not trusting God,
48:57
As we should,
48:57
How we are sinning,
48:58
Against God,
48:59
What should that do,
49:00
For us,
49:01
Well it should help us,
49:02
To realise,
49:03
We need God,
49:05
We are lost,
49:07
Without God,
49:07
We will be dead,
49:09
In our trespasses,
49:10
And sins,
49:11
For eternity,
49:12
Without God,
49:13
And we see the wonder,
49:17
Of what God does,
49:18
For us,
49:20
Does our sin,
49:23
Bother us that much,
49:26
Does it bother us enough,
49:28
To bring us,
49:29
To God,
49:29
Or do we just,
49:30
Push it away,
49:31
As if it's insignificant,
49:34
Well the series of,
49:35
Sin is here,
49:38
Many people of Israel,
49:40
Died,
49:40
And that's,
49:43
For ourselves,
49:44
To recognise too,
49:46
In our sin,
49:47
The wages of sin,
49:49
Is death,
49:51
But the Lord,
49:53
Is there,
49:54
The Lord is here,
49:56
For us,
49:58
And we can come,
49:59
Pleading,
50:00
With God,
50:02
We can come,
50:03
Looking to God,
50:04
Seeking mercy,
50:06
From God,
50:07
Just as it is,
50:08
In verse 7,
50:09
That is to be,
50:10
Our response,
50:12
We have sinned,
50:13
For we have spoken,
50:14
Against the Lord,
50:15
And against you,
50:17
Pray,
50:18
To the Lord,
50:19
That he may take away,
50:20
The serpents from us,
50:21
Pray to the Lord,
50:23
That he might take away,
50:24
Our sin,
50:26
God so often,
50:29
Uses,
50:30
All our lives,
50:31
Trials,
50:32
To bring us,
50:32
Closer to himself,
50:35
One preacher,
50:36
Described it,
50:37
In this way,
50:37
He said,
50:38
It's like a joiner,
50:39
Bringing two bits of wood,
50:41
Together,
50:42
Using glue,
50:44
He says,
50:45
A joiner,
50:45
When he glues,
50:46
Two boards together,
50:48
He keeps them,
50:49
Tightly clamped,
50:51
Until the glue,
50:53
Is set,
50:53
So if you've ever,
50:54
Set two bits of wood,
50:56
Together,
50:56
You know the glue,
50:57
If you put it on,
50:58
You just let it go,
50:59
Straight away,
50:59
It's just going to,
51:00
Separate immediately,
51:01
So you have to use,
51:03
A clamp,
51:04
To clamp the two bits of wood,
51:05
Together,
51:06
Until that glue is set,
51:08
And that clamp,
51:09
Is tight,
51:11
That clamp,
51:12
Is applying,
51:13
Pressure,
51:14
To crush,
51:14
The two bits of wood,
51:16
Together,
51:17
That's the way,
51:18
This preacher,
51:19
Was describing it,
51:20
How our trials,
51:22
How our calamity,
51:23
So often,
51:24
Crush us,
51:25
Closer to God,
51:26
How they weigh,
51:27
Heavy upon us,
51:28
But the pressure,
51:31
Is kept,
51:32
As this preacher said,
51:33
Until,
51:34
Our soul's union,
51:35
With God,
51:36
Is set,
51:38
God will keep,
51:39
That pressure on,
51:40
Until we are,
51:41
Fully,
51:42
Thrusting him,
51:44
And fully,
51:45
Stuck,
51:46
To him,
51:49
He pressed,
51:50
Israel,
51:51
In their trials,
51:52
That they might come,
51:53
Close to him,
51:54
That's,
51:55
The cycle,
51:56
That you so often see,
51:57
And for ourselves,
51:59
It's a reminder,
52:01
Not to drift,
52:02
Back away,
52:03
Not to separate,
52:04
Ourselves from God,
52:06
Again,
52:07
But to remain,
52:08
Close to him,
52:10
To remain,
52:11
Trusting,
52:12
In him,
52:14
The easy,
52:14
Way for them,
52:15
Was to trust,
52:17
God,
52:17
They had trusted him,
52:18
In the first place,
52:19
They wouldn't have had,
52:21
These years,
52:21
In the wilderness,
52:22
But they took,
52:23
Their eyes,
52:24
Off him,
52:24
They didn't trust him,
52:25
With all their heart,
52:27
They were looking,
52:27
At all the different gods,
52:29
To find their own answers,
52:31
But time,
52:32
And time again,
52:33
You see them,
52:34
Coming back,
52:35
Coming back,
52:36
To where the answer lies,
52:37
And that is with God,
52:39
The living God,
52:41
And that's the third thing,
52:42
We want to see from here,
52:44
We have,
52:45
Their sin,
52:46
We have their sentence,
52:47
And their response,
52:49
But then we have,
52:50
The salvation,
52:52
That God offers,
52:53
God made a provision,
52:56
For the Israelites,
52:57
God heard,
52:59
Moses' prayer,
53:00
And the Lord said to Moses,
53:02
Make a fiery serpent,
53:03
And set it on a pole,
53:05
And everyone who is bitten,
53:06
When he sees it,
53:07
Shall live,
53:08
And so Moses made,
53:09
A bronze serpent,
53:10
And set it on a pole,
53:12
And if a serpent bit anyone,
53:15
He would look,
53:16
At the bronze serpent,
53:18
And live,
53:19
That God,
53:20
We see here,
53:21
As a plan,
53:23
A plan,
53:24
For salvation,
53:26
A plan that we,
53:27
See there,
53:29
In the Psalm 78,
53:31
That we sang,
53:32
In verse 34,
53:32
They returned,
53:33
And after God,
53:35
Right early,
53:35
Did inquire,
53:36
They came back to God,
53:37
They inquired of him,
53:39
And then they saw,
53:40
That wonderful truth,
53:41
That even the high,
53:43
Almighty God,
53:44
Had their redeemer,
53:46
Been,
53:47
That there was,
53:48
Salvation,
53:49
That there is,
53:49
Salvation,
53:51
In God,
53:52
And here is the provision,
53:54
Of God,
53:55
And who made,
53:56
This plan,
53:57
Who came up,
53:58
With this plan,
53:59
Well you see immediately,
54:00
That it's the Lord,
54:02
In verse 8,
54:03
The Lord said,
54:04
To Moses,
54:06
The Lord,
54:07
Has,
54:08
A plan,
54:10
God has a plan,
54:11
For salvation,
54:12
That's never changed,
54:15
And we see that plan,
54:16
Fulfilled in Christ,
54:17
In that great passage,
54:19
That we read,
54:20
In John 3,
54:21
For God,
54:22
So loved the world,
54:24
That he gave his son,
54:26
God's plan,
54:28
For redemption,
54:29
Is a redeemer,
54:30
Who is Christ Jesus,
54:32
And it's this,
54:33
Plan that we see,
54:34
Throughout scripture,
54:36
And it's still,
54:38
The way to be saved today,
54:40
It is,
54:41
To see God's plan,
54:43
To look to him,
54:44
And to trust,
54:45
In him,
54:47
In Isaiah 45,
54:49
Verse 22,
54:50
It says,
54:50
Turn to me,
54:51
And be saved,
54:52
All the ends of the earth,
54:53
For I am God,
54:55
And there is no other,
54:57
There is no other God,
54:58
Who can save,
54:59
There is no other way,
55:00
To salvation,
55:03
In Romans 6,
55:04
Where we mentioned earlier,
55:05
The wages of sin,
55:06
Is death,
55:07
What does it say after that,
55:08
The free gift of God,
55:10
Is eternal life,
55:11
In Christ Jesus,
55:12
Our Lord,
55:13
Christ Jesus,
55:15
Who we are to look to,
55:18
God,
55:19
Has,
55:20
A plan,
55:22
And God's plan,
55:23
For the children of Israel here,
55:25
Was this serpent,
55:26
On a pole,
55:28
That as they looked,
55:29
At this serpent,
55:31
They would live,
55:32
Whenever they were bitten,
55:34
They would live,
55:35
If they looked,
55:36
To this serpent,
55:38
And the same is true,
55:40
As we look at,
55:41
John chapter 3,
55:42
There Jesus says,
55:46
As Moses lifted up,
55:47
The serpent in the wilderness,
55:49
So must the son of man,
55:51
Be lifted up,
55:51
That whoever believes in him,
55:53
May have,
55:55
Eternal life,
55:57
The connection is there for us,
56:01
Look to the serpent,
56:03
And live,
56:05
That's what we have,
56:06
In the old testament,
56:07
Here in the new,
56:08
We have the same,
56:09
But different,
56:10
We look to Jesus,
56:11
Believe,
56:13
Believe,
56:13
In the Lord Jesus Christ,
56:16
And you will,
56:17
Be saved,
56:19
The serpent,
56:21
On the pole,
56:22
Reminded the people,
56:24
Of their sin,
56:25
It reminded of their,
56:27
Disobedience,
56:28
But as we look,
56:30
To the cross,
56:30
What do we see,
56:31
We see there,
56:32
Christ,
56:33
Without sin,
56:35
And yet,
56:35
It was made sin,
56:37
For us,
56:38
The wonder,
56:42
Of the grace,
56:42
That we heard of,
56:43
This morning,
56:44
The grace of God,
56:45
That he should give,
56:46
His son,
56:47
For us,
56:50
The substitute,
56:51
Of the serpent,
56:52
In numbers 21,
56:54
And our substitute,
56:56
Jesus Christ,
56:57
On the cross,
56:58
So we look,
57:00
To the cross,
57:02
We are to look,
57:03
To Jesus,
57:05
We see our sin,
57:07
We see the sentence,
57:08
It deserves,
57:09
It deserves death,
57:10
And yet there is salvation,
57:11
In Christ Jesus,
57:13
Whoever,
57:16
Whoever,
57:16
Does not believe,
57:18
Is condemned,
57:19
Already,
57:20
That's the warning,
57:21
We have,
57:22
In John 3,
57:23
As well,
57:25
But whoever,
57:26
Believes,
57:27
In him,
57:28
Is not condemned,
57:30
You live,
57:31
You live,
57:32
Just like those,
57:33
Who look to the serpent,
57:35
In numbers,
57:37
21,
57:37
You live,
57:39
Through faith,
57:40
In Jesus Christ,
57:41
But this is an individual thing,
57:49
They all,
57:50
Had to look for themselves,
57:54
If a serpent,
57:55
Bit anyone,
57:57
He would look,
57:58
At the bronze serpent,
58:00
And live,
58:01
No one else,
58:02
Can do it for you,
58:03
You can't depend,
58:05
On somebody else,
58:06
And it had to be there,
58:08
And then,
58:09
It wasn't to wait,
58:11
It wasn't to put it off,
58:12
For another time,
58:14
You look then,
58:15
Or else you die,
58:18
And so the warning,
58:19
For us today,
58:20
Is that as well,
58:21
You,
58:22
Must believe,
58:24
Whoever,
58:25
Believes in him,
58:27
Will not perish,
58:28
But have,
58:29
Everlasting life,
58:30
That is,
58:31
Your choice,
58:34
Are you looking,
58:36
To Christ,
58:37
As your saviour,
58:38
Are you,
58:40
Trusting,
58:41
In him,
58:43
A young,
58:45
University student,
58:47
He'd,
58:47
Come under the word,
58:49
Of God,
58:49
He was going to church,
58:50
Under the preaching,
58:51
Of the word,
58:53
And he was becoming,
58:53
Troubled,
58:54
By the word,
58:55
That we was hearing,
58:56
But at the same time,
58:57
He was pulled,
58:58
In another direction,
58:59
He was pulled,
59:00
Back into the world,
59:02
Back to his friends,
59:03
Back to going out,
59:04
Parting,
59:05
And that kind of lifestyle,
59:06
And this was going on,
59:08
For a while,
59:09
The word was troubling him,
59:11
The world was calling him,
59:13
And so it was going on,
59:15
And it came to a point,
59:16
Where he thought,
59:17
I've got to ask,
59:18
Someone about this,
59:20
And he went to one of his,
59:21
Professors,
59:22
Who was a Christian,
59:23
And asked for advice,
59:24
And he had a question,
59:26
He wanted to ask him,
59:28
I said,
59:29
Professor,
59:29
I've got a question,
59:30
For you,
59:31
I'm troubled,
59:32
By the word of God,
59:33
But I'm pulled,
59:34
In this direction,
59:35
As well,
59:36
And he said,
59:36
How long,
59:37
Can I safely put off,
59:39
Following Jesus,
59:42
Well the professor,
59:43
Had a reply,
59:44
And it seemed,
59:45
A bit odd at first,
59:46
The professor said,
59:47
Well you can put it off,
59:48
Until the day,
59:50
Before you die,
59:52
But the student then said,
59:56
But I can't tell,
59:58
When I'll die,
1:00:00
And that's true,
1:00:01
The professor said,
1:00:03
Therefore you must decide,
1:00:05
Now,
1:00:06
It's not something,
1:00:08
To be toyed with,
1:00:10
It's not something,
1:00:11
To be dismissed,
1:00:13
And put off,
1:00:13
For another time,
1:00:15
It's not something,
1:00:16
You can say,
1:00:16
Well I'll put it off,
1:00:17
I'll come another time,
1:00:18
I can safely put it off,
1:00:20
Until later on,
1:00:22
Because you do not know,
1:00:25
When that day will come,
1:00:28
When the decision,
1:00:29
Is taken out,
1:00:30
Of your hands,
1:00:31
They couldn't,
1:00:34
Leave it,
1:00:36
For another moment,
1:00:37
When it came to,
1:00:38
Looking at the serpent,
1:00:39
They had to look,
1:00:40
Or else they died,
1:00:42
But when they looked,
1:00:43
They lived,
1:00:45
And as we think,
1:00:45
Of the cross,
1:00:46
It's not something,
1:00:47
To be put away,
1:00:48
For another day,
1:00:49
Jesus isn't there,
1:00:51
Just to be toyed with,
1:00:53
And put away,
1:00:53
For another time,
1:00:54
It is today,
1:00:56
To look,
1:00:57
And live,
1:01:00
There's a hymn called,
1:01:02
Turn your eyes,
1:01:03
Towards Jesus,
1:01:04
And the words say this,
1:01:05
Oh soul,
1:01:07
Are you weary,
1:01:07
And troubled,
1:01:09
No light,
1:01:09
In the darkness,
1:01:10
You see,
1:01:12
There's light,
1:01:12
For a look,
1:01:13
At the saviour,
1:01:14
And life,
1:01:15
More abundant,
1:01:16
And free,
1:01:18
Turn,
1:01:18
Turn your eyes,
1:01:19
Upon Jesus,
1:01:20
Look full,
1:01:21
In his wonderful face,
1:01:23
And the things,
1:01:24
Of earth,
1:01:25
Will grow strangely dim,
1:01:27
In the light,
1:01:28
Of his glory,
1:01:29
And grace,
1:01:31
His word,
1:01:32
Shall not fail you,
1:01:33
He promised,
1:01:34
Believe him,
1:01:35
And all will be well,
1:01:37
Then go,
1:01:38
To a world,
1:01:39
That is dying,
1:01:40
His perfect salvation,
1:01:43
To tell,
1:01:44
Turn,
1:01:45
Turn,
1:01:46
Your eyes,
1:01:47
Upon Jesus,
1:01:49
That is what we are being told,
1:01:51
To do here,
1:01:52
To look,
1:01:54
And to live,
1:01:56
Do you see,
1:01:57
Your sin,
1:01:58
Today,
1:01:59
And if you do,
1:02:00
Who are you entrusting,
1:02:01
Your very life,
1:02:03
And eternity to,
1:02:04
You see,
1:02:06
You see,
1:02:06
The sentence,
1:02:07
Your sin deserves,
1:02:09
The wages of sin,
1:02:11
Is death,
1:02:13
But do you see,
1:02:15
The salvation on offer,
1:02:17
There were those,
1:02:18
Who were stubborn,
1:02:20
In Moses' day,
1:02:22
That didn't look,
1:02:24
And died,
1:02:26
But the serpent,
1:02:27
Is there,
1:02:28
For them to look to,
1:02:29
And live,
1:02:30
And for us,
1:02:31
We have Christ,
1:02:34
Just as Moses,
1:02:36
Lifted up the serpent,
1:02:37
So the son of man,
1:02:39
Must be lifted up,
1:02:41
Why?
1:02:42
That whoever believes,
1:02:43
In him,
1:02:45
Should not perish,
1:02:46
But have,
1:02:48
Everlasting life,
1:02:50
Look,
1:02:52
And live,
1:02:53
Let us pray,
1:02:54
Our father,
1:02:57
In heaven,
1:02:58
We thank you,
1:02:59
That your word,
1:03:00
Helps us to see,
1:03:02
And we pray,
1:03:02
That your spirit,
1:03:03
Will help us to see,
1:03:05
To see our need,
1:03:06
Of Jesus,
1:03:07
To see,
1:03:08
The salvation,
1:03:09
On offer,
1:03:10
Before us,
1:03:11
To see,
1:03:11
The seriousness,
1:03:12
Of sin,
1:03:13
The sentence,
1:03:14
It deserves,
1:03:15
But the salvation,
1:03:17
That is on offer,
1:03:18
To us,
1:03:18
We thank you,
1:03:19
That in Jesus,
1:03:20
We have one,
1:03:21
Who is able,
1:03:21
To take away,
1:03:22
Our sins,
1:03:22
And that if we believe,
1:03:24
In him,
1:03:25
We will not perish,
1:03:26
But have,
1:03:27
Everlasting life,
1:03:28
May you lead us,
1:03:29
And help us,
1:03:30
To look to him,
1:03:32
As we ask in Jesus name,
1:03:34
Amen,
1:03:35
We'll conclude,
1:03:38
By singing,
1:03:39
To God's praise,
1:03:40
We're singing in Psalm 63,
1:03:43
We had it this morning,
1:03:44
As well,
1:03:46
And it's,
1:03:48
My fault,
1:03:49
Gordon had chosen it first,
1:03:50
But I thought,
1:03:51
Well the words tie in,
1:03:52
To our service,
1:03:53
This evening as well,
1:03:55
Psalm 63,
1:03:57
And we sing from verse 1,
1:03:59
To verse 6,
1:04:02
O God you are,
1:04:03
My God I long,
1:04:04
I seek your face,
1:04:06
With eagerness,
1:04:07
My soul and body,
1:04:08
Thirst for you,
1:04:09
In this dry weary wilderness,
1:04:11
I've seen you,
1:04:12
In your holy place,
1:04:13
Your power and glory,
1:04:15
Held my gaze,
1:04:17
Far better is,
1:04:18
Your love than life,
1:04:19
And so my lips,
1:04:21
Will sing your praise,
1:04:22
So we'll sing from verse 1 to 6,
1:04:25
To God's praise,
1:04:26
And the tune is,
1:04:26
Herongate.
1:04:27
O God,
1:04:35
O God,
1:04:35
In our my God alone,
1:04:40
I seek your face,
1:04:44
With eagerness,
1:04:47
My soul and heart,
1:04:52
My soul and heart,
1:04:53
It thirst for you,
1:04:56
In this dry weary wilderness,
1:05:03
I sing you,
1:05:08
In your holy place,
1:05:13
Your power and glory,
1:05:17
y stages for you,
1:05:19
It thirst may as if you're
1:05:25
Stay orange,
1:05:27
And theorem,
1:05:29
And so my lips,
1:05:35
will sing your praise.
1:05:40
I bless you, Lord, throughout my life,
1:05:48
and raise my hands to you in there.
1:05:57
My joyful lips will sing your praise.
1:06:06
My soul is filled with riches fair.
1:06:15
Upon my bed I lie awake,
1:06:23
and in my thoughts remember you.
1:06:32
I meditate throughout the night,
1:06:40
and keep your constant love in you.
1:06:48
After the benediction, I'll go to the door to my left.
1:06:53
We'll close with a benediction.
1:06:55
Now may grace, mercy, and peace from God,
1:06:58
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rest upon
1:07:01
and abide with you all now and forevermore.
1:07:04
Amen.