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Them, Us, and You, O Lord · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Let's begin our worship this evening by singing to God's praise in Psalm 146.
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It's in the Scottish Psalter version. Psalm 146, page 445.
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And we're going to sing from verse 1 to verse 7.
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Psalm 146. Praise God. The Lord praise, O my soul.
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I'll praise God while I live, while I have being.
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To my God in songs I'll praises give.
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Trust not in princes nor man's son, in whom there is no state.
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His breath departs, to earth he turns. That day his thoughts decay.
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We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 7 to God's praise.
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Praise God the Lord. Praise, O my soul.
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I'll praise God while I live, while I have being.
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To my God in songs I'll praises give.
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Trust not in princes nor man's son, in whom there is no state.
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His breath departs, to earth he turns.
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That day his thoughts decay.
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O happy is that man unblessed, whom Jacob's God doth hate.
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Whose hope upon the Lord doth rest, and on his God his state.
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Who made the earth and heaven's eye.
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Who made the swelling deep.
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And all that is within the same.
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Who truth doth ever keep.
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Who righteous judgment executes.
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For those oppressed that be.
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Who to the hungry giveth food.
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God sets the prisoners free.
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Let's come to God in prayer.
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We'll bow our heads in a word of prayer.
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Lord our gracious God, as we gather in your name anew this evening,
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we are thankful for the blessing of praising your name.
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The blessing for being able to lift our voices to you in song and to rejoice in your goodness to us.
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We thank you that we have been reminded in this psalm of the man who is blessed, whom Jacob's God doth aid.
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And we thank you for every way, Lord, that you help us on a daily basis.
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That we can lean upon you.
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That we can find our rest in you.
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And we thank you, Lord, for your upholding strength toward us.
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We thank you that as we come to your word anew this evening,
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that we are reminded through it that the joy of the Lord is indeed the strength of your people.
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And that that is not when we feel strong, but so often in our weakness, Lord, that joy is what sustains us.
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For you remind us that apart from you, we can do nothing.
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And so we praise you as the God who made heavens and earth,
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made the swelling deep, as the psalmist describes.
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And yet your truth is constantly with us too.
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And we thank you for every reminder you give to us of your power and of your goodness towards us.
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That as we see the wonder of your creation, as we see the seasons changing,
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even at this time of year, as we see the days growing longer, we see the signs of spring.
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We see new growth around us, Lord, as we see flowers begin to appear.
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And we thank you, Lord, that it reminds us of the wonder of the creation,
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but the wonder of you as the God of it all.
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That when there is a time when things seem dead and lifeless,
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that even underneath, Lord, there is the signs of hope.
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That there is life, that life that comes to fruition.
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And we see it in our own world and in our own day at this time.
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And we think of the deadness of the world in the spiritual sense.
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When we think of how we have put your word behind our back, as it were,
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and turned away from you.
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When we see, oh Lord, people just living for self and for their own gain.
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No thought for others or for you.
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We, oh Lord, are in pain and grief over this.
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As we think, oh Lord, of what it means for us as a people,
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and what it means for those who are a people who are perishing,
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as your word describes.
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But yet we thank you for the gospel.
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We thank you for the hope that that gives of new life.
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We thank you for the power that is in it to revive and to give life anew through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
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The one who came that we might have life and have it abundantly.
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And so we pray that your word will be blessed to us all here this evening.
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That we would, as we heard this morning, not just hear your word, but be doers of it.
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That we would receive your word with gladness and joy and go into the week ahead,
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renewed by your spirit, refreshed by your word.
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Eager, oh Lord, to live for you and to serve you as your people here.
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We pray, Lord, that your word will be blessed to all ends of the earth today,
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as we thank you that you are not the God who is confined as so many of the gods of this world,
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made by the hands of men and women,
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made by us to represent what we see as worthy of glory.
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But we thank you that your glory is far and wide,
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that you are worthy of the praise of all of your people, near and far,
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and that you have your people throughout the nations of this world,
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people who call on your name, people who worship and praise you,
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people who, even as we are praying, that you are hearing their prayers as well,
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that you hear a people who call upon you at all times, day or night.
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And so we ask, oh Lord, that you would send out your power into our midst,
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the power of the gospel, what the psalmist describes as your light and your truth,
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that they would go out to all ends of the earth,
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directing people to you, reviving people who are dead in sin,
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and bringing us all to praise your name all the more.
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Bless us as we consider your word together here this evening,
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as we open it up, as we read it.
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May your spirit help us in our understanding of it,
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and may you guide us through it in all our thoughts,
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and what it means to us, oh Lord, as our people.
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It may be that it means something different to each and every one of us,
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but may there be a word to be heard from you this evening for each one of us,
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a word in season, a word to bless, to challenge, to encourage, to do us good.
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We thank you for all we've enjoyed from your word in this past week as well.
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As we look back to time of communion last weekend,
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we thank you for the blessings that we've received from your hand there,
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being under the preaching of your word,
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enjoying the sacrament together,
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and the fellowship of your people together as well.
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We thank you for all that was done for us, Lord, for our good,
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and we pray that we will continue to be encouraged going forward.
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We will not lose sight of the hope of the gospel,
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and we continue to pray for your blessing over us as a people,
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homes and families in all our communities.
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And this communion season throughout our islands, oh Lord,
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we pray blessing on all who gather in your name in these days,
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to know the power of your spirit working,
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to know people coming to profess the Lord as their saviour,
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people growing in their knowledge of you and understanding of you,
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people being encouraged in so many different ways.
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We ask, oh Lord, that you would continue to build your church in our midst
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and to make us as a people, Lord,
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a people who would be full of your joy and your strength.
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We pray for our nation at this time, oh Lord,
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we ask for our leaders, our governments,
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that you will help and encourage them in their day-to-day lives of administering direction for our nation.
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Lord, we feel a drifting away from you,
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but we know, even as we read in the scriptures of the times when nations were in disarray,
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turning away from you with no sense of direction,
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that you are pleased in the past to come in your power and to redirect them towards you.
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We pray that for our own nation, oh Lord,
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to know that redirecting, that renewal that comes from you.
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We pray that for all who are involved in governments nationally and locally as well,
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Lord, to give the fear of the Lord as the beginning of all wisdom,
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to give them that sense of dependence upon you.
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Remember to our royal family,
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we pray for each one of them,
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and remember the king just now as he continues to go through treatment for his own time of ill health,
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and that your hand be upon him to bless him and his family too.
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And again, that they would rule with you in mind in all things.
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There may be kings in this world and presidents and powers and authorities,
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but we know that they are all from your hand.
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And we pray, Lord, for you to rule above all
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and to rule in a way that would bring wisdom and help to our world as a whole,
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to bring peace with this conflict,
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to bring peace with this persecution,
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to bring a people to yourself.
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Remember us then in all of these things.
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Remember us in the week ahead as a people here.
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Lord, bless the Youth Fellowship as they will meet this evening.
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Bless all that takes place throughout the week,
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the meetings for prayer,
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the work among the young people,
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and all that we do in your name, Lord,
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to share the gospel.
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May it be that you hear us
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and receive us in all of these things
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and show us your hand,
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your hand of power,
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working mightily in our midst.
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So continue with us now, Lord,
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help us as we sing your praise
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and hear your word,
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do all with all of our hearts,
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to lift our voices to you
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as our Lord,
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as our King,
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as our Saviour,
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as our Redeemer,
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the one to whom we look even at this time
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for forgiveness for all our sins,
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as we come anew,
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confessing our thoughts,
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words,
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and actions that are so often against you,
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Lord.
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We pray your pardon towards us.
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Hear our prayers,
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Lord,
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continue with us,
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and we ask all in the precious name
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of our Redeemer,
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the Lord Jesus Christ,
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for his sake and glory.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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We'll again sing to God's praise,
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this time in Psalm 106,
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in the Scottish Psalter,
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page 378.
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Psalm 106,
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we'll sing from verse 1 to verse 6.
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Give praise and thanks unto the Lord,
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for bountiful is he,
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his tender mercy doth endure,
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and to eternity.
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God's mighty works,
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who can express,
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or show forth all his praise.
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Blessed are they,
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that judgment keep,
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and justly do always.
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We'll sing from verse 1 to 6,
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to God's praise.
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Give praise and thanks unto the Lord,
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for bountiful is he,
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His tender mercy doth endure,
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and to eternity.
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God's mighty works,
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God's mighty works,
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who can express,
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or show forth all his praise.
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Blessed are they,
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that judgment keep,
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and justly do always.
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Remember me, Lord,
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with that love,
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which thou to thy dust bear.
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with thy salvation,
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O my God,
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to visit me draw near,
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that I thy chosen's good may see,
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and in their joy rejoice,
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and may with thine inheritance
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triumph with cheerful voice.
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We with our Father sinned,
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have and of iniquity.
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Too long we have the workers been,
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we have done wickedly.
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We can turn to read together now
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in the Old Testament.
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We're turning back to the book of Nehemiah.
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This evening we're going to be in chapter 9,
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as we continue our study in this book.
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It's Nehemiah chapter 9.
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You notice it's quite a long chapter,
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and really what it is,
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is a prayer that the people are offering up,
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and that's what we're going to be looking at this evening.
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We're not going to read through it all.
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We'll read from verse 1 down to verse 17,
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and then we'll jump forward to verse 30,
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and read down to the end of the chapter.
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So Nehemiah chapter 9,
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the beginning of the chapter.
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Now on the 24th day of this month,
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the people of Israel were assembled,
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with fasting and in sackcloth,
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and with earth on their heads.
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And the Israelites separated themselves
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from all foreigners,
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and stood and confessed their sins,
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and the iniquities of their fathers.
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And they stood up in their place,
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and read from the book of the law of the Lord,
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their God,
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for a quarter of the day.
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For another quarter of it,
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they made confession and worshipped their God.
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On the stairs of the Levites stood
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to Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel,
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Shebaniah, Bani,
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Sherebiah, Bani, and Cheniah.
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And they cried with a loud voice
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to the Lord, their God.
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Then the Levites,
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Jeshua, Kadmiel,
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Bani,
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Ahashebaniah,
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Sherebiah,
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Hodiah,
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Shebaniah,
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and Pethathaniah,
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said,
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Stand up and bless the Lord your God
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from everlasting to everlasting.
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Blessed be your glorious name,
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which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
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You are the Lord,
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you alone.
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You have made heaven,
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the heaven of heavens,
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with all their host,
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the earth and all that is on it,
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the seas and all that is in them.
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And you preserve all of them.
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And the host of heaven worships you.
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You are the Lord,
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the God who chose Abraham
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and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans
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and gave him the name Abraham.
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You found his heart faithful before you
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and made with him the covenant
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to give to his offspring
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the land of the Canaanite,
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the Hittite,
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the Amorite,
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the Perisite,
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the Jebusite,
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and the Girgashite.
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And you have kept your promise,
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for you are righteous.
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And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt
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and heard their cry at the Red Sea
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and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh
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and all his servants and all the people of his land,
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for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers.
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And you made a name for yourself,
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as it is to this day.
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And you divided the sea before them,
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so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land.
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And you cast their pursuers into the depths
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as a stone into mighty waters.
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By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day
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and by a pillar of fire in the night
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to light for them the way in which they should go.
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You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven
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and gave them right rules and true laws,
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good statutes and commandments.
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And you made known to them your holy Sabbath
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and commanded them commandments and statutes
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and a law by Moses your servant.
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You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger
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and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst.
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And you told them to go in to possess the land
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that you had sworn to give them.
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But they and our fathers acted presumptuously
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and stiffened their neck
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and did not obey your commandments.
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They refused to obey
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and were not mindful of the wonders
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that you performed among them,
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but they stiffened their neck
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and appointed a leader to return
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to their slavery in Egypt.
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But you are a God ready to forgive,
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gracious and merciful,
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slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love
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and did not forsake them.
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And the next number of verses there carry on
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going through the various times
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of the children of Israel
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as they made their way through
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to the promised land.
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It speaks of their rebellion
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and their disobedience along the way.
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But what we see time and again
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is the wonder of the grace of God.
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And we take up our reading at verse 30.
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For many years you bore with them
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and warned them by your spirit
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through your prophets,
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yet they would not give ear.
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Therefore you gave them into the hand
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of the peoples of the lands.
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Nevertheless, in your great mercies,
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you did not make an end of them
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or forsake them,
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for you are a gracious and merciful God.
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Now, therefore, our God,
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the great, the mighty, and the awesome God,
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who keeps covenant and steadfast love,
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let not all the hardship seem little to you
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that has come upon us,
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upon our kings, our princes,
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our priests, our prophets,
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our fathers, and all your people,
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since the time of the kings of Assyria
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until this day.
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Yet you have been righteous
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in all that has come upon us,
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for you have dealt faithfully,
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and we have acted wickedly.
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Our kings, our princes,
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our priests, and our fathers
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have not kept your law
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or paid attention
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to your commandments
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and your warnings that you gave them,
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even in their own kingdom,
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enjoying your great goodness
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that you gave them,
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and in the large and rich land
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that you set before them.
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They did not serve you
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or turn from their wicked works.
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Behold, we are slaves this day
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in the land that you gave to our fathers
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to enjoy its fruit
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and its good gifts.
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Behold, we are slaves,
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and its rich yield goes to the kings
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whom you have set over us
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because of our sins.
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They rule over our bodies
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and over our livestock
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as they please,
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and we are in great distress.
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Because of all this,
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we make a firm covenant in writing.
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On the sealed document
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are the names of our princes,
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our Levites,
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and our priests,
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and so on.
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And may God bless that reading
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from his word.
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Before we turn back to this passage,
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we're going to sing again
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to God's praise in Psalm 103,
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and we'll sing Psalm's version,
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Psalm 103,
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and we'll sing from verse 1
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down to verse 11.
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Praise God, my soul,
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with all my heart.
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Let me exalt his holy name.
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Forget not all his benefits,
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as praise my soul
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in song proclaim.
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The Lord forgives you all your sins
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and heals your sickness
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and distress.
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Your life,
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he rescues from the grave
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and crowns you in his tenderness.
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We'll sing from verse 1 to 11,
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Psalm 103,
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to God's praise.
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Praise God, my soul,
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with all my heart.
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Let me exalt his holy name.
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Forget not all his benefits,
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his praise my soul
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in song proclaim.
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The Lord forgives you
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all your sins
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and heals your sickness
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and distress.
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Your life,
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he rescues from the grave.
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and crowns you
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in his tenderness.
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And crowns you
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in his tenderness.
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He satisfies your deep desires
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from his unending storage of good,
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so that just like the eagle's strength,
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your youthful vigor is renewed.
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The Lord is known for righteous acts,
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and justice to them,
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broadened ones.
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To Moses he made known his ways,
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His mighty deeds to Israel's sons.
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His mighty deeds to Israel's sons.
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The Lord is merciful and kind,
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to anger slow and full of grace.
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He will not constantly reprove,
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or in his anger and his face.
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He does not punish her misdeeds,
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or give her sins their just reward.
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How great is love as high as him
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towards all those who fear the Lord.
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Towards all those who fear the Lord.
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We can turn back to our reading
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in Nehemiah chapter 9.
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I'm just going to pick out a few verses
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throughout the chapter
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just to show us where we're going this evening.
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Verse 6, first of all,
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where the people are praising God,
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and they say there,
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you are the Lord,
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you alone.
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You have made heaven,
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the heaven of heavens,
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with all their host,
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the earth and all that is on it,
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and so on.
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You are the Lord,
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you alone.
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Then in verse 17,
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we see how the people refused to obey.
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It says they refused to obey
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and were not mindful of the wonders
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that you performed among them,
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but they stiffened their neck
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and appointed a leader
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to return to their slavery in Egypt.
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But you are a God,
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ready to forgive,
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gracious and merciful,
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slow to anger,
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and abounding in steadfast love.
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People disobeyed,
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and yet God is still gracious
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and slow to anger.
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Verse 26,
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there it says,
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nevertheless,
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they were disobedient
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and rebelled against you,
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and cast your law behind their back,
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and killed your prophets
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who had warned them
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in order to turn them back to you.
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So again,
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we see the rebellion of the people,
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putting the law,
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turning away from the law of God.
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And then we go down to verse 30.
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For many years you bore with them
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and warned them
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by your spirit through your prophets,
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yet they would not give ear.
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Therefore you gave them
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into the hand of the peoples
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of the lands.
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Nevertheless,
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in your great mercies,
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you did not make an end of them
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or forsake them,
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for you are a gracious
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and merciful God.
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I'm sure it surprises you
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as it surprises me so often
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just how patient
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God is with us all,
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how long-suffering he is
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despite all that we do
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amiss towards him,
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despite the way we so often
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treat him
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and are cold towards him.
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The Lord's mercies
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are still there for us.
29:15
And that's a powerful reminder
29:17
that we have throughout
29:19
this chapter
29:20
that we're studying together
29:21
this evening
29:22
as Nehemiah and Ezra
29:25
and the people
29:25
are gathered together.
29:27
Here they are gathered
29:28
around the word of God
29:30
once again
29:30
and they're hearing
29:31
over a long period of time
29:33
just how faithful
29:35
God has been
29:36
and even in the midst
29:37
of their disobedience,
29:39
how often he has shown
29:40
mercy and graciousness
29:42
towards them.
29:43
Nehemiah came to Jerusalem
29:47
as a leader for the people
29:50
but where was he leading them to?
29:53
Or to what end
29:55
was he leading them?
29:57
As we've gone through
29:58
this wonderful book
29:59
we've seen how he came
30:01
and found a city
30:03
that was in disarray
30:04
in so many ways.
30:05
The walls were in ruin,
30:07
the people were in distress,
30:08
they were in trouble.
30:10
There wasn't much hope for them
30:12
and so he came
30:13
to rebuild the walls
30:16
and we've seen
30:17
how that was done
30:18
and how that was completed
30:20
but that was not the end
30:23
because from the moment
30:25
that Nehemiah
30:27
had this great burden
30:28
from God
30:29
for the people of Jerusalem
30:31
the burden was not just
30:33
for rebuilding the walls.
30:36
That was just a part.
30:39
The burden was for the people.
30:42
And that was a burden
30:43
that was not going to end
30:44
with a city that was rebuilt.
30:48
That burden for the people
30:49
was not going to come to an end
30:51
until the people were walking
30:53
in the right way with God
30:55
because that was his ultimate aim
30:58
to relieve the trouble,
31:00
the distress that they were in.
31:03
And the greatest distress,
31:05
the greatest trouble they were in
31:06
was their relationship with God.
31:10
The relationship that had broken down,
31:12
the relationship that had led to them
31:14
being taken into captivity
31:16
in the first place,
31:18
the reason why the walls
31:19
were in disarray,
31:21
the reason why the people felt hopeless,
31:24
the relationship with God
31:25
had broken down.
31:27
And so his ultimate aim
31:29
was to restore Jerusalem
31:31
and God's people
31:32
as a people of worship,
31:33
worshiping a holy God
31:35
and having his joy
31:38
in their hearts.
31:40
And as we looked at the last time
31:41
in this book,
31:43
chapter 8 was a high point.
31:46
Chapter 8 was a point
31:48
where we see
31:48
the people gathered together.
31:51
The wall had been completed.
31:53
They were gathered around
31:54
the word of God
31:55
and it brought tears
31:57
to their eyes.
31:58
They were weeping,
32:00
weeping with sorrow
32:01
over all that it meant,
32:03
all that they had done
32:04
against God.
32:06
But they were told
32:08
that this was not a time
32:09
to mourn and to weep.
32:12
This was a time to rejoice,
32:14
to rejoice in the joy of the Lord
32:17
as their strength.
32:20
The joy of the Lord
32:22
was their strength.
32:25
And what a wonderful blessing
32:27
it was for them
32:28
to know the Lord
32:29
had not turned
32:30
his back on them
32:33
and that they could rejoice
32:35
in this.
32:36
And they did rejoice.
32:37
They enjoyed a feast.
32:39
They enjoyed a time
32:40
of feasting that went on
32:42
for a number of weeks.
32:44
In chapter 8,
32:45
as it continues,
32:46
you find the feast of booths
32:48
celebrated there.
32:50
A feast that went on
32:52
probably for around
32:53
three weeks.
32:55
And now as you come
32:56
into chapter 9,
32:57
that feast has ended.
33:00
And just a few days later,
33:01
they're gathering again together
33:03
around the Word of God.
33:07
So they had this high point
33:09
in chapter 8.
33:11
They had this moment of joy
33:12
and rejoicing in the Lord
33:14
as the joy of the Lord
33:15
is their strength.
33:17
But then as you come
33:18
into chapter 9,
33:20
you find it's quite
33:21
a different environment.
33:23
Again,
33:24
the people of Israel,
33:26
they're coming
33:26
to confess
33:28
their sin.
33:30
There's a sense
33:31
of mourning
33:31
once again.
33:33
And it's a great reminder
33:35
to us
33:35
that this is the way
33:36
our lives
33:38
so often are.
33:40
There are
33:40
high points,
33:41
high experiences
33:43
in our lives
33:44
and in the Christian life
33:45
especially.
33:46
There are high points
33:48
in our life,
33:48
but the majority
33:50
of our lives
33:51
just the ordinary.
33:53
The day-to-day routine.
33:56
The day-to-day walking
33:57
with God.
33:59
And if we just look back
34:00
a week,
34:01
last weekend,
34:03
it often is a high point.
34:05
A time of communion
34:06
in the congregation.
34:07
It's a time of blessing,
34:09
a time of fellowship,
34:10
a time of being gathered
34:12
around God's Word,
34:13
a time of feasting together
34:15
around God's Word
34:16
and in fellowship together,
34:18
but we must
34:20
come away from it.
34:22
We have to come away.
34:23
We have to come back
34:24
into the ordinary way of life.
34:26
So how has the last week
34:28
been for you?
34:30
How has the last week gone?
34:32
We pray we all enjoyed
34:34
a high over the weekend,
34:36
but how's the ordinary Monday
34:38
to Saturday gone since?
34:42
How are we going forward?
34:44
Well, that's what's of interest
34:47
to Nehemiah here as well.
34:49
The high point of chapter 8
34:52
and the feasting
34:53
and rejoicing that there is there.
34:55
But now to go forward
34:56
in the ordinary.
34:57
The day-to-day life.
34:59
And how are they going to do that?
35:01
How are they going to go forward?
35:03
And how do you and I
35:04
keep going forward as well?
35:08
Well, as we go through chapter 9,
35:10
we find that the people
35:11
are learning together
35:13
what it means to go forward.
35:16
How they can learn
35:17
from their own experience
35:18
and the experiences we see
35:20
from generations past as well.
35:23
How are they going to go forward?
35:26
Well, they're going to learn
35:27
lessons from the past.
35:28
They're going to look,
35:30
as they're praying here
35:31
in chapter 9,
35:31
they're looking to their fathers,
35:33
to the people
35:34
in the past generations.
35:36
How they've ended up
35:37
in a situation of trouble.
35:39
What was the cause?
35:41
How did they stumble
35:42
when God had been
35:43
so good to them?
35:45
And what can they learn
35:46
going forward as well?
35:49
Well, they landed in trouble
35:51
because they rejected God.
35:54
That's what we see
35:55
in verse 26.
35:57
The generations in the past
35:59
says in verse 26,
36:01
They were disobedient
36:02
and rebelled against you
36:04
and cast your law
36:06
behind their back.
36:10
They killed the prophets,
36:13
the ones God had sent
36:15
to teach them
36:17
in order to bring them back
36:18
to him.
36:20
So the word of God
36:22
that they had rejoiced in
36:24
had been taken
36:25
and cast away.
36:27
It was put behind their back.
36:31
They didn't do the word
36:34
that they'd heard.
36:36
As we were hearing this morning,
36:38
they'd heard the word of God,
36:41
but they didn't keep applying
36:42
the word of God
36:44
to their lives.
36:47
And yet the wonder of it all
36:48
is that again and again,
36:50
we're reminded in this passage,
36:52
almost a summary of the Old Testament
36:55
in many ways,
36:56
a summary of how the people
36:58
were blessed
36:59
and then were disobedient,
37:01
but a God who is merciful.
37:03
In verse 17,
37:05
you have these wonderful words,
37:07
But you are a God
37:08
ready to forgive,
37:10
gracious and merciful,
37:11
slow to anger,
37:13
and abounding in steadfast love,
37:15
and did not forsake them.
37:18
Even though they
37:19
forsook the word of God
37:21
and put it behind them,
37:23
God did not forsake them.
37:26
And so the people
37:28
here now in Nehemiah's day,
37:30
they're seeking
37:30
to learn their lessons.
37:32
They're wanting a renewal
37:33
with God,
37:35
and that's what's
37:35
at the end of the chapter,
37:38
in verse 38.
37:39
Because of all this,
37:40
we make a firm covenant
37:42
in writing.
37:43
We're wanting this relationship
37:45
with God renewed.
37:47
Renewed because again,
37:49
they know the mercy
37:50
of God,
37:51
of verse 31.
37:53
You did not make
37:54
an end of them
37:55
or forsake them,
37:55
for you are a gracious
37:57
and merciful God.
38:00
And so for us,
38:01
as we seek to go forward,
38:03
how can we learn ourselves
38:05
from this prayer this evening?
38:08
How did the people learn
38:09
then,
38:10
and how can we learn
38:11
ourselves?
38:13
Well, there's three things
38:14
I want us to take
38:15
from this chapter.
38:16
First, we see
38:19
the Lord of all.
38:22
Our eyes have to be fixed
38:24
on the Lord
38:26
at all times.
38:27
And whatever situation,
38:29
whatever part of this chapter
38:30
you're looking at,
38:32
it is all about you,
38:33
oh Lord.
38:35
You,
38:36
oh Lord.
38:37
And that's what's got to be
38:38
at the heart
38:39
of our lives.
38:41
But we also see
38:42
how the people learn
38:44
from past sins.
38:46
And the people learn
38:49
in their present need.
38:52
So we have the Lord of all,
38:54
the people's past sins,
38:56
and the people's present need.
38:59
We have they,
39:00
we,
39:01
and you,
39:02
oh Lord.
39:04
And so that's how we
39:05
are to go forward
39:07
ourselves as well.
39:08
First of all,
39:09
thinking of
39:09
the Lord of all.
39:13
The joy of the Lord
39:14
is your strength,
39:15
they heard in chapter 8.
39:18
And what we find
39:19
is this flowing
39:20
into chapter 9
39:21
as well.
39:22
Because the joy
39:23
of the Lord
39:23
is not just
39:24
for a moment.
39:26
The joy of the Lord
39:27
is not just something
39:28
for that high point
39:30
of chapter 8.
39:31
The joy of the Lord
39:32
is what is going
39:33
to keep them going
39:34
in the ordinary
39:35
day-to-day life
39:37
as well.
39:38
And so it flows
39:39
into chapter 8
39:41
as well.
39:42
the days of feasting
39:44
that they have enjoyed
39:45
together.
39:46
They've come to an end,
39:48
but they still know
39:50
how much they need
39:51
the Lord.
39:52
And so they find
39:52
themselves gathered
39:54
around the word
39:55
of God.
39:57
In verse 1,
39:58
on the 24th day
39:59
of this month,
40:00
the people of Israel
40:01
were assembled
40:02
with fasting
40:03
and in sackcloth
40:04
and with earth
40:05
on their heads.
40:06
So there was a sense
40:07
of coming
40:08
in repentance
40:11
here.
40:12
Mourning
40:13
over their sin.
40:15
Fasting
40:15
they're in sackcloth
40:17
and with earth
40:18
on their heads.
40:19
They've separated
40:19
themselves
40:20
from all the foreigners.
40:22
They stood
40:23
and they confessed
40:24
their sins.
40:27
This is still
40:28
a time
40:28
to rejoice
40:30
in the joy
40:30
of the Lord
40:31
as their strength.
40:33
Because it is
40:34
the joy of the Lord
40:35
as their strength
40:36
that helps us
40:36
to see our sin
40:38
and to repent
40:39
from them.
40:42
And that is
40:42
how they are
40:43
going forward.
40:45
That's how the people
40:46
in the past
40:47
failed to go forward.
40:49
And that's what
40:50
they're seeking
40:50
to learn from.
40:52
It is the Lord
40:53
who is able
40:54
to keep them going.
40:57
That they need
40:57
to see
40:58
their dependence
40:59
is on
41:01
the Lord.
41:03
A man called
41:04
Leonard Ravenhill
41:05
once wrote this.
41:07
He said,
41:07
the devil
41:08
has two major
41:09
tricks
41:10
with his people.
41:12
One is,
41:14
you're so good
41:15
you don't need
41:17
to be saved.
41:19
That's one of his tricks.
41:20
You're so good
41:21
you don't need
41:22
to be saved.
41:24
The other is,
41:26
you're so bad
41:27
you can't
41:29
be saved.
41:30
That's the two tricks
41:31
the devil uses.
41:34
Leonard Ravenhill
41:34
said,
41:35
you're so good
41:36
you don't need
41:37
to be saved
41:38
or you're so bad
41:39
you can't
41:40
be saved.
41:41
But what he said
41:42
was this,
41:44
he's a liar
41:44
on both counts.
41:47
Because that's not
41:48
the way
41:49
to go forward.
41:51
We can't go forward
41:52
thinking we're so good
41:54
we don't need
41:55
to be saved.
41:56
We don't need
41:56
the Lord.
41:57
We do.
41:57
But we can't
42:00
go forward
42:00
thinking we're so bad
42:02
the Lord won't
42:03
want us.
42:04
The Lord can't
42:05
save us.
42:06
That's not
42:06
true either.
42:08
To go forward
42:09
we need
42:10
the Lord.
42:12
That's what
42:13
Psalm 84
42:13
makes so
42:14
clear for us
42:16
when it speaks
42:17
in that Psalm
42:18
in verse 6
42:19
about passing
42:20
through Baker's
42:21
veil
42:21
therein do
42:23
dig up wells
42:24
also the rain
42:25
that falleth
42:26
down the pools
42:27
with water
42:28
fills
42:29
the Lord
42:30
with his people
42:31
and so at verse 7
42:32
goes on
42:33
so they from
42:34
strength
42:34
unwearied
42:36
go still
42:36
forward
42:37
unto strength
42:38
until in Zion
42:39
they appear
42:40
before the Lord
42:42
at length.
42:43
So they have
42:44
this strength
42:45
that can only
42:46
come from
42:47
the Lord
42:48
and that's
42:49
the way
42:50
for us
42:51
to go forward
42:51
as well.
42:53
And that's
42:53
what this prayer
42:54
in chapter 9
42:56
is all
42:57
about.
42:59
And from
42:59
verse 6
43:00
onwards
43:01
it's really
43:02
the people
43:03
crying out
43:04
to God
43:05
in prayer.
43:06
Prayer as a
43:07
result of
43:07
having heard
43:09
the word
43:09
for three
43:11
hours
43:11
and then
43:13
having
43:13
confession
43:15
and worship
43:17
for three
43:18
hours as well.
43:19
You see that
43:19
in verse 3
43:20
where the
43:21
book of the
43:22
law of the
43:22
Lord
43:22
was read
43:23
for a
43:24
quarter of
43:25
the day
43:25
and for
43:26
another
43:26
quarter of
43:27
the day
43:27
confession
43:28
and worship
43:29
was made
43:30
and then
43:31
they went
43:32
into prayer.
43:34
Can you
43:34
imagine that
43:35
for ourselves
43:36
tonight?
43:37
We've started
43:38
half past
43:39
six.
43:40
We're going
43:41
to read
43:41
God's word
43:42
till half
43:43
past nine.
43:45
Then from
43:45
half past
43:46
nine to
43:47
half past
43:47
midnight
43:48
we're going
43:49
to make
43:49
confession
43:50
and worship
43:51
God
43:52
and then
43:54
we'll start
43:55
to pray.
43:57
Who would
43:58
be with me
43:58
in that?
43:59
Who would
44:00
stay
44:00
six hours
44:02
before we
44:03
come to
44:03
the point
44:04
of actually
44:04
coming to
44:05
pray to
44:06
God?
44:08
But that's
44:09
where the
44:09
people were
44:10
at.
44:11
That's what
44:12
they realized
44:13
they needed.
44:13
They needed
44:14
the Lord
44:15
and it's a
44:16
challenge to
44:16
us.
44:18
How much
44:19
are we
44:19
depending
44:20
on the
44:20
Lord?
44:21
How much
44:22
are we
44:22
coming
44:23
before God
44:24
with that
44:24
sense of
44:25
confession
44:26
and dependence
44:27
on him?
44:30
They've
44:30
heard the
44:31
word of
44:32
God.
44:33
They've
44:33
worshipped
44:34
and made
44:34
confession
44:35
and they
44:35
come to
44:36
him in
44:37
prayer.
44:39
And you
44:39
wonder,
44:39
well,
44:40
what did
44:40
they hear
44:40
in the
44:41
word of
44:42
God that
44:42
brought
44:43
them to
44:44
this
44:44
point?
44:45
Well,
44:47
as you
44:47
see in
44:47
the
44:48
prayer,
44:48
it opens
44:49
up what
44:50
we would
44:50
see as
44:51
Genesis
44:51
through to
44:52
Deuteronomy.
44:53
It's going
44:54
right back
44:55
to the
44:55
beginning,
44:56
to all
44:56
that the
44:57
Lord has
44:57
done for
44:58
his people.
45:00
In verse
45:00
7,
45:01
you have,
45:02
you are
45:02
the Lord
45:03
who chose.
45:04
In verse
45:05
9,
45:06
you saw
45:07
the affliction
45:08
of the
45:08
people as
45:09
they were
45:09
in Egypt.
45:10
In verse
45:10
11,
45:11
as he was
45:11
leading them
45:12
out,
45:12
you divided
45:13
the sea.
45:14
In verse
45:15
13,
45:15
we have
45:16
the law
45:16
given,
45:17
you came
45:17
down at
45:19
Mount
45:19
Sinai.
45:20
So there's
45:21
here a
45:21
focus on
45:22
the Lord
45:23
who has
45:23
done all
45:25
this.
45:27
A
45:27
dependence
45:28
on him.
45:28
But when
45:29
you go
45:29
back to
45:29
verse 6,
45:31
you find
45:31
there the
45:32
key that
45:33
holds it
45:33
all together.
45:36
Verse 6,
45:37
you are
45:38
the Lord,
45:39
you alone,
45:40
you have
45:40
made heaven,
45:42
the heavens
45:42
of heaven,
45:44
with all
45:45
their host,
45:46
the earth
45:47
and all
45:48
that is on
45:49
it,
45:49
and the
45:49
seas and
45:50
all that
45:51
is in
45:52
them.
45:52
You are
45:54
the Lord.
45:57
And here
45:57
is the
45:58
key to
45:58
our
45:59
understanding
45:59
of who
46:00
he is.
46:01
He has
46:01
made the
46:02
heavens and
46:03
the earth
46:03
and all
46:05
that is
46:05
in them.
46:06
This is
46:06
the God
46:07
of creation.
46:09
This is
46:09
the God
46:09
of Genesis
46:10
chapter 1.
46:12
In the
46:13
beginning,
46:14
God
46:14
made all
46:15
things.
46:17
And this
46:17
is the
46:17
key to
46:18
our
46:19
relationship
46:19
with God.
46:21
To see
46:21
him not
46:22
as a
46:22
small
46:22
God,
46:23
as a
46:24
God
46:24
who is
46:24
there
46:24
for
46:25
some
46:25
things,
46:26
but a
46:26
God
46:26
who is
46:27
there
46:27
for all
46:28
things.
46:29
As
46:30
Hebrews
46:30
11,
46:31
verse 3
46:31
puts it,
46:32
by faith
46:33
we understand
46:34
that the
46:35
universe was
46:35
created by
46:36
the word
46:37
of God,
46:38
so that
46:38
what is
46:39
seen was
46:39
not made
46:40
out of
46:40
things that
46:41
are visible.
46:43
By faith
46:44
we understand.
46:46
By faith
46:47
we go
46:48
forward.
46:50
And this
46:50
is what
46:51
their
46:51
relationship
46:51
is all
46:53
about.
46:53
They are
46:53
depending
46:54
on God.
46:56
Is this
46:57
the God
46:58
that you
46:59
believe in?
47:00
Is this
47:00
the God
47:01
that you
47:02
see you
47:02
need in
47:03
your life?
47:05
The God
47:05
who holds
47:06
the heaven
47:06
and the
47:07
earth,
47:07
the whole
47:07
universe
47:08
together?
47:11
There's a
47:12
story told
47:13
about Isaac
47:14
Newton
47:14
and he'd
47:16
made a
47:16
replica
47:16
of the
47:18
solar system
47:18
in miniature.
47:20
In the
47:21
centre was
47:21
the sun
47:22
and all
47:23
around it
47:24
was all
47:24
the planets
47:25
and how
47:25
they were
47:25
revolving
47:26
around the
47:27
sun.
47:29
This was
47:29
in a
47:29
study and
47:30
another
47:31
scientist
47:31
came into
47:32
his study
47:32
and saw
47:33
this model
47:34
and marveled
47:35
at it
47:35
and said
47:35
who made
47:36
this?
47:38
And Isaac
47:39
Newton
47:39
replied
47:40
saying
47:40
nobody.
47:43
And the
47:43
other scientist
47:44
said you
47:44
must think
47:45
I'm a
47:45
fool.
47:46
Of course
47:47
somebody
47:47
made it.
47:47
Now tell
47:48
me who
47:49
made it?
47:49
It must
47:49
be a
47:50
genius to
47:50
make this
47:51
model and
47:52
how it
47:52
works
47:52
together.
47:54
Isaac
47:55
Newton
47:55
got up
47:56
of his
47:56
chair and
47:56
went over
47:57
to his
47:58
friend the
47:58
other
47:59
scientist
47:59
and said
48:00
this is
48:01
just a
48:01
tiny
48:02
imitation
48:03
of a
48:04
much
48:04
grander
48:05
solar
48:05
system
48:06
whose
48:07
laws
48:08
and logic
48:09
you and
48:09
I know
48:10
all about
48:11
and I
48:12
cannot
48:13
convince
48:13
you
48:14
that this
48:15
mere
48:15
model
48:15
has no
48:16
designer
48:17
or maker
48:18
and yet
48:19
you profess
48:20
that the
48:20
original
48:21
from which
48:22
this model
48:22
is taken
48:23
has no
48:26
creator
48:26
or designer
48:27
or maker.
48:30
The model
48:31
that was
48:32
so tiny
48:32
must have
48:34
a maker.
48:35
but the
48:36
real
48:37
thing
48:37
the
48:37
heaven
48:38
the
48:39
earth
48:39
the
48:39
moon
48:39
the
48:40
stars
48:40
and all
48:41
of these
48:41
things
48:41
there's
48:42
no
48:42
maker.
48:44
He's
48:44
saying
48:44
where's
48:45
the logic
48:45
in that?
48:47
But that's
48:48
what we see
48:49
as we look
48:49
to the
48:50
word of
48:50
God.
48:51
You are
48:52
the Lord
48:52
you alone
48:53
you have
48:54
made heaven
48:55
the heaven
48:56
of heavens
48:56
and all
48:57
of its
48:58
host
48:58
everything
48:59
is made
49:00
by God
49:01
and this
49:03
is the
49:03
God
49:03
that the
49:04
people
49:04
are looking
49:05
to
49:05
and depending
49:06
on
49:07
to go
49:08
forward.
49:10
The question
49:11
is that
49:11
our God
49:13
as we
49:13
seek
49:14
to go
49:15
forward
49:15
ourselves.
49:18
So there
49:18
is God
49:20
over all.
49:21
You
49:22
oh Lord
49:23
have done
49:24
so much
49:25
for us.
49:27
But then
49:28
the focus
49:28
secondly
49:29
here is
49:30
the
49:30
people's
49:31
past
49:32
sin.
49:33
When we
49:34
think of
49:34
moving
49:35
forward
49:35
we always
49:36
have to
49:36
learn
49:37
from the
49:38
past
49:38
whether
49:39
that's
49:39
good
49:40
or bad.
49:42
Nehemiah
49:42
as a
49:43
book
49:43
as a
49:43
whole
49:44
is all
49:45
about
49:45
renewal.
49:46
The
49:47
renewal
49:47
of the
49:48
wall.
49:49
The
49:50
renewal
49:50
of their
49:51
lives
49:52
and as
49:52
we will
49:52
see
49:53
God
49:54
willing
49:54
later
49:55
the
49:55
renewal
49:56
of their
49:56
relationship
49:57
their
49:57
covenant
49:58
relationship
49:59
with
50:00
God.
50:02
But
50:02
renewal
50:02
always
50:03
entails
50:05
as it
50:05
is
50:05
with
50:06
God's
50:06
people
50:07
repentance.
50:09
We
50:10
cannot
50:10
go
50:10
forward
50:11
without
50:12
repentance.
50:13
We
50:14
cannot
50:14
keep
50:14
going
50:15
without
50:15
repentance.
50:17
And
50:17
this
50:18
means
50:18
a
50:18
realization
50:19
where
50:19
things
50:20
have
50:20
gone
50:21
wrong.
50:22
And
50:22
that
50:23
is
50:23
what
50:23
God's
50:23
word
50:24
does
50:25
for
50:25
us.
50:26
as
50:28
you
50:28
go
50:28
through
50:28
this
50:29
prayer,
50:30
as
50:30
you
50:30
go
50:30
through
50:30
these
50:31
verses,
50:33
the
50:33
people
50:33
are
50:34
confronted
50:34
with
50:35
two
50:35
specific
50:36
things.
50:37
They
50:38
are
50:38
confronted
50:38
with
50:39
who
50:39
God
50:40
is.
50:41
What
50:41
we
50:42
have
50:42
just
50:42
looked
50:42
at,
50:43
you
50:43
O
50:43
Lord,
50:44
are
50:44
the
50:44
one
50:44
who
50:45
has
50:45
made
50:45
all
50:46
things.
50:47
But
50:47
the
50:47
second
50:48
thing
50:48
that
50:48
they
50:48
are
50:48
confronted
50:49
with
50:50
is
50:51
who
50:51
they
50:51
are.
50:52
And
50:53
who
50:53
they
50:54
are
50:54
in
50:54
the
50:55
midst
50:55
of
50:55
all
50:56
of
50:56
this.
50:58
And
50:58
if
50:58
we
50:58
read
50:59
verse
50:59
30
51:00
and
51:00
31,
51:01
for
51:02
many
51:02
years
51:03
you
51:03
bore
51:03
with
51:04
them
51:04
and
51:04
warned
51:05
them
51:05
by
51:05
your
51:05
spirit
51:06
through
51:06
your
51:06
prophets,
51:07
yet
51:07
they
51:08
would
51:08
not
51:08
give
51:08
ear,
51:10
therefore
51:10
you
51:10
gave
51:11
them
51:11
into
51:11
the
51:11
hand
51:12
of
51:12
the
51:12
peoples
51:12
of
51:14
the
51:14
lands.
51:15
Nevertheless,
51:17
in
51:17
your
51:17
great
51:17
mercies
51:18
you
51:18
did
51:18
not
51:19
make
51:19
an
51:19
end
51:19
of
51:20
them
51:20
or
51:20
forsake
51:21
them,
51:21
for
51:22
a
51:22
gracious
51:22
and
51:23
merciful
51:24
God.
51:27
It's
51:28
the
51:28
story
51:28
of
51:29
the
51:29
Old
51:29
Testament.
51:31
So
51:31
often
51:31
again
51:32
and
51:32
again
51:32
you
51:33
find
51:33
it
51:33
the
51:35
God
51:35
who
51:36
is
51:36
pursuing
51:37
his
51:38
people,
51:39
the
51:39
God
51:39
who
51:39
is
51:39
showing
51:40
grace
51:40
to
51:41
his
51:41
people,
51:41
a
51:42
people
51:42
who
51:42
so
51:42
often
51:43
aren't
51:43
looking
51:44
for it,
51:44
a
51:44
people
51:45
who
51:45
so
51:45
often
51:46
don't
51:46
deserve
51:47
it,
51:47
a
51:47
people
51:48
so
51:48
often
51:48
resisting
51:49
this
51:50
grace.
51:52
And
51:52
who
51:52
don't
51:52
appreciate
51:53
what
51:54
they
51:54
have.
51:56
And
51:57
yet
51:57
God
51:57
is
51:58
merciful
51:59
and
51:59
gracious
51:59
and
52:00
kind.
52:02
You
52:03
find the
52:03
word
52:03
they
52:04
is
52:05
mentioned
52:05
so
52:06
often
52:06
in the
52:07
prayer.
52:08
As
52:09
they are
52:09
praying,
52:09
they
52:10
turned
52:11
their
52:11
back,
52:12
they
52:13
disobeyed.
52:14
This
52:14
kind of
52:15
looking
52:16
to the
52:16
past,
52:17
it's
52:17
remembering
52:18
the
52:18
journey
52:19
of
52:20
their
52:20
ancestors,
52:21
what
52:21
the
52:21
Lord
52:21
brought
52:22
them
52:23
through.
52:24
Now
52:25
for us
52:25
as we
52:25
would
52:26
come
52:26
to
52:26
this,
52:27
we
52:27
might
52:27
think,
52:28
well,
52:28
it's
52:28
a
52:28
way
52:28
of
52:28
blame.
52:30
They
52:30
went
52:31
wrong,
52:32
not us,
52:33
they
52:33
went
52:34
wrong.
52:35
And
52:36
when we
52:36
think of
52:36
the things
52:37
we've
52:37
done
52:37
ourselves,
52:39
is that
52:40
the
52:40
approach
52:40
that we
52:41
have?
52:42
Blame
52:42
someone
52:43
else.
52:45
Somebody
52:46
else's
52:46
fault.
52:48
We
52:48
look for
52:49
someone
52:49
to
52:49
blame.
52:50
It's
52:50
often
52:50
a
52:51
natural
52:51
reaction.
52:53
You
52:54
can
52:54
think
52:54
of
52:54
many
52:55
different
52:55
things
52:56
you
52:56
could
52:56
blame
52:56
in
52:56
your
52:56
own
52:57
life.
52:58
We
52:59
blame
52:59
a
53:00
generation
53:01
that we
53:01
live in
53:02
that's
53:03
turning
53:03
away
53:03
from
53:04
God.
53:05
We
53:05
can
53:06
blame
53:06
the
53:06
government
53:07
who
53:07
are
53:07
passing
53:08
rules
53:08
that
53:09
go
53:09
against
53:10
the
53:10
laws
53:10
of
53:11
God.
53:12
We
53:12
can
53:12
blame
53:13
an
53:13
upbringing
53:13
perhaps.
53:15
We
53:15
can
53:15
blame
53:15
a
53:16
person.
53:16
They
53:17
they
53:18
they
53:19
it's
53:19
their
53:20
fault.
53:22
But
53:23
that's
53:23
not
53:23
what
53:24
they're
53:24
doing
53:24
here.
53:26
They're
53:26
not
53:27
looking
53:27
to
53:27
the
53:27
past
53:28
here
53:28
and
53:29
blaming
53:29
somebody
53:30
else.
53:32
They
53:33
are
53:33
looking
53:33
at
53:34
they
53:34
as
53:36
what
53:36
they
53:36
are
53:36
too.
53:38
They
53:38
got it
53:39
wrong
53:39
and
53:41
we
53:41
are
53:41
suffering
53:41
too
53:42
because
53:43
we
53:43
get it
53:44
wrong.
53:46
Someone
53:46
spoke
53:47
of our
53:47
generation
53:48
as being
53:48
persuaded
53:49
by the
53:50
weightlessness
53:51
of God.
53:54
Weightlessness.
53:55
I.e.
53:56
there's
53:56
nothing
53:57
to him.
53:59
God
53:59
cannot
54:00
help.
54:01
What the
54:02
people here
54:03
were saying
54:03
was just
54:04
how weighty
54:05
God is.
54:07
How
54:07
great
54:07
God
54:08
is.
54:09
How
54:09
he is
54:10
the
54:10
God,
54:11
the
54:11
only
54:12
God
54:12
who
54:12
can
54:12
help.
54:15
Alistair
54:15
Begg
54:16
recently
54:16
put sin
54:17
like this.
54:18
He said
54:18
our
54:19
sins
54:19
are
54:20
simply
54:21
the
54:21
outward
54:21
manifestation
54:22
of
54:23
our
54:23
personal
54:24
decision
54:25
to
54:26
suppress
54:26
the
54:26
truth
54:27
about
54:27
God
54:28
and
54:28
thereby
54:29
pursue
54:30
whatever
54:30
it is
54:31
that we
54:31
have
54:32
decided
54:32
to put
54:33
in the
54:33
place
54:33
of
54:34
God.
54:36
That's
54:37
what the
54:37
people are
54:37
experiencing
54:38
here.
54:38
They may
54:39
be saying
54:39
they
54:40
got
54:40
wrong
54:40
in the
54:41
past
54:41
but
54:42
they're
54:42
also
54:43
saying
54:43
it's
54:43
our
54:43
sins.
54:45
Our
54:45
sins,
54:46
our
54:46
personal
54:47
decisions
54:47
have
54:48
landed
54:49
us
54:49
in
54:49
this
54:49
too.
54:52
In
54:52
verse
54:53
26
54:53
where it
54:54
speaks
54:54
about
54:54
they
54:55
put
54:56
the
54:56
law
54:57
behind
54:57
their
54:57
back.
54:59
It's
54:59
exactly
54:59
the
55:00
same
55:00
as
55:01
what
55:01
they
55:01
were
55:01
doing
55:02
as
55:02
well.
55:04
But
55:04
they
55:04
are
55:04
beginning
55:05
to
55:05
realize
55:05
that
55:06
the
55:06
God
55:07
who
55:07
was
55:07
able
55:07
to
55:07
help
55:08
in
55:08
the
55:08
past
55:09
is
55:09
the
55:10
God
55:10
who
55:10
is
55:10
able
55:10
to
55:11
help
55:11
now
55:11
if
55:12
they
55:12
will
55:12
confess
55:13
their
55:14
sins
55:14
and
55:15
turn
55:15
from
55:16
them.
55:17
And
55:17
that
55:18
is
55:18
for
55:18
us
55:18
too.
55:21
The
55:21
God
55:21
who
55:21
has
55:21
helped
55:22
his
55:22
people
55:22
in
55:22
the
55:23
past
55:23
is
55:24
the
55:24
same
55:24
God
55:25
today.
55:26
The
55:26
same
55:27
God
55:27
who
55:27
is
55:27
gracious
55:28
and
55:29
merciful,
55:30
who
55:30
is
55:30
able
55:31
to
55:31
pardon
55:32
all
55:32
our
55:33
sins.
55:33
But we
55:36
must
55:37
confess
55:38
our
55:39
sins.
55:40
The
55:40
things
55:41
that we
55:41
have
55:41
done
55:42
that we
55:43
shouldn't.
55:44
But even
55:45
the things
55:45
that we
55:46
haven't
55:46
done
55:47
that we
55:47
should,
55:49
we need
55:49
to confess
55:50
them
55:51
all.
55:53
There's a
55:53
book called
55:54
Why Prayers
55:55
Are
55:56
Unanswered.
55:57
And in
55:58
this book
55:58
there's a
55:59
story told
56:00
about a
56:00
boy who
56:01
found
56:01
a big
56:02
cigar
56:03
in his
56:04
father's
56:05
house.
56:07
I'm
56:07
sure
56:07
maybe
56:08
many of
56:08
us have
56:09
been in
56:09
this
56:09
situation
56:10
ourselves
56:10
in the
56:11
past.
56:12
He
56:12
took
56:12
the
56:12
cigar,
56:14
slipped
56:14
outside
56:15
down an
56:15
alley,
56:16
and decided
56:17
to light
56:18
it up.
56:19
It
56:19
didn't
56:20
taste
56:20
good,
56:21
but it
56:22
made him
56:22
feel like
56:23
a man.
56:24
It
56:24
made him
56:24
feel
56:24
grown up,
56:26
and so
56:26
he carried
56:26
on puffing
56:27
away on
56:28
it until
56:29
he saw
56:30
his father
56:30
coming.
56:31
And then
56:32
it was
56:32
panic
56:33
stations.
56:35
And he
56:35
quickly hid
56:36
the cigar
56:37
behind his
56:37
back.
56:38
And his
56:38
father was
56:39
coming towards
56:40
him, and
56:41
he was just
56:41
trying to
56:42
act casual.
56:44
But he
56:44
thought, I've
56:45
got to divert
56:45
my father's
56:46
attention away
56:47
from what's
56:48
happening here
56:48
to something
56:49
else.
56:50
And across
56:50
the street
56:51
there was a
56:51
billboard
56:52
advertising a
56:54
circus.
56:55
And so he
56:55
said quickly
56:56
to his
56:56
father,
56:57
Can I go,
56:58
Dad?
56:58
Can I go
56:58
to the
56:58
circus?
57:00
When it
57:00
comes to
57:00
town,
57:01
we should
57:01
both go.
57:04
Well, he
57:04
learned a
57:05
lesson that
57:06
day by
57:07
his father's
57:08
reply.
57:10
He said,
57:10
Son,
57:13
never make
57:14
a request
57:15
at the
57:16
same time
57:17
you're trying
57:17
to hide
57:18
a smoldering
57:19
disobedience.
57:22
The father
57:22
knew what
57:24
was going
57:24
on.
57:25
He couldn't
57:26
hide it
57:27
from his
57:27
father.
57:28
But his
57:29
father knew
57:30
too the
57:31
request that
57:32
he wanted.
57:34
But he
57:34
had to
57:34
deal with
57:35
the
57:35
disobedience
57:36
first.
57:38
And that's
57:39
the way
57:40
our father
57:41
in heaven
57:41
is too.
57:43
We cannot
57:44
come to
57:44
him hiding
57:45
sin behind
57:46
our back.
57:48
We cannot
57:49
keep on
57:49
sinning and
57:50
make a
57:51
request to
57:52
God.
57:53
We need
57:53
to confess
57:54
our sin,
57:55
to bring
57:57
them to
57:58
God in
57:59
order to
58:00
move
58:00
forward.
58:03
The people
58:03
here were
58:04
confessing
58:05
their sins,
58:06
learning from
58:07
the past
58:08
sins of
58:09
the people
58:09
and coming
58:10
to the
58:11
God who
58:12
was able
58:12
to help.
58:15
So the
58:16
final thing
58:17
we want to
58:17
take from
58:18
this chapter
58:19
is the
58:19
people's
58:20
present
58:21
need.
58:22
And it's
58:23
our need
58:23
too.
58:24
You see
58:25
the story
58:26
of the
58:27
people of
58:27
God in
58:28
the past
58:28
that so
58:29
much is
58:29
said of
58:30
in Nehemiah
58:31
chapter 9
58:32
speaking of
58:32
beginning of
58:34
creation,
58:34
Abraham and
58:35
the covenant,
58:36
children of
58:37
Israel and
58:37
the exodus
58:38
going into
58:39
the promised
58:39
land,
58:40
to the
58:42
people
58:42
present
58:43
in
58:44
Nehemiah's
58:45
day.
58:46
It's the
58:47
same need
58:47
as for
58:48
our day.
58:50
It's our
58:51
need too
58:52
because we
58:53
are all
58:53
part of
58:54
this
58:54
ongoing
58:55
story.
58:56
The
58:57
ongoing
58:57
story of
58:58
God's
58:59
people who
59:00
reject God
59:01
one minute
59:01
but then
59:02
cry for
59:03
help the
59:04
next.
59:06
Throughout
59:07
this prayer
59:08
and throughout
59:08
the scriptures
59:09
you find
59:10
it's this
59:11
back and
59:11
forth.
59:14
Faithfulness
59:14
to God
59:15
one minute
59:16
putting
59:17
his law
59:17
behind her
59:18
back the
59:19
next.
59:19
what we
59:21
need to
59:22
see is
59:22
who God
59:23
is.
59:25
You have
59:26
made
59:27
heaven
59:27
and earth.
59:30
You have
59:30
kept
59:31
your promise.
59:33
You are
59:33
the God
59:34
who is
59:34
ready to
59:35
forgive,
59:37
to hear
59:37
these words
59:38
that would
59:39
bring us
59:40
out of
59:40
hiding
59:40
and bring
59:42
us to
59:42
him.
59:44
Because
59:45
this language
59:46
is familiar
59:47
to us
59:48
all.
59:49
Because we
59:50
are all
59:50
a people
59:51
of
59:52
rebellion.
59:53
We can
59:54
all say
59:55
God
59:56
you have
59:57
been
59:57
faithful.
59:58
I have
59:59
been
59:59
unfaithful.
1:00:01
You have
1:00:02
been loving.
1:00:04
I have
1:00:04
been lukewarm
1:00:05
towards you.
1:00:08
You have
1:00:08
been committed
1:00:09
to me
1:00:10
and I have
1:00:11
been fickle
1:00:12
towards you.
1:00:14
That's the
1:00:15
story of
1:00:16
our life.
1:00:19
It's a
1:00:19
language that
1:00:20
is probably
1:00:21
familiar with
1:00:22
every one
1:00:23
of us.
1:00:23
Myself
1:00:24
too.
1:00:26
How God
1:00:27
is good
1:00:27
and yet
1:00:29
we don't
1:00:29
listen.
1:00:31
We don't
1:00:31
deserve
1:00:32
his mercy.
1:00:34
And it
1:00:35
all becomes
1:00:36
very
1:00:37
personal.
1:00:39
And that's
1:00:40
because that
1:00:41
is exactly
1:00:41
what the
1:00:42
gospel is.
1:00:44
It is
1:00:44
personal.
1:00:45
it is
1:00:47
between you
1:00:48
and God.
1:00:52
It is
1:00:52
between me
1:00:53
and God.
1:00:57
Have you
1:00:58
and have
1:00:59
I
1:01:00
have we
1:01:01
been a
1:01:01
people that
1:01:02
have put
1:01:02
the law
1:01:03
of God
1:01:03
behind our
1:01:04
back?
1:01:07
Have you
1:01:08
have I
1:01:08
been a
1:01:09
people
1:01:10
who have
1:01:11
sought to
1:01:11
try and
1:01:11
hide our
1:01:12
sins
1:01:12
behind our
1:01:14
back?
1:01:16
Have you
1:01:16
have I
1:01:17
been a
1:01:17
people who
1:01:18
have thought
1:01:18
God is
1:01:20
just weightless?
1:01:22
God is
1:01:22
not powerful.
1:01:23
God
1:01:24
cannot deal
1:01:25
with my
1:01:26
sin.
1:01:28
What do we
1:01:29
think of
1:01:30
when we
1:01:30
think of
1:01:31
rebuilding
1:01:32
and renewal?
1:01:34
What do
1:01:35
we need?
1:01:36
this is
1:01:39
pointing us
1:01:40
towards
1:01:40
what we
1:01:42
all need
1:01:42
a
1:01:44
redeemer
1:01:44
a
1:01:46
savior
1:01:46
one who
1:01:48
can take
1:01:48
us out
1:01:49
of this
1:01:50
situation
1:01:51
and into
1:01:52
a place
1:01:53
where we
1:01:53
know
1:01:54
salvation
1:01:55
with him.
1:01:57
We need
1:01:58
Jesus.
1:01:59
we need
1:02:01
him as
1:02:02
lord and
1:02:03
redeemer.
1:02:05
We need
1:02:05
him as
1:02:06
the one
1:02:06
who is
1:02:07
able to
1:02:08
renew our
1:02:09
lives,
1:02:10
to make
1:02:11
the difference
1:02:12
in our
1:02:13
lives,
1:02:14
to know
1:02:14
his
1:02:15
great
1:02:16
salvation.
1:02:19
That is
1:02:20
what the
1:02:20
people needed.
1:02:21
That is
1:02:22
why they
1:02:22
come to
1:02:23
the point
1:02:23
in verse
1:02:23
38,
1:02:25
well,
1:02:25
the end
1:02:26
of verse
1:02:27
37,
1:02:28
we are
1:02:28
in great
1:02:29
distress.
1:02:31
That is
1:02:32
where they
1:02:32
are brought
1:02:33
to.
1:02:34
That's
1:02:34
where we
1:02:35
should be
1:02:35
brought to
1:02:36
as well.
1:02:36
We are
1:02:36
in great
1:02:37
distress.
1:02:39
Because of
1:02:40
all this,
1:02:41
we make
1:02:42
a firm
1:02:42
covenant
1:02:43
in writing.
1:02:46
They return
1:02:47
to God,
1:02:49
to the
1:02:50
God who
1:02:50
is merciful,
1:02:51
the God
1:02:52
who is
1:02:53
gracious,
1:02:54
and we
1:02:56
can come
1:02:56
to God
1:02:58
too.
1:02:58
we can
1:03:00
come to
1:03:01
him who
1:03:02
came to
1:03:03
give us
1:03:04
life,
1:03:05
the one
1:03:06
who is
1:03:07
the answer
1:03:08
to all
1:03:09
our
1:03:10
troubles.
1:03:11
Somebody
1:03:12
once put
1:03:13
Jesus'
1:03:14
life like
1:03:14
this,
1:03:16
and how
1:03:16
he is
1:03:16
able to
1:03:17
help us
1:03:18
in all
1:03:19
our
1:03:19
different
1:03:20
needs.
1:03:20
It says,
1:03:21
he began
1:03:23
his ministry
1:03:23
by being
1:03:25
hungry,
1:03:25
thirsty,
1:03:26
yet he
1:03:27
is the
1:03:27
bread
1:03:28
of life.
1:03:30
Jesus
1:03:31
ended
1:03:32
his earthly
1:03:33
ministry
1:03:33
by being
1:03:34
thirsty,
1:03:35
yet he
1:03:36
is the
1:03:37
living
1:03:37
water.
1:03:39
Jesus
1:03:40
was weary,
1:03:42
yet he
1:03:42
is
1:03:43
a rest.
1:03:45
Jesus
1:03:46
wept,
1:03:47
yet he
1:03:48
wipes
1:03:48
away
1:03:48
our
1:03:49
tears.
1:03:49
sinners.
1:03:51
Jesus
1:03:51
was sold
1:03:52
for 30
1:03:53
pieces of
1:03:53
silver,
1:03:54
yet he
1:03:55
redeemed
1:03:55
the world.
1:03:58
Jesus
1:03:58
was brought
1:03:59
as a
1:03:59
lamb to
1:03:59
the slaughter,
1:04:01
yet he
1:04:01
is the
1:04:02
good shepherd.
1:04:04
Jesus
1:04:04
died,
1:04:06
yet
1:04:07
by his
1:04:08
death,
1:04:09
he destroyed
1:04:10
the power
1:04:11
of death
1:04:12
and gives
1:04:13
us
1:04:14
life.
1:04:16
We have
1:04:17
sin
1:04:18
past,
1:04:19
we have
1:04:20
sin
1:04:21
present,
1:04:22
we have
1:04:22
a great
1:04:23
need,
1:04:24
but we
1:04:25
have a
1:04:25
great
1:04:25
God,
1:04:27
for you
1:04:27
are a
1:04:28
gracious
1:04:28
and a
1:04:29
merciful
1:04:30
God,
1:04:32
and that's
1:04:32
the God
1:04:33
who we
1:04:33
want to
1:04:33
go forward
1:04:34
with,
1:04:35
to be
1:04:36
renewed
1:04:36
with.
1:04:38
Nehemiah
1:04:39
wasn't just
1:04:40
about walls,
1:04:42
it was
1:04:43
about people
1:04:44
and their
1:04:45
relationship
1:04:46
with God,
1:04:48
that they
1:04:48
would have
1:04:49
a fresh
1:04:49
start with
1:04:51
their faithful
1:04:51
God.
1:04:53
Is that
1:04:54
our longing
1:04:54
tonight?
1:04:56
Is that
1:04:57
our longing
1:04:57
day by
1:04:59
day,
1:05:00
a fresh
1:05:01
start,
1:05:02
to begin
1:05:03
again,
1:05:04
because we
1:05:05
all need
1:05:06
renewal,
1:05:07
on a
1:05:07
daily basis,
1:05:09
and it's
1:05:10
available to
1:05:11
us,
1:05:12
through
1:05:12
this
1:05:13
God.
1:05:15
So let's
1:05:16
end today,
1:05:17
as we
1:05:18
began this
1:05:18
morning.
1:05:20
Let's not
1:05:21
just be
1:05:21
hearers of
1:05:23
the word,
1:05:24
but let us
1:05:25
be doers.
1:05:27
Let us
1:05:28
hear what
1:05:29
God is
1:05:30
saying to
1:05:30
us,
1:05:31
to come,
1:05:33
to confess
1:05:34
our sin,
1:05:36
to plead
1:05:36
with him
1:05:37
who is
1:05:38
alone,
1:05:38
God,
1:05:40
who made
1:05:40
the
1:05:40
heaven and
1:05:41
the earth
1:05:41
and all
1:05:42
that is
1:05:42
in him,
1:05:44
who sees
1:05:45
our sin,
1:05:46
and yet
1:05:47
who is a
1:05:48
God who
1:05:48
is gracious
1:05:49
and merciful.
1:05:52
And may
1:05:52
we be
1:05:52
renewed
1:05:53
in him.
1:05:55
Let us
1:05:55
pray.
1:05:56
our
1:05:58
Father in
1:05:59
heaven,
1:06:00
we rejoice
1:06:00
in the
1:06:02
gospel for
1:06:02
it is a
1:06:03
story for
1:06:04
us all
1:06:04
to hear.
1:06:06
It's a
1:06:06
very personal
1:06:07
story that
1:06:07
speaks to
1:06:08
each one
1:06:09
of us.
1:06:10
It's not
1:06:10
just about
1:06:11
us collectively,
1:06:12
but individually,
1:06:14
for you know
1:06:14
us all by
1:06:15
name.
1:06:16
We cannot
1:06:17
stand before
1:06:18
you hiding
1:06:19
anything behind
1:06:20
our backs,
1:06:22
for you already
1:06:22
see it and
1:06:23
know it.
1:06:23
but help us
1:06:25
to come
1:06:25
confessing our
1:06:27
sin and
1:06:28
ready to
1:06:29
come to
1:06:30
you in
1:06:30
order to
1:06:30
receive the
1:06:32
blessing that
1:06:32
it brings,
1:06:34
to know you
1:06:34
as a
1:06:35
gracious and
1:06:36
merciful God.
1:06:38
So hear our
1:06:39
prayers and
1:06:39
continue with
1:06:40
us as we
1:06:41
ask all of
1:06:42
these things
1:06:42
in Jesus'
1:06:43
name.
1:06:44
Amen.
1:06:48
We're going
1:06:49
to conclude
1:06:50
by singing
1:06:51
to God's
1:06:51
praise in
1:06:52
Psalm 104.
1:06:53
Psalm 104,
1:06:59
we sing from
1:07:00
verse 31 to
1:07:01
36 in the
1:07:02
Singed Psalms
1:07:03
version,
1:07:04
page 138.
1:07:07
May the
1:07:08
Lord's
1:07:08
majestic
1:07:09
glory always
1:07:10
last and
1:07:11
never fade.
1:07:12
May the
1:07:12
Lord rejoice
1:07:13
and triumph
1:07:14
in the works
1:07:15
that he has
1:07:16
made.
1:07:16
When he
1:07:17
gazes on
1:07:17
creation,
1:07:18
earth begins
1:07:19
to shake
1:07:20
in fear.
1:07:21
At his
1:07:21
touch,
1:07:22
the mountains
1:07:24
tremble,
1:07:25
smoke and
1:07:25
flames of
1:07:26
fire appear.
1:07:27
We'll sing
1:07:28
these last
1:07:28
four stanzas
1:07:30
to God's
1:07:31
praise.
1:07:32
praise.
1:07:32
Amen.
1:07:32
Amen.
1:07:33
Amen.
1:07:33
Amen.
1:07:34
Amen.
1:07:35
Amen.
1:07:35
Amen.
1:07:37
Amen.
1:07:37
May the
1:07:38
Lord's
1:07:39
majestic
1:07:41
glory
1:07:43
always
1:07:45
last
1:07:47
and
1:07:47
never
1:07:49
fade.
1:07:50
May the
1:07:52
Lord
1:07:54
rejoice
1:07:54
joy
1:07:55
and
1:07:56
triumph
1:07:57
in the
1:07:59
works
1:08:01
that he
1:08:02
has
1:08:03
made.
1:08:05
When
1:08:05
he
1:08:06
gives
1:08:08
his own
1:08:09
creation,
1:08:12
earth
1:08:13
begins
1:08:14
to shake
1:08:16
in fear.
1:08:18
At his
1:08:20
touch,
1:08:21
the mountains
1:08:23
tremble,
1:08:25
smoke and
1:08:27
flames of
1:08:29
fire
1:08:30
appear.
1:08:33
To the
1:08:34
Lord
1:08:36
throughout
1:08:37
my
1:08:38
lifetime,
1:08:40
to my
1:08:42
God,
1:08:43
I will
1:08:44
sing
1:08:45
praise.
1:08:47
May
1:08:47
my
1:08:48
meditation
1:08:51
please
1:08:53
him,
1:08:53
as to
1:08:55
him
1:08:56
my
1:08:57
song
1:08:57
I
1:08:58
raise.
1:09:00
But
1:09:01
may
1:09:02
sinners
1:09:03
flee
1:09:04
before
1:09:06
him,
1:09:07
and
1:09:08
the
1:09:09
wicked
1:09:10
be
1:09:11
no
1:09:12
more.
1:09:14
Praise
1:09:15
be to
1:09:16
the
1:09:17
Lord
1:09:18
Almighty,
1:09:21
O
1:09:21
my
1:09:22
soul
1:09:23
the
1:09:24
Lord
1:09:25
adore.
1:09:29
After the
1:09:29
benediction,
1:09:30
I'll go to
1:09:30
the door to
1:09:31
my left.
1:09:32
We'll close
1:09:32
with a
1:09:32
benediction.
1:09:34
Now may
1:09:34
grace,
1:09:35
mercy,
1:09:35
and peace
1:09:36
from God,
1:09:37
Father,
1:09:38
Son,
1:09:38
and Holy
1:09:38
Spirit rest
1:09:39
upon and
1:09:40
abide with
1:09:41
you all now
1:09:42
and forever
1:09:42
more.
1:09:43
Amen.
1:09:46
Amen.
1:10:16
Amen.