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One Only · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

0:00
Thank you both for your prayer.
0:03
And turn back to the passage that we read together in 1 Samuel chapter 7.
0:13
And we'll read it verse 3.
0:17
And Samuel said to the house of Israel,
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If ye are returning to the Lord with all your heart,
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put away the foreign gods and the ashtoreth from among you,
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and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only.
0:32
And he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
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So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the ashtoreth,
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and they served the Lord only.
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In a sense, I want to carry on just the time that we have,
0:50
just carry on from where we left off on Sunday night.
0:53
And we were in chapter 5 and 6 there.
0:58
And previously, we had seen that the nation of Israel had gone to war
1:02
on their own terms,
1:05
for their own desires to be free from the Philistines.
1:09
And then we found out that they lost the Ark,
1:12
as they brought the Ark of God into battle,
1:16
by their own reasonings.
1:17
And they lost it, the Philistines over Canaan.
1:19
The Ark ended up in the land of the Philistines.
1:23
And we saw how God revealed himself to both his own people
1:27
and to the Philistines.
1:30
And we thought of God and his characteristics using the fourth catechism.
1:35
God was that spirit, infinite, eternal, unchangeable.
1:38
And in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
1:44
And you could spend as much time as you want thinking about God
1:49
and trying to understand him.
1:52
And we kind of get enriched as we do that.
1:55
We are encouraged by the awesomeness of who God is.
2:00
And in a sense, we can't understand truly who he is.
2:04
He is incomprehensible.
2:08
I want to look now at the passage that we have
2:11
where the people come back to God.
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And catechism five fits in well with our thoughts as well,
2:19
which is, are there more gods than one?
2:24
And the answer is, there is but one only,
2:28
the living and true God.
2:31
I'm not sure how far this method will carry on through Samuel,
2:35
but I thought it just fits so well.
2:37
That's what Samuel is saying to the people.
2:40
Remember, come back to the Lord.
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God.
2:43
God.
2:44
Worship the Lord only.
2:47
And it's a fundamental teaching.
2:50
And you might sit there and be thinking,
2:52
well, this is all something that we believe.
2:54
Of course we do as Christians.
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We believe that God is one.
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God is the only Lord of our lives.
3:04
But there is much for us to learn from this,
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as much as to remind ourselves of who God is.
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And we often need reminders because we often forget the basics.
3:18
We often get carried away in our lives,
3:21
even if it's in our Christian lives.
3:22
And this passage was to Israel,
3:32
the Lord's chosen people.
3:35
And we are the Lord's people.
3:38
And it was said before them to put away all other gods and worship the Lord only,
3:47
directing our hearts.
3:49
And certainly we as a people must adhere to that as well.
3:57
We must agree with that,
3:58
to direct our hearts to the Lord and to serve him only.
4:05
And he will be a God that will deliver you.
4:11
And in the people of Israel,
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who had gone their own way,
4:17
they had gone into battle,
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they had disrespected God's presence of the ark.
4:23
There's a change of thought here in the people.
4:28
There's a redirection in their understanding of who God is.
4:33
As God revealed who he was,
4:36
they began to understand,
4:38
what have we done?
4:40
This God is that power,
4:44
wisdom,
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holiness.
4:45
He is a just God.
4:46
He is good.
4:47
And he is a true God.
4:49
And he has become all the more true to them.
4:52
True enough that they would change their minds and change their direction.
4:55
So there is a redirection.
4:59
And there is a deliverance that we see in the passage.
5:03
So we'll just pick up on these points of a redirection and a deliverance that comes to them as they come back to God.
5:13
Verse 2 tells us that a long time has passed.
5:18
It says in the middle there of verse 2,
5:20
20 years have passed.
5:23
But there was,
5:24
after having this,
5:25
all of a sudden,
5:28
God had acted
5:31
before the Philistines.
5:33
He had declared who he was.
5:35
And then you've got this
5:35
almost silence for 20 years
5:39
where nothing happens.
5:40
There's no divine interruption from God like we saw
5:43
in the last chapter.
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But there's a change
5:47
that we see that Israel
5:49
lamented
5:50
after the Lord.
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Samuel saw the people
5:56
had gained this understanding
5:58
of who God was.
6:00
He was seeing them lamenting
6:01
after the Lord.
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And he came to them.
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And they were,
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you know,
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they were a people,
6:10
remember they were a people of chapter 6.
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He said,
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this God is a holy God
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who can stand,
6:16
who can stand in his presence.
6:18
They were beginning to understand.
6:19
And Samuel comes to them now
6:22
and he's saying,
6:23
if you are returning to the Lord
6:25
with all your heart,
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then put away the foreign gods.
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And he's saying,
6:32
this redirection,
6:33
it requires devotion,
6:36
complete devotion.
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And God asks for a whole heart.
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As he had always done
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when he revealed himself
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to the people of Israel
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in Deuteronomy,
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chapter 6,
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verse 4,
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God says to the people,
6:52
hear, O Israel,
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the Lord our God,
6:54
the Lord is one.
6:56
You shall love the Lord your God
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with all your heart,
6:59
with all your soul
7:00
and with all your might.
7:02
You shall love the Lord your God
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with all your heart,
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with all your soul
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and with all your might.
7:07
He is one
7:10
that we must devote ourselves to
7:13
entirely as one.
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This is a,
7:17
this is a,
7:17
this is a,
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this is called the Shema
7:19
in the Jewish tradition.
7:22
And this is a prayer
7:23
that the Jewish people
7:24
will pray daily
7:26
to remind themselves
7:28
who God is.
7:31
The Lord is one.
7:34
So it does us
7:35
entirely beneficial for us
7:37
just to think about more
7:39
on who God is
7:40
as that one being.
7:42
and our love to God.
7:44
It should never,
7:45
it should never be divided.
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And that's our ideal.
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We don't want to divide
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our love to God,
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but we admit that we fail,
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we fail to keep
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that devotion.
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We want,
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as the Lord's people,
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the people who are chosen
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by him,
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we want to be near to God.
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We want to,
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we want to know
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as much of God
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as we can
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by what he has revealed to us.
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We want,
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we want to feel
8:10
the strength of God.
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And when our love
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and our devotion
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and our hearts
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are torn
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in another direction,
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we,
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we lose
8:21
that
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ideal.
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And,
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and we all do it.
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We all want
8:28
as much of God
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when we come
8:31
to understand
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who he is,
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but
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we admit that
8:34
something else
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gets in the way.
8:37
We,
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we,
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we separate ourselves
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from God.
8:40
We have
8:41
our
8:42
idols
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in a sense
8:44
like Israel.
8:46
And,
8:46
you know,
8:48
in my bedroom,
8:51
there's a,
8:51
it's like a three pane window.
8:53
There's one big one
8:54
in the middle
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and two on the side.
8:56
So,
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you know,
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if I
8:59
took the things
9:01
in my life
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and we can all do it
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and I'm speaking
9:04
to myself
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every time
9:05
I look at
9:07
the word of God,
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you know,
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we can have
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these idols
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and things
9:11
that we
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place higher
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than we should
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in our lives.
9:15
And I was thinking
9:15
it would be like a,
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it would be like
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a different colored paper
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for different things.
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You know,
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if it was football
9:20
or cars
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or whatever
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it would be,
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houses
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or,
9:24
or carrier
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and we can have
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all these different
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colored papers
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that we place
9:30
in our lives
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and when we put
9:32
them on,
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it restricts
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the light
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coming through
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the window.
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And if our,
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if our lives
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was the room,
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then,
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then we are
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putting these things
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in between
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ourselves
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and the source
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of light,
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God.
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And,
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and maybe what we do
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is like,
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I was thinking,
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I probably cover up
9:54
the two side panes
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and I leave the main
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pane
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in the middle
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clear.
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I let the light
10:02
in
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and
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that is my,
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my main
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window,
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as it were,
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in my life.
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This is main
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central pane.
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But I've got all
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this stuff
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on the side
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that
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restricts
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even greater
10:18
light coming in.
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And we as
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Christians need to
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clear our lives
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from these idols
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or these things
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that we elevate
10:29
into positions
10:30
that they shouldn't
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be there.
10:34
We all,
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we are all tempted
10:36
and the devil
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will throw paper
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at us
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and,
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and we just
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automatically put
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them on
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because we love
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them so much
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and we love to
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see them
10:44
in our lives.
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But even then,
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when we,
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we place these
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things before us,
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the light
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comes through
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them.
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They're all
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from God
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in a sense.
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Everything we
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have is from
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God.
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And behind
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all these
11:00
things,
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light shines.
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But if we
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reduce that
11:05
light
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in,
11:08
within us,
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we've spoken,
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we've
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prayed about
11:13
ones that
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would radiate
11:15
the light.
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And God
11:16
has put in
11:17
gifts within
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each of us.
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And if we
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restrict that
11:21
light within
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ourselves,
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we don't,
11:25
the light
11:25
doesn't flood
11:26
into the room
11:26
as it should.
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It doesn't flood
11:28
into our lives.
11:28
The word of God
11:29
should flood
11:30
into our lives
11:30
as much as we
11:32
can receive
11:34
from God.
11:34
That's our
11:35
ideal,
11:35
that we
11:36
see as much
11:38
of God
11:38
and the beauty
11:39
of God
11:40
as that light
11:42
comes upon
11:43
us.
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And as we
11:45
say,
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God creates
11:47
us and
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God gifts
11:49
us.
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And it's like
11:51
as if there
11:51
were jewels
11:52
in the room
11:53
that God
11:54
has placed
11:54
within our
11:55
lives.
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And as the
11:57
light of God
11:58
comes in,
11:59
people will
12:00
see these
12:00
jewels that
12:01
will reflect
12:02
out the
12:03
glory of God
12:04
from us.
12:04
us.
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So we,
12:08
in a sense,
12:10
need to have
12:13
the redirection
12:13
that Israel
12:14
had.
12:15
We need
12:16
to come
12:18
back to
12:18
God and
12:19
lament over
12:20
the things
12:21
that are in
12:21
our lives
12:22
that we
12:22
place on
12:23
the side
12:24
windows.
12:25
Maybe we're
12:25
keeping them,
12:27
maybe what the
12:27
world are doing
12:28
is covering
12:28
the whole
12:29
window and
12:29
restricting
12:30
their view of
12:30
God entirely
12:31
and saying
12:32
he's not
12:32
there.
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But we as
12:34
Christians,
12:34
maybe we
12:34
we're
12:35
clutching up
12:35
the sides
12:36
and we're
12:36
not allowing
12:36
God in as
12:37
much as
12:37
we should.
12:39
We need to
12:40
put these
12:40
things,
12:41
we need to
12:41
have redirection,
12:42
we need to
12:42
remind ourselves
12:43
every day,
12:45
the Lord,
12:45
our God,
12:47
the Lord
12:48
is one
12:48
and one
12:49
that is
12:50
worthy
12:50
of one
12:53
entire
12:54
devotion
12:55
from us.
12:57
He is one
12:58
that we
12:58
must concentrate
12:59
on as one
13:00
and give
13:01
all that
13:01
we can
13:02
to.
13:02
there are
13:05
things in
13:06
our lives
13:06
that we
13:07
shouldn't
13:07
keep and
13:09
we just
13:09
need to
13:10
put them
13:10
away,
13:11
things that
13:11
are not
13:12
good for
13:12
us.
13:13
We just
13:14
need to
13:14
put them
13:14
away.
13:16
Israel
13:17
delighted to
13:18
have the
13:18
ask returned
13:19
to them
13:19
after 20
13:20
years,
13:20
but they
13:23
still held
13:24
on to
13:24
the gods.
13:26
They were
13:28
delighted to
13:28
have the
13:28
ask returned
13:29
to them,
13:29
but they
13:29
still held
13:30
on to
13:30
their gods
13:31
for 20
13:32
years.
13:33
Samuel
13:34
is saying
13:34
to them,
13:34
put them
13:35
away,
13:36
get rid
13:37
of these
13:37
gods,
13:38
clear the
13:38
window and
13:39
let the
13:39
light of
13:40
the Lord
13:40
your God
13:41
enter into
13:43
your hearts.
13:44
the Lord
13:47
is a
13:47
jealous God
13:48
and he
13:48
will not
13:49
be worshipped
13:49
alongside
13:50
any
13:51
other.
13:53
He is
13:53
the one
13:54
and only,
13:55
he is
13:55
living and
13:55
he is
13:56
true.
13:58
And this
13:58
redirection
13:59
as we see
14:00
in the
14:00
people,
14:00
it comes
14:01
with a
14:02
confession
14:03
of our
14:04
error,
14:05
confessions
14:05
of our
14:06
sins as
14:07
we see
14:08
the people
14:08
doing in
14:09
verse 6.
14:11
We have
14:12
sinned against
14:13
the Lord.
14:14
we have
14:16
sinned against
14:16
the Lord.
14:18
But if we
14:19
look at
14:22
our lives
14:23
and we see
14:23
these side
14:24
windows
14:24
cluttered,
14:26
we say
14:27
we have
14:28
sinned
14:28
against the
14:29
Lord.
14:30
But he
14:31
is one
14:32
that if
14:32
we confess
14:33
our sins,
14:34
he is
14:35
faithful and
14:35
just to
14:36
forgive us
14:37
them and
14:38
cleanse us
14:38
from all
14:40
unrighteousness.
14:41
1 John 1
14:42
verse 9.
14:44
we confess
14:46
all of
14:46
these things
14:47
and bring
14:47
them before
14:48
and we
14:49
lament
14:49
over them
14:50
and we
14:50
confess we
14:51
have sinned,
14:51
he will
14:52
cleanse us,
14:55
which is
14:55
something we
14:56
struggle to
14:56
grasp here,
14:58
that he
14:58
will cleanse
14:59
us.
14:59
And our
15:00
redirection,
15:01
we as our
15:01
people must
15:02
direct
15:02
ourselves
15:03
to the
15:05
Lord
15:05
entirely,
15:06
to that
15:07
light.
15:07
so let's
15:09
look at
15:09
the
15:09
deliverance
15:10
that the
15:11
people have
15:12
in this
15:12
passage as
15:13
well.
15:14
People
15:15
confess their
15:16
sins and
15:16
Samuel,
15:17
in a sense,
15:18
he's like an
15:18
intercessor for
15:19
them on their
15:20
behalf.
15:22
The situation
15:23
that they
15:24
have,
15:25
they've
15:25
gathered at
15:26
Mishpana,
15:26
it's turned
15:27
on its
15:27
head when
15:28
Israel are
15:30
faced with
15:32
the threat
15:33
of the
15:33
Philistines.
15:34
the
15:35
Philistines
15:36
reappear in
15:37
this passage
15:38
again.
15:40
And just
15:40
as it took
15:41
20 years
15:41
for Israel
15:42
to return
15:43
to the
15:43
Lord,
15:43
it took
15:43
20 years
15:44
for the
15:44
Philistines
15:45
to forget
15:45
about the
15:46
power that
15:47
God had
15:48
before them
15:49
in the
15:49
ark.
15:51
It's
15:51
interesting
15:51
what time
15:52
can do
15:53
to us
15:53
as people.
15:58
It reads
15:58
that they
15:59
came against
16:00
Israel in
16:01
verse 7.
16:02
Israel feared
16:03
this nation
16:05
was gathered
16:07
not for
16:08
battle,
16:09
they were
16:10
gathered to
16:11
devote themselves
16:12
and return
16:12
themselves to
16:13
the Lord.
16:13
They didn't
16:14
have any
16:15
armory,
16:15
they didn't
16:15
have any
16:16
weapons to
16:16
fight the
16:18
Philistines as
16:19
they came,
16:19
but the
16:20
Philistines
16:20
are probably
16:21
and they
16:22
understand to
16:23
be a
16:24
strong nation.
16:27
There's
16:28
chariots and
16:28
irons with
16:29
the strength
16:30
of iron,
16:32
far stronger
16:32
than Israel.
16:33
So they
16:34
had a right
16:35
to fear
16:35
that they're
16:36
trapped,
16:36
they're
16:37
gathered
16:37
together and
16:38
this threat
16:39
is coming
16:39
upon them.
16:41
In every
16:41
sense of
16:42
the word,
16:42
they've
16:43
lost.
16:43
There's a
16:43
prospect that
16:45
they are
16:45
losing this
16:46
and you
16:49
can't help
16:49
but wonder
16:50
what are
16:51
they thinking?
16:52
They came
16:54
before the
16:54
Philistines,
16:55
before they
16:55
defeated them
16:56
and they
16:56
went back
16:56
to the
16:57
ark in the
16:59
previous passages.
16:59
what are
17:01
they going
17:01
to do?
17:02
Where are
17:03
they going
17:03
to go?
17:06
Will they
17:07
find confidence
17:08
in themselves
17:09
again to go
17:10
against the
17:10
Philistines?
17:13
They don't.
17:16
Maybe they're
17:17
just in a
17:18
position where
17:19
they're completely
17:20
at ends for
17:22
themselves.
17:23
like we
17:24
cannot do
17:25
anything.
17:26
We are,
17:27
we have
17:27
lost.
17:29
And so
17:30
they cry
17:31
out to
17:33
Samuel,
17:33
do not
17:34
cease to
17:34
cry out
17:35
for us.
17:35
We can
17:37
do nothing
17:37
for ourselves.
17:39
They've
17:39
come to
17:40
devote
17:40
themselves
17:41
to the
17:41
Lord and
17:41
they're
17:42
trusting
17:43
that God
17:44
will free
17:45
them.
17:46
The Lord
17:47
will be
17:47
faithful to
17:48
them.
17:49
And they
17:49
rely upon
17:50
him.
17:50
some
17:53
people may
17:53
portray the
17:54
Christian life
17:55
that, you
17:55
know, when
17:56
you become
17:56
a Christian,
17:57
it's easy.
17:59
God's on
17:59
your side and
18:00
you'll have no
18:00
problems, you'll
18:01
have no
18:02
anxieties
18:02
whatsoever,
18:04
which is
18:05
not, which
18:05
is not
18:06
true.
18:07
Many people
18:08
as Christians
18:09
go through
18:09
very difficult
18:11
circumstances.
18:13
And even
18:14
when we
18:15
stand for
18:15
God, as
18:18
this deal
18:18
we're doing
18:18
here, they
18:19
are making
18:19
us stand
18:20
for God.
18:21
We can
18:21
be sure
18:22
that the
18:22
devil will
18:23
not be
18:23
far away.
18:24
We can
18:24
be sure
18:25
that there
18:25
will be a
18:25
test awaiting
18:26
us.
18:26
When we
18:27
devote our
18:28
lives like
18:29
Israel did,
18:30
they came
18:31
with their
18:31
hearts to
18:32
devote them
18:33
to Israel.
18:34
We can
18:35
be sure
18:35
that there
18:36
will be
18:36
something to
18:37
challenge us
18:38
in our
18:39
lives.
18:44
Maybe you
18:44
can think
18:45
back when
18:46
you became
18:47
a Christian.
18:49
Things that
18:49
were thrown
18:50
thrown in
18:50
your way,
18:52
things that
18:52
came before
18:53
you, that
18:54
made you
18:54
question,
18:55
well, am
18:56
I on the
18:57
right path?
18:58
Is it going
18:59
to be this
18:59
difficult all
19:00
the way?
19:03
And we
19:05
can start in
19:06
our faith and
19:06
we can think
19:07
that, well, I
19:07
don't have the
19:08
strength to do
19:09
it.
19:11
I can't go
19:12
on, I can't
19:13
go on in my
19:14
faith.
19:14
there's no
19:15
way I can
19:16
do this.
19:19
But God
19:20
shows himself
19:21
to be
19:21
faithful as
19:22
he did to
19:22
the people.
19:23
God was
19:24
their protector.
19:26
They trusted
19:27
in God
19:27
and God
19:29
left them
19:30
in awe
19:30
at what he
19:31
did.
19:33
There's no
19:33
doubt that
19:34
God surprised
19:34
them by the
19:35
means of his
19:36
protection.
19:38
Verse 10
19:38
tells us that
19:39
the Lord
19:39
thundered a
19:40
mighty sound
19:41
and threw
19:41
the Philistines
19:42
into confusion.
19:46
Maybe the
19:47
world will
19:47
come against
19:48
us in a
19:49
certain way.
19:51
But when the
19:51
world go their
19:52
own way,
19:54
there's a
19:54
confusion.
19:55
It was
19:55
mentioned in
19:56
prayer.
19:57
Confusion
19:58
rules in a
19:59
people I
19:59
forget about
20:00
God.
20:03
But when we
20:04
remember God,
20:06
he will
20:06
clearly direct
20:07
us.
20:11
And he
20:12
gave the
20:12
people who
20:15
trusted in
20:15
him a
20:17
strength and
20:17
ability to
20:19
overcome the
20:20
challenges that
20:20
were set
20:21
before him.
20:23
He gave
20:24
them the
20:24
ability and
20:25
the strength
20:25
to overcome
20:26
the challenges
20:27
that were set
20:27
before them
20:28
as a nation.
20:29
It seemed
20:30
that everything
20:31
was against
20:31
them and they
20:32
were defeated
20:32
already.
20:34
But God
20:34
was faithful
20:35
to him.
20:37
They asked,
20:38
do not cease
20:38
to cry out
20:39
for us.
20:40
And God
20:42
is one who
20:42
will not
20:43
turn out
20:43
prayer from
20:45
him and
20:46
will not
20:46
withhold his
20:47
grace from
20:48
me.
20:49
Psalm 66.
20:53
And maybe,
20:55
well, maybe
20:56
they would
20:56
have been so
20:57
relieved.
21:00
God has
21:01
been faithful.
21:02
God has
21:03
been my
21:04
protector.
21:06
And Samuel
21:07
comes and he
21:08
puts up this
21:08
Ebenezer.
21:10
stone, a
21:14
reminder to
21:15
the people
21:15
of what
21:16
happened.
21:18
Remember the
21:19
time the
21:19
Philistines came
21:20
amongst us
21:21
and God
21:22
freed us
21:23
from the
21:24
threat.
21:26
But if you
21:26
remember,
21:28
probably don't
21:29
remember,
21:29
but if you
21:30
go back
21:31
to,
21:33
I can't find
21:34
it, at the
21:34
beginning when
21:35
they came to
21:36
battle against
21:36
the Philistines
21:37
in chapter
21:37
four,
21:38
the people
21:39
of us
21:39
encamped
21:40
at Ebenezer.
21:42
It says in
21:43
chapter four,
21:44
verse one,
21:45
they encamped
21:45
at Ebenezer
21:46
when they
21:47
went on
21:48
their own
21:48
strength.
21:50
And then
21:51
it says
21:52
later on
21:52
in the
21:52
passage that
21:53
the Philistines
21:54
took the
21:55
ark from
21:56
Ebenezer.
21:57
I can't
21:59
find the
22:00
verse there.
22:02
So this
22:03
stone, not
22:04
only a
22:05
reminder of
22:05
what God
22:08
had done
22:08
for them,
22:09
it was a
22:10
reminder of
22:10
themselves and
22:11
what they
22:12
had done,
22:13
the errors
22:13
they had
22:14
made.
22:15
A reminder
22:15
that they
22:16
were before
22:18
God, a
22:20
reminder
22:20
that they
22:22
had to
22:23
acknowledge,
22:24
it was a
22:24
reminder that
22:25
they were
22:25
acknowledging
22:25
this day,
22:26
that they
22:26
were putting
22:27
all their
22:28
gods behind
22:29
them.
22:31
And they
22:31
were going
22:31
to trust
22:32
in this
22:32
God, they
22:33
had made
22:33
their stakes,
22:34
we have
22:35
sinned before
22:35
you, and
22:39
we will be
22:41
faithful today
22:42
to you.
22:43
We will be
22:43
faithful to
22:44
you, our
22:45
Lord and
22:46
our God,
22:47
you are
22:48
one.
22:49
This stone
22:50
may be a
22:53
reminder of
22:54
when God
22:54
departed from
22:55
them, but
22:56
they didn't
22:57
leave them,
22:58
gods that
22:59
came back
22:59
to them,
23:00
God that
23:01
was fighting
23:03
for them
23:03
even when
23:04
he was in
23:04
a land
23:05
where they
23:05
couldn't
23:05
see it.
23:07
God was
23:10
long-suffering
23:10
with them,
23:11
and he was
23:12
faithful to
23:12
them, and
23:13
he came
23:13
back as
23:15
their
23:15
salvation.
23:19
And again,
23:20
what we
23:20
mentioned in
23:21
prayer, we
23:22
can have many
23:23
stones of
23:23
remembrance in
23:24
our lives.
23:26
There are
23:26
places that
23:27
are good for
23:28
us to come
23:28
back to and
23:29
remember what
23:29
God has
23:30
done.
23:32
And the
23:33
stone was
23:34
set up for
23:34
the people,
23:35
as I
23:35
reminded and
23:35
witnessed before
23:36
them, this is
23:37
what God has
23:38
done for you.
23:40
And they
23:40
would come
23:40
back there
23:41
time and
23:42
time and
23:42
see,
23:44
remember the
23:45
time that
23:47
we made all
23:47
our mistakes,
23:48
that God
23:49
was faithful
23:50
to us, and
23:52
God delivered
23:53
us from a
23:55
time that we
23:56
thought we
23:57
were at loss,
23:59
a time that
24:00
we had been
24:00
overcome, but
24:04
he was
24:04
faithful.
24:06
And in a
24:07
sense, Christ,
24:09
our great
24:10
intercessor, has
24:11
set up a
24:11
stone of
24:12
remembrance for
24:13
us in the
24:14
Lord's
24:15
Supper, that
24:16
we come and
24:17
confess ourselves
24:18
and who we
24:19
are.
24:20
We examine
24:21
ourselves.
24:22
We are
24:23
thankful for
24:23
all that he
24:24
has done for
24:25
us, and we
24:26
praise him,
24:27
that he is
24:29
the one that
24:30
has overcome
24:31
death for
24:31
us, and he
24:33
has been our
24:34
protector, and
24:35
he is one
24:36
that will go
24:37
with us.
24:39
But notice
24:40
also, before
24:41
we finish, that
24:42
there was
24:43
peace in the
24:44
land.
24:45
When they
24:46
came and
24:46
devoted
24:47
themselves,
24:48
you know,
24:49
they have
24:49
been through
24:49
all this
24:50
fighting,
24:52
with the
24:54
ark coming
24:55
back, and
24:55
God showing
24:56
them who
24:56
he was, and
24:58
then when
24:58
they come and
24:59
consecrate
25:00
themselves, when
25:00
they give the
25:01
entirety of
25:02
their being
25:02
to God, he
25:04
gives them
25:05
peace.
25:06
It says in
25:07
verse 13,
25:07
that the hand
25:08
of the Lord
25:08
was against
25:09
the Philistines
25:09
all the days
25:12
of Samuel.
25:13
There was
25:13
peace between
25:15
Israel and
25:17
the Amorites.
25:20
I think I
25:21
put that
25:21
wrong.
25:23
There was
25:24
peace in
25:25
the land.
25:27
There was
25:27
peace in
25:27
the land.
25:29
Desires of
25:30
the people,
25:31
when they
25:31
went to
25:32
fight to
25:32
be set
25:33
free from
25:33
the Philistines
25:34
in chapter
25:35
four, when
25:35
they went
25:36
to fight,
25:37
this is what
25:38
they tried to
25:39
do on their
25:39
own strength,
25:40
but they
25:40
didn't gain
25:40
it.
25:41
They forgot
25:41
about God,
25:42
they didn't
25:43
respect God,
25:44
they didn't
25:45
honour God
25:45
the way they
25:46
should have
25:46
and they
25:46
were defeated.
25:48
But God
25:49
is one that
25:50
gave them
25:51
what they
25:52
desired when
25:53
they came
25:53
back to
25:54
him.
25:55
Delight
25:55
yourself in
25:55
the Lord
25:56
and he
25:56
will give
25:57
you the
25:57
desires of
25:57
your heart,
25:58
Psalm 37.
26:00
Peace is
26:00
found with
26:01
God.
26:03
The believer
26:03
will have
26:04
peace when
26:05
he gives
26:06
everything that
26:08
he has to
26:10
God.
26:10
and we
26:12
look back
26:12
over our
26:13
lives and
26:13
we see,
26:14
yes, we've
26:14
done many
26:15
things wrong,
26:16
many sins
26:17
in us and
26:19
they continue
26:19
with us and
26:21
we want to
26:22
put all these
26:22
things away
26:23
from us.
26:25
We don't
26:26
want to have
26:26
any idols,
26:28
but they
26:29
will come
26:30
and we
26:31
will give
26:32
them a
26:32
position that
26:33
we shouldn't
26:34
and we
26:36
must come
26:36
back and
26:37
confess our
26:38
failure,
26:39
confess our
26:39
sins,
26:40
realizing the
26:42
need of
26:44
his son and
26:46
the sacrifice
26:46
that he
26:47
paid for
26:48
us,
26:49
calling out
26:49
to him
26:50
that he
26:51
would intercede
26:52
for us,
26:53
that he
26:54
would remember
26:55
us and
26:56
not cease
26:56
to pray for
26:57
us.
26:58
We would
26:59
call out to
26:59
him because
27:00
we are weak
27:00
and we are
27:01
desperately
27:01
in need
27:02
of strengthening
27:04
to face the
27:06
battle that we
27:07
have against
27:08
this world,
27:08
death is
27:10
an evil
27:11
that will
27:11
overcome
27:11
me,
27:12
but he
27:12
is one
27:13
that has
27:13
delivered
27:14
us from
27:15
death.
27:17
He is not
27:18
one that
27:19
will fail
27:19
you.
27:21
He is
27:21
our great
27:22
intercessor
27:23
that stands
27:24
there on
27:24
our behalf
27:25
before God
27:29
and he
27:30
does not
27:31
dismiss our
27:32
confession
27:32
when we
27:33
cry to
27:33
him for
27:33
our help
27:34
and he
27:35
is one
27:35
that will
27:36
set us
27:36
free from
27:36
our
27:37
innings
27:37
and it
27:38
will be
27:38
true
27:39
that as we
27:40
look back
27:41
over our
27:41
lives
27:42
and even
27:43
as we
27:43
sit here
27:44
tonight we
27:45
can say
27:45
till now
27:46
the Lord
27:48
has helped
27:48
us and
27:50
every day
27:50
we can look
27:51
back saying
27:52
the Lord
27:53
has helped
27:54
us every
27:54
step that
27:55
we have
27:55
taken.
27:57
He has
27:57
been faithful
27:58
to us.
27:59
He has
27:59
not dismissed
28:00
my pleas
28:01
and my cry
28:02
for help.
28:03
He has
28:03
been my
28:04
protector.
28:05
He has
28:05
been my
28:05
deliverer
28:06
and he
28:07
is one
28:08
that is
28:09
worthy
28:10
of trusting.
28:13
He is
28:13
all
28:14
powerful.
28:15
He is
28:15
all wise.
28:16
He is
28:16
all holy.
28:17
He is
28:17
all just.
28:18
He is
28:18
good and
28:20
he is
28:20
true and
28:21
true to
28:22
his people.
28:23
There is
28:23
none
28:24
besides
28:25
him.
28:26
He is
28:27
one.
28:31
And maybe
28:31
when you
28:32
go home
28:33
you can
28:33
read through
28:34
Hannah's
28:34
prayer and
28:35
you can
28:36
see when
28:37
Samuel comes
28:38
into his
28:39
own here
28:39
and delivers
28:40
the people.
28:41
There are
28:41
elements of
28:42
Hannah's
28:42
prayer that
28:44
just fit in
28:44
with this
28:45
passage so
28:46
well.
28:47
Where he
28:47
delivers him
28:48
and there is
28:48
a thundering
28:49
of the
28:49
Lord.
28:50
Hannah's
28:50
got that
28:51
focus on
28:52
who the
28:52
Lord is.
28:54
She knows
28:55
who the
28:56
Lord is.
28:57
And God
28:58
honoured
28:58
his name
29:00
through his
29:01
people.
29:02
God will
29:02
vindicate his
29:04
name through
29:04
his people.
29:06
God will
29:06
not leave
29:07
you or
29:08
forsake you.
29:09
Amen.
29:11
May we
29:12
conclude in
29:12
praise by
29:13
singing in
29:15
Psalm 143
29:17
of the
29:18
Scottish
29:18
Church.