Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / A Focus in the Midst of Change

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A Focus in the Midst of Change · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Well, thank you for your welcome, not just this morning, but over the last couple of
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weeks.
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It's a great privilege and delight to be here with you as an assistant minister.
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We seek God's blessing on our worship and our ministry together as we go forward.
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Friday night was a lovely evening together, and again, thank you to all who were involved
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in that and for your generosity towards us as a family as well.
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We're going to begin our worship this morning by singing to God's praise in Psalm 1a, the
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Sing Psalms version, Psalm 1a.
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We're going to sing from verse 1 to 6, the whole of the psalm to the tune Creator.
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Blessed is the one who turns away from where the wicked walk, who does not stand in sinners'
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paths or sit with those who mock.
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Instead, he finds God's holy law, his joy and great delight.
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He makes the precepts of the Lord, his study day and night.
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We'll sing the whole of this psalm to God's praise.
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Let's sing the whole of the psalm to the psalm to the psalm.
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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CHOIR SINGS
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In the air life, the child that's blown now me,
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they will not stand when judgment comes,
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or with the righteous thing.
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It is the Lord who sees and knows the way the righteous flow,
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that those who live an evil lie, the Lord will overthrow.
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Let's throw an ear to God in prayer. Let us pray.
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Our gracious Father in heaven, as we come and bow our heads before you as a holy and living God,
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we thank you that the way is opened up for us to come and approach you in prayer,
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to come offering our petitions before you, everything that is in our hearts, Lord, for ourselves as a people,
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and for the world in which we live, and for your cause throughout this world.
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We thank you that you are the creator of the heavens and the earth, and all that we see around us.
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It is formed by the word of your power and by your finger, Lord.
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We thank you that you have framed the world and the skies and the stars in it.
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We thank you that everything that we see has your touch upon it,
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and that even as a people, as we gather here, we recognize, too, that we are formed and made in your image and your likeness,
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and that you have given us a great purpose in this world, to be your people and to worship you.
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But we know, too, that as your word tells us, that we are a people who so often do wrong.
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We are sinners. We fall short of your glory. We fail in your purposes so often.
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But we thank you that your word directs our paths, and it leads us, Lord, to see the way to return through repentance,
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through coming to you by faith, that you are the one who is able to forgive our sins,
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and that you have made every provision for that, that you sent your own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this world for sinners such as we are.
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That he came to gather his people and to draw them to himself.
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And we thank you that today and always that your spirit is working, that you are a God who is faithful, who is ever building his church.
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We are reminded in your word that your kingdom comes and comes with power.
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So we pray to know, Lord, your presence with us here today.
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We remember those tuning in online as well.
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We thank you that we offer up our praise and worship together, that we come with that great desire in our hearts to hear the living word,
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to hear of a glorious Savior, the one who bore our sins on the cross.
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And help us to focus on Jesus, to know him as a friend that stays closer than any brother, the one who is with us always, through the night and through the day, and through each and every day of our lives.
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May we come to put our trust in him and to seek to walk closely with him.
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We do thank you, Lord, for every reason of thanksgiving we have.
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We thank you that every good and perfect gift is from above and from the one who changes not.
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And so we thank you for your great faithfulness towards your people down through all the generations.
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That you are a God who has brought your people through so many experiences, highs and lows.
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As we look at your word, we are reminded so often of a people who have been blessed and a people who wander.
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But we thank you for the Spirit that guides and who helps us and leads us.
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We thank you for the way the gospel has come to our own land.
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We see it today as such a great privilege that has been here, we think, always.
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But we know it is a gospel that has come with great cost and a great price to many.
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Many were persecuted.
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Many gave their lives for your cause.
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And help us to remember that and not to take things for granted.
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For as we live in a world that is ever changing and there is animosity towards the gospel,
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there are great challenges in our own day.
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Help us that we will stand for your cause.
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That we will look to you to pour out your blessing on this place, upon our islands, upon our nation and upon the world.
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Lord, we thank you that all that seems impossible with us is possible with you.
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And so may you guide us in all that we do and help us to know your strength and your blessing upon us.
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We do thank you as we unite together as a congregation here that we are a praying people.
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We thank you for all the prayers of your people over these past weeks and months.
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We thank you, Lord, for the cause of your kingdom here.
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For every ministry that has taken place up to this point.
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And we thank you for every minister who has preached the gospel.
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For all who have served in so many different ways.
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And for all who continue to serve, Lord.
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We pray your strength and your blessing upon us.
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We thank you for the ministry of Reverend Kenny I.
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McLeod.
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And we thank you for him and his family.
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We remember them today.
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Giving thanks for their ministry here over many years.
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And praying for him, Lord, as he is now in his retirement.
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We pray that you will encourage him and strengthen him.
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And particularly as a family at this time.
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With his mother unwell.
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With his mother unwell.
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We pray, Lord, that you will guard them and be with them.
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Surround them with your presence.
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We do pray for all who need you in different ways.
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We thank you that, although we may have little knowledge of one another at this point.
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That you are a God who knows us all.
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And that every need is known unto you.
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We remember those who are unwell.
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Especially in the midst of so much COVID going around our communities at this time.
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We pray for your protection.
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Your keeping upon us as a people.
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For restoration and health.
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For people to be able to get out once more.
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And especially to be able to return to the place of worship.
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We remember those with other illnesses.
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Those in hospital.
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Those in homes.
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Those who are struggling in different ways.
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In body and in mind.
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And in soul.
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We know the struggles are there so often.
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And we pray, Lord, that we will be able to share one another's burdens.
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And to be there for one another.
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And to be able to call upon your name.
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As the one who is able to help.
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Remember those who mourn and grieve in our communities as well.
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Near and far.
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We thank you that you are a God of all comfort.
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And may you, O Lord, bless and give help.
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And strengthen all the times of need.
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We thank you for reasons to give thanks as well.
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Even in this past week.
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We thank you for the wedding that took place on Thursday.
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We do continue to pray for James and Marion.
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In the outset of their marriage.
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May you bless them.
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May you be with them.
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May you pour out your spirit upon them.
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That they will know your great peace and blessing in their lives.
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Bless their families too.
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As we commit them to you.
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Look after them, Lord.
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And care for them as well.
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So we thank you that in all things that we are able to look to you.
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We thank you for our young people.
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Thank you for the school holidays just now.
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We pray your blessing on teachers and staff and children alike.
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That you will refresh them over these days.
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We thank you for all the young ones here.
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For the work of Cresce and tweenies today as well.
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We pray your blessing on them as well.
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As they gather in a few moments.
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So Lord, may you lead us in your word today.
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May you remember us as a people.
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And hear our prayers for your cause here.
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Throughout our land.
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For our leaders.
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For our Queen.
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And for all your church.
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Throughout the nations of the world.
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May your spirit be poured out.
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In a great day of your favour.
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And your blessing.
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Forgive us our sins.
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And continue with us now in our worship.
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And throughout this day.
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May we do all to your glory.
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We ask it all in Jesus' precious name.
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And for his sake.
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Amen.
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Well, it's good to see so many young people here today.
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It's hard to find you in such a big crowd.
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But I think you're scattered all over the church today.
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But it's lovely to see you.
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And I really look forward to getting to know you.
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As we come to minister in your midst.
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Now you may know my name.
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James has introduced me and told you my name.
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My name's Callum.
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Or Callum Murdo as some people call me.
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And it may be easy for you to remember one name.
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But I've got to have a problem.
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Because I'm going to have to remember lots of different names.
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As I was saying on Friday night.
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It's not one of my great strengths.
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Remembering people's names.
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So bear with me.
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As I learn your names and learn about you.
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And how do you learn about people?
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What do you need to do to learn about people?
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I wonder what you have to do.
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Well, probably the easiest thing to do is to speak to people.
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Isn't it?
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Just to come up and to speak to people.
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And to ask, what's your name?
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How old are you?
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Maybe don't ask Joanne that though.
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She might not tell you the truth.
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You never know.
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But you get to know people by asking them questions.
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And talking to them.
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So I look forward to getting to know you in different ways.
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And in different places.
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Whether it's meeting you in the hall.
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As we go through to have a cup of tea and some juice.
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Or seeing you maybe in the school.
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Or just meeting you out and about in different places.
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I look forward to getting to know you all.
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And indeed all the congregation here as well.
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So as I said on Friday.
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Just stop me at any time.
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And come and speak to me.
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But the great thing is that maybe when we don't know each other very well.
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We can speak about someone who knows us all very well.
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And we want to speak about who we read about in the Bible.
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And how we read there about God.
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And about what he has done for us.
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How he knows everything about us.
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Nothing's hidden from him.
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He knows your name.
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And sometimes that can be quite hard to imagine and understand.
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But God knows your name.
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And he knows everything about you.
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One of my favorite Psalms in the Bible is Psalm 139.
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And that Psalm tells us about the knowledge that God has about us.
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He knows everything about us.
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He knows our sitting down it says.
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Our rising up.
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He knows about everywhere we go.
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And it doesn't matter where we go in the world.
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Or how far away we might be from people we know and love.
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He knows and is there with us.
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Wherever we go he is with us.
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It says in the Psalm.
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Take eye the morning wings and dwell in utmost parts of sea.
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Even there Lord shall thy hand me lead.
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Thy right hand hold shall me.
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It's a great promise in God's word there.
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And that's our prayer for all the young people here.
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Indeed all of us here today.
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That we will get to know each other.
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And get to know one another's names.
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But above all that we'll remember the Lord.
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Who knows our name.
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And who knows everything about us.
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And that we will come to delight together in getting to know him more and more.
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As we get to know each other more and more.
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May the Lord bless you always.
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And look after you.
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Each and every day as we get to know each other.
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More and more in coming weeks.
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Well we're going to share in the Lord's prayer together.
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And say the Lord's prayer together.
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You'll find it on the notice sheet there.
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So I'll start us off.
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And we all join in with the Lord's prayer.
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Our Father which art in heaven.
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Hallowed be thy name.
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Thy kingdom come.
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Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
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Give us this day our daily bread.
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And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
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And lead us not into temptation.
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But deliver us from evil.
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For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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We'll sing again to God's praise now in Psalm 63.
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And again it's in the Sing Psalms version of Psalm 63.
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We're going to sing from verse 1 to verse 8.
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And the tune is Weram.
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O God you are my God alone.
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I seek your face with eagerness.
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My soul and body thirst for you in this dry weary wilderness.
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We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 8.
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We'll sing from verse 1 to 8.
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To God's praise.
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O God you are my God alone.
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I seek your face with eagerness.
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I seek your face with eagerness.
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My soul and body thirst for you in this dry weary wilderness.
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I seek your face with eagerness.
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I seek your face with eagerness.
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I seek your face with eagerness.
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Your glory and the glory have my face.
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Our nature is pure love of life.
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And so my lips will sing your praise
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I bless you, Lord, throughout my life
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And raise my hands to you in prayer
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My joyfulness will sing your praise
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My soul is fed with riches here
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Upon my bed I lie away
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And in my thoughts remember you
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I meditate throughout the night
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And keep your constant love in you
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Because you are my help alone
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In shadow of your wings I sing
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You hold me up with your right hand
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To you, O God, my soul will cling
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We'll turn together to read in God's word
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in the book of Psalms
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The book of Psalms and Psalm 37
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Psalm 37
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We're going to read from verse 1 down to verse 26
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It's a psalm of David
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Fret not yourself because of evildoers
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Be not envious of wrongdoers
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For they will soon fade like the grass
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And wither like the green herb
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Trust in the Lord and do good
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Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness
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Delight yourself in the Lord
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And he will give you the desires of your heart
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Commit your way to the Lord
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Trust in him and he will act
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He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
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And your justice as the noonday
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Be still before the Lord
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And wait patiently for him
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Fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way
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Over the man who carries out evil devices
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Refrain from anger and forsake wrath
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Fret not yourself
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It tends only to evil
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For the evildoers shall be cut off
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But those who wait for the Lord
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Shall inherit the land
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In just a little while the wicked will be no more
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Though you look carefully at his place
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He will not be there
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But the meek shall inherit the land
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And delight themselves in abundant peace
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The wicked plots against the righteous
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And gnashes his teeth at him
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But the Lord laughs at the wicked
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For he sees that his day is coming
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The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
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To bring down the poor and needy
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To slay those whose way is upright
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Their sword shall enter their own heart
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And their bows shall be broken
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Better is the little that the righteous has
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Than the abundance of many wicked
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For the arms of the wicked shall be broken
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But the Lord upholds the righteous
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The Lord knows the days of the blameless
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And their heritage will remain forever
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They are not put to shame in evil times
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In the days of famine
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They have abundance
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But the wicked will perish
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The enemies of the Lord are like the glory
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Of the pastures
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They vanish
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Like smoke they vanish away
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The wicked borrows but does not pay back
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But the righteous is generous and gives
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For those blessed by the Lord
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Shall inherit the land
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But those cursed by him
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Shall be cut off
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The steps of a man are established
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By the Lord
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When he delights in his way
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Though he fall
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He shall not be cast headlong
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For the Lord upholds his hand
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I have been young
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And now I'm old
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Yet I have not seen
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The righteous forsaken
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Or his children begging for bread
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He is ever lending generously
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And his children become a blessing
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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
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To look at that psalm
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We're going to sing
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Once again to God's praise
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In Psalm 73
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In the Scottish Psalter
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Page
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A316
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Psalm 73
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At verse 23
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In this psalm we see
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The psalmist
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Perplexed by many things
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Wondering about many things
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That are going on around him
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He feels that the Lord
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Is so far removed from him
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And he says in verse 21
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My heart was grieved in me
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And my reigns oppressed
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But he says I was rude
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And I was ignorant
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And in thy sight a beast
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Then at verse 23
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There's this real turning point
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In the psalm
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Where he says
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Nevertheless
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Continually
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O Lord
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I am with thee
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Thou dost me hold
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By my right hand
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And still
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Upholdest me
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We're going to sing
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From verse
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23
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Down to the end of the psalm
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To the tune
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Tiverton
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And still
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Thou dost me hold
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By my right hand
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And still
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And still
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Abortest me
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Thou with thy counsel
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While I live
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Build me conduct
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And guide
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And to thy glory
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Afterward
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Receive me
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To the night
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To the night
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Up I in the heaven's sight
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But thee
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O Lord
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Alone
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And in the earth
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Who I beside
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Besides thee
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There is none
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My flesh
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A heart
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A faint
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Unfail
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But God
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Doth fail
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Me
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Never
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For
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O my heart
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God
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God is the strength
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And portion
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Forever
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For
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Though they
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That are
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Far from thee
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Forever
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Perish
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Shall
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Then
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That
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Thou
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Hold it
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From
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Thou
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Thou
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Thou
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Thou hast
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Destroyed
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All
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But
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Surely
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It is
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To
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For
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Me
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That
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I
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Draw
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Here
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To
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God
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Then
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Lord
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I
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Trust
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That
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All
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Thy
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Words
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I
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May
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Declare
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The
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Lord
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Well if we can turn back to the reading we had in the book of Psalms in Psalm 37.
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Our focus this morning is going to be on verse 1 to verse 9.
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You can just read a few verses from the beginning.
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Fret not yourself because of evil doers.
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Be not envious of wrongdoers.
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For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
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The green herb.
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Trust in the Lord and do good.
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Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
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Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
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We live in a world that is ever changing.
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We always have change around us in so many different ways.
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I am sure every one of us as we look back over our lives we see and we reflect often on the changes that we have seen taking place.
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Whether it is just looking at ourselves.
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The changes in ourselves.
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Or the changes in our communities.
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The changes in our islands.
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The changes in the church.
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The changes in our nation.
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The changes in our world.
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Change is there all the time.
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And some change is good.
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Some change is always necessary.
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But there are other times when change just seems to worry us and cause us great anxiety.
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We look around our world today and I am sure we have so many questions about what is happening.
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What is happening in our own islands.
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What is happening in our nation.
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What is happening in our world.
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Where are we heading.
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lequel ten times when can you have commanded people to pantry.
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Ne reviewing and do that toward God.
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But theaint passion is actually big, teaching Paul Christ.
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You have now heard the religion of the town on earth.
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And you have now within our own.
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Even those who haveДингlias.
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A tremendous job going through.
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On other ف Mai.
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We have now heard the change of prais.
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We make Giulie taxes maybe better at this time.
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The century in our place.
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And your claim will increase all the issues.
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Are these remove all the issues and people that are good.
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So for real life go.
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How often do we know people את voit disabled people about to their degree.
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And the certain things that we have
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So how one says Ephem shoes would you probably own pain in our 자�łybiacilly.
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Do you love how green gardens it will openly?
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his word that reminds us that there are times, even in the psalmist's life, when he had so many
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questions of the Lord asking why or for how long are these things going to go on. We are surrounded
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by change. And even today as I come to minister here, it is because of change. A change in our
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own personal circumstances, a change for you as a congregation. And for us as a congregation now,
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a change of ministry. Change is everywhere, but it's how we react in change and how we go forward
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in the midst of change that is important. And that's what I want to reflect on from this psalm
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together today. In this psalm, we see David reflecting in his own life and in the midst of all that he has
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seen changing in his own experience and in the experience of God's people and in the experience
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of the world around him. You read in verse 25 of this psalm, and it gives you an insight into the
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stage that the psalmist is at. He says, I have been young and now I'm old, yet I have not seen the
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righteous forsaken. David is able to look around in his old age and reflect on all the change that he
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has seen. But in it all, he is able to take confidence and to take heart in the midst of all
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of this change. As you read through this psalm, the theme from the outset is very clear where his main
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concerns of change that he has seen is taking place. The opening verse tells us,
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fret not yourself because of evildoers. Be not envious of wrongdoers. He's seeing the experience of God's
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people and his own experience of life as so often where it seems that those who have no thought of
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God, no interest in God or his ways, those who are committing evil and wrongdoings on a regular basis,
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they're the ones that seem to be prospering. They're the ones who seem to be getting on well.
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Whereas he may look on the lives of God's people and he will see many of them struggling. He's had his own
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struggles and he's seeing others who are struggling in many different ways. But his response to this is
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to call his people, God's people, to trust in the Lord. And he gives them a focus. And that focus
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is on the one who changes not. And so as we come together today, that is where our focus needs to be.
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As we look at the world around us or our own individual lives and all the anxieties, all the
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worries we may have, we come to focus on the one who changes not and to go forward together with our
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focus on him. There's a hymn that has this line in it that says, yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the
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same. All may change, but Jesus never. Glory to his name. To go forward with that in mind, Jesus the
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same yesterday, today, and forever. He never changes that we may come to give glory to his name.
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So in verse 1 to verse 9 here, David gives a number of commands for God's people to follow.
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But there are four particular commands that he gives that give us a real sense of focus on the
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Lord. So wherever we are, whatever stage of life we are at today, whatever we are doing in life today,
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there is encouragement for us all to fix our eyes on the Lord and for Jesus to be our focus.
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And David gives us four direct commands that focus our attention on the Lord today. And it's these four
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commands I want us to think about briefly. There is the command to trust in the Lord. There is the command
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to delight yourself in the Lord. There is the command to commit your way to the Lord. And there is the command
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to be still before the Lord and wait on the Lord. So it's these four commands I want us to look at. First of all,
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trust in the Lord.
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The commands he gives are in light of the problems of an ever-changing world, where the wicked are
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prospering. And what is the problem that that causes for God's people? Well, as David opens the psalm,
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he reminds us, he tells us one of the greatest problems it gives to us. He says,
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fret not yourself because of evildoers. Do not be jealous or envious of wrongdoers.
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We can think of the word fret or fretting. And we think about maybe as being anxious or worried.
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And as we look at a world where so much change is taking place and so much evil seems to be around,
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and we think it makes us worried or anxious. But this word goes deeper than that. There is so much
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more to this word. It's a stronger word than just being anxious or worried. At the root of this word
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is anger, being angry. And it's an anger that is a burning hot anger, a rage, and a rage that consumes you.
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Now, there are times when we are rightfully angry about what happens in this world. There is a righteous
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anger. But there are other times when we can let anger consume us. And anger take our focus away
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from the Lord. And often throughout this psalm, as you read through it, this is highlighted for us,
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the danger of our anger consuming us. But even in our anger at what's happening,
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God, David, by the word of God, is telling us, fret not. Don't let your anger consume you.
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Because if you remain in an angry state, what does it do to you? It robs you of your joy. It robs you of
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your peace. It can paralyze you. And you are not effective in anything that you are doing.
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If you allow anger to consume you, it is not going to do you good. We can have a righteous anger
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about what we see, but it's what we do with that. And that's what David is guiding us to here. We may
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look around our own town here. We may look around our islands and all around us when we see change and
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evil going on. We may look around our own. We may look around our own. We may look around our own.
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But we don't want that anger to consume us. And that's the point that David is making here.
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Fret not yourself because of evil. Don't be envious or jealous towards them because what it says,
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they will soon fade away. But instead, he says, he gives us these commands. You as God's people,
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in your anger, in your worries, in your concerns, look to the Lord. This is the antidote. It is to begin
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by trusting in the Lord. Trust in the Lord and do good. Overcome evil by good, it says in another part
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of Scripture. Don't let your anger distract from the work that you are to do for the Lord,
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to go forward trusting in him. It is to walk by faith and not by sight. Even in our fretting,
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even in our anger, we must remember that even though things appear in our vision to be going
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completely out of control, that change may be hurting so many people, that God is in control.
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We are to look through the eyes of faith and to remember God is still working out his eternal
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purposes for us. We must learn to trust the Lord in all of life, to be angry but not consumed,
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and go forward trusting in the Lord. Martin Luther, the great reformer, who was used by God in such an
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amazing way to bring the church back in a right track. He spoke about what it meant to trust the Lord.
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And he said this in his own life story. He said,
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I have one preacher that I love better than any other on earth. And you may be expecting that this
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would be some man who's preaching God's word. Well, it wasn't. He said, I have one preacher that I love
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more than any other. It is my little tame robin, a little bird. And he said, this bird preaches to me
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daily about what it means to trust. He said, I put crumbs out of my windowsill, especially at night.
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And every day, day after day, this bird will come and hop on the windowsill when he wants his food.
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And he takes as much as he wants. He satisfies his hunger. And then he'll go and he'll hop up on the
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tree. And he'll lift his head and he'll start tweeting away as if he's praising God for all his
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goodness. And then he'll put his head down under his wing and go to sleep. And with no worry for what
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tomorrow will bring, because tomorrow will take care of itself. And he says, is that how we are not to be
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with God? That God will supply our every need on a daily basis. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
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So don't let your anger consume you. Don't let your anger take away and distract you from trusting in
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the Lord first and foremost. In an ever-changing world, do we have that trust? David, in his old age
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and learned experience, has learned he needs to trust the Lord. Just like the book of Proverbs says
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in chapter 3, trust in the Lord with all your heart. So instead of letting anger burn and consume you,
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may it turn us instead to hearts like those who met with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, hearts that are
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burning for the Lord, rejoicing in the Lord and trusting the Lord. So that's the first command then,
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trust in the Lord. The second command is delight in the Lord. Trust is more than just words, it's action.
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It's showing our faith in action. That's why David progresses here from trust to delight. Delight
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yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Again, verse 1 speaks about
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those who are prospering in life, but with all the wrong motives and no thought of God. And it highlights
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for us how easy it is to be jealous, how easy it is to look on these people and think, well, if only I was
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like that, if only I had that in my life. But it's only temporary. Are you envious? Are you jealous of what
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others have in life without God when they seem to be getting on so well? Do you ever think, why am I
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struggling as a Christian? Why does nothing ever seem to go right in my life? These people who don't
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even trust God, everything is going right for them. My life could be so much different. Maybe I should
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just go the way that they have gone. But they are rejoicing. They are delighting in something that is
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only temporary. It will go. It will pass. But David is saying here, delight yourself in the Lord.
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That is what will keep you. That is what will help you go on. That is what will give you a focus
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going forward. Delight yourself in the Lord. He will give you the desires of your heart. He will give you
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not just what you may think you want. He will change your desires. He will focus your desires
43:40
to desire what is good and what is right. You'll be familiar with maybe giving three cheers to people.
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Maybe if you're at a birthday party or a wedding, sometimes they offer up three cheers for the
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individual or for the couple. It's about rejoicing with them, being happy with them. Well, a preacher
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once told his congregation of the three cheers of Christ and the reasons to delight in him. And he was
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reading from the King James Version, which uses the words cheer in the three different texts. And he
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says the three cheers of Christ are this, the cheer of forgiven sin. It says, be of good cheer. Thy sins
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are forgiven. Jesus' words. He said it also tells us of the cheer of companionship. Be of good cheer.
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Again, it is Jesus saying these words. It is I. Be not afraid to the disciples when they were afraid.
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And it's the third cheer was this, the cheer of victory. Jesus said, be of good cheer. I have
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overcome the world. And he went on to say these three cheers cover the whole of life. They deal
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with our past, our present, and our future. The sins of the past forgiven. The fellowship of Christ
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Christ is there in the present. And in the future, all will be revealed in the victory of Christ.
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The three cheers that we have in Christ. The reasons that we have to delight even a world that is ever
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changing. That in Jesus we have one who is able to forgive our sins. In Jesus we have one who is ever
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with us who is always faithful. And the cheer of victory that he has overcome the world. So what does
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your heart delight in today? Are you envious? Are you jealous? Are you thinking, oh, things could be so
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much better, so much different if I just went along with the ways of this world? David is saying, no,
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delight yourself in the Lord. Anything else is temporary. Again, Jesus says in Matthew 6,
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do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and
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steal. But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves
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do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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Let us go forward, not envying or jealous of others in the world who are without God,
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but instead delighting in the Lord. That is the second command we have.
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The third command we see here then is to commit your way to the Lord. In verse 5,
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trust in him and he will act. Commit your way to the Lord. And again, you see there's a progression
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here all the time. When you look at the picture of the psalm of the wicked prospering,
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the idea is that instead of worrying and fretting, what are we to do? We are to commit your way to the
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Lord. And what does this mean? Well, the word commit here means rolling something onto something else.
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If you're struggling to lift something or to carry something, you maybe roll it into a wheelbarrow,
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and that will help you carry it. If it's a bigger thing, you might put it onto a trailer that's going
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to carry it for you. You commit it to something else. You roll it onto something else. And so here,
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David is saying to us, commit, roll all your burdens, your ways to the Lord. Trust him and he will act.
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You see, the Lord doesn't want us to carry our burdens by ourselves. Jesus tells us in the New
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Testament to come to him, come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
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Roll yourselves onto me. Commit yourselves to me. In 1 Peter, he tells us, cast your burdens on the Lord,
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for he cares for you. Again, it's just this idea of committing everything to God, rolling everything
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onto him. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in him and he will act. We don't bear these burdens
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by ourselves. We have a God who cares and commands us to bring our burdens to him. As we heard on Friday
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evening in the service, we are in partnership with God. He is with us. And we are in partnership with
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one another. We carry one another's burdens too, and we commit all our burdens to the Lord. We are to
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trust in him. We bring our burdens together as a people in worship and in prayer. And beyond that,
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we look at everything that we want to do as a congregation and are doing as a congregation.
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And we want to roll it all onto God, to commit all of our ways to him and to see that he will act.
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Whether it's youth work or counseling work, whether it's the different groups that meet in the church
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throughout the week, whether it's the church opening when there's a cruise ship in or when the
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heb-kelt festival, whether it's visiting or fellowship, whatever we are doing, we are to commit our way
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to the Lord. You know, we could ask ourselves, are we where we want to be?
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Are we where we want to be as a congregation? I hope our answer would be no, that we would never be
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satisfied with where we are. While there are lost people, while there are perishing people around us,
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our work is never finished. We are to be active in the work of the Lord and committing our ways to
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the Lord, trusting him that he will act. We are to have the heart of Isaiah, who as the Lord was looking
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for those who would serve him, what did he say? He said, here am I, Lord, send me. There is work to be
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done. There is a commitment to the Lord. And let us all have that heart to say, Lord, here am I, send me.
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And as we have that heart, we see that as we trust in him, it says, he will act.
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God will act. It's not just about what we want to come to pass, but more importantly,
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what the Lord wants. Does the Lord want just a few to be saved? No, the Lord wants everyone to be saved.
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Do we? Is that our desire? Is that our longing as we minister together? Does God want us to struggle
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in the work each year and find it just a burden all the time? No, he wants us to prosper in the work so
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we can do more. Do we? Is that our desire as we seek to go forward in the ministry together?
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Would God just want us to look after what we have and to be satisfied with that? No. He wants us to go
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to all the people, all the nations. Do we? If we have a vision for the church here in Stormy and indeed
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further afield as we support and encourage many different ministries to go forward,
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can we say, are we there? Are we finished? No. We commit our way to the Lord. We roll all of our
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burdens onto the Lord and we trust he will act. It would be easy to look at the change that we see
52:40
around us in these days and be satisfied. COVID restrictions are easing, even though it's so
52:47
prevalent in our midst. The assistant role is filled. There have been new members recently at a
52:54
communion. There have been a number of baptisms and there's a couple to come yet. Be easy to think,
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it's been good, it's been nice, job done. It's never job done. It's unfinished and ongoing.
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And in this change we seek to commit our ways to God, trusting that he will act.
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The final thing, and just briefly we take from this, is that we are to wait on the Lord. In verse 7
53:27
and verse 9 you have that command, be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. And then verse 9,
53:36
for the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
53:45
You may think that this is where we should start. Wait on the Lord. But David shows us here a
53:54
progression and a path to follow. If we are, as we began, as we saw in verse 1, fretting, angry about what
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we are seeing around us, angry about the lack of interest in the gospel, angry about the evil in
54:11
this world, if we are fretting about all of these things, have you ever tried to pray when you're
54:19
angry? How difficult it is to pray when there's this burning anger in your heart. If we are angry
54:28
in all the changes that are taking place around us, we need to find a place where we bring that anger.
54:37
And that is to the Lord.
54:41
Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. He will deal.
54:46
What we are to do is to trust,
54:50
to delight,
54:51
to commit,
54:52
and to wait
54:54
on the Lord.
54:57
To wait on the Lord
54:58
is to know and believe
55:00
that He is sovereign,
55:03
that He is ruling,
55:04
that He works all things together for good
55:06
for those who love Him
55:08
and are called according to His purpose.
55:11
Somebody once said,
55:13
true patience
55:14
is waiting without
55:16
worrying.
55:18
We are anxious.
55:19
We are fearful about the world
55:22
that we live in.
55:25
But we remember
55:26
this is God's world.
55:28
And that He uses all things
55:30
for the good of His people.
55:33
There are difficulties in life.
55:35
There are challenges in life.
55:37
You see it in the Old and the New Testament.
55:40
You see it in the experience of God's people
55:43
always.
55:44
There are challenges.
55:46
There are things that are hard.
55:48
But as David said
55:50
in Psalm 73,
55:53
even in his own questions
55:55
and wondering and asking why,
55:58
where did his focus come
56:00
to trusting and waiting on the Lord?
56:04
Nevertheless, he said continually,
56:07
O Lord, You are with me.
56:11
To get to that place
56:12
of being still
56:13
and waiting on God
56:16
is to follow David's path here.
56:19
To trust God
56:21
with all our heart.
56:24
To delight in Him.
56:26
To commit our plans to Him
56:27
and let Him carry our cares
56:29
and concerns.
56:31
Then,
56:32
we will be able to be still
56:34
and wait
56:36
on the Lord.
56:38
We are always
56:39
in the midst
56:40
of change.
56:41
But let's remember the one
56:43
who changes not.
56:46
The one who is the same yesterday,
56:48
today,
56:49
and forever.
56:51
To look around us
56:52
and to see
56:53
the changes
56:54
that we have seen.
56:56
And yes,
56:57
in our anger about it,
56:59
not to let that anger
57:01
consume us,
57:02
but instead
57:04
to go forward
57:05
with our focus
57:06
on the Lord.
57:07
trusting,
57:09
delighting,
57:11
committing,
57:12
and waiting
57:12
on Him.
57:15
May God's Word
57:16
always guide us
57:17
and help us
57:18
to that end
57:20
that we may see
57:21
His blessing
57:22
upon us.
57:23
Let us pray.
57:27
Our Father,
57:28
in heaven,
57:29
we do rejoice
57:30
in Your Word.
57:32
A Word that
57:32
stills us,
57:34
a Word that
57:34
helps us
57:35
to recognize
57:37
our own issues,
57:39
to recognize
57:40
our own anger
57:41
in so many circumstances.
57:43
But above all,
57:44
to see where we bring
57:46
that anger,
57:47
to where we bring
57:48
those concerns,
57:50
to bring it to You
57:51
as the Lord
57:52
and God
57:52
who is sovereign
57:54
over all.
57:55
And may we come
57:56
to trust in You
57:58
and delight in You
57:59
and commit our ways
58:00
to You
58:01
and to wait upon You
58:03
that we would see
58:04
Your goodness
58:05
over us
58:06
and Your blessing
58:06
upon us.
58:08
For we ask it
58:09
in Jesus' name.
58:10
Amen.
58:15
Let's sing together
58:16
in conclusion
58:18
and to God's praise
58:19
in the psalm.
58:20
We've been looking at
58:21
Psalm 37
58:22
in the Scottish
58:24
Psalter version.
58:25
Psalm 37
58:33
at verse 3
58:35
said,
58:35
Thou thy trust
58:36
upon the Lord
58:37
and be thou doing good
58:38
and so thou in the land
58:40
shalt dwell
58:41
and verily have food.
58:43
We'll sing
58:43
verse 3 to 7
58:44
to the tune
58:45
Grafenberg
58:45
and we stand
58:47
to sing.
58:47
Psalm 37
58:48
at verse 3
58:49
and be thou doing good
59:04
and so thou in the land
59:09
shalt dwell
59:10
and reverie have food.
59:17
Give my thyself
59:20
and God yield him
59:24
thy heart's desire
59:28
to lead.
59:30
Thy way to God
59:34
form it in trust
59:38
it bring to God
59:41
shall he
59:43
and thy path
59:47
unto the light
59:50
he shall
59:52
thy righteousness
59:55
display
59:57
and he thy judgment
1:00:03
shall be forth
1:00:06
thy gloom
1:00:08
tide of the day
1:00:12
rest in the Lord
1:00:17
and patiently
1:00:20
wait for him
1:00:23
to not pray
1:00:27
for him
1:00:29
who cross
1:00:31
bring him
1:00:33
his way
1:00:35
such as
1:00:37
his sin
1:00:39
God gave
1:00:41
after the benediction
1:00:44
I'll go to the
1:00:45
main door
1:00:46
if you give me
1:00:47
a wee minute
1:00:47
to get out
1:00:48
we'll close
1:00:48
with the benediction
1:00:50
now may grace
1:00:52
mercy
1:00:53
and peace
1:00:53
from God
1:00:54
Father
1:00:55
Son
1:00:55
and Holy Spirit
1:00:56
rest upon
1:00:58
and abide
1:00:58
with us all
1:00:59
now and forever
1:01:01
more
1:01:02
Amen
1:01:02
I'll go on
1:01:20
let is怎麼樣
1:01:24
remembered