Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / The Stone of Remembrance
Transcript
- 0:00We'll begin our worship now by singing to God's praise. We're singing in Psalm 118 at verse 20.
- 0:08Psalm 118 at verse 20, the tune is Warwick. Psalm we're so familiar with maybe at communion times
- 0:16when we sing it. This is the gate of God by it, the just shall enter in. Thee will I praise,
- 0:21for thou me heardst and hast my safety been. We'll sing from verse 20 down to the end of the psalm
- 0:27to God's praise.
- 0:29Amen.
- 0:57Thee will I praise, for thou me heardst and hast my safety be.
- 1:02That stone is made at cornerstone, which shinders in his eyes.
- 1:19This is the doing of the Lord, and what has in our eyes.
- 1:35This is the day, O made in it, will joy triumphantly.
- 1:50Sing now, I pray thee, Lord, I pray, send thou prosperity.
- 2:05Blessed is he in God's great name, that command us to save.
- 2:22We from blood, which to the Lord, work day to bless it, are.
- 2:39And what is the Lord due unto us, and make light to our eyes?
- 2:55I pray thee unto thee, O Lord, work day to our hearts, with course the sacrifice.
- 3:12Thy heart, my God, I'll be exiled.
- 3:21My Lord, I will be praised.
- 3:28Give thanks to God, for he is good.
- 3:37His mercy lasts always.
- 3:48Let's come to God in prayer.
- 3:50Let us pray.
- 3:50Our Father in heaven, as we come to worship you, we thank you for the promise that you delight to hear our singing of praise.
- 4:01You delight to hear your people offering a prayer to you, and you delight in worship.
- 4:08And we pray, Lord, that we would delight in coming to you as well.
- 4:11That we would rejoice that you are a God who hears and listens to all our prayers, from the youngest to the oldest here.
- 4:21That you hear what we offer up to you in all our worship.
- 4:25And we thank you that even as we come in prayer, it doesn't have to be with big words or long prayers.
- 4:32But we can just come offering up just words of thanks to you, words asking for help from you, words asking for help for others.
- 4:42And so much of our prayer, Lord, is that you will do us good.
- 4:47That you will help us to know Jesus and the joy that he gives.
- 4:51That you will help this world in which we live to know how precious a saviour you are
- 4:57and the hope that you are able to give in the midst of all that goes on.
- 5:02We thank you that the light of your word, your truth, shines in around us and even through us.
- 5:10And so we pray, Lord, your blessing on us today.
- 5:13Upon all that we hear and all that we do, may you be with us and guide us and keep us.
- 5:18We pray especially for our young ones as they will go out shortly to the Sunday school, the creche and the tweenies.
- 5:24We pray your blessing on them.
- 5:26Encourage them together around your word as well and all of us together.
- 5:30So hear all our prayers and accept our worship of you this day and pardon our sins as we ask it all in Jesus' name.
- 5:39Amen.
- 5:39Well, it's good to see you today and see so many young ones here today scattered all over.
- 5:47Sometimes it's hard to find where you are because everyone's sitting in different places.
- 5:51Well, it's good to see you and I want to ask you a question this morning.
- 5:54Does anybody here have a pet at home?
- 5:57Put your hand up if you've got a pet at home, yeah?
- 6:00A few hands going up around the place.
- 6:03All right.
- 6:03Quite a few people have pets, yeah?
- 6:05Maybe we have pets, different kinds of pets.
- 6:08Anybody got a pet snake?
- 6:11No?
- 6:12Thank goodness, isn't it?
- 6:13No, you wouldn't want a pet snake, would you?
- 6:15Some people do, though.
- 6:17Most people, maybe you have a dog or a cat or a hamster or something like that.
- 6:22And when you get a pet, what's one of the first things you do?
- 6:27When you maybe get a pet dog, what's the first thing you do?
- 6:30Do you just call it dog or doggy?
- 6:34No, you called a name, don't you?
- 6:35Very often you give a pet a name.
- 6:38So when your pet hears you calling that name, it might come running back to you.
- 6:43Especially for dogs.
- 6:44We've got a dog, he's called Benji.
- 6:47And so if you shout Benji, you hope that he's going to come running back to you.
- 6:52Now, maybe this seems like a strange question.
- 6:55Does anybody have a pet stone?
- 6:59It's not a pet, is it?
- 7:01You don't have a stone that's a pet, do you?
- 7:04Does anybody have a pet stone?
- 7:06No?
- 7:07It seems quite strange maybe to the idea of having a pet stone.
- 7:11But perhaps you've got stones at home.
- 7:15Maybe you've been to the beach one day.
- 7:17Do you like collecting stones at the beach?
- 7:21Maybe you see a nice colored stone and you take it home with you.
- 7:25Maybe you've been out walking on the moor and you see another kind of stone lying there
- 7:29and you think to yourself, that would be pretty at home.
- 7:32So you take it home with you.
- 7:33And sometimes people can collect a lot of stones in different places.
- 7:38But do you ever give a stone a name?
- 7:42Maybe not.
- 7:42But in our Bible story today we're going to be looking at, we're going to be thinking about
- 7:47someone who gave a stone a special name.
- 7:51A man called Samuel had this special big stone that he called Ebenezer.
- 7:57That's a funny name, isn't it?
- 7:59Ebenezer.
- 8:00Now, why do you think he called the stone Ebenezer?
- 8:03Seems a funny name to us, doesn't it?
- 8:05But to Samuel and to God's people it meant something really special.
- 8:11They weren't calling this stone Ebenezer so that the stone would hear them.
- 8:17They were calling this stone Ebenezer because it reminded them of something special.
- 8:22Because the name Ebenezer means, till now God has helped.
- 8:27And what they were doing was they had this stone that they would look to and they would
- 8:31see it and it would remind them.
- 8:34Just like maybe a stone would remind you of a beach you've been to or something like that.
- 8:38This stone reminded the people of what God had done for them.
- 8:43And they were able to say, till now the Lord has helped us.
- 8:48So they weren't calling the stone a name as a pet.
- 8:52They weren't calling the stone so they could shout to the stone Ebenezer.
- 8:56They were calling it Ebenezer so they would remind them to call on someone else.
- 9:01To call on God.
- 9:03And to call on God giving thanks to him and rejoicing in him that he is the one who is
- 9:09able to help.
- 9:11And today we don't have a stone called Ebenezer.
- 9:15We have another stone described in the Bible as a stone, a rock.
- 9:19He's the Lord Jesus Christ.
- 9:22And we are able to call on him for help.
- 9:24And to say that even till now he has helped us and he always will as we put our trust
- 9:31in him.
- 9:33So we think of the Ebenezer stone today.
- 9:36The stone that reminds us that till now the Lord has helped us.
- 9:42Well, we'll say the Lord's prayer together.
- 9:44Now let's pray.
- 9:44Amen.
- 9:45Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
- 9:50Thy kingdom come.
- 9:51Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
- 9:55Give us this day our daily bread.
- 9:58And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
- 10:02And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
- 10:07For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.
- 10:11Amen.
- 10:11Amen.
- 10:14Well, we'll sing again to God's praise this time in Psalm 130 in the Scottish Psalter.
- 10:21Psalm 130.
- 10:22We're going to sing the whole of this psalm.
- 10:24The tune is martyrdom.
- 10:26And this is a psalm that reminds us, just as we were saying there, that we can call on
- 10:30the Lord and that he hears us and is able to help us.
- 10:34Lord, from the depths to thee I cried.
- 10:37My voice, Lord, do thou hear.
- 10:39And to my supplication's voice give an attentive ear.
- 10:43We'll sing the whole of this psalm to God's praise.
- 10:46Lord, from the depths to thee I cried.
- 11:00My voice, Lord, do thou hear.
- 11:07And to my supplication's voice give an attentive ear.
- 11:25Lord, you shall sigh if thou, O Lord, should smart iniquity.
- 11:42But yet with thee forgive me.
- 11:49Forbiveness is the fear of the mayest need.
- 12:01I wait for God, my soul of grace.
- 12:11My hope is in his word.
- 12:19Lord, I may not for more remorse.
- 12:29My soul of grace.
- 12:31My soul of grace.
- 12:33My soul of grace.
- 12:35For the Lord.
- 12:37I say, Lord, I may not for more remorse.
- 12:45My soul of grace.
- 12:46For the Lord.
- 12:48I say, Lord, I may not for more remorse.
- 12:50For the Lord.
- 12:51I may not for more remorse.
- 12:56Let Israel open the door, for with him ask his feet.
- 13:14And then Jesus' rejection, his severed heart, with him,
- 13:32And from all his liberties, he Israel shall redeem.
- 13:50Amen.
- 14:20And so they decided eventually to return the ark back to God's people.
- 14:37But even as it came back to God's people, as it returned to Israel, as you see in chapter 6,
- 14:43the people of God didn't really know what to do with it either.
- 14:47They had lost their focus of it.
- 14:49They rejoiced in its return, but they didn't really know what to do with it.
- 14:54And it was almost left for this period of time.
- 14:59But then Samuel comes onto the scene in chapter 7.
- 15:03And that's what we're going to focus on this morning.
- 15:06But we'll take up our reading at verse 20 of chapter 6.
- 15:09Then the men of Beth Shemesh said,
- 15:13So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-Jerim, saying,
- 15:26The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord.
- 15:29Come down and take it up to you.
- 15:32And the men of Kiriath-Jerim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill.
- 15:40And they consecrated his son, Eliezer, to have charge of the ark of the Lord.
- 15:46From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-Jerim, a long time passed, some twenty years.
- 15:54And all of the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.
- 15:57And Samuel said to all the house of Israel,
- 16:02If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart,
- 16:05then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreth from among you,
- 16:10and direct your heart to the Lord, and serve him only.
- 16:15And he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
- 16:19So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreth,
- 16:23and they served the Lord only.
- 16:25Then Samuel said,
- 16:28Gather all Israel at Mishpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.
- 16:33So they gathered at Mishpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord,
- 16:38and fasted on that day and said there,
- 16:41We have sinned against the Lord.
- 16:44And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mishpah.
- 16:48Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mishpah,
- 16:52the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel.
- 16:56And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
- 17:01And the people of Israel said to Samuel,
- 17:04Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us,
- 17:08that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.
- 17:10So Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord.
- 17:17And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel,
- 17:20and the Lord answered him.
- 17:23As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering,
- 17:26the Philistines threw near to attack Israel.
- 17:30But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines,
- 17:35and threw them into confusion.
- 17:37And they were routed before Israel.
- 17:40And the men of Israel went out from Mishpah,
- 17:42and pursued the Philistines,
- 17:44and struck them as far as below Beth-kar.
- 17:48Then Samuel took a stone,
- 17:51and set it up between Mishpah and Shen,
- 17:54and called its name Ebenezer.
- 17:57For he said,
- 17:58Till now the Lord has helped us.
- 18:01So the Philistines were subdued,
- 18:03and did not again enter the territory of Israel.
- 18:05And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
- 18:11The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel
- 18:14were restored to Israel from Ekron to Gath.
- 18:18And Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines.
- 18:22There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.
- 18:27Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
- 18:30And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mishpah.
- 18:35And he judged Israel in all these places.
- 18:38Then he would return to Ramah,
- 18:40for his home was there.
- 18:42And there also he judged Israel.
- 18:45And he built there an altar to the Lord.
- 18:49Amen.
- 18:49And may God bless that word to us.
- 18:52We'll again come to God in prayer.
- 18:54Let us pray.
- 18:57Our Father in heaven,
- 18:59we continue to worship your name
- 19:01and praise you that you are the God who has spoken to us.
- 19:05And you continue to speak to us through your word.
- 19:09We thank you for the way we are reminded there
- 19:11of how Samuel brought your word to your people so long ago.
- 19:16A word that they had maybe become disinterested in
- 19:20or didn't know what to do with.
- 19:23But yet a word that awoken them from their slumber
- 19:26and brought them to recognize that they had sinned against you.
- 19:31And it awoke them to see their need of repentance
- 19:34and turning to you and the blessings that come from that.
- 19:38And we pray that as your word is proclaimed today far and wide
- 19:43throughout our land and throughout the world,
- 19:45that there will be a word that is powerful to many
- 19:49to awaken and to bring many people to see
- 19:53that we have sinned against God,
- 19:55but yet to see too the mercy that is found in Christ Jesus.
- 20:00And we pray, Lord, that you will turn us in repentance to you.
- 20:04For as we confess our sins,
- 20:06as we have sung together in that wonderful psalm,
- 20:10that you are the one who is able to forgive our sins.
- 20:13And so we pray, Lord, that you will help us
- 20:16to put our hope in the Lord.
- 20:19So may you bless us together here
- 20:21and remembering those tuning in online as well
- 20:24and those who will tune in maybe even in days and weeks coming, Lord.
- 20:29We pray for your word to be blessed to us
- 20:32and for you to be in the midst of us as we come
- 20:35to worship and praise your name.
- 20:37We thank you that you alone are worthy of our praise,
- 20:42that we are people just as of old who so often make idols,
- 20:47who we worship in different ways,
- 20:49the things that come between us and you so easily.
- 20:53And just as of old, Lord,
- 20:54as Samuel warned to put away,
- 20:57so help us to put away our own idols today,
- 21:00that we'll be able to worship you aright,
- 21:02that we'll be able to come seeking, Lord,
- 21:06that you will redeem us as your people,
- 21:09that you will rejoice over us as your people,
- 21:12and that we will delight in you
- 21:14as the God of our hope,
- 21:16the God of our salvation.
- 21:19And we do remember, Lord,
- 21:20all going on within our congregation
- 21:22and within our communities at this time as well.
- 21:26We thank you, Lord,
- 21:27for the work of the gospel as it goes on.
- 21:30We thank you that your gospel is powerful
- 21:33and mighty to save.
- 21:35We thank you for the way it works in people's lives,
- 21:39the way it reaches out,
- 21:40even when we maybe feel that there is nothing happening.
- 21:44We thank you, Lord,
- 21:45that you have power over all
- 21:47through your mighty spirit.
- 21:49And we pray, Lord,
- 21:50for a day of your refreshing over us,
- 21:53a day of your blessing with us, Lord,
- 21:55as a people,
- 21:56a day where you would see young and old
- 21:58coming to rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- 22:02And as we anticipate, Lord,
- 22:03and look forward to,
- 22:05God willing,
- 22:05our communion season,
- 22:07we pray, Lord,
- 22:08your blessing on all of us
- 22:10as we prepare for it
- 22:11and upon the preachers
- 22:12as they prepare to minister as well,
- 22:15not just with ourselves here,
- 22:16but throughout our town
- 22:18and indeed throughout our islands
- 22:20over these coming weeks,
- 22:21that it will be a time of refreshing
- 22:24and nourishing of our souls,
- 22:27a time of building up your people,
- 22:29a time of people rejoicing
- 22:31and sinners being saved.
- 22:33May it be a time of real blessing
- 22:34as we look forward,
- 22:36not for our own glory,
- 22:38but for yours.
- 22:40Be with us, Lord, in it all.
- 22:42And may your name be praised.
- 22:44Remember, too,
- 22:45the induction taking place,
- 22:47God willing,
- 22:47on Friday.
- 22:48Again, we commit
- 22:49around all my cloud
- 22:50to your care at this time.
- 22:52And we pray, Lord,
- 22:53for your blessing on him
- 22:54as his new ministry will begin.
- 22:57Remember, Reverend Paul Murray,
- 22:59as he will lead the service
- 23:00on Friday evening.
- 23:01Be with him.
- 23:02Uphold him in his preparation
- 23:04and on the evening as well.
- 23:06And may we see many people
- 23:07coming to rejoice
- 23:08with those in North Tolstain.
- 23:10Give thanks for your goodness
- 23:12in this way
- 23:13and seeking your blessing
- 23:15upon the ministry
- 23:17of your word there.
- 23:18Remember our islands,
- 23:20Lord, as a whole.
- 23:21We know, Lord,
- 23:22it's been such a sad time
- 23:24for so many,
- 23:25so many funerals
- 23:27taking place
- 23:28over these last few weeks.
- 23:29And we just pray
- 23:30for your comfort.
- 23:31We pray for your blessing.
- 23:33We pray for your peace
- 23:34to be upon us.
- 23:36It's a peace
- 23:37that we cannot understand.
- 23:39It's a peace,
- 23:40as the word says,
- 23:41that passes understanding.
- 23:43But we thank you for it.
- 23:45And how in times of need,
- 23:47when you provided,
- 23:48we are so refreshed
- 23:49refreshed and encouraged,
- 23:51even in the sorrow
- 23:51of our hearts,
- 23:52that we know
- 23:53that you are God
- 23:54and that you are with us.
- 23:56So we pray, Lord,
- 23:57that people will be able
- 23:58to call upon your name
- 23:59together as a people,
- 24:02that we will hear
- 24:02your voice speaking to us,
- 24:05that there will be a voice
- 24:06that makes us turn to you
- 24:08and seek your face.
- 24:10Remember our land,
- 24:11O Lord,
- 24:11we pray as we continue
- 24:13to pray for our nation
- 24:15as a whole
- 24:16and all that goes on
- 24:17around us.
- 24:18We hear so much sorrow
- 24:19and sadness
- 24:20in so many places.
- 24:22And as we've heard
- 24:24so often,
- 24:25Lord,
- 24:25that we are
- 24:27in a day of darkness,
- 24:28we thank you
- 24:29for the light
- 24:30of the gospel
- 24:30and we pray
- 24:32that it will shine brightly
- 24:33throughout our land
- 24:34and throughout the world,
- 24:36that your word
- 24:37will go out
- 24:37with power
- 24:38from those leading over us
- 24:40in positions of power
- 24:42and authority
- 24:43right down
- 24:44through every people
- 24:45and place of our land
- 24:47that your voice
- 24:48will be heard
- 24:49and that your name
- 24:50will be praised.
- 24:52Keep us, O Lord,
- 24:53looking to you
- 24:54and help us to pray.
- 24:55Help us to pray
- 24:56even in all our doubts
- 24:57and fears and worries
- 24:59that we will remember
- 25:00that you are God
- 25:01and there is no other.
- 25:03So hear us now
- 25:04and continue with us
- 25:05in our worship of you
- 25:06and may your name
- 25:07be praised and glorified
- 25:09in our midst
- 25:10and in our hearts.
- 25:11Hear our prayers
- 25:12and forgive our sins
- 25:13as we ask it all
- 25:15in Jesus' name.
- 25:17Amen.
- 25:20So again,
- 25:21sing to God's praise
- 25:22before we turn back
- 25:23to look at this passage
- 25:24in Psalm 138.
- 25:28Psalm 138.
- 25:29We sing verse 1
- 25:31to verse 5.
- 25:33Thee will I praise
- 25:34with all my heart.
- 25:35I will sing praise to Thee
- 25:37before the gods
- 25:38and worship will
- 25:39toward Thy sanctuary.
- 25:41We'll sing from verse 1
- 25:42to 5
- 25:43to God's praise.
- 25:45And the tune
- 25:45is mantras.
- 25:46Amen.
- 25:46Thee will I face
- 25:54with all my heart.
- 25:58I will sing praise to Thee
- 26:05before the gods
- 26:09and worship will
- 26:14to Lord Thy Son
- 26:19o cop 107.
- 26:42Lord Thine
- 26:43and worship шill
- 26:44Oldalition
- 26:45divine, O
- 26:49thy great name above.
- 26:56Thou didst me
- 26:59a solid
- 27:02dirty when
- 27:06I to thee did
- 27:10cry.
- 27:12I've learned
- 27:15my painting
- 27:17so will
- 27:20spread.
- 27:22Dissent
- 27:23and inwardly.
- 27:30All kings
- 27:32upon
- 27:33the earth
- 27:36that I
- 27:38shall
- 27:40give thee
- 27:42praise, O
- 27:44Lord.
- 27:46When a
- 27:49state
- 27:50groan,
- 27:51thy heart
- 27:53shall
- 27:54hear
- 27:55thy true
- 27:58unfaithful
- 28:01word.
- 28:03Yea, in the
- 28:07righteous
- 28:09ways of
- 28:12God,
- 28:13with
- 28:14madness
- 28:15they
- 28:17shall
- 28:18sing,
- 28:20for
- 28:22grace
- 28:23and
- 28:24glory
- 28:25of the
- 28:28Lord,
- 28:30will
- 28:31not
- 28:32forever
- 28:35reign.
- 28:45We can turn back now to a reading in 1 Samuel chapter 7.
- 28:50We read again at verse 12.
- 28:541 Samuel chapter 7 at verse 12.
- 28:59Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer.
- 29:07For he said, till now the Lord has helped us.
- 29:11We're very familiar living where we do and seeing stones and rocks all around us.
- 29:20It doesn't matter how often you go through the garden and weed out all the stones.
- 29:25There seems to be always more that will come back.
- 29:28And as you go out and about, everywhere you look around yourselves, you see stones and rocks of different shapes and sizes.
- 29:34But as you look around, there's sometimes particular places where you see stones that stand out for a reason.
- 29:44It may be a pile of stones placed in the shape of a cairn.
- 29:49And you wonder to yourself, what does that mean? Why is it there?
- 29:52It may be as you're passing through villages, you see stones that have been shaped and formed to form a memorial.
- 30:01Like the war memorials we see throughout our islands.
- 30:06And you see them and you ask yourself, or maybe you're asked by somebody else,
- 30:10why are they there and what do they mean?
- 30:12You also see standing stones and different kinds of stones around the island
- 30:17that seem to have been placed there maybe a very long time ago.
- 30:21And people again ask, you know, where do they come from?
- 30:24What do they mean?
- 30:26What do they represent?
- 30:28So we're surrounded by these kinds of things.
- 30:31And they make us ask questions.
- 30:34And perhaps that's the very reason why they've been put there in the past.
- 30:38They're significant for a reason because they bring us back to ask these questions.
- 30:43What does it mean?
- 30:44What does it stand for?
- 30:46And they stand as a reminder to something.
- 30:48Like war memorials keep reminding us day by day and year by year of the great sacrifices that were made for our freedom.
- 30:57And very often as you're reading through the Bible, you find the different parts, especially in the Old Testament.
- 31:03You find times when the people set out piles of stones or certain kinds of stones.
- 31:10And they placed them there for a reason.
- 31:12And the reason was that as people would see them, they would ask, what do they mean?
- 31:19What does that stand for?
- 31:21And here in Samuel, 1 Samuel chapter 7, we have one of these occasions when a stone is placed there as a marker.
- 31:30So people, when they ask, what does this stone mean?
- 31:34We'll have an answer.
- 31:36Samuel, it says in verse 12, took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shennan and called its name Ebenezer.
- 31:43For he said, till now the Lord has helped us.
- 31:47It will be a reminder to the people continually that the Lord has helped them.
- 31:53And this is the last time you see Samuel mentioned in this book is way back in chapter 3.
- 32:02When you see Samuel called by God as a young man.
- 32:07Samuel, it's an amazing story to read through his life story.
- 32:11How he came to be dedicated to the Lord by his mother.
- 32:14To serve the Lord all his days.
- 32:17But in chapter 3, you then jump forward to chapter 7.
- 32:21Now in chapter 3, it's talking about how the word was blessed through Samuel.
- 32:29It says in the end of chapter 3, verse 21,
- 32:32The Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
- 32:39The word of the Lord was blessed through Samuel.
- 32:44But in the intervening time, and it seems that a number of years have passed by between chapter 3 and chapter 7,
- 32:51You think to yourself, well, if they had the word of God, things would have gone well for them.
- 32:57They would have carried on and been blessed by God.
- 33:00But that's not what happened.
- 33:03The Ark of the Covenant was taken away by the Philistines.
- 33:06The people felt hopeless.
- 33:08They felt as if almost God had left them.
- 33:12And there's a sense of dismay and despair.
- 33:17And what's interesting is when you see at the beginning of chapter 4,
- 33:22There's two verses in chapter 4 that stand out for us.
- 33:27Verse 1 says,
- 33:28The word of Samuel came to all Israel.
- 33:31There's the end of Samuel speaking.
- 33:33Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines.
- 33:36They encamped at Ebenezer.
- 33:39And the Philistines encamped at Aphek.
- 33:41And so it goes on, the Philistines conquered them.
- 33:45But then when you go forward to verse 21 in chapter 4,
- 33:49And this is after the Ark's been captured.
- 33:53Eli has passed away, the one who raised Samuel, who looked after him.
- 33:58His two sons had disobeyed him.
- 34:00They had been unfaithful towards God and his word.
- 34:03And one of the sons, Phinehas' wife, gave birth.
- 34:07And look at what she called the name of the child.
- 34:10In verse 21,
- 34:12She named the child Ichabod, saying,
- 34:15The glory has departed.
- 34:18It was significant that that's what he was named.
- 34:21The glory of God had departed.
- 34:24The Ark of the Covenant had been taken away.
- 34:28And yet here now we begin to see a turning point.
- 34:33The glory had departed because the Ark was lost.
- 34:38But now there was a return.
- 34:42But even then they didn't know what to do with it.
- 34:45Now when we think of our own situation today,
- 34:49And you think of the glory of God that was enjoyed throughout our land.
- 34:53And the blessings that were enjoyed from God's hand throughout our land.
- 34:59It's almost like we could say Ichabod today.
- 35:03The glory of God has departed.
- 35:06Instead of losing the Ark in battle,
- 35:09We're almost in danger of giving away the presence of God
- 35:12And the blessing of God through casting him out of our society.
- 35:17Casting him away from ourselves as a people.
- 35:21But in the midst of that, there's still this hope.
- 35:26And that's the hope that Samuel calls the people of Israel to here in chapter 7.
- 35:31And the call that we have to ourselves as well.
- 35:35There's a warning for us here when you come into chapter 7.
- 35:40And Samuel says in verse 3,
- 35:44There's a call to return to the Lord.
- 36:00Because when you see in verse 2 of this chapter,
- 36:05It says that all Israel lamented after the Lord.
- 36:10There was a sense of,
- 36:12I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do with this sorrow.
- 36:16There's a sense of not knowing how to go about their lives.
- 36:20They know they've turned against God.
- 36:22They know they've offended God.
- 36:24But they don't know where to go with it.
- 36:28For 20 years, there's been this lamenting.
- 36:32Until Samuel comes with this word.
- 36:36And for ourselves today, think of,
- 36:38Even looking back in your own life, 20 years.
- 36:42What has been your experience of the Lord through those 20 years?
- 36:48Have you been lamenting, just like the children of Israel here?
- 36:51Maybe feeling sorry about the things that you're doing,
- 36:54But not knowing what to do about it.
- 36:56Have you been maybe just ignoring God for 20 years?
- 36:59Or have you known the blessing of God's transforming power in these 20 years?
- 37:06There's so much that we can look back over in our lives and think,
- 37:09Can we truly be thankful to God for what He has done for us?
- 37:14Are we just lamenting or are we truly repenting?
- 37:22There's a huge difference.
- 37:24And that's what Samuel comes to call the people to.
- 37:30And our nation could so easily become a nation that sees stone buildings,
- 37:36Church buildings throughout our land emptied,
- 37:39Standing empty in many different parts of our nation.
- 37:42And people may be passing by and saying,
- 37:45What do they mean?
- 37:47What was that place once used for?
- 37:49Why is it empty now?
- 37:52And what explanation would we give?
- 37:55Or would we long to see our nation a place where these places are full
- 38:00With people coming to seek the Lord?
- 38:04Well here, Samuel enters the people once again.
- 38:08And he comes with a word.
- 38:10And the word is mercy.
- 38:13The word is mercy.
- 38:15And that's the word we want to think about together today especially.
- 38:19The mercy that we see that Samuel speaks of.
- 38:23And the first thing we notice about this is,
- 38:25Samuel highlights the need of God's mercy.
- 38:29The need of God's mercy.
- 38:33Back in chapter 3 when Samuel appeared,
- 38:36It was a period of grace for God's people.
- 38:40It was a period of God's favor upon them.
- 38:44And Samuel was in the midst with God's word to the people.
- 38:48And it was blessed.
- 38:50But they had gone away.
- 38:52And as someone puts it in one of the commentaries,
- 38:55He says,
- 38:55The reappearing of Samuel here in chapter 7
- 39:00Is a reappearing of fresh grace from God.
- 39:06The people who have been lost and despondent
- 39:09And not knowing what to do with the presence of God in their midst,
- 39:14Samuel comes to give them direction.
- 39:17Samuel comes to show them their need of God's mercy.
- 39:24So that's what he says in verse 3.
- 39:27The people have been lamenting after the Lord,
- 39:30But not repenting.
- 39:32And Samuel comes and calls to them and says,
- 39:34If all the house of Israel,
- 39:37If you are returning to the Lord your God with all your heart,
- 39:42Then put away the foreign gods and the asterisk from among you
- 39:47And direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him only.
- 39:54This is a call to repentance.
- 39:56It's a turning away from the idols that they have
- 40:00And turning back to God.
- 40:02And that's the heart of repentance.
- 40:06Turning from one thing to another.
- 40:09The Shorter Catechism puts it like this,
- 40:12Repentance unto life is a saving grace,
- 40:16Whereby a sinner,
- 40:17Out of a true sense of his sin
- 40:19And apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ,
- 40:23Doth with grief and hatred
- 40:25Turn from,
- 40:27Of his sin,
- 40:29Turn from it unto God
- 40:30With full purpose of
- 40:33And endeavour after new obedience.
- 40:36It's about turning with hatred of sin,
- 40:40Turning to God.
- 40:41And that's the call
- 40:42That Samuel is giving to the people here.
- 40:47Turn from your idols,
- 40:49Turn from your false gods,
- 40:50And come to God.
- 40:53Pour out,
- 40:55Direct your heart
- 40:56To the Lord
- 40:57And serve Him only.
- 41:00And He will deliver you
- 41:02Out of the hands
- 41:04Of the Philistines.
- 41:06Lamenting for 20 years
- 41:07Is not hating sin
- 41:10And turning from it.
- 41:12Repenting
- 41:13Is turning from sin
- 41:15And looking to God.
- 41:17And that's the call
- 41:18That Samuel's putting out
- 41:20To the people here.
- 41:21Confess your sins
- 41:24Towards God.
- 41:27And it's not easy.
- 41:29It's not easy for them.
- 41:31It's not easy for us.
- 41:33It's not an easy thing to do.
- 41:35It doesn't come naturally
- 41:36To come and bow the knee
- 41:38Before God.
- 41:39Because we think we can manage
- 41:41By ourselves.
- 41:42But a realization of sin
- 41:46Is a realization of
- 41:47Who God is.
- 41:49And what our sin
- 41:50Deserves.
- 41:53And Samuel here
- 41:54Is calling them
- 41:55To see the mercy of God
- 41:58That is on offer.
- 42:00So the first step
- 42:01Is so often
- 42:02As for many people
- 42:04To acknowledge
- 42:05Our sin.
- 42:06To acknowledge
- 42:06Where we are going wrong.
- 42:09To acknowledge
- 42:10That we need help.
- 42:13There is a man
- 42:15By the name of
- 42:16Kenny Sampson.
- 42:17Some of you
- 42:18If you're interested
- 42:18In football
- 42:19You may be familiar
- 42:20With him.
- 42:21He used to play
- 42:22For England.
- 42:22He played in the 1986
- 42:24World Cup.
- 42:25He used to play
- 42:25For Arsenal.
- 42:28But for many years
- 42:29He was struggling
- 42:30With an addiction.
- 42:32An addiction
- 42:32To alcohol.
- 42:35And there was
- 42:35A program on about him
- 42:36Just a few years ago.
- 42:38And there were
- 42:39So many people
- 42:40Just wanting to help him
- 42:42Trying to love him
- 42:43Trying to be there
- 42:43For him
- 42:44Trying to show him
- 42:45That he needed help.
- 42:47But he just
- 42:47Wouldn't listen.
- 42:49And it was such
- 42:50A sad program.
- 42:52And at the end of it
- 42:53The interviewer
- 42:55Speaking to him
- 42:56Telling him
- 42:57You know you've got
- 42:57Such a beautiful family
- 42:59You've got so many
- 43:00Friends around you
- 43:00You stand
- 43:01To lose it all
- 43:03If you don't stop.
- 43:05And his response was
- 43:06I won't stop drinking.
- 43:11It was such a sad picture.
- 43:14He wouldn't stop.
- 43:17But just a couple of weeks ago
- 43:19I was reading about him.
- 43:21And he's been sober
- 43:22For two years.
- 43:25People didn't give up.
- 43:28People continued
- 43:29To look out for him
- 43:30And tried to help him.
- 43:31And eventually
- 43:32He acknowledged
- 43:33He needed help.
- 43:35And he got the help
- 43:36He needed.
- 43:38Now Samuel here
- 43:39Is addressing a problem.
- 43:42A problem
- 43:43Not just like an addiction
- 43:44Like Kenny Samson had
- 43:45But a problem
- 43:46That we all have.
- 43:48A problem that we all
- 43:49Have to acknowledge.
- 43:51That we are all sinners
- 43:52In need of mercy
- 43:54From the Lord Jesus Christ.
- 43:56To put away
- 43:58The idols.
- 44:00To put away
- 44:01The things
- 44:02That we are addicted to
- 44:03That keep us
- 44:04From having a right
- 44:06Relationship with God
- 44:07And turning to him
- 44:09Instead.
- 44:10So Samuel comes
- 44:11With this fresh grace
- 44:13This call
- 44:15To realize
- 44:16Their need of mercy
- 44:17From God.
- 44:19But then it goes on
- 44:20And what we see is
- 44:22Samuel speaks then
- 44:23Of an experience
- 44:24Of God's mercy.
- 44:27And how they experience
- 44:29God's mercy
- 44:29In such a wonderful way.
- 44:32And you see that
- 44:33In verse 5
- 44:34Through to verse 11.
- 44:38Samuel gathers
- 44:39The people together.
- 44:41Look at verse 5.
- 44:43It says
- 44:43Then Samuel said
- 44:44Gather all Israel
- 44:45At Mizpah
- 44:46And I will pray
- 44:47To the Lord
- 44:48For you.
- 44:50All the people
- 44:51Recognizing
- 44:52That they have
- 44:53Fallen short of God
- 44:55That they need
- 44:56God's mercy
- 44:56They come together
- 44:58With Samuel
- 44:59At Mizpah
- 45:00And he says
- 45:01I will pray
- 45:02For you.
- 45:04And look at the response
- 45:05Of the people
- 45:07In verse 6.
- 45:07So they gathered
- 45:08At Mizpah
- 45:08And drew water
- 45:09And poured it out
- 45:11Before the Lord
- 45:11And fasted on that day
- 45:13And said there
- 45:13We have sinned
- 45:16Against the Lord.
- 45:17There is this
- 45:18Acknowledgement.
- 45:20There is this
- 45:21Realization
- 45:22We have sinned
- 45:24Against God.
- 45:27But Samuel
- 45:27Comes with a plea
- 45:29For the people.
- 45:31He is praying
- 45:32For them.
- 45:34And the plea
- 45:34For help
- 45:35In the midst
- 45:37Of the plea
- 45:37For help
- 45:38The wonder is
- 45:38That God
- 45:40Is there to help.
- 45:42It's not always
- 45:44An easy path
- 45:45As you see
- 45:46As it goes on here.
- 45:48And sometimes
- 45:48It's a path
- 45:49That leads us
- 45:50To be afraid
- 45:51And wonder
- 45:51Just what way
- 45:52To go
- 45:53And what to do.
- 45:55And you see that
- 45:55In verse 7.
- 45:57They acknowledge
- 45:58They have sinned
- 45:58Against God.
- 46:00But
- 46:01And Samuel
- 46:02Judged the people
- 46:03There.
- 46:03That means he brought
- 46:04The word of God
- 46:05To them.
- 46:05But then in verse 7.
- 46:07Now when the Philistines
- 46:08Heard that the people
- 46:09Of Israel
- 46:09Had gathered at Mizpah
- 46:10The lords of the Philistines
- 46:12Went up against Israel.
- 46:14And when the people
- 46:15Of Israel
- 46:15Heard of it
- 46:16They were afraid
- 46:17Of the Philistines.
- 46:20What's their response
- 46:22When they hear?
- 46:23They're afraid.
- 46:26And so often
- 46:26When we come
- 46:27Before God
- 46:28And acknowledge
- 46:29Our sin
- 46:29It leaves us
- 46:31Afraid.
- 46:33And another thing
- 46:34It does
- 46:34Is just like
- 46:35When the people
- 46:35Of Israel
- 46:36Here gathered
- 46:37And the Philistines
- 46:38Heard about it
- 46:39And they gathered
- 46:39To come
- 46:40And fight
- 46:41Against them again
- 46:42When we show
- 46:44An interest
- 46:44In the things
- 46:45Of God
- 46:45When we begin
- 46:47To realize
- 46:48And acknowledge
- 46:48Our sin
- 46:49And say before God
- 46:50We have sinned
- 46:51Against you
- 46:52There is an enemy
- 46:53That will attack
- 46:54As well
- 46:55The devil
- 46:56When he sees
- 46:58Someone interested
- 46:59In the things
- 46:59Of God
- 47:00He will come
- 47:01And fight
- 47:02That battle
- 47:03To take you back
- 47:04He doesn't want
- 47:05To lose any
- 47:06To God
- 47:07And so the battle
- 47:08Will go on
- 47:09And the struggle
- 47:10Will be real
- 47:11And it may leave
- 47:12You a sense
- 47:14Of fear
- 47:14Afraid
- 47:16What am I doing
- 47:17How can I go on
- 47:18In my own strength
- 47:19How can I keep going
- 47:21I'm not up
- 47:21For this battle
- 47:22And that's why
- 47:25It's so important
- 47:26To realize
- 47:27It's so important
- 47:28The experience
- 47:28Of God's mercy
- 47:30That the children
- 47:30Of Israel
- 47:31Enjoyed here
- 47:32They cried
- 47:34To Samuel
- 47:35And said
- 47:35Do not cease
- 47:37To cry out
- 47:37To the Lord
- 47:38Your God
- 47:39For us
- 47:40And so Samuel
- 47:42Continued
- 47:43To pray
- 47:44He offered up
- 47:46A sacrifice
- 47:47And as he did
- 47:49What happened
- 47:50God came
- 47:52To the people
- 47:52And you
- 47:53He showed
- 47:54Them mercy
- 47:55The Philistines
- 47:57Threw near
- 47:58It says
- 47:58In verse 10
- 47:59But the Lord
- 48:01Thundered
- 48:02With a mighty
- 48:03Sound
- 48:04That day
- 48:05The Lord
- 48:06Is greater
- 48:08The Lord
- 48:09Is mighty
- 48:10To save
- 48:11The Lord
- 48:11Is on your side
- 48:13As you put
- 48:14Your trust
- 48:14In him
- 48:15You will
- 48:16Be afraid
- 48:17We will all
- 48:18Be afraid
- 48:19At times
- 48:20We will all
- 48:21Struggle
- 48:21At times
- 48:22But to remember
- 48:24The Lord
- 48:25Is on our side
- 48:27The Lord
- 48:28Is with you
- 48:30And that is what
- 48:31The people
- 48:32Were again
- 48:33Realizing here
- 48:34And that is what
- 48:35We are to realize
- 48:36For ourselves
- 48:37As well
- 48:39The Lord
- 48:40Revived his people
- 48:42And the Lord
- 48:43Revived his protection
- 48:44Over them
- 48:46Samuel
- 48:47They call
- 48:48To him
- 48:49To help
- 48:50Them
- 48:50We don't
- 48:52Call
- 48:53On Samuel
- 48:54Today
- 48:55But who do
- 48:56We call
- 48:57On
- 48:57In the midst
- 48:59Of all
- 48:59Our doubts
- 49:00And fears
- 49:01And anxieties
- 49:02Of going
- 49:03Forward
- 49:04For the Lord
- 49:05Who do we
- 49:06Call on
- 49:06We look
- 49:07To Jesus
- 49:08We call
- 49:10On him
- 49:11We call
- 49:12On him
- 49:12Who gave
- 49:13Himself
- 49:14For us
- 49:15We come
- 49:17In prayer
- 49:18To him
- 49:20And he
- 49:21Hears
- 49:21Your prayer
- 49:22And he
- 49:23Is able
- 49:24To thunder
- 49:25Out
- 49:25Just like
- 49:26The Lord
- 49:26Did here
- 49:27He is able
- 49:28To protect
- 49:29You
- 49:29He is able
- 49:30To keep
- 49:31You
- 49:31He will
- 49:31Shield
- 49:32You
- 49:32He will
- 49:33Never
- 49:33Leave
- 49:33You
- 49:34That is
- 49:35The great
- 49:35Promise
- 49:36We will
- 49:37All have
- 49:38These doubts
- 49:39All have
- 49:40These anxieties
- 49:41But we can
- 49:43Take them
- 49:43To the Lord
- 49:44In prayer
- 49:45If you have
- 49:47Ever read
- 49:47The book
- 49:48Pilgrim's
- 49:49Progress
- 49:49This will
- 49:50Be familiar
- 49:51To you
- 49:51If you have
- 49:52Never read
- 49:53It do
- 49:53Read it
- 49:54Because it
- 49:55Speaks so
- 49:56Much of
- 49:56The Christian's
- 49:57Journey
- 49:58Of carrying
- 49:59This great
- 50:00Weight
- 50:00Of sin
- 50:01On our
- 50:01Back
- 50:02And the
- 50:02Way
- 50:02The journey
- 50:03Takes so
- 50:04Many twists
- 50:05And turns
- 50:05And there is
- 50:07One point
- 50:07In the book
- 50:08Where John
- 50:09Bunyan wrote
- 50:09Speaking of
- 50:10Christian
- 50:11And a
- 50:12Friend he has
- 50:13With him
- 50:13Hopeful
- 50:14And once
- 50:16Again
- 50:16They have
- 50:16Taken a
- 50:17Deed
- 50:17Through
- 50:17Of the
- 50:18Right
- 50:19Path
- 50:19And they have
- 50:20Ended up
- 50:21In a
- 50:21Place
- 50:21Called
- 50:22Doubting
- 50:23Castle
- 50:24And everything
- 50:25In this
- 50:25Book
- 50:26It just
- 50:26Relates
- 50:27To so
- 50:27Many
- 50:28Experiences
- 50:28We have
- 50:29On the
- 50:30Christian
- 50:30Journey
- 50:31And
- 50:31Christians
- 50:32Will have
- 50:32Doubts
- 50:33There will
- 50:35Be times
- 50:35When we are
- 50:35Afflicted
- 50:36With doubts
- 50:37But what
- 50:38Do we do
- 50:38In these
- 50:38Times
- 50:39Well
- 50:39In this
- 50:40Book
- 50:41Christian
- 50:41And hopeful
- 50:42Are in
- 50:42Doubting
- 50:43Castle
- 50:43And the
- 50:45Owner of
- 50:45The castle
- 50:46Is called
- 50:46Giant
- 50:47Despair
- 50:48And his
- 50:49Wife
- 50:50Is a
- 50:50Scary
- 50:51Woman
- 50:51Too
- 50:51And they're
- 50:52Locked up
- 50:52Here
- 50:53And they're
- 50:53Suffering
- 50:54There
- 50:54They're being
- 50:54Tortured
- 50:55There
- 50:56And then
- 50:57They turn
- 50:58To God
- 50:59In prayer
- 51:00And as
- 51:01They're
- 51:02Praying
- 51:02Christian
- 51:04Remembers
- 51:04That he was
- 51:05Given a
- 51:05Key
- 51:06Before
- 51:07On this
- 51:08Journey
- 51:08And he
- 51:09Has this
- 51:10Key in
- 51:10His
- 51:10Pocket
- 51:11And this
- 51:12Key is
- 51:13Called
- 51:13Promise
- 51:14And what
- 51:16The key
- 51:16Does
- 51:17Is it
- 51:17Unlocks
- 51:18Every door
- 51:19For them
- 51:20To get
- 51:20Out of
- 51:21Doubting
- 51:21Castle
- 51:22Back
- 51:23Onto
- 51:23The right
- 51:24Path
- 51:24Every way
- 51:26Is opened
- 51:27Up
- 51:28And it's
- 51:29Just a
- 51:30Reminder
- 51:30To us
- 51:31That the
- 51:32Lord has
- 51:32Given us
- 51:33Promise
- 51:33Promise
- 51:35That he
- 51:35Will help
- 51:36Promise
- 51:37That he
- 51:37Will be
- 51:38With us
- 51:38And so
- 51:39As we
- 51:40Go through
- 51:40Life
- 51:41As we
- 51:42Go on
- 51:42This
- 51:42Journey
- 51:43And as
- 51:44We take
- 51:44Maybe the
- 51:45Wrong turns
- 51:46At different
- 51:46Places
- 51:47And as
- 51:47We suffer
- 51:47In different
- 51:49Ways
- 51:49Take it
- 51:50To the
- 51:51Lord
- 51:51In prayer
- 51:52And remember
- 51:53All his
- 51:54Promises
- 51:55And so
- 51:57You have
- 51:58This
- 51:58Call
- 51:59To
- 51:59Mercy
- 52:00You have
- 52:00This
- 52:00Experience
- 52:01Of
- 52:01Mercy
- 52:02Then thirdly
- 52:03And finally
- 52:03We have
- 52:04This
- 52:04Remembrance
- 52:05Of
- 52:06Mercy
- 52:07How
- 52:08Forgetful
- 52:09We are
- 52:10As a
- 52:10People
- 52:11How often
- 52:12And how
- 52:12Easily
- 52:13We forget
- 52:14So much
- 52:15We forget
- 52:16The Lord's
- 52:17Marshes
- 52:17We forget
- 52:18What the
- 52:19Lord has
- 52:19Done for
- 52:20Us
- 52:20How he's
- 52:20Helped
- 52:21Us
- 52:21So many
- 52:22Different
- 52:22Times
- 52:23And yet
- 52:24Here we
- 52:25See
- 52:25Samuel
- 52:26Put a
- 52:27Reminder
- 52:27Down
- 52:27For the
- 52:28People
- 52:28He took
- 52:29A stone
- 52:30In verse
- 52:3012
- 52:31And set
- 52:31It up
- 52:32Between
- 52:32Misbah
- 52:32And called
- 52:34His name
- 52:35Ebenezer
- 52:35For he
- 52:36Said
- 52:36Till now
- 52:37The Lord
- 52:38Has
- 52:39Held
- 52:39Us
- 52:39Hither
- 52:40To
- 52:40The Lord
- 52:41Has
- 52:42Held
- 52:42Us
- 52:42What a
- 52:43Wonderful
- 52:44Remembrance
- 52:45They have
- 52:46Hither
- 52:47To
- 52:47The Lord
- 52:49Has
- 52:49Held
- 52:50Us
- 52:50It stands
- 52:51There before
- 52:52Them as a
- 52:53Constant
- 52:54Reminder
- 52:55The Lord
- 52:56Has
- 52:57Blessed
- 52:58Us
- 52:58The Lord
- 52:59Has
- 52:59Been
- 53:00With
- 53:00Us
- 53:00The Lord
- 53:01Has
- 53:01Been
- 53:02Faithful
- 53:02To
- 53:03Us
- 53:03Help
- 53:04Us
- 53:04To
- 53:05Be
- 53:05Faithful
- 53:06To
- 53:07Him
- 53:07When
- 53:08They
- 53:08Looked
- 53:09At
- 53:09This
- 53:09Stone
- 53:09They
- 53:10Were
- 53:10Reminded
- 53:11Of
- 53:12Two
- 53:12Things
- 53:13They
- 53:14Are
- 53:15Reminded
- 53:15Of
- 53:16The
- 53:16Way
- 53:16That
- 53:16They
- 53:16Had
- 53:16Forgot
- 53:17God
- 53:18Of
- 53:19How
- 53:19They
- 53:19Disobeyed
- 53:21God
- 53:21Going
- 53:21Back
- 53:22The
- 53:22Stone
- 53:22Is
- 53:22Called
- 53:23Ebenezer
- 53:23You
- 53:24Go
- 53:24Back
- 53:24To
- 53:25Chapter
- 53:254
- 53:25The
- 53:25Very
- 53:26Place
- 53:26That
- 53:26They
- 53:27Disobeyed
- 53:27God
- 53:28Was
- 53:28Called
- 53:29Ebenezer
- 53:29So
- 53:31It's
- 53:31A
- 53:31Reminder
- 53:31To
- 53:32Them
- 53:32They
- 53:33Have
- 53:33Done
- 53:33Wrong
- 53:34Against
- 53:34God
- 53:35But
- 53:36That
- 53:36Wasn't
- 53:37The
- 53:37Only
- 53:37Reminder
- 53:38You
- 53:39See
- 53:39The
- 53:39Second
- 53:40Reminder
- 53:40Was
- 53:41That
- 53:42God
- 53:42Had
- 53:42Showed
- 53:43Marshy
- 53:43God
- 53:44Had
- 53:45Helped
- 53:45And
- 53:46So
- 53:46This
- 53:46Stone
- 53:47As
- 53:47It
- 53:48Reminded
- 53:48Them
- 53:48Of
- 53:48Their
- 53:48Weakness
- 53:49It
- 53:50Reminded
- 53:50Of
- 53:50Them
- 53:51Strength
- 53:51God
- 53:52Hitherto
- 53:54The
- 53:55Lord
- 53:55Has
- 53:56Helped
- 53:56Us
- 53:57For
- 53:59Ourselves
- 54:00Today
- 54:00Do
- 54:01We
- 54:02Have
- 54:02A
- 54:03Stone
- 54:03Of
- 54:04Remembrance
- 54:05Well we
- 54:07Sang
- 54:07In
- 54:08Psalm
- 54:08118
- 54:10And
- 54:11There
- 54:11It
- 54:11Mentions
- 54:12A
- 54:13Stone
- 54:13It
- 54:14Says
- 54:14The
- 54:15Stone
- 54:15The
- 54:15Builders
- 54:16Rejected
- 54:17Has
- 54:18Become
- 54:18The
- 54:19Cornerstone
- 54:20And
- 54:21What
- 54:21Is
- 54:21The
- 54:21Stone
- 54:22That
- 54:22That
- 54:22Psalm
- 54:23Is
- 54:23Speaking
- 54:24About
- 54:24It
- 54:25Reminding
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- 54:26The
- 54:26Stone
- 54:27Who
- 54:27Is
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- 54:27Help
- 54:28The
- 54:29Lord
- 54:29Jesus
- 54:30Christ
- 54:31A
- 54:32Stone
- 54:33For
- 54:34His
- 54:34People
- 54:35A
- 54:36Stone
- 54:36That
- 54:37Is
- 54:37A
- 54:37Rock
- 54:38That
- 54:38Nothing
- 54:39Will
- 54:39Defeat
- 54:40Nothing
- 54:41Will
- 54:41Put
- 54:41Down
- 54:42It
- 54:42Is
- 54:42The
- 54:43Rock
- 54:43Of
- 54:43Salvation
- 54:44The
- 54:45Lord
- 54:45Jesus
- 54:46Christ
- 54:46So
- 54:48Why
- 54:48Are
- 54:48We
- 54:49Looking
- 54:49At
- 54:49This
- 54:49Passage
- 54:50Today
- 54:51Well
- 54:52A
- 54:52Fortnight
- 54:53From
- 54:53Now
- 54:54We
- 54:55Will
- 54:55Gather
- 54:55Just
- 54:56As
- 54:56The
- 54:57People
- 54:57Here
- 54:57Were
- 54:58Reminded
- 54:58Of
- 54:58Their
- 54:59Sin
- 54:59And
- 55:00Of
- 55:00The
- 55:00Mercy
- 55:00Of
- 55:01God
- 55:01So
- 55:02We
- 55:02Will
- 55:03Be
- 55:03Reminded
- 55:04And
- 55:04Remember
- 55:05The
- 55:05Mercy
- 55:06Of
- 55:06God
- 55:06To
- 55:07Us
- 55:07As
- 55:08We
- 55:08Take
- 55:09Communion
- 55:09Together
- 55:10Maybe
- 55:12Now
- 55:13I
- 55:14Hope
- 55:14We
- 55:14Are
- 55:14All
- 55:15Thinking
- 55:15What
- 55:16Does
- 55:16That
- 55:17Mean
- 55:17For
- 55:18Me
- 55:18When
- 55:20We
- 55:20Think
- 55:20Of
- 55:21The
- 55:21People
- 55:21Here
- 55:22Lamenting
- 55:22For
- 55:23Twenty
- 55:23Years
- 55:24They
- 55:24Came
- 55:25To
- 55:25The
- 55:25Point
- 55:25Where
- 55:26They
- 55:26Realized
- 55:26I
- 55:27Have
- 55:27Sinned
- 55:28Against
- 55:28God
- 55:29And
- 55:30Even
- 55:30In
- 55:30All
- 55:30Their
- 55:30Fears
- 55:31And
- 55:31Worries
- 55:32They
- 55:32They
- 55:32They
- 55:32They
- 55:32They
- 55:35Were
- 55:36And
- 55:36That
- 55:36Is
- 55:37The
- 55:37Great
- 55:37Reminder
- 55:38For
- 55:38Us
- 55:39At
- 55:39The
- 55:39Cross
- 55:39Too
- 55:40As
- 55:41We
- 55:42See
- 55:42The
- 55:42Bread
- 55:43And
- 55:43The
- 55:43Wine
- 55:44They
- 55:44Are
- 55:44Reminders
- 55:45To
- 55:45Us
- 55:46To
- 55:46Remember
- 55:47What
- 55:47The
- 55:47Lord
- 55:47Jesus
- 55:48Christ
- 55:48Has
- 55:49Done
- 55:50For
- 55:50Us
- 55:51Because
- 55:52As
- 55:52We
- 55:52Look
- 55:52To
- 55:53The
- 55:53Cross
- 55:53Just
- 55:54Like
- 55:54The
- 55:54People
- 55:55Were
- 55:55Reminded
- 55:55Of
- 55:55Their
- 55:56Sin
- 55:56Here
- 55:56And
- 55:57The
- 55:57Mercy
- 55:58Of
- 55:58God
- 55:58So
- 55:59As
- 55:59We
- 56:00Look
- 56:00To
- 56:00The
- 56:00Cross
- 56:01We
- 56:01Are
- 56:01Reminded
- 56:02Of
- 56:02Our
- 56:02Sin
- 56:02That
- 56:03Put
- 56:03Our
- 56:04Savior
- 56:04There
- 56:05How
- 56:06Far
- 56:07Short
- 56:07We
- 56:07Fall
- 56:08Of
- 56:08His
- 56:09Glory
- 56:09And
- 56:09What
- 56:09He
- 56:09Had
- 56:10To
- 56:10Do
- 56:10For
- 56:10His
- 56:11People
- 56:11To
- 56:12Bear
- 56:12Our
- 56:13Sins
- 56:13On
- 56:14The
- 56:14Cross
- 56:15It
- 56:16Reminds
- 56:17Us
- 56:17Of
- 56:17Our
- 56:17Sin
- 56:17But
- 56:19More
- 56:19Than
- 56:20That
- 56:20It
- 56:21Reminds
- 56:22Us
- 56:22Of
- 56:22The
- 56:22Mercy
- 56:23Of
- 56:23God
- 56:24That
- 56:25Whoever
- 56:25Believes
- 56:27In
- 56:27Him
- 56:27Will
- 56:28Not
- 56:29Perish
- 56:29But
- 56:30Have
- 56:31Everlasting
- 56:32Life
- 56:33We
- 56:35Have
- 56:36A
- 56:36Remembrance
- 56:37Ourselves
- 56:38A
- 56:39Remembrance
- 56:40Stone
- 56:41And
- 56:42That
- 56:42Stone
- 56:42Is
- 56:43The
- 56:43Lord
- 56:44Jesus
- 56:44Christ
- 56:45And
- 56:47If
- 56:47You
- 56:47Could
- 56:47Say
- 56:47Today
- 56:48Till
- 56:49Now
- 56:50The
- 56:50Lord
- 56:51Has
- 56:51Helped
- 56:52Us
- 56:52Till
- 56:53Now
- 56:53The
- 56:54Lord
- 56:54Has
- 56:54Helped
- 56:55Me
- 56:55Should
- 56:56You
- 56:56Not
- 56:57Be
- 56:57Coming
- 56:57With
- 56:58All
- 56:59Your
- 56:59Heart
- 56:59To
- 56:59Worship
- 57:00God
- 57:00And
- 57:01To
- 57:01Do
- 57:02This
- 57:02In
- 57:02Remembrance
- 57:03Of
- 57:03Him
- 57:04To
- 57:05Show
- 57:05I
- 57:06Love
- 57:06The
- 57:06Lord
- 57:07Because
- 57:07My
- 57:08Voice
- 57:08And
- 57:09Prayers
- 57:10Heeded
- 57:11Hear
- 57:11The
- 57:12People
- 57:13Here
- 57:13They
- 57:14Were
- 57:14Given
- 57:14This
- 57:15Reminder
- 57:15A
- 57:16Constant
- 57:17Reminder
- 57:17That
- 57:17Would
- 57:17Say
- 57:18To
- 57:18Them
- 57:18Every
- 57:18Time
- 57:19They
- 57:19Saw
- 57:19It
- 57:19Till
- 57:20Now
- 57:21The
- 57:21Lord
- 57:22Has
- 57:22Helped
- 57:22Us
- 57:23And
- 57:24So
- 57:24We
- 57:24Too
- 57:24Will
- 57:25Gather
- 57:25In
- 57:26Remembrance
- 57:27Of
- 57:27What
- 57:28The
- 57:28Lord
- 57:28Has
- 57:28Done
- 57:29And
- 57:30That
- 57:30We
- 57:30Will
- 57:30Be
- 57:30Able
- 57:30To
- 57:31Say
- 57:31With
- 57:31All
- 57:32God's
- 57:32People
- 57:33Hitherto
- 57:34The
- 57:35Lord
- 57:35Has
- 57:36Helped
- 57:36Me
- 57:37And
- 57:37That
- 57:38We
- 57:38Would
- 57:38Acknowledge
- 57:38That
- 57:39And
- 57:40Bow
- 57:40The
- 57:40Knee
- 57:41Before
- 57:41Him
- 57:42In
- 57:42Worship
- 57:42Not
- 57:43Lamenting
- 57:44Not
- 57:44Just
- 57:45Feeling
- 57:45Sorry
- 57:46For
- 57:46The
- 57:46Way
- 57:46You
- 57:47Wronged
- 57:47God
- 57:48But
- 57:49Repenting
- 57:50Knowing
- 57:51The
- 57:52Need
- 57:52Of
- 57:52His
- 57:52Mercy
- 57:53And
- 57:53Coming
- 57:54Before
- 57:54Him
- 57:55Crying
- 57:55Out
- 57:56For
- 57:56Help
- 57:56Experiencing
- 57:58His
- 57:58Mercy
- 57:59Experiencing
- 58:00His
- 58:00Help
- 58:01In
- 58:01Time
- 58:02Of
- 58:02Doubts
- 58:02And
- 58:03Fears
- 58:03And
- 58:03Times
- 58:03Of
- 58:04Worry
- 58:04Times
- 58:05Of
- 58:05Need
- 58:05And
- 58:06In
- 58:07All
- 58:07Of
- 58:07That
- 58:07Coming
- 58:08To
- 58:08Rejoice
- 58:09In
- 58:10Remembering
- 58:11The
- 58:11God
- 58:11Who
- 58:11Is
- 58:12Faithful
- 58:12And
- 58:13The
- 58:13One
- 58:13Who
- 58:14Has
- 58:14Done
- 58:14All
- 58:15For
- 58:16Us
- 58:16May
- 58:17He
- 58:17Have
- 58:17Mercy
- 58:18On
- 58:18Us
- 58:18As
- 58:19His
- 58:19People
- 58:19And
- 58:20Help
- 58:20Us
- 58:21To
- 58:21Look
- 58:21To
- 58:21Him
- 58:22As
- 58:22The
- 58:22Rock
- 58:23Of
- 58:23Salvation
- 58:24And
- 58:24Put
- 58:25Our
- 58:25Trust
- 58:25In
- 58:26Him
- 58:26Let
- 58:26Us
- 58:27Pray
- 58:27Our
- 58:29Father
- 58:30In
- 58:30Heaven
- 58:30We
- 58:31Do
- 58:31Rejoice
- 58:31In
- 58:32The
- 58:32Gospel
- 58:32And
- 58:33How
- 58:33It
- 58:33Speaks
- 58:34To
- 58:34Us
- 58:34Lord
- 58:35It
- 58:35Reminds
- 58:35Us
- 58:36Of
- 58:36Our
- 58:36Great
- 58:36Need
- 58:37For
- 58:37We
- 58:37Have
- 58:38Sinned
- 58:38And
- 58:38Fall
- 58:39Short
- 58:39Of
- 58:39The
- 58:39Glory
- 58:40Of
- 58:40God
- 58:40But
- 58:41We
- 58:41Thank
- 58:42You
- 58:42To
- 58:42That
- 58:42It
- 58:42Points
- 58:43Us
- 58:43Towards
- 58:43A
- 58:44Merciful
- 58:44Saviour
- 58:45One
- 58:46Who
- 58:46Has
- 58:46Done
- 58:46All
- 58:47For
- 58:47His
- 58:47People
- 58:48And
- 58:48One
- 58:49Who
- 58:49We
- 58:49Can
- 58:49Call
- 58:50Upon
- 58:50In
- 58:51All
- 58:51Our
- 58:51Times
- 58:52Of
- 58:52Need
- 58:52And
- 58:57So be
- 58:57With
- 58:58Us
- 58:58In
- 58:58All
- 58:58Of
- 58:58These
- 58:59Things
- 58:59And
- 58:59Help
- 59:00Us
- 59:00To
- 59:00Look
- 59:01To
- 59:01You
- 59:01And
- 59:01Find
- 59:02Our
- 59:02Strength
- 59:02In
- 59:03You
- 59:03As
- 59:03We
- 59:03Ask
- 59:03It
- 59:04In
- 59:04Jesus
- 59:05Name
- 59:05Amen
- 59:06We'll
- 59:11conclude
- 59:11Our
- 59:11Worship
- 59:12By
- 59:12Singing
- 59:13To
- 59:13God's
- 59:13Praise
- 59:14In
- 59:14Psalm
- 59:1454
- 59:15This
- 59:18Is
- 59:18The
- 59:18Sing
- 59:18Psalms
- 59:19Version
- 59:19On
- 59:19Page
- 59:2071
- 59:21We'll
- 59:21Sing
- 59:22From
- 59:22Verse
- 59:224
- 59:23To
- 59:23The
- 59:23End
- 59:23Of
- 59:23The
- 59:23Psalm
- 59:24Consider
- 59:25This
- 59:26God
- 59:26Is
- 59:27My
- 59:27Help
- 59:27The
- 59:28Lord
- 59:28Upholds
- 59:29My
- 59:29Way
- 59:30And
- 59:30Faithfulness
- 59:31Destroy
- 59:32My
- 59:32Foes
- 59:33Their
- 59:33Slander
- 59:34Lord
- 59:35Repay
- 59:36I'll
- 59:36Sacrifice
- 59:37I'll
- 59:37Bring
- 59:37A
- 59:37Sacrifice
- 59:38To
- 59:38You
- 59:39A
- 59:39Free
- 59:40Will
- 59:40Offering
- 59:40Because
- 59:41Your
- 59:42Name
- 59:42O
- 59:42Lord
- 59:43Is
- 59:43Good
- 59:43Your
- 59:44Praises
- 59:44I
- 59:45Will
- 59:45Sing
- 59:46We'll
- 59:46Sing
- 59:47From
- 59:47Verse
- 59:474
- 59:47To
- 59:477
- 59:48To
- 59:48God's
- 59:48Praise
- 59:49The
- 59:49Tune is
- 59:49Torwood
- 59:50God
- 59:51To
- 59:55Consider
- 59:57This
- 59:59God
- 1:00:00Is
- 1:00:01My
- 1:00:02Hell
- 1:00:03The
- 1:00:04Lord
- 1:00:05The
- 1:00:06Bulls
- 1:00:08I
- 1:00:08May
- 1:00:10In
- 1:00:11Faithful
- 1:00:14Ness
- 1:00:15Is
- 1:00:16Your
- 1:00:17Mindfuls
- 1:00:18Their
- 1:00:20Slander
- 1:00:22Lord
- 1:00:23Repay
- 1:00:25Come
- 1:00:28Bring
- 1:00:29A
- 1:00:30Sacrifice
- 1:00:33To
- 1:00:34You
- 1:00:35A
- 1:00:37Free
- 1:00:38Will
- 1:00:39Offer
- 1:00:41A
- 1:00:43Because
- 1:00:45Your
- 1:00:46Name
- 1:00:47O
- 1:00:48Lord
- 1:00:49Is
- 1:00:51Good
- 1:00:52Near
- 1:00:53Christmas
- 1:00:54I
- 1:00:56Will
- 1:00:57Sing
- 1:00:58For
- 1:01:01You
- 1:01:02O
- 1:01:03Lord
- 1:01:05I
- 1:01:06Rescued
- 1:01:07Me
- 1:01:08From
- 1:01:10My
- 1:01:11Distress
- 1:01:13And
- 1:01:14All
- 1:01:16My
- 1:01:18Eyes
- 1:01:19Have
- 1:01:20Looked
- 1:01:21In
- 1:01:22Victory
- 1:01:24Upon
- 1:01:27My
- 1:01:28True
- 1:01:30Health
- 1:01:31Lord
- 1:01:32After
- 1:01:34the
- 1:01:35benediction I'll go to the door to my left.
- 1:01:37Now may grace, mercy and peace from God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with us all now and forevermore. Amen.
- 1:01:48Amen.
- 1:02:18Thank you.