Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / Concert in a Cave
Transcript
- 0:00Turn, if you will, to the passage, part of the Bible that we read together in Psalm 57.
- 0:07! Psalm 57.
- 0:10The title of the psalm is,
- 0:13To the choir master according to Do not destroy a miktam of David when he fled from Saul in the cave.
- 0:23Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge.
- 0:30In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge till the storms of destruction pass by.
- 0:35I cry out to God, Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
- 0:41He will send from heaven and save me.
- 0:44He will put to shame him who tramples on me.
- 0:47God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness.
- 0:53Concerts are put on usually in places like the O2 Arena or Wembley or places like that.
- 1:09And in the past there have been very peculiar venues where concerts, places of praise, have happened.
- 1:18Places of praise have taken place.
- 1:22Mumford and Sons, a very famous band, they played a gig on a train at one time.
- 1:27The Beatles apparently played on a rooftop.
- 1:32And Johnny Cash famously had a concert in a prison, in Folsom Prison back in 1968.
- 1:43But the oddest place that I ever heard a concert taking place in was about a band called Queen of the Stone Age.
- 1:55I never ever heard them.
- 1:57Maybe you know about them.
- 1:58Who played a concert in a salt mine in Malta.
- 2:03And it was two and a half thousand feet below ground.
- 2:09So they played this concert in a cave to a very, very small audience.
- 2:14Very, very odd and very, very unusual.
- 2:19Psalm 57.
- 2:21In Psalm 57 we have David and it sounds like he is having a concert.
- 2:29He is having a time of praise in a cave.
- 2:32He is having this time of praising God in a place that you would never expect.
- 2:39In a cave.
- 2:40The title tells us he is fleeing from Saul.
- 2:44He was trying to kill him.
- 2:46And he fled to a cave.
- 2:48How do we know that he is praising?
- 2:52Because verse 7 to 11 tell us.
- 2:54My heart is steadfast, O God.
- 2:56My heart is steadfast.
- 2:57I will sing.
- 2:58Remember where he is.
- 3:00He is in the cave.
- 3:02He is fleeing persecution.
- 3:04I will sing and make melody.
- 3:06Awake my glory.
- 3:08Awake harp and lyre.
- 3:10He is calling the musicians to play.
- 3:12I will awake the dawn.
- 3:13I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples.
- 3:16I will sing praises to you among the nations.
- 3:20David is having a concert, as it were, in a cave.
- 3:26In the most difficult of circumstances.
- 3:29And my question for us tonight is, how on earth can he do that?
- 3:34How can he do that?
- 3:35In the face of trouble and persecution and his life is in danger.
- 3:40How can he praise the Lord in such a strange place?
- 3:44Well, verses 1 to 3 give the answer.
- 3:49And it's very simple.
- 3:50And it's going to be very simple tonight.
- 3:53He can do so.
- 3:54He can concert in a cave because he knows three things.
- 3:58He believes three things.
- 3:59He focuses on three things.
- 4:01Three things.
- 4:02He reminds himself of three things.
- 4:05God's protection.
- 4:08God's purpose.
- 4:10And God's...
- 4:13And I've forgotten the third thing.
- 4:16Promise.
- 4:18God's protection.
- 4:21God's purpose.
- 4:23And God's promise.
- 4:24And each of these is reflected in the verses.
- 4:26Each of the verses that we're going to look at tonight.
- 4:30And what was true for David is true for you and for me.
- 4:32If it's true for David, it is true for us tonight.
- 4:36If we have a cave experience.
- 4:38If we have a challenging experience.
- 4:40If we're in an experience where life is really tough.
- 4:43And life is really difficult.
- 4:44And who isn't in that situation tonight?
- 4:48Can we praise the Lord?
- 4:51Yes, we can.
- 4:52When we follow David's example.
- 4:56First of all, he reflects on God's protection in verse 1.
- 5:01Be merciful to me, O God.
- 5:04Be merciful to me.
- 5:05For in you my soul takes refuge in the shadow of your wings.
- 5:10I will take refuge till the storms of destruction pass by.
- 5:17Where David was in a place of real danger.
- 5:20In a place of real dilemma.
- 5:22He focuses on the fact that he is actually safe.
- 5:25He is safe.
- 5:26He is safe under the shadow of the wings of the Almighty.
- 5:32Not that God has wings.
- 5:33Friends, you know that.
- 5:35God doesn't have wings.
- 5:36God is not a bird.
- 5:38But it's imagery.
- 5:39It's images that the Bible uses to depict what God does.
- 5:44And how God is a protector.
- 5:46Just like a bird protects her young.
- 5:48So God protects all those who will come and take refuge under his wings.
- 5:54And I love that image.
- 5:56I love that image because it's very much a maternal image.
- 6:01Even though God does not have gender.
- 6:04You know that.
- 6:05God is not male or female.
- 6:06God is spirit.
- 6:07Infinite, eternal and unchangeable.
- 6:09But he chooses to describe himself in ways that are both paternal, like a father.
- 6:16And also maternal, like a mother.
- 6:20And he uses that imagery particularly when he describes God as having wings under which he can find safety and protection.
- 6:32And the Bible uses this imagery again and again.
- 6:35In the image of God's wings and protection and safety under the wings of God.
- 6:41Under the wings of the Almighty.
- 6:44In Exodus 19, Moses says,
- 6:47You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians.
- 6:51How I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
- 6:56A beautiful passage.
- 6:57A beautiful picture of God carrying the Israelites on his wings.
- 7:03Taking them to safety.
- 7:06Taking them to a place of safety under a place of protection.
- 7:11And in Psalm 91, we sang it together there tonight in verses 1 to 4.
- 7:16The psalmist David talks about being covered under the wings of the Almighty.
- 7:23Friends, tonight, David was able to sing because he knew God's protection.
- 7:32God's protection surrounding him like wings surrounding the wings of a bird surrounding her little ones.
- 7:44Doesn't it echo the words of Jesus outside of Jerusalem?
- 7:50Where Jesus in Matthew 23, he's looking at this city that's bound for destruction.
- 7:57And he says,
- 7:58Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you.
- 8:03How often I would have longed to protect you.
- 8:07Longed to save you.
- 8:09Longed to gather you.
- 8:11As a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.
- 8:16But you would not.
- 8:17But that same protection that the Lord depicts and that David depicts for us is the protection that we are offered tonight.
- 8:27That we are promised tonight.
- 8:29That we are provided tonight.
- 8:32In our cave.
- 8:34Whatever our cave is.
- 8:37Whatever our challenge is.
- 8:38Whatever our difficulty is.
- 8:40We can be assured of the Lord's protection.
- 8:45Which is maternal and majestic.
- 8:49Which is personal and permanent.
- 8:54You know, recently we'll have heard.
- 8:57It's been in the news over the last couple of years.
- 8:59How Prince Harry, when he stood down from his royal duties.
- 9:05One of the problems with that was that his close protection was removed.
- 9:12He no longer had the promise and provision of close protection wherever he went.
- 9:18Because he was no longer deemed to be undertaking royal duties.
- 9:22And he complained.
- 9:23And I think he went to court about that.
- 9:25Because he wanted to be protected.
- 9:27But he didn't have it anymore.
- 9:29That will never happen to you or me tonight, friends.
- 9:33In Christ, we are children of the living God.
- 9:38And we are children of the King.
- 9:41We are royal children.
- 9:43And his protection will never ever be taken from us.
- 9:47He will never ever remove his close protection.
- 9:50He will never ever lift off his wings.
- 9:53So that we are not protected.
- 9:56That does not mean to say.
- 9:57That we are not going to go through hard times and difficult times.
- 10:01It does not mean to say that we will not be hurt either.
- 10:06But we will not be harmed.
- 10:08There is a difference.
- 10:09We will be hurt.
- 10:10Things will cause us pain.
- 10:12But they will not be for our harm.
- 10:15Why?
- 10:15Because we are under the shadow of the wings of the Almighty.
- 10:19He has promised never ever to leave us vulnerable in that respect.
- 10:27It is an amazing story.
- 10:29You remember that story.
- 10:31I am sure the kids here tonight will have heard this.
- 10:34The story of the mother hen.
- 10:36A farm yard went on fire.
- 10:41And everything in the farm yard was lost.
- 10:45The farmer was at his woods end because everything was burnt to a cinder.
- 10:50And he lost everything.
- 10:52And all his sheep and cattle and stock and barns and everything else was lost.
- 10:57And as he was surveying this awful scene of just total devastation.
- 11:06He hears the chirping of these little chicks.
- 11:10And he was wondering where is this noise coming from?
- 11:13And he sees this burnt to death mother hen.
- 11:18And he realizes the chirping of these chicks is coming from under this hen.
- 11:25And lifts the dead body of this poor hen.
- 11:29And finds these little chicks underneath.
- 11:32The mother hen refused to move.
- 11:35Even though fire came upon her and upon her chicks.
- 11:40Refused to move so that she would save her little ones.
- 11:44You see they knew protection under the shadow of her wings.
- 11:50And that friends is the protection that you and I have tonight.
- 11:55We are protected.
- 11:56It was George Whitefield I think who said that we are immortal until God says otherwise.
- 12:02Believe that.
- 12:04We are absolutely immortal.
- 12:06Nothing can touch us unless God allows it.
- 12:09And we will never be taken away from this world until God says that is the time.
- 12:13We know the Lord's protection.
- 12:16Do you know the Lord's protection tonight?
- 12:20Do you know the protection of Jesus?
- 12:24Which has taken away God's judgment from us ultimately and forever.
- 12:29Because he bore that fire of hell for us.
- 12:33So that we would never ever suffer that.
- 12:36And promises to be that protective loving presence for us and to us all the days of our lives.
- 12:47David could sing concert in a cave because he knew God's protection.
- 12:55David could sing or concert in a cave because he also believed in God's purpose.
- 13:01Look at verse 2.
- 13:02I cry out to God most high.
- 13:05To God who fulfills his purpose for me.
- 13:11So David is in this cave and he believes that he's in this cave according to the purpose of God.
- 13:17Remember what it is friends.
- 13:19Remember what is chasing him or who is chasing him.
- 13:23He doesn't dismiss the fact that that is all under the purpose of God.
- 13:27He attributes this to the purpose of God.
- 13:32Even where he is at that time.
- 13:34He doesn't see it as random.
- 13:36He doesn't see it as accidental.
- 13:38He doesn't see it as meaningless.
- 13:40He sees this cave experience.
- 13:43This fearful experience as part of a loving, sovereign, omnipotent father who chooses motherly imagery to communicate his deep love.
- 13:58As well as fatherly imagery as well.
- 14:01To impress upon him,
- 14:02I love you and I'm going to look after you.
- 14:08Stuart Townend's hymn, The Perfect Wisdom of Our God, describes this idea of purpose perfectly and wonderfully.
- 14:16A line goes,
- 14:46And that's what David is saying.
- 14:52Lord, I'm choosing your perfect will in your perfect way and I can praise you for that.
- 14:59I'm choosing to believe that nothing happens by accident and everything happens by design and it's all according to your purpose.
- 15:07And that gives me stability and strength to be able to praise you in the cave.
- 15:12Even when Saul was trying to kill him,
- 15:17He was able to praise God because of his purpose.
- 15:22So what is God's purpose?
- 15:27What are we to remember when we're in this cave?
- 15:31When we're in this place of challenge and difficulty?
- 15:34How are we?
- 15:35What are we to remember so that we too can maybe even move?
- 15:39Sometimes it can't happen immediately.
- 15:41Sometimes we take a time to get to that place.
- 15:43But to, like David, concert in that cave.
- 15:49Praise from that prison.
- 15:53What is God's purpose in each of our circumstances and situations?
- 15:58There's three things.
- 15:59The first is God's glory.
- 16:04Everything is for God's glory.
- 16:08That's the supreme purpose of our lives.
- 16:10Remember the shorter catechism opens with what is the purpose of our lives?
- 16:16Or it's actually what is the chief end of man?
- 16:19Man's chief end.
- 16:21Our purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
- 16:29That's the whole reason for our living.
- 16:32Everything God does, therefore, is ultimately to display his glory.
- 16:38And that means to display who he is.
- 16:41His holiness.
- 16:43His majesty.
- 16:44His wisdom.
- 16:45His justice.
- 16:47His love.
- 16:48So that in all that God does in creation or in redemption or in providence,
- 16:54which just means how our lives work out,
- 16:56we need to have God's glory in mind.
- 17:04So when David says,
- 17:06praying to God who fulfills his purpose for me,
- 17:09for me rather,
- 17:11David isn't saying that God's,
- 17:12God's going to help me achieve my goals in life.
- 17:16But what he is saying is,
- 17:19God is going to achieve his glory through my life.
- 17:23Even in a cave.
- 17:25Even through a cave,
- 17:27God is going to achieve his glory.
- 17:32Creation displays the glory of God, doesn't it, friends?
- 17:35The heavens, God's glory, do declare.
- 17:38The cross displays God's glory.
- 17:42There's no greater place, I don't believe,
- 17:44that the glory of God is seen than in the cross,
- 17:47where God's justice and love kiss together,
- 17:51where Jesus takes the justice of God,
- 17:53and through that, taking our sins upon himself,
- 17:56we can know the love of God,
- 17:58being kissed by God in mercy and love.
- 18:02What glory is seen upon the cross?
- 18:06And your life and my life in the cave,
- 18:13our cave experience shows the glory of God.
- 18:20How can your cave experience tonight reflect God's glory?
- 18:26What is it about that experience
- 18:28that's going to show who God is
- 18:31and show how wonderful he is?
- 18:34He works in the cave,
- 18:36and he works through the cave at all times.
- 18:39And what we need to do is reflect on that
- 18:42and remember that it is all for God's glory.
- 18:47So God's purpose is his glory.
- 18:51Secondly, it's our good.
- 18:53God's purpose is for our good.
- 18:55David knew that.
- 18:57We know that.
- 18:58We know Romans 8 and 28,
- 19:00that in all things God works.
- 19:03God works all things together
- 19:04for the good of those who love him.
- 19:06It's not that all things are good.
- 19:09Certainly Saul seeking to kill David,
- 19:11you couldn't say that was good.
- 19:13Certainly wasn't good.
- 19:15But he works all things for good.
- 19:19God takes the worst things of life,
- 19:21the cave experiences of life,
- 19:23the awful things of life,
- 19:25and he will work them out for our good.
- 19:28Everything.
- 19:30Not just some things or even most things,
- 19:32but all things.
- 19:33God's purposes, friends,
- 19:36are never bare sovereignty,
- 19:38but they are fatherly sovereignty,
- 19:44loving sovereignty.
- 19:45He loves us.
- 19:47He cares for us.
- 19:48And he will work all of our cave-like experiences,
- 19:52like he did with David,
- 19:53for his glory and for our good.
- 19:58Think of Joseph in prison.
- 20:01Joseph had a tough deal.
- 20:04I mean, he was in a pit with his brothers
- 20:07who were going to kill him,
- 20:08and then he went to Egypt,
- 20:10and then he was thrown into another pit
- 20:12through no fault of his own.
- 20:14He was faithful.
- 20:15And for years and years,
- 20:17he was in a cave,
- 20:18in a pit-like experience.
- 20:19He was struggling,
- 20:20not just day after day or week after week,
- 20:22but year after year.
- 20:24And at the end of it,
- 20:26what was the good in that?
- 20:28What was the good in that?
- 20:29Well,
- 20:31Joseph's experience meant
- 20:33that he was risen to prominence,
- 20:35and he then fed the world.
- 20:37Remember that song,
- 20:38Feed the World.
- 20:40Well,
- 20:41Joseph literally did feed the known world
- 20:43because it was in famine.
- 20:44But that was for his good.
- 20:47That was the experience for his good eventually.
- 20:52Or think of Paul and Silas in prison.
- 20:54Paul and Silas.
- 20:56David is running away.
- 20:58Paul and Silas couldn't run away.
- 21:00They were in Philippi,
- 21:01and they were preaching the gospel,
- 21:03and they were arrested,
- 21:07and they were flogged.
- 21:08And friends,
- 21:09listen,
- 21:11flogging is not beating somebody up.
- 21:13Flogging was horrendous.
- 21:15You could be flogged
- 21:16to within an inch of your life.
- 21:19They were flogged,
- 21:20and mocked,
- 21:20and beaten,
- 21:21and put in the inner stocks,
- 21:23in this most,
- 21:23most,
- 21:24you know,
- 21:25high security part of a prison.
- 21:28Couldn't get any worse.
- 21:29And what are they doing?
- 21:32They're singing hymns,
- 21:34and praising God.
- 21:35And we might look in this scenario,
- 21:37and say,
- 21:38what are you doing singing hymns,
- 21:40and praising God?
- 21:40You're in a terrible cave-like experience.
- 21:44Well,
- 21:45look at the good that came out of that.
- 21:48What good came out of that experience,
- 21:50friends?
- 21:51The jailer was saved.
- 21:54It was through that experience,
- 21:56through Paul and Silas,
- 21:57going into that jail,
- 21:59that the Philippine jailer said,
- 22:01what must I do to be saved?
- 22:02And Paul said,
- 22:03believe in the Lord Jesus,
- 22:04and you will be saved.
- 22:06You might have thought,
- 22:08what was the good in that?
- 22:09And here's the answer.
- 22:10A jailer was saved.
- 22:13And ultimately,
- 22:14I think,
- 22:15think of Jesus.
- 22:17You look at his experiences,
- 22:18a man of sorrow,
- 22:20acquainted with suffering,
- 22:21who plumbed the deepest cave,
- 22:24the deepest depths,
- 22:25who went to hell itself,
- 22:27friends.
- 22:27That's what he did.
- 22:28The darkness on the cross
- 22:30is hell.
- 22:31It's been banished
- 22:33from the presence of God forever.
- 22:35He went there.
- 22:36And you might look at that
- 22:37and think,
- 22:37what was the point in that?
- 22:38What was the good in that?
- 22:40Well,
- 22:41so that you could be saved
- 22:42and that I can be saved.
- 22:45You see,
- 22:46God does work
- 22:47all things together
- 22:48for our good.
- 22:51And he works our cave experiences
- 22:53together
- 22:53for our good.
- 22:55He does so
- 22:56so that we can,
- 22:57through time,
- 22:58also,
- 22:59with David,
- 23:00concert
- 23:01in the cave.
- 23:03His purposes
- 23:04are his glory
- 23:05and his good,
- 23:06our good rather,
- 23:08and then
- 23:09our growth.
- 23:11He takes us
- 23:12into these caves
- 23:13as he did with David
- 23:14to transform our lives,
- 23:16to grow us.
- 23:18Basically,
- 23:19I think it's
- 23:20to save
- 23:22and to sanctify us.
- 23:24That's really why.
- 23:25How many people
- 23:26have come to know Christ
- 23:28through the most difficult
- 23:29and challenging
- 23:30of circumstances?
- 23:31Cave-like.
- 23:32Very often,
- 23:34he takes us
- 23:35to fearful pits
- 23:36and mighty clay.
- 23:37He takes us
- 23:37to Woodsen Corner
- 23:38to take us
- 23:39to an end of ourselves.
- 23:40And often,
- 23:41that is where
- 23:42we cry out to the Lord.
- 23:44Psalm 107
- 23:45says it again and again
- 23:46as he depicts
- 23:47the experiences
- 23:48of these people.
- 23:49They cry out to the Lord.
- 23:52The Lord uses
- 23:53cave-like experiences
- 23:55to save us.
- 23:56Maybe tonight
- 23:57you're in a cave,
- 23:58an awful cave,
- 23:59a dark cave,
- 24:00a terrible cave,
- 24:01and you're not saved.
- 24:02And the reason is,
- 24:03that's what God
- 24:04is going to use
- 24:05for his glory
- 24:07and for your good
- 24:08and ultimately
- 24:09for your growth,
- 24:10for you to come
- 24:10to Christ
- 24:11and to believe in him
- 24:13and to rest in him
- 24:15and to know peace
- 24:17and joy
- 24:18in following him
- 24:20and living for him.
- 24:23He uses these caves
- 24:24like experiences
- 24:26to save us
- 24:27but also to sanctify us.
- 24:30Those of us here tonight
- 24:32who are grey-headed
- 24:34or getting there,
- 24:37you know more than any
- 24:39that the hard experiences
- 24:41of life
- 24:42are the ones
- 24:43that have matured
- 24:45and refined
- 24:47and grown us up
- 24:50in ways
- 24:51that we wouldn't
- 24:52otherwise choose.
- 24:55Life experience
- 24:56with the Lord
- 24:57teaches us
- 24:58that.
- 25:00And the Lord
- 25:02in cave-like experiences
- 25:03for us
- 25:04is actually,
- 25:06the ultimate purpose
- 25:07for us
- 25:07is to become
- 25:09Christ-like.
- 25:09that we will become
- 25:11conformed
- 25:12to the likeness
- 25:14of Jesus
- 25:15who himself suffered
- 25:16like no man suffered.
- 25:18So that he not only
- 25:20walks with us
- 25:21in suffering
- 25:21but he begins
- 25:22to make us like him
- 25:24in suffering.
- 25:26In suffering
- 25:27in ways
- 25:27we would not choose
- 25:28and we would not ask for
- 25:30but the Lord
- 25:31chooses
- 25:32in his sovereign purpose
- 25:34to bring us
- 25:35to them.
- 25:36So,
- 25:38how can David
- 25:39sing
- 25:40or concert
- 25:41in that cave?
- 25:43How can he do that?
- 25:45He can do that
- 25:46by knowing God's protection
- 25:48by knowing God's purpose
- 25:50by reflecting
- 25:51on God's purpose
- 25:52in that experience
- 25:53and I ask us all
- 25:55tonight
- 25:55to reflect
- 25:56on God's purpose
- 25:57for us
- 25:58where we are
- 25:59that we might also
- 26:01like David
- 26:02be able
- 26:04to move forward
- 26:05in praise.
- 26:07So it's God's
- 26:08protection
- 26:08and God's purpose
- 26:10and the third
- 26:11and final reason
- 26:12that David
- 26:13is able to concert
- 26:14in the cave
- 26:15is because he trusted
- 26:17in God's promise
- 26:18in verse 3.
- 26:20He will send me
- 26:21from heaven.
- 26:21He will send from heaven
- 26:22and save me.
- 26:25He will put to shame
- 26:27him who tramples on me.
- 26:29God will send out
- 26:30his steadfast love
- 26:32and his faithfulness
- 26:34and he uses these words
- 26:35steadfast love
- 26:37and faithfulness
- 26:37again throughout the psalm.
- 26:39These are very,
- 26:40very important words.
- 26:42David knew
- 26:42and could sing
- 26:44God's praise
- 26:45because he believed
- 26:46that God was going,
- 26:47God's promise was
- 26:48he was going to save him
- 26:49from the cave-like experience.
- 26:52He says,
- 26:53he will send from heaven.
- 26:55He will save me.
- 26:57There's no may
- 26:58or might
- 26:59or perhaps
- 27:0090% sure
- 27:02he will save.
- 27:05How does he believe that?
- 27:06Because that
- 27:07is God's promise.
- 27:10God always promises
- 27:12to save.
- 27:13God always promises
- 27:15to redeem.
- 27:17And he does so
- 27:18as David says,
- 27:20sending from heaven
- 27:21his steadfast love
- 27:23and his faithfulness.
- 27:25These are two very important words
- 27:26in the Bible.
- 27:27Chesed and Emet.
- 27:29Two words that describe
- 27:31they're variously translated.
- 27:32But when Jesus
- 27:33comes into the world
- 27:35full of grace
- 27:36and truth,
- 27:36that's what's been echoed.
- 27:39David is looking forward
- 27:41to the time
- 27:41when God is going
- 27:42to send forth
- 27:44his steadfast love
- 27:46and faithfulness
- 27:46in the person of Jesus
- 27:48to save us,
- 27:51to redeem us,
- 27:52to take us
- 27:53from a fearful pit
- 27:54and from the mighty clay
- 27:55as Psalm 40 says.
- 27:58And to set our feet
- 27:59upon a rock
- 28:00establishing
- 28:01my way.
- 28:04And so David
- 28:05could sing
- 28:06in a cave
- 28:07because he knew
- 28:09and trusted
- 28:10God's promise
- 28:11that this cave
- 28:13is temporary.
- 28:15It's not going to last
- 28:17forever.
- 28:19He believed that God
- 28:20would bring him out
- 28:21into a spacious
- 28:22place
- 28:24because he always
- 28:26and inevitably
- 28:28does.
- 28:30Do you remember
- 28:30that awful
- 28:32incident
- 28:35way back
- 28:37in 2018?
- 28:38The young boys,
- 28:39the Thai soccer team,
- 28:42this soccer team,
- 28:43these boys,
- 28:4412 boys
- 28:45of age 11
- 28:46to 16,
- 28:47they were training
- 28:48football,
- 28:50doing football training
- 28:51and they went
- 28:52into this cave
- 28:53and the caves
- 28:54in that part
- 28:54of the world
- 28:55go kilometers
- 28:56down and deep.
- 28:58And they went
- 28:59in there
- 28:59and then there
- 28:59was this awful
- 29:00flood
- 29:00and they got
- 29:01trapped.
- 29:02They got trapped
- 29:03in this cave
- 29:04about four kilometers,
- 29:05I think it was,
- 29:06below ground
- 29:08or into the rock
- 29:09and they couldn't
- 29:10get out.
- 29:12There was no way
- 29:13that they could
- 29:13get out.
- 29:14They were truly
- 29:15trapped in a cave
- 29:16and then through
- 29:17amazing ingenuity
- 29:19and incredible
- 29:21bravery.
- 29:23They were there
- 29:24for nine days.
- 29:25They were brought
- 29:26out one by one.
- 29:28One by one
- 29:29in the most amazing
- 29:30way.
- 29:30Check it out
- 29:31for yourselves
- 29:32how it happened.
- 29:32But they were
- 29:33brought out
- 29:34one by one
- 29:34to safety,
- 29:36much to the praise
- 29:36and thankfulness
- 29:37of the world
- 29:38around them.
- 29:39But it's a wonderful
- 29:40picture of what
- 29:41God does.
- 29:43We're like these
- 29:44boys.
- 29:44We cannot save
- 29:45ourselves.
- 29:47We need a rescuer.
- 29:48We need somebody
- 29:49to carry us
- 29:50out one by one.
- 29:53And that is
- 29:54Jesus
- 29:55who does that.
- 29:57He saves us
- 29:58individually
- 29:59in our cave-like
- 30:00experiences.
- 30:01He touches our
- 30:02heart individually
- 30:04in our cave-like
- 30:05experiences.
- 30:06He speaks to us
- 30:07generally
- 30:08and corporately
- 30:09but he will always
- 30:10deal with us
- 30:11individually.
- 30:13Take us
- 30:14one by one
- 30:14out of this
- 30:16cave that we're
- 30:17in.
- 30:17and into
- 30:19a spacious
- 30:20place.
- 30:21And one day
- 30:21one day
- 30:24he will lead us
- 30:26into the most
- 30:27spacious place
- 30:28of all.
- 30:30Into that place
- 30:31without boundary.
- 30:33Into that place
- 30:34without time.
- 30:36Into that place
- 30:37which is the new
- 30:38heavens
- 30:39and the new
- 30:40earth.
- 30:41When Jesus
- 30:41died
- 30:42he went into
- 30:43the ground.
- 30:44He died.
- 30:45He suffered for
- 30:45our sins.
- 30:46He went down
- 30:47into the grave
- 30:47and then he
- 30:48came up again
- 30:48and he says
- 30:49just as I have
- 30:50died and risen
- 30:50again so you
- 30:51too when you
- 30:52die you will
- 30:53rise again
- 30:53and you will
- 30:54go and be
- 30:55with me
- 30:56forever
- 30:57and forever.
- 31:01And so
- 31:01tonight on this
- 31:02Lord's Day
- 31:03evening as we
- 31:04begin another
- 31:04week there's one
- 31:06thing for sure
- 31:06friends tonight.
- 31:08We are all
- 31:08either in or
- 31:09going to experience
- 31:10a cave-like
- 31:11experience at
- 31:12some point in
- 31:13time.
- 31:16And through
- 31:17Christ and in
- 31:17Christ we need
- 31:18to learn that
- 31:20we can
- 31:20concert in
- 31:23that cave.
- 31:24We can sing.
- 31:27We can rise
- 31:27above what the
- 31:29world and the
- 31:29flesh and the
- 31:30devil is pressing
- 31:31in on us to
- 31:31think and to
- 31:32feel and to
- 31:34focus our minds
- 31:35and our hearts
- 31:35on the Lord
- 31:37on his
- 31:39protection
- 31:39and on his
- 31:41purpose
- 31:41and on his
- 31:43promises to
- 31:44us all
- 31:45in Christ.
- 31:47And so our
- 31:47Father in
- 31:48heaven we thank
- 31:49you that your
- 31:50word remains
- 31:51true to us
- 31:51tonight.
- 31:52Thank you that
- 31:53though these
- 31:54words of David
- 31:54were written
- 31:55thousands of
- 31:56years ago
- 31:56they reflect
- 31:58our own
- 31:58experiences
- 31:59tonight and
- 32:01we recognize
- 32:01that your
- 32:02word speaks
- 32:02to us for
- 32:03that reason
- 32:04life does not
- 32:05change and
- 32:07the Lord does
- 32:07not change and
- 32:08therefore we
- 32:09can trust in
- 32:10you.
- 32:11Will you help
- 32:12us Lord?
- 32:13Will you help
- 32:14us to like
- 32:15David reflect
- 32:16his attitude?
- 32:18Will you teach
- 32:18us and help
- 32:20us to encourage
- 32:20one another so
- 32:21to do as well
- 32:22so that in
- 32:24Christ and
- 32:24through Christ
- 32:25we might all
- 32:26grow in
- 32:27maturity.
- 32:28We might all
- 32:29be led to
- 32:30help others
- 32:30to lift up
- 32:31our eyes to
- 32:32God to lift
- 32:33up our eyes
- 32:34to heaven
- 32:34and to
- 32:36even in
- 32:36the worst
- 32:37cave-like
- 32:38experience to
- 32:39know that
- 32:40we can
- 32:40praise your
- 32:42name for
- 32:42your steadfast
- 32:43love and
- 32:44your faithfulness.
- 32:45We ask
- 32:46these things
- 32:46in Jesus'
- 32:47name.
- 32:48Amen.
- 32:51We're going
- 32:51to sing our
- 32:52final item of
- 32:53praise now and
- 32:54this is Psalm
- 32:5523 in the
- 32:56Scottish Psalter.
- 32:57Psalm 23.
- 32:59We're singing
- 33:00the whole of the
- 33:01psalm and the
- 33:01tune is Amazing
- 33:02Grace.
- 33:05Page 229.
- 33:08Page 229 in
- 33:09our psalm
- 33:10books.
- 33:13Psalm 23.
- 33:15The Lord's my
- 33:15shepherd I'll
- 33:16not want.
- 33:18And it
- 33:18ends in
- 33:19verse 6.
- 33:19Goodness and
- 33:20mercy all my
- 33:21life shall
- 33:21surely follow
- 33:22me and in
- 33:23God's house
- 33:24forevermore my
- 33:26dwelling place
- 33:27shall be.
- 33:29Psalm 23.
- 33:30If you can't
- 33:30stand, let's
- 33:31stand and we'll
- 33:31sing this to
- 33:32God's praise.
- 33:33The Lord's my
- 33:40shepherd I
- 33:45not want.
- 33:48He
- 33:49makes me
- 33:52down to
- 33:54lie.
- 33:56In
- 33:58pastor
- 33:59drink
- 34:00he
- 34:03e
- 34:26Again, I need to walk just there
- 34:37Within the paths of righteousness
- 34:47In far his own things say
- 34:57Yet though I walk in death's dark air
- 35:08Yet when I fear the death
- 35:17For thou art with me on thy wall
- 35:28Has thou become for still
- 35:37My table high has furnished
- 35:48In presence of my cross
- 35:57My day blower does
- 36:03With oil anoint
- 36:09And mine above her cross
- 36:18Goodness and mercy all my life
- 36:29Shall surely follow me
- 36:38And in God's eyes forevermore
- 36:48My dwelling place shall be
- 36:58And now may grace and mercy and peace
- 37:02From Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- 37:05Be with you all. Amen.
- 37:08Okay.
- 37:10Okay.
- 37:12Okay.
- 37:14Okay.
- 37:18Okay.
- 37:20Thank you.
- 37:22Thank you.
- 37:23Thank you.
- 37:24Thank you.
- 37:25Thank you.
- 37:26Thank you.
- 37:31Thank you.