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Sharing the Vision · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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We'll begin our worship by singing to God's praise. We'll sing in Psalm 96a, in the Sing
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Psalms version, Psalm 96a, singing from verse 1 to verse 9, page 1 to 6 of the psalm book,
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the tune is Argyle, Psalm 96a.
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Oh, sing a new song to the Lord, sing praises to his name and his salvation day by day let
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all the earth proclaim.
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We'll sing from verse 1 to 9 to God's praise.
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O sing a new song to the Lord, sing praises to his name and his salvation day by day.
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Let all the earth proclaim.
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His glory and his mighty deeds to every love dear.
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How great that God saves the Lord, with him no gods compare.
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For other gods are good and stones.
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The Lord, we'll sing the Lord, in the name of God.
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The Lord, we'll sing by day.
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The Lord, we'll sing by day.
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The Lord, we'll sing by day.
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Of power and majesty and his, he dwells in glorious light.
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All nations do, the Lord has died, the glory that is due.
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Glory to God's name, the sky to God, and praise His name anew.
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Enter in the gates with joy and pain, an opening with you.
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Worship the Lord in holy fear, on earth, the core and the love.
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Let's unite our hearts together in prayer.
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Let us pray.
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Lord our God, our Father in heaven, to worship you anew this evening hour, we thank you for the praise which we come with.
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We thank you that we can come singing a song to the Lord, singing anew full of praise to you.
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For we thank you that that is a song that you have given to your people.
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A song that at one point we had no desire to sing and no longing for at all.
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But we thank you that so many of the Psalms describe to us that transforming power that you have.
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You're the one who is able to lift us up, to bring us out of the clay and set our feet on the rock as another describes,
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putting a new song in our mouth.
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We thank you, Lord, that we have a song of praise to sing.
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And we come this evening, Lord, to worship you as the living God.
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And we thank you that we come acknowledging your power and sovereignty,
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acknowledging your rule over us as a people and your world as a whole.
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For we are reminded in this Psalm how you are the one who has made the heaven's height and all that's contained in them.
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And so we come thankful that we have access to you in and through the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Thankful that we come not of any good in our sin, or righteousness of ourselves,
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but we come humbly through the righteousness of Christ.
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For we know that we are sinners, and yet we know too that there is power in the blood of Christ to forgive all our sins.
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That we have one who came to take our sins upon himself.
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All that we deserve, he took from us and bore our sins on the cross.
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And so we come, O Lord, looking to you this evening.
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Thankful for all that you have done.
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Thankful for all that we can come with this evening.
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We are told to come with joy and bring an offering with us.
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And we come to offer whatever else we have, we come to offer praise.
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We offer our lives up to you, Lord.
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We offer all that we are and have up to you as our Lord and as our God.
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And we pray, Lord, that you will help us to be still in your presence this evening,
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to worship you aright.
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Come, O Lord, able to put all other things to one side.
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We acknowledge that our minds can be so cluttered and so busy.
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We can already be planning the week ahead.
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We can already be thinking about all that maybe lies ahead of us in this coming week.
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But we thank you, Lord, that you help us just for this time to be still and to know that you are God.
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And so, Lord, take away these distractions that so often keep us from hearing what you are saying to us.
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And give us ears to hear through your word and by your spirit.
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That you are speaking to us, your voice calling to us, to each of us, to come to you.
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Whatever situation we are in, if we are believing in you with all our hearts, we come leaning upon you.
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We come, O Lord, dependent upon you for all things.
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But perhaps others come, O Lord, not knowing that assurance of faith.
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Not knowing what it is to know the Lord Jesus as a personal Savior.
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Maybe knowing much about him and hearing your word many times and yet still not experiencing that life-changing moment.
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Of those who are still maybe struggling to understand you.
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Or seeking you with all their hearts but feeling as close to them.
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That, Lord, you would open the doors for them.
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That you would bring them into your heart.
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That you would bring in and build on those who are being saved.
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We thank you for the times of blessing that your church has enjoyed down through all the generations.
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We thank you for the times of blessing that you are in your word.
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As a people.
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Here in our midst as a congregation and as a community here, Lord.
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We long to see you enlivening us and quickening us in these days, Lord.
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When we see so much that we despair at and are despondent about.
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Lord, help us to lift our eyes to you.
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And to recognize you as the one who is able to change all that we see around us.
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And to change it for good.
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And the hearts that are hard towards you, Lord, you are able to suffer.
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Those who are angry against you.
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Those who so often curse you.
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Who despise your name and who reject you so often.
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We know, Lord, that they are many.
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But yet, Lord, you are able to transform.
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You are able to work in power.
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You are able to bring them to love you with all their hearts.
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As we heard this morning of Saul.
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How he met the Lord in the midst of a life of chaos.
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On his way to persecute Christians.
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He met with the Lord and his life was transformed so quickly.
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And we thank you that there is that testimony and witness through your word.
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And that we see it to this, Lord.
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You are able to do so much more than we ask or imagine.
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And that keeps us, Lord, coming to you in prayer.
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Because we cannot do it ourselves.
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We depend on you.
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So we come praying for you to work, oh Lord.
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Work in our families, in our homes, in our communities and workplaces around us, Lord.
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We pray to see your hand upon us for good.
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The good hand of the Lord we will read of this evening.
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We pray to see it here in our midst, oh Lord.
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And we thank you that your church has been here.
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And through the other islands as we pray for the communion season in our midst, Lord.
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We thank you for these times of refreshing around your word.
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And pray it would be so for those who are gathered even this evening in our back.
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We pray that they would have had a blessed weekend.
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And we pray for Reverend Rory Stott as he is ministering to them this evening.
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We pray, Lord, for the congregation as they gather.
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Even with some of our own young folk there as well, Lord.
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We pray it will be a time of blessing and refreshing to all.
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In the fellowship and in the preaching of your word.
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Your spirit will be present and be at work in power.
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We pray for the upcoming weekend as well in Calanation Cross with communions taking place there.
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We pray for your servants who will be ministering, Reverend Alistair MacLeod and Dr. Malcolm McLean.
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And we pray, Lord, that you will use them as instruments in your hands.
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As we heard again this morning, we pray, Lord, that they will be used by you as they proclaim the riches of Christ.
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There will be times of blessing and encouragement around your word.
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We pray that for our nation too.
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Lord, we thank you that there are many churches around our land here.
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We so often focus on the challenges that surround us as a nation and all that is wrong with us.
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We thank you, Lord, that many of our cities and towns and villages have a rich gospel witness.
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And we pray for your people, people who live in our town here over the summer months,
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who come from different parts of the land and different congregations.
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We pray, Lord, that where your word is preached with truth and authority,
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that your blessing will be upon it.
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That you will revive our land and bless us as a nation.
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Lord, turn us one more than towards you to know days of your power and your refreshing in our midst.
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We remember, Lord, our world as well and so much of what goes on around us, Lord.
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Yet again, we thank you that in the wilderness of the earth, you have your people scattered far and wide
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in many different lands among many different people.
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We thank you for your church that is being built.
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We thank you for your people who are faithful to you in all corners of the world.
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A praying people, a worshipping people, a people who worship the true and the living God,
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even in the midst of those who worship idols made of wood or stone or so many other materials.
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We thank you that there are those of your people pointing others towards the riches of Christ
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and the hope of the gospel and the joy of eternal life through him.
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And so we pray, Lord, that you will build up your church near and far
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and that we would see your glory present in all our lands throughout the world.
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Remember us as a people.
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We pray for you to be near with us, our homes and our families and all our loved ones.
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We commit them to you, O Lord, and ask that in every need we have that we will be able to come,
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to come with our burdens to you, to cast them upon you,
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and to be able, Lord, to see your hand giving us all that we need.
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Not maybe what we ask for, Lord, but we know that you will give as we need.
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You will give grace that is sufficient for every circumstance.
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And so we ask, O Lord, surround our people, surround them in different needs at this time.
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Those who are unwell, those who are concerned for loved ones,
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or just struggling in different ways at this time.
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O Lord, we commit them to you and ask that you will surround them and uphold them
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and be very near to them in all their different needs.
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Lord, we thank you for the blessing of fellowship and the blessing of prayer
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to be able to share together in all these different ways.
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And we pray, Lord, that you will hear us together,
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that you will hear our prayers even as we offer them up now,
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that you will hear our praise as we offer it up,
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and that as we come to your word, Lord, you will help us to hear you as you speak to us.
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So, Lord, guide our worship, guide us, guide our focus to you,
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and help us to lift our eyes up to you,
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and to look and depend on you for all things.
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So, Lord, go continue with us, we pray,
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with us in the week ahead as well, Lord,
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guide all our steps and all that we do and say.
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May it be to your glory and for your glory,
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and for yours alone.
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We ask it all for our sins, Lord,
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acknowledging how often we fall short,
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of how we sin in thought, word, and in deed.
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And yet, O Lord, we come,
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asking and pleading for forgiveness,
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for all our shortcomings.
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So, hear our prayers and continue with us, we ask.
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So, we ask it all in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Again, sing to God's praise, this time in Psalm 44.
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And let's sing Psalms.
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Psalm 44 on page 54 of the Psalm books.
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Psalm 44, we'll sing verse 1 to verse 8,
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the tune is Tiverton.
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O God, we with our ears have heard our fathers told us so,
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what you accomplished in their days and days of long ago.
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Your hand drove nations out and placed our fathers there,
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and said, you crushed the peoples,
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but you caused our tribes to grow and spread.
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We'll sing these verses, verse 1 to 8,
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Psalm 44, to God's praise.
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O God, we with our ears have heard our fathers told us so,
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what you accomplished in their days and days of long ago.
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You crushed the peoples, but you caused our tribes to grow and spread.
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You crushed the peoples, but you caused our tribes to grow and spread.
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In the name of the Lord, we with our fathers to grow and spread.
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It was not by their sword or arm that they possessed the land,
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but by your love and faith are shown,
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and by your mighty hand.
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You are my King and God, Lord, I forging all victories.
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Through you we travel down our foes and brought our enemies.
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My soul does not bring victory.
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Lord, do I trust my hope.
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You put our enemies to shame and overcome our foes.
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In God alone we make our roles,
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Rejoice in all day long.
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And to your name forevermore we offer praise in song.
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We'll turn together now to read in God's word in the Book of Nehemiah,
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in the Old Testament, Nehemiah chapter 2.
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We can read the whole of this chapter together.
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Nehemiah chapter 2.
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So Nehemiah chapter 2, taking up a reading at the beginning.
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In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Arcterxes,
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when wine was before him,
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I took up the wine and gave it to the king.
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Now I had not been sad in his presence.
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And the king said to me,
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Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick?
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This is nothing but sadness of the heart.
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Then I was very much afraid.
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I said to the king,
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Let the king live forever.
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Why should not my face be sad,
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When the city, the place of my father's graves,
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lies in ruins.
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And its gates have been destroyed by fire.
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Then the king said to me,
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What are you requesting?
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So I prayed to the God of heaven.
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And I said to the king,
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If it pleases the king,
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And if your servant has found favour in your sight,
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That you send me to Judah,
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To the city of my father's graves,
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That I may rebuild it.
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And the king said to me,
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The queen sitting beside him,
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How long will you be gone?
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And when will you return?
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So it pleased the king to send me,
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When I had given him a time.
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And I said to the king,
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If it pleases the king,
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Let letters be given to me for the government of the province,
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Beyond the river,
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That they may let me pass through until I come to Judah.
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And a letter to Asaph,
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The keeper of the king's forest,
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That he may give me timber to make beams,
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For the gates of the fortress of the temple,
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And for the wall of the city,
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And for the house that I shall occupy.
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And the king granted me what I asked,
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For the good hand of my God was upon me.
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Then I came to the leaders of the province,
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Beyond the river,
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And gave them the king's letters.
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Now the king had sent with me,
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Officers of the army and horsemen.
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But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this,
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It displeased them that no one had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.
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So I went to Jerusalem,
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And I was there for three days.
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Then I arose in the night,
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I and a few men with me.
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And I told no one what my God would do to my heart,
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To do for Jerusalem.
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There was no animal with me,
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But the one on which I rode.
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I went out by night,
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By the valley gate of the dragon spring,
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To the dung gate,
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And I inspected the walls of Jerusalem,
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That were broken down,
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And its gates that had been destroyed by fire.
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Then I went to the fountain gate,
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And to the king's pool.
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But there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass.
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Then I went up in the night by the valley,
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And inspected the wall.
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And I turned back and entered by the valley gate,
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And I turned.
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And the officials did not know,
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Where I had gone,
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Or what I was doing.
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And I had told the Jews,
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The priests,
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The nobles,
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The officials,
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And the rest,
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For where to do the work.
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Then I said to them,
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You see the trouble,
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How Jerusalem lies in ruins,
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With its gates burned.
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Come,
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Let us build the wall of Jerusalem,
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The longer suffer the Israel.
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And I told them of the hand of my God,
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That had been upon me for good.
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And also of the words that the king had spoken to me.
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And they said,
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Let us rise up and build.
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So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
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But when Sanballat the Horonite,
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And Tobiah the Ammonite,
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Heard,
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And Geshem the Arab heard of it,
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They jeered at us,
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And despised us,
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And said,
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What is this thing that you are doing?
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Are you rebelling against the king?
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Then I replied to them,
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The God of heaven will make us prosper.
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And we his servants will arise,
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And build up and build,
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And we will not have any portion or claim in Jerusalem.
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Amen.
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And may God bless that reading from his word.
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And before we turn back to look at this passage,
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And sing again to God's praise in Psalm 79,
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In the Scottish Psalter,
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Page 331.
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Psalm 79,
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Page 331.
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We are going to sing from verse 5 down to verse 9,
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The tune of St. Minver.
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How long, Lord, shall thine anger last?
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Will thou still keep the same?
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And shall thy fervent jealousy burn like unto a flame?
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We'll sing from verse 5 down to verse 9,
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Where it speaks of the glory of the Lord being the help towards his people.
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So we'll sing verse 5 to 9,
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To God's praise.
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So we'll sing verse 5 to 9,
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To God's praise.
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Amen.
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Come, Hu.
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And shall thy fervent jealousy burn like unto a hill?
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Amen.
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For that can also tend that to go?
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Or you'll sing from verse 6.
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Princeономette of the bus with ainsi presented to Class.
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Time,
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Ar Rock Centre,
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To God's praise,
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Lambë,
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no matter how long,
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Hear thy fervent jealousy chillin'.
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For that пл indic act shall I take zodiac Excellent.
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See her like a true affair.
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On his report, thy duty for the time ever known.
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And all those kingdoms within name have never called upon.
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For these are they who Jacob have devout with grueling.
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And they, his amity, his hope have caused ways to lie.
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Against us might not for mercies thy tender mercy show.
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Let there be a seedily for we all can be low.
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For thine is glory.
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Help us, Lord, to my Savior be.
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Deliver us for thine's sake.
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O march away our sin.
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Amen.
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We can turn back to our reading in Nehemiah chapter 2.
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And we can read again at verse 17.
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Nehemiah chapter 2 at verse 17.
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Then I said to them,
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You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates opened.
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Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.
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And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good,
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and also of the words that the king had spoken to me.
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And they said, Let us rise up and build.
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So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
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A few weeks ago now we were looking at chapter 1 of Nehemiah.
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That Nehemiah and the burden that Nehemiah had when he heard of the ruin that Jerusalem was in
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and the people and their despondency.
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And he was burdened for them.
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And it was a burden that he was taking to the Lord.
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Last week we were looking at the New Testament and we were looking at Colossians chapter 4.
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We were seeing Paul's team ministry and the people that he had around him
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and how so many people were used in different ways for the Lord.
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Times there as well.
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And we're thinking of linking the two together.
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However, we see Nehemiah, the fact that was to be done in Jerusalem,
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he couldn't do it alone in the same way as Paul couldn't do the ministry of the gospel
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that he would hope to do without having those who could help him and be with him along the way as well.
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We're thinking there of two men who were strong leaders in the church in their day.
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But since we looked at these two passages over these last few weeks,
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have you considered them for yourself?
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Have you thought about what does it mean for me as a member,
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as an adherent here in the congregation in Stornoway?
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What do these passages say to me in my own role in the church
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and how I might be serving the Lord or how I may be able to serve the Lord?
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Has it made a difference to the burden that you feel for this place
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or the vision that you have for this place, for this congregation, for this town,
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for the work of the Lord?
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As we return to Nehemiah this evening in chapter 2,
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we return with that remembrance of his burden for Jerusalem in our minds as well
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and the burden and vision that he had in Jerusalem.
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We saw in the opening chapter, chapter 1,
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a simple question that Nehemiah asked of his brother who had come to visit.
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A simple question turned his life upside down.
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In the beginning of chapter 1,
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Hanani, his brother, had come from Judah.
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Nehemiah asked him just a simple question,
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How are they in Jerusalem?
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How are they in Jerusalem?
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And the answer that he heard in verse 3 of chapter 1 was this,
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They said to him,
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The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame.
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The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are destroyed by fire.
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It wasn't the answer he would have been hoping for.
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And it was an answer that left him troubled,
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so much trouble that he said in verse 4 that as soon as I heard these words,
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I sat down and wept and mourned for days.
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He was distraught at what he had been told,
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about what he was hearing about his beloved Jerusalem and its people.
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They were in destruction.
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They were in shame.
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But he wanted to do something about it.
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There was a burden on him that would not go.
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And that is sometimes the way the Lord works in his people.
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Often he gives people a burden.
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A burden for a particular people.
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For a particular place.
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For a particular work.
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A burden that just will not go away.
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A burden that won't go away until we do something about it.
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And Nehemiah couldn't let this go until something was done about it.
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And do you know what makes this burden and vision of Nehemiah even more remarkable?
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This burden that he had for Jerusalem and its people.
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What makes it even more remarkable is this.
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He had never been there.
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He had never been in Jerusalem.
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He was born to parents who had been taken captive from Jerusalem.
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He was born about 900 miles away.
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As we read of him here, he's in Persia.
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In the capital of Persia, which was hundreds of miles away from Jerusalem.
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He'd never been there.
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And yet his heart was towards his homeland and his people.
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He just wouldn't know.
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And it made me think of how this year marked 100 years since the Metagama and the Marloch sailed from these shores.
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With hundreds of people belonging to our islands here who would never see this place again.
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And yet who had a great burden and a love for this place.
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And over the last year we've seen some of their family come over to see this place with a real heart and a longing and a burden for this place.
34:04
But it begs the question of us.
34:08
Do we have a real burden for this place?
34:12
Do we have a real love for this place and its people?
34:17
As we think of the kind of ruin that we're seeing around us again and again.
34:22
The ruin that sin brings into our lives and into our communities.
34:28
Does it make us weep and mourn?
34:32
Does it give us a burden for this place to see the gospel going out here and making a difference to our people?
34:41
And if we do, how do we grasp this burden prayerfully and practically?
34:47
How do we seek to fulfill this burden and this vision for our own town and our place to be a place blessed by God?
34:58
Well that's what we learn as we look to Nehemiah.
35:01
And how his burden that he just couldn't let go.
35:04
It became a reality.
35:06
It became something that he saw the good hand of the Lord at work in in so many different ways.
35:14
And how he encouraged and inspired a people to be involved in the work to the point that they would say in verse 18,
35:23
Let us rise up and build.
35:27
There are lessons we learn from Nehemiah and his leadership.
35:32
About a godly vision.
35:36
And about trusting God and going forward in his strength.
35:44
Paul in Colossians, he couldn't do the ministry alone.
35:49
The spread of the gospel, he couldn't do it by himself.
35:53
Nehemiah here, he couldn't rebuild the walls by himself.
35:58
He couldn't see God's hand for good upon the people by himself.
36:04
And neither can we.
36:06
We need a shared vision.
36:09
A vision that we all have and a burden that we all have together for the good of this place.
36:15
One church leader put it like this.
36:19
A godly vision is right for the times.
36:23
Right for the church and right for the people.
36:26
A godly vision promotes faith rather than fear.
36:31
A godly vision motivates people to action.
36:35
A godly vision requires risk taking.
36:38
A godly vision glorifies God and not people.
36:45
That's what Nehemiah's vision and his burden was like.
36:50
Let's pray that that would be our vision and our burden here in this town and for the place where the Lord has put us today.
37:00
To keep us going in the work of the Lord.
37:03
Encouraged.
37:05
Encouraged.
37:05
Good hand of the Lord upon us in all that we go to do for the Lord.
37:14
We're not going to look at every detail of the book of Nehemiah.
37:20
But we're going to take steps from key points here and look how we can learn from Nehemiah and the work that the people were involved in.
37:29
We read the whole of chapter 2.
37:33
But we're going to look at just the latter half of it.
37:35
Verse 9 down to the end of the chapter.
37:38
But we see the context in the whole of this chapter just for what was happening.
37:44
But you notice that there's a big change between verse 8 and verse 9.
37:50
Both in terms of time and in the place where they're based.
37:56
In verse 8, Nehemiah is still with the king in Persia.
38:02
He is still 900 miles away from Jerusalem.
38:07
But in verse 9, we've jumped forward probably around four months in time.
38:14
Nehemiah and those who were with him have traveled that journey of around 900 miles from Susa down to Jerusalem.
38:23
And this is where we pick it up.
38:25
So the time has moved on about four months.
38:28
The place has moved on.
38:30
Coming to Jerusalem.
38:32
Nehemiah seeing the place for the first time.
38:36
And tonight we're going to look at three lessons from Nehemiah's leadership here.
38:41
As he comes to share his vision and his burden with the people of Jerusalem.
38:47
And there's three things, three lessons to take with us.
38:52
First is this, a time to rest.
38:56
Secondly, we see a time to review.
39:00
And then thirdly, a time to rise.
39:05
So first, a time to rest.
39:08
You might expect Nehemiah to arrive at Jerusalem and immediately to get going with the work.
39:16
After all, when you read through the destruction that you see in the walls, how they're demolished, the gates are burned.
39:25
There's so much to be done.
39:26
You think he's just going to get going with it.
39:30
That may be our attitude.
39:31
When we see there's something that needs to be done.
39:34
We just need to get on.
39:36
There's so much to do.
39:37
Let's just get on with it.
39:39
Well, four months of traveling over 900 miles through harsh countryside would take its toll on anyone.
39:49
And so verse 11 gives us our first key lesson from Nehemiah.
39:55
And that is, fresh for the task.
40:01
In verse 11 it says,
40:02
Nehemiah, like us all, had his limits.
40:16
He had needs, both physical and spiritual needs, to be watched and guarded against first and foremost.
40:25
Three days after arriving in Jerusalem, he rested.
40:30
He didn't get on with the work.
40:32
Immediately, he took these days to rest, both physically and spiritually.
40:39
And it's interesting how you look at this chapter in Nehemiah.
40:43
Nehemiah had come to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.
40:47
And if you go to the previous book, Ezra.
40:50
And Ezra was similar to Nehemiah.
40:52
He was used by God, but for rebuilding the temple.
40:56
In Ezra chapter 8, verse 32, it says this.
41:01
It says this.
41:02
We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days.
41:07
They arrived in Jerusalem, and for three days they rested in the days of Ezra.
41:14
The same is true of Nehemiah.
41:16
We went to Jerusalem, and we were there three days.
41:20
So there's got to be a lesson there for us to learn.
41:26
Nehemiah was seeing how much there was to be done, and yet his immediate priority was to rest.
41:33
And how important is rest?
41:35
And how important is rest when we think of being involved in the world of the Lord today?
41:42
Today, the first day of the week, the Lord's Day, it's a reminder to us of the importance of rest.
41:49
It's a creation ordinance, as we call it.
41:53
Something that God put in place from the very beginning.
41:57
The Lord's Day, the seventh day, was to be a day of rest.
42:01
And we know ourselves that when we become tired, we're not as effective.
42:10
And if we are tired over a long period of time, our work will suffer.
42:16
Our production is not going to be what it should be.
42:19
Our service for the Lord isn't going to be what it should be.
42:23
And if the Lord is commanding rest for his people, we have to make sure that we are allowing for it.
42:30
Both personally, but also as a congregation.
42:35
That we don't burn people out.
42:39
Ezra knew it.
42:40
Nehemiah knew it.
42:42
The Lord Jesus himself knew the importance of rest.
42:48
Of keeping fresh in the work.
42:51
In the New Testament, you read of the Lord Jesus at the death of John the Baptist.
42:57
In Matthew 14, verse 13, after he'd heard the news,
43:02
When Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself.
43:09
Something you see often in the life of Jesus.
43:12
He finds a place to be by himself.
43:16
But he also knew the importance of it for his disciples too.
43:19
In Mark 6, verse 31,
43:23
Jesus having sent his disciples out two by two to go on the work of the spread of the gospel,
43:30
They had come back.
43:32
And he said to them as they returned,
43:33
He said to them,
43:34
Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.
43:40
For many were coming and going,
43:42
And they had no leisure even to eat.
43:45
The importance of rest is there for us to see.
43:50
And that's what the first lesson that we learn from Nehemiah.
43:55
He came to Jerusalem and was there three days.
44:00
We have to guard ourselves carefully.
44:06
To guard our people carefully from overexertion,
44:10
From being overtired, overworked.
44:14
When we are tired, like I said,
44:15
We won't achieve as much.
44:18
The enthusiasm will wane.
44:20
It will not be what it should be.
44:23
Rest is crucial.
44:25
It's a story of two woodcutters.
44:30
One was experienced.
44:31
One was just starting out,
44:33
But young and enthusiastic.
44:36
And he challenged the older man.
44:38
He challenged him to an all-day woodcutting competition.
44:44
And the challenger, the young man,
44:45
Worked hard all day.
44:47
Hardly stopped all day.
44:49
Just a brief lunch break.
44:50
And yet every time he was looking across to the older woodcutter,
44:55
He seemed to be sitting down and resting.
44:58
He couldn't understand it.
44:59
And he thought,
44:59
I'll be way ahead in this contest.
45:03
But at the end of the day,
45:04
The challenger was surprised to find
45:06
That the older man had chopped so much more wood than he had.
45:11
And he couldn't understand it.
45:12
I don't get it.
45:13
He said,
45:14
Every time I looked,
45:15
You seem to be taking a rest.
45:17
And yet I was working hard all day.
45:20
The older woodsman said,
45:23
But you didn't notice
45:24
That I was sharpening my axe
45:27
Every time I sat down to take a rest.
45:32
And so often,
45:33
We can be like that ourselves too.
45:37
We can just keep going,
45:38
Thinking we're affecting,
45:40
We're doing so much.
45:41
When in reality,
45:42
We could be achieving so much more
45:44
Just with a bit of rest.
45:47
We need physical rest,
45:50
But we also need spiritual rest as well.
45:53
Because Nehemiah in these three days
45:56
Had time to spend with God as well.
46:00
Because you find that God had put this burden
46:03
In his heart.
46:05
And God was still putting this burden
46:08
In his heart as well.
46:09
In verse 12 it says,
46:12
And I told no one
46:14
What my God had put in my heart
46:16
To do for Jerusalem.
46:19
It's a continuous tense.
46:22
It's an ongoing burden
46:24
That the Lord is placing in his heart.
46:27
And he was taking his time now
46:29
To be close with God.
46:32
And again,
46:33
There's a lesson there for ourselves as well.
46:36
To allow ourselves time
46:38
To listen to God
46:40
Before rushing in
46:41
To the work
46:42
That we seek to do for the Lord.
46:45
To be still
46:46
And listen
46:47
To the Lord.
46:48
We look around
46:49
And there's no shortage
46:50
Of things to do.
46:52
There's no shortage of things
46:53
That we could
46:54
And perhaps should do.
46:57
But Nehemiah gives us this lesson.
46:59
Take time
47:00
To be fresh
47:02
For the work.
47:04
Take time
47:04
To listen
47:06
To the Lord.
47:08
So that's the first lesson
47:10
That we learn
47:11
From Nehemiah.
47:13
The second lesson
47:14
Is this
47:15
Time
47:16
To review.
47:18
You would think
47:19
After three days
47:20
Refreshing himself
47:22
Right, it's time
47:23
Now to get on
47:24
With the work.
47:26
But like any good leader
47:28
He needs to know
47:29
What's ahead of him.
47:31
And so he takes time
47:33
To review.
47:35
To see himself
47:36
What is happening
47:37
Or what has happened
47:38
In Jerusalem.
47:40
From verse 13
47:41
Down there
47:43
To verse 16.
47:45
You see
47:46
He takes his time
47:47
Going around the city.
47:49
Inspecting
47:50
Everything that is
47:51
Going on
47:52
Around him.
47:55
An American businessman
47:56
Called Max Dupree.
47:58
He speaks
48:00
He spoke of the
48:01
Responsibility
48:02
Involved
48:03
In leadership.
48:04
He was a successful
48:05
Businessman
48:06
And he also wrote
48:08
Many books
48:09
On leadership.
48:10
And he said this
48:11
The first responsibility
48:13
Of a leader
48:14
Is to define
48:15
Reality.
48:17
Leaders need
48:18
To have a good picture
48:19
Of what is really
48:20
Going on
48:21
Around them.
48:22
And they need
48:22
To help others
48:23
Take an honest
48:24
Look
48:25
At this reality.
48:26
Now you might
48:28
Say to yourself
48:29
Why are we going
48:30
To listen
48:31
To a businessman?
48:33
What does he
48:34
Have to say
48:34
To us
48:35
Here in
48:36
Stornoway
48:37
Tonight?
48:38
Well the key
48:39
Lesson from
48:40
Max Dupree
48:41
Was yes
48:41
He was a very
48:42
Successful
48:43
Businessman
48:44
But first
48:45
And foremost
48:46
He was a
48:46
Christian.
48:48
He was a
48:48
Christian
48:49
Who put the
48:50
Lord
48:50
Front and
48:51
Foremost
48:52
In everything
48:53
That he did.
48:54
He is saying
48:57
When we're
48:58
Looking at
48:58
Doing anything
48:59
And work
49:00
And serving
49:01
As leaders
49:02
In the church
49:03
That we put
49:03
The Lord
49:04
First
49:04
Of course
49:05
We listen
49:06
We learn
49:07
From all
49:07
Kinds of
49:08
People
49:08
From all
49:09
Kinds of
49:10
Christians
49:10
From all
49:12
Kinds of
49:12
Walks
49:13
Of life
49:14
And the need
49:15
For reality
49:16
Is there
49:17
Before us
49:18
Not to be
49:19
Blinkered
49:20
To what is
49:21
Going on
49:22
Around us
49:22
Not to
49:23
Think
49:23
That we
49:24
Have all
49:24
The answers
49:25
And know
49:25
Exactly
49:26
What's
49:27
Going on
49:27
And what
49:28
Needs
49:28
To be
49:28
Done
49:29
We need
49:31
To take
49:31
Time
49:32
To review
49:33
We need
49:34
To take
49:34
Time
49:35
To listen
49:36
And to
49:36
See for
49:37
Ourselves
49:37
What is
49:38
Happening
49:39
Around us
49:40
What are
49:40
People
49:41
Thinking
49:41
How are
49:42
They engaging
49:43
With the
49:44
World
49:44
Or not
49:45
Engaging
49:45
With the
49:46
Gospel
49:46
We know
49:48
They need
49:48
The Gospel
49:49
But do
49:50
We really
49:51
Know how
49:51
To speak
49:52
To them
49:52
About it
49:53
Do we
49:53
Know the
49:54
Needs
49:54
Of those
49:55
Who are
49:55
Around us
49:56
We can
49:58
Learn
49:58
From others
49:59
And we
49:59
Shouldn't
50:00
Be scared
50:00
To do
50:01
So
50:01
There's a
50:03
Great example
50:04
For us
50:04
In scripture
50:05
One of the
50:06
Greatest
50:06
Leaders of
50:07
God's
50:07
People
50:08
Moses
50:09
Who had
50:10
Led the
50:11
Children of
50:11
Israel
50:11
From Egypt
50:13
Into the
50:13
Wilderness
50:14
He was
50:15
Struggling
50:16
To keep
50:16
On top
50:17
Of things
50:17
At one
50:18
Point
50:18
He was
50:19
Trying to
50:20
Do it
50:20
All by
50:21
Himself
50:22
He needed
50:23
To hear
50:24
Someone else
50:25
Coming
50:25
With some
50:26
Advice
50:26
To him
50:27
And it
50:28
Was his
50:28
Father-in-law
50:29
Jethro
50:30
Who came
50:30
To him
50:31
And saw
50:31
What was
50:32
Going on
50:32
And said
50:33
To him
50:33
What you
50:34
Are doing
50:34
Is not
50:35
Good
50:35
You and
50:37
The people
50:37
With you
50:39
Will certainly
50:39
Wear yourselves
50:40
Out
50:41
For this
50:42
Thing is
50:42
Too heavy
50:43
For you
50:43
You are
50:44
Not able
50:45
To do
50:45
It
50:45
Alone
50:46
He didn't
50:49
Take time
50:50
To review
50:50
Someone had
50:52
To come
50:53
To him
50:53
And tell
50:54
Him
50:54
What you
50:55
Are doing
50:56
Is not
50:57
Good
50:57
But for
50:59
Ourselves
51:00
What we
51:01
Learn here
51:01
From Nehemiah
51:02
Nehemiah
51:03
Who has
51:04
Known
51:04
In
51:05
Verse 8
51:06
The good
51:07
Hand of
51:07
My God
51:08
Was upon
51:09
Me
51:09
We learn
51:11
That we
51:12
Need
51:13
To
51:14
To
51:14
To
51:16
Define
51:16
The reality
51:17
Of what
51:18
Is going
51:18
On
51:19
Around
51:19
Us
51:20
The last
51:21
Nehemiah
51:23
One
51:23
I quoted
51:23
A man
51:24
Called
51:25
George
51:25
Barna
51:26
Again
51:26
A Christian
51:27
Writer
51:28
Who spoke
51:28
About vision
51:29
For the
51:29
Church
51:30
And one
51:30
Aspect
51:31
He spoke
51:32
Of was
51:32
This
51:33
Vision
51:34
Is a
51:34
Result
51:35
Of how
51:35
We spent
51:36
Much
51:37
Time
51:37
Absorbing
51:38
The facts
51:39
About the
51:40
Community
51:41
Taking
51:42
Time
51:42
To
51:44
Think
51:44
Things
51:44
And this
51:46
Is what
51:46
Nehemiah
51:46
Is doing
51:47
Taking
51:48
Time
51:49
To himself
51:50
To look
51:50
At the
51:51
Situation
51:51
And notice
51:53
How he
51:53
Does it
51:54
Discreetly
51:54
In verse
51:55
12
51:56
He says
51:57
I arose
51:58
In the
51:58
Night
51:59
And I
51:59
Had a
51:59
Few
51:59
Men
52:00
With me
52:01
Just a
52:01
Small
52:02
Group
52:02
They went
52:03
Out
52:04
To review
52:04
The
52:05
Devastation
52:06
Of
52:07
Jerusalem
52:08
One of
52:10
The reasons
52:10
Was
52:11
Because
52:12
There was
52:12
Opposition
52:13
Sanballat
52:16
And Tobiah
52:17
We've heard
52:17
Mention of
52:18
In verse
52:19
10
52:20
Will come
52:21
Back
52:22
Again
52:22
God
52:23
Willing
52:23
But there
52:24
Was those
52:24
Who were
52:24
Opposed
52:25
To the
52:26
Work
52:26
So he
52:26
Was doing
52:27
It
52:27
Discreetly
52:28
Doing it
52:29
Quietly
52:30
But taking
52:31
Some trusted
52:31
Men with
52:32
Him
52:32
To see
52:33
What was
52:34
Going on
52:34
Around
52:35
Is a
52:37
Bit like
52:38
He was
52:38
Starting
52:38
To grow
52:39
His team
52:40
But a
52:41
Review
52:41
Did
52:42
To be
52:43
Carried
52:43
Out
52:43
To see
52:45
The size
52:46
Of the
52:46
Task
52:47
Everywhere
52:48
They looked
52:49
The walls
52:50
Were in
52:50
Devastation
52:51
There was
52:52
Parts
52:53
They couldn't
52:53
Hardly
52:54
Get through
52:55
Because of
52:55
The devastation
52:56
That there
52:56
Was
52:57
But the
52:58
Review
52:58
Enabled
52:59
Them
52:59
To plan
53:00
And remember
53:03
Nehemiah's
53:03
Sorrow
53:04
In chapter
53:05
One
53:05
Heard
53:06
Of the
53:06
Devastation
53:07
Here he
53:08
Is now
53:09
Seeing it
53:10
For himself
53:11
For the
53:11
First time
53:12
And it
53:13
Could have
53:14
Made him
53:14
Go one
53:15
Of two
53:16
Ways
53:16
Just his
53:18
Sorrow
53:19
To consume
53:20
Him
53:20
At the
53:21
State of
53:22
Affairs
53:22
Before him
53:23
And perhaps
53:24
Looking in
53:25
The past
53:26
If only we
53:26
Had what
53:27
We once
53:28
Had
53:28
And losing
53:30
Focus
53:31
Or it
53:32
Could have
53:33
Put him
53:33
The other
53:33
Way
53:33
Determination
53:35
And trust
53:37
And faith
53:38
And hope
53:40
For the
53:40
Future
53:41
And that's
53:43
Where he
53:43
Goes
53:44
It gives
53:47
Him a
53:47
Determination
53:48
To know
53:50
The good
53:51
Hand of
53:51
The Lord
53:52
Upon them
53:53
And to
53:54
Go and
53:54
Do the
53:55
Work that
53:56
Was involved
53:57
And for
53:58
Ourselves we
53:59
Need to
54:00
Think of
54:00
This too
54:01
A review
54:03
Of what
54:04
We do
54:04
And why
54:05
We do
54:06
It
54:06
When we
54:07
See the
54:08
Devastation
54:09
Of sin
54:09
Around us
54:10
It may
54:11
Make us
54:11
Think of
54:12
Just a
54:13
Past
54:13
If only
54:14
Things were
54:15
The way
54:15
They once
54:16
Were
54:16
And we
54:18
Can get
54:18
Consumed
54:19
By that
54:20
Or it
54:22
Can put us
54:22
Another way
54:23
Determined
54:25
To go
54:25
Forward
54:25
In faith
54:26
Trusting
54:28
That rebuilding
54:29
Is possible
54:30
Trusting
54:30
That the
54:31
Lord
54:31
Is with us
54:32
We can
54:32
Know
54:32
The good
54:33
Hand of
54:34
The Lord
54:34
Upon us
54:36
The question
54:37
Is do we
54:38
Have that
54:39
Vision here
54:40
Do we
54:42
Have it
54:42
In ourselves
54:43
Do we
54:44
Have it
54:44
Collectively
54:45
Together
54:46
To review
54:48
What we
54:49
Are doing
54:49
And to
54:51
Ask ourselves
54:52
Challenging
54:53
Questions
54:53
At times
54:55
But to
54:56
Trust the
54:57
Lord
54:57
Going
54:58
Forward
54:59
The gospel
55:00
Doesn't
55:01
Change
55:02
But times
55:03
Change
55:04
People
55:05
Change
55:06
And we
55:07
Need to
55:07
Ask ourselves
55:08
Are we
55:09
Engaging in
55:10
The work
55:10
Of the
55:11
Gospel
55:11
In the
55:12
Best way
55:13
Possible
55:14
And doing
55:15
It all
55:16
For the
55:17
Glory
55:17
Of God
55:18
So the
55:20
Second
55:21
Lesson is
55:22
A time
55:23
To review
55:24
First
55:25
Rest
55:27
To be
55:27
Fresh
55:27
For the
55:28
Task
55:28
Second
55:29
A time
55:30
To review
55:30
But thirdly
55:31
And perhaps
55:32
More importantly
55:33
A time
55:35
To inspire
55:36
For the
55:37
Task
55:37
A time
55:39
To rise
55:40
When we
55:42
Look at
55:42
Nehemiah
55:44
As a leader
55:44
Here
55:45
This is where
55:45
You see him
55:46
Coming to the
55:47
Fore
55:48
He spent
55:48
His time
55:49
Resting
55:50
He spent
55:50
His time
55:51
Reviewing
55:52
But then you
55:53
See him in
55:53
Verse 7
55:54
17 and
55:55
18
55:56
Where we
55:57
See three
55:58
Things that
55:59
As a leader
56:00
He does
56:00
So well
56:02
First of all
56:04
You see what
56:05
He says there
56:05
In verse
56:06
17
56:06
Then I
56:08
Said to
56:09
Them
56:09
This is him
56:09
Now beginning
56:10
To show his
56:11
Vision to
56:12
The rest
56:12
Of the
56:13
People
56:13
He says
56:14
You see
56:15
The trouble
56:16
We are in
56:17
There is
56:19
A responsibility
56:21
To define
56:22
Reality
56:23
A good
56:24
Leader
56:24
Must have
56:25
And here
56:26
Nehemiah
56:27
Doesn't hide
56:28
The troubles
56:29
He doesn't
56:30
Hide the
56:30
Issues that
56:31
Are before
56:31
Them
56:32
And he
56:33
Claims
56:34
These issues
56:35
Himself
56:36
He doesn't
56:37
Blame them
56:38
For not
56:39
Having done
56:39
Anything up
56:40
To this
56:40
Point
56:41
He doesn't
56:42
Look to
56:42
The past
56:43
And blame
56:43
Those who
56:44
Have maybe
56:44
Doing any
56:45
Failures in
56:46
The past
56:47
He says
56:48
This is
56:48
Our
56:49
Trouble
56:50
We are
56:51
In this
56:51
Together
56:52
You see
56:53
The trouble
56:54
We are
56:55
In
56:55
And that
56:59
Is how
56:59
We are
57:00
To be
57:00
As well
57:02
He feels
57:04
A part
57:04
Of it
57:05
And he
57:05
Makes the
57:06
People feel
57:07
A part
57:07
Of it
57:07
All
57:08
Together
57:09
Instead of
57:10
Looking to
57:10
Blame
57:11
He's looking
57:12
For a
57:13
Solution
57:13
And surely
57:15
That is
57:16
What inspires
57:17
A prayerful
57:18
People
57:19
Not to
57:20
Look to
57:20
Blame
57:21
Anyone
57:21
For the
57:22
Situation
57:22
We find
57:23
Ourselves
57:24
In today
57:24
In a
57:25
Spiritual
57:25
Way
57:26
But to
57:28
Look for
57:28
The solution
57:29
To look
57:30
To God
57:31
And to
57:32
Trust
57:32
In him
57:33
We are
57:34
In this
57:35
Trouble
57:35
Together
57:36
You see
57:39
The trouble
57:40
We are
57:41
In
57:41
How
57:41
Jerusalem
57:41
Lies
57:42
In ruins
57:43
And the
57:43
Gates
57:43
Are burned
57:44
There is
57:45
The reality
57:46
Of the
57:46
Situation
57:47
And we
57:48
Need
57:48
The reality
57:49
But we
57:51
Need to
57:51
Realize
57:52
We are
57:53
In this
57:53
Together
57:54
Be a
57:56
Collective
57:57
Vision
57:58
A
57:59
Collective
57:59
Burden
58:01
And that's
58:02
The second
58:03
Thing that we
58:03
See of
58:04
Nehemiah's
58:05
Leadership
58:06
Here
58:06
He inspires
58:07
We are
58:10
In this
58:10
Trouble
58:11
He says
58:11
But then
58:12
In the
58:12
Middle
58:12
Of verse
58:13
17
58:13
He says
58:14
Come
58:14
Let us
58:16
Build the
58:17
Wall of
58:17
Jerusalem
58:18
That we
58:19
May no
58:19
Longer
58:20
Suffer
58:21
He gives
58:23
Them a
58:24
Call
58:24
And he
58:25
Gives
58:25
Them a
58:25
Purpose
58:26
Here
58:26
The work
58:27
Is put
58:28
Before them
58:29
But also
58:30
The goal
58:31
Not just
58:32
Doing something
58:33
For the sake
58:35
Of doing it
58:35
But doing it
58:36
With an
58:37
Outcome in
58:37
Mind
58:38
After reviewing
58:39
Where they
58:40
Should be
58:41
He says
58:41
Come
58:42
Let us
58:43
Build
58:44
Together
58:45
Let us
58:46
Build
58:47
The wall
58:48
Of Jerusalem
58:49
One
58:51
Commentator
58:52
Writing on
58:53
This verse
58:53
Says
58:54
Here is a
58:54
Man
58:55
Who is
58:55
Ready to
58:56
Work for
58:56
The Lord
58:57
But knows
58:58
Exactly
58:59
Why he
59:00
Is doing
59:01
It
59:01
Some
59:02
Church
59:03
Activities
59:04
Are habitually
59:05
Maintained
59:05
Largely
59:06
Because they
59:07
Have been
59:07
In existence
59:08
For some
59:08
Time
59:09
And the
59:10
Good people
59:10
Who work
59:11
In them
59:11
Are too
59:12
Busy to
59:13
Evaluate
59:13
Their
59:13
Purpose
59:14
Motives
59:15
And
59:16
Aims
59:16
Does that
59:18
Sound
59:19
Familiar
59:20
Does that
59:22
Sound like
59:23
Something
59:23
That we
59:26
Need to
59:27
Ask for
59:28
Ourselves
59:28
What are we
59:29
Doing and
59:30
Why
59:30
Getting one
59:33
Another to
59:34
Come and
59:35
Build the
59:36
Kingdom of
59:36
God
59:37
Here was
59:39
Nehemiah
59:40
The walls
59:41
Were burned
59:41
And ruined
59:42
The people
59:43
Were in
59:44
Dismay
59:44
And yet
59:45
He says
59:46
Come
59:46
Let us
59:47
Build
59:47
That we
59:50
May no
59:50
Longer
59:50
Suffer
59:51
Derision
59:52
That the
59:53
People of
59:54
God
59:54
May no
59:55
Longer
59:56
That the
59:57
Cause of
59:58
Christ
59:58
Would no
59:59
Longer
59:59
Be a
1:00:00
Choke
1:00:00
In this
1:00:01
Place
1:00:01
But that
1:00:03
Together
1:00:03
We would
1:00:04
See
1:00:04
The good
1:00:05
Hand of
1:00:06
The Lord
1:00:06
Upon us
1:00:07
Are we
1:00:09
Working
1:00:10
For the
1:00:10
Lord and
1:00:11
His
1:00:11
Cause
1:00:12
On our
1:00:13
Own
1:00:14
Or are
1:00:16
We doing
1:00:17
It together
1:00:18
Are we
1:00:19
Anticipating
1:00:20
The road
1:00:21
Ahead
1:00:21
As we
1:00:22
Look to
1:00:22
The church
1:00:23
As we
1:00:23
Look to
1:00:24
The work
1:00:24
Of the
1:00:25
Lord
1:00:25
May the
1:00:28
Lord
1:00:28
Inspire
1:00:29
Us
1:00:29
To have
1:00:30
A vision
1:00:30
And a
1:00:31
We too
1:00:33
Would come
1:00:34
To the
1:00:34
Point we
1:00:34
Have
1:00:35
In verse
1:00:36
18
1:00:36
When we
1:00:37
See the
1:00:37
People
1:00:38
Together
1:00:39
As
1:00:40
Nehemiah
1:00:40
Says
1:00:41
I told
1:00:42
Them of
1:00:42
The hand
1:00:43
Of my
1:00:43
God
1:00:43
That had
1:00:44
Been upon
1:00:45
Me for
1:00:45
Good
1:00:46
He shared
1:00:46
The Lord
1:00:47
Had been
1:00:48
Good to
1:00:48
Him
1:00:49
How the
1:00:49
Lord
1:00:49
Had blessed
1:00:50
Him
1:00:51
And put
1:00:51
This
1:00:51
Bird
1:00:51
Heart
1:00:53
And the
1:00:53
People
1:00:53
Respond
1:00:54
By saying
1:00:55
This
1:00:55
Let us
1:00:56
Rise up
1:00:57
And build
1:00:58
It's no
1:01:01
Longer
1:01:01
Nehemiah
1:01:02
Speaking
1:01:02
It's the
1:01:03
People
1:01:04
Let us
1:01:05
Rise up
1:01:06
And build
1:01:07
They're
1:01:07
They're
1:01:10
Engaged
1:01:11
With
1:01:11
Nehemiah's
1:01:12
Burden
1:01:12
And they
1:01:13
Are on
1:01:13
His
1:01:14
Side
1:01:14
Let us
1:01:15
Rise up
1:01:16
So they
1:01:18
Strengthened
1:01:19
Their
1:01:19
Hands
1:01:20
For the
1:01:21
Good
1:01:21
Work
1:01:22
Is there
1:01:23
Any
1:01:24
Greater
1:01:25
Work
1:01:25
To be
1:01:25
Involved
1:01:26
With
1:01:26
Than the
1:01:27
Good
1:01:27
Work
1:01:28
Of
1:01:29
God
1:01:30
There's
1:01:31
Reality
1:01:32
In what
1:01:33
He
1:01:33
Says
1:01:34
We're
1:01:35
In
1:01:35
Trouble
1:01:36
The
1:01:36
Word
1:01:37
Are
1:01:37
Burned
1:01:38
Down
1:01:38
But there's
1:01:39
Also a
1:01:39
Reminder
1:01:40
It is
1:01:41
The
1:01:41
Good
1:01:41
Work
1:01:42
Of the
1:01:43
Lord
1:01:44
Get on
1:01:45
To it
1:01:45
That's
1:01:47
Tonight
1:01:50
Do we
1:01:51
Want to
1:01:52
Be
1:01:52
This
1:01:53
Kind
1:01:53
Of
1:01:54
People
1:01:54
Do we
1:01:55
Want to
1:01:56
Be a
1:01:56
People
1:01:57
Vision
1:01:58
And a
1:01:59
People
1:01:59
Of
1:01:59
Burden
1:02:00
For the
1:02:01
Lord
1:02:01
And for
1:02:02
His
1:02:02
Cause
1:02:03
Here
1:02:03
Urgency
1:02:06
In
1:02:06
Nehemiah
1:02:07
And the
1:02:08
Work
1:02:08
That
1:02:08
Was
1:02:08
To be
1:02:09
Done
1:02:09
And
1:02:10
There's
1:02:10
An
1:02:10
Urgency
1:02:11
For
1:02:11
Ourselves
1:02:12
Today
1:02:12
For
1:02:13
The
1:02:13
Gospel
1:02:14
To
1:02:14
Go
1:02:14
Out
1:02:14
To
1:02:14
This
1:02:15
Town
1:02:15
And
1:02:16
To
1:02:16
Its
1:02:16
People
1:02:17
And
1:02:18
Surely
1:02:18
We
1:02:19
Have
1:02:19
That
1:02:20
Burden
1:02:20
Everyone
1:02:24
Involved
1:02:25
In
1:02:25
The
1:02:26
Work
1:02:26
Of
1:02:27
Sharing
1:02:27
To
1:02:27
Make
1:02:28
The
1:02:28
Good
1:02:28
News
1:02:29
Of
1:02:29
Christ
1:02:29
Known
1:02:30
Will
1:02:31
You
1:02:31
Be
1:02:32
Part
1:02:32
Of
1:02:33
It
1:02:33
Share
1:02:35
In
1:02:36
The
1:02:36
Burden
1:02:37
That
1:02:37
Nehemiah
1:02:38
Had
1:02:38
For
1:02:39
His
1:02:39
People
1:02:39
Will
1:02:40
You
1:02:40
Share
1:02:40
In
1:02:41
A
1:02:41
Burden
1:02:41
For
1:02:42
The
1:02:42
Lord
1:02:42
Here
1:02:43
That
1:02:44
The
1:02:45
Gospel
1:02:45
Would
1:02:46
Be
1:02:46
Proclaimed
1:02:47
That
1:02:48
People
1:02:48
Would
1:02:48
Hear
1:02:49
Of
1:02:49
The
1:02:50
Good
1:02:50
News
1:02:50
Of
1:02:51
Jesus
1:02:51
Christ
1:02:52
And
1:02:53
That
1:02:53
The
1:02:53
Good
1:02:54
Hand
1:02:54
Of
1:02:55
The
1:02:55
Lord
1:02:55
Would
1:02:56
Be
1:02:56
A
1:02:56
Part
1:02:56
of
1:02:57
Us
1:02:57
As
1:02:58
We
1:02:58
Looked
1:02:58
at
1:02:58
Oceans
1:02:59
Last
1:03:00
Week
1:03:00
It's
1:03:01
About
1:03:01
Leadership
1:03:02
And
1:03:03
Teamwork
1:03:04
The
1:03:05
Two
1:03:05
Have
1:03:06
To
1:03:06
Go
1:03:06
Hand
1:03:07
In
1:03:07
Hand
1:03:08
We
1:03:08
Need
1:03:08
To
1:03:08
Keep
1:03:09
Ourselves
1:03:09
Fresh
1:03:10
We
1:03:11
Need
1:03:11
To
1:03:11
Review
1:03:12
What
1:03:13
We
1:03:13
Are
1:03:13
Doing
1:03:13
But
1:03:14
Also
1:03:15
We
1:03:15
Need
1:03:15
To
1:03:15
Come
1:03:16
And
1:03:16
To
1:03:17
The
1:03:18
Task
1:03:19
In
1:03:19
Hand
1:03:20
Someone
1:03:22
Once
1:03:22
Used
1:03:22
The
1:03:22
Illustration
1:03:23
Of
1:03:23
Birds
1:03:24
Called
1:03:24
Sandhill
1:03:26
Cranes
1:03:27
They
1:03:28
Said
1:03:28
These
1:03:29
Birds
1:03:30
These
1:03:30
Large
1:03:31
Birds
1:03:31
They
1:03:32
Fly
1:03:32
Great
1:03:33
Distances
1:03:34
Across
1:03:34
Continents
1:03:35
But
1:03:36
The
1:03:36
Person
1:03:37
Said
1:03:37
They
1:03:38
Have
1:03:38
Three
1:03:38
Remarkable
1:03:39
Qualities
1:03:40
First
1:03:42
They
1:03:43
Rotate
1:03:43
Leadership
1:03:44
No
1:03:45
One
1:03:46
Bird
1:03:46
Stays
1:03:46
Out
1:03:47
In
1:03:47
Front
1:03:47
All
1:03:48
The
1:03:48
Time
1:03:48
Second
1:03:50
They
1:03:50
Choose
1:03:51
Leaders
1:03:51
Who
1:03:51
Can
1:03:52
Handle
1:03:52
Turbulence
1:03:53
And
1:03:54
Then
1:03:55
All
1:03:55
During
1:03:56
The
1:03:56
Time
1:03:56
That
1:03:57
One
1:03:57
Bird
1:03:58
Is
1:03:58
Leading
1:03:58
The
1:03:59
Rest
1:04:00
Are
1:04:00
Honking
1:04:00
Their
1:04:01
Affirmation
1:04:02
The
1:04:04
Person
1:04:04
Describe
1:04:05
This
1:04:05
It's
1:04:06
Not
1:04:06
A
1:04:07
Bad
1:04:07
Model
1:04:07
For
1:04:08
The
1:04:08
Church
1:04:09
We
1:04:10
Need
1:04:11
Leaders
1:04:11
Who
1:04:11
Can
1:04:11
Handle
1:04:12
Turbulence
1:04:13
And
1:04:15
Who
1:04:15
Are
1:04:15
Aware
1:04:15
That
1:04:15
Leadership
1:04:16
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1:04:17
To
1:04:17
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1:04:17
Shared
1:04:18
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1:04:19
Most
1:04:19
Of
1:04:20
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1:04:20
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1:04:20
Person
1:04:20
Said
1:04:21
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1:04:22
Need
1:04:22
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1:04:22
Church
1:04:22
Where
1:04:23
We
1:04:23
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1:04:23
All
1:04:23
Honking
1:04:24
Encouragement
1:04:25
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1:04:27
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1:04:27
All
1:04:27
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1:04:28
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1:04:30
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1:04:30
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1:04:30
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1:04:31
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1:04:31
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1:04:32
Burden
1:04:32
And
1:04:32
The
1:04:32
Vision
1:04:33
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1:04:33
The
1:04:34
Gospel
1:04:34
And
1:04:34
The
1:04:34
Glory
1:04:35
Of
1:04:35
God
1:04:35
In
1:04:36
This
1:04:36
Place
1:04:37
Are
1:04:38
We
1:04:38
May
1:04:40
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1:04:41
Be
1:04:41
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1:04:41
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1:04:42
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1:04:42
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1:04:42
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1:04:42
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1:04:43
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1:04:44
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1:04:44
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1:04:45
And
1:04:46
To
1:04:47
See
1:04:47
The
1:04:48
Good
1:04:48
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1:04:48
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1:04:49
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1:04:49
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1:04:49
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1:04:50
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1:04:51
May
1:04:51
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1:04:51
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1:04:52
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1:04:53
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1:04:53
To
1:04:53
Us
1:04:54
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1:04:57
Going
1:04:57
To
1:04:58
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1:04:58
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1:04:59
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1:04:59
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1:04:59
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1:05:00
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1:05:00
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1:05:01
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1:05:01
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1:05:02
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1:05:03
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1:05:03
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1:05:04
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1:05:04
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1:05:05
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1:05:06
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1:05:07
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1:05:07
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1:05:07
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1:05:07
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1:05:08
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1:05:09
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1:05:09
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1:05:09
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1:05:10
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1:05:15
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1:05:16
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1:05:17
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1:05:17
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1:05:18
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1:05:18
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1:05:19
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1:05:19
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1:05:19
23
1:05:21
And
1:05:22
The
1:05:22
Tune
1:05:22
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1:05:22
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1:05:23
Words
1:05:24
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1:05:24
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1:05:24
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1:05:25
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1:05:25
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1:05:25
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1:05:25
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1:05:26
With
1:05:27
Us
1:05:27
And
1:05:27
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1:05:27
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1:05:28
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1:05:28
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1:05:28
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1:05:28
Be
1:05:28
So
1:05:29
Nevertheless
1:05:29
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1:05:30
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1:05:31
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1:05:31
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1:05:32
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1:05:32
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1:05:32
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1:05:32
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1:05:33
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1:05:33
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1:05:33
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1:05:34
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1:05:34
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1:05:34
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1:05:34
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1:05:36
Still
1:05:36
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1:05:37
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1:05:37
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1:05:38
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1:05:38
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1:05:38
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1:05:39
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1:05:39
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1:05:40
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1:05:40
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1:05:41
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1:05:41
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1:05:42
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1:05:46
May
1:05:48
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1:05:50
The
1:05:51
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1:05:52
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1:05:53
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1:05:56
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1:05:58
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1:05:59
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1:06:00
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1:06:01
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1:06:02
The
1:06:03
And
1:06:05
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1:06:07
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1:06:08
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1:06:09
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1:06:10
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1:06:12
I
1:06:14
I
1:06:16
I
1:06:18
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1:06:20
I
1:06:22
I
1:06:24
I
1:06:26
I
1:06:28
I
1:06:30
I
1:06:32
I
1:06:34
I
1:06:36
I
1:06:38
I
1:06:40
I
1:06:42
I
1:06:44
I
1:06:46
I
1:06:48
I
1:06:50
I
1:06:52
I
1:06:54
I
1:06:56
I
1:06:58
I
1:07:00
I
1:07:02
I
1:07:04
I
1:07:06
I
1:07:08
I
1:07:10
I
1:07:12
I
1:07:14
I
1:07:16
I
1:07:18
I
1:07:20
I
1:07:22
I
1:07:24
I
1:07:26
I
1:07:28
I
1:07:30
I
1:07:32
I
1:07:34
I
1:07:36
I
1:07:38
I
1:07:40
I
1:07:42
I
1:07:44
I
1:07:46
I
1:07:48
I
1:07:50
I
1:07:52
I
1:07:54
I
1:07:56
I
1:07:58
I
1:08:00
I
1:08:02
I
1:08:04
I
1:08:06
I
1:08:08
I
1:08:10
I
1:08:12
I
1:08:14
I
1:08:16
I
1:08:18
I
1:08:20
I
1:08:22
I
1:08:24
I
1:08:26
I
1:08:30
I
1:08:32
I
1:08:56
Thank you.