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Joy to the World · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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We're going to begin by singing to God's praise now in Psalm 93 in the Scottish Psalter.
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Psalm 93, it's on page 354 of the Psalm books.
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We're going to sing the whole of this Psalm.
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The Lord doth reign and clothed is he with majesty most bright, his works to show him
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clothed to be and girt about with might.
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We're going to sing the whole of this Psalm, the tune of Stroudwater.
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The Lord doth reign and clothed is he with majesty most bright, his works to show him clothed
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to be and girt about with might.
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The world is also established that it cannot depart.
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Thy throne is fixed of hope and life from everlasting heart.
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The floods, O Lord, have lifted up.
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They lifted up their voice.
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The floods have lifted up their waves and made a mighty voice.
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But yet the Lord that is on high is more of might by far than voice of many waters.
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The iliostaουν트�baum It's famous, in constitution of righteousness,
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his disciples are rolled above, and able to withstand thing.
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The generosity of the prayer was fixed of God's force isッ want.
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Thy resigned is the underwisw занимling, he vertebrate up.
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The victory of God's Italia, his desire to feed us,
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the sword and his炎 has shortness of power,
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this mount isikal.
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논 asked why the Lord had laid place down.
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For holiness forever, Lord, thy Christ be cometh well.
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I will come to God in prayer.
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Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer.
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Our Father in heaven, we do come with thanksgiving in our hearts to be able to sing praise to you.
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That the Lord doth reign and clothe to see with majesty most bright.
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We thank you that in all that glitters around us in these days and all the lights that we see in so many different forms.
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We thank you that we come today to focus our attention on the one who is the light of the world.
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The one who came into the world to give us the light that shines into our darkness.
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And we pray that today we would see Jesus.
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That we would know more of him and come to love him with all our hearts.
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We thank you that, especially maybe at this time of year when there is so much going on around us.
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That you give us this your day to be able to come aside for a time.
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That in the busyness of our lives and in the hectic nature of our day-to-day lives just now.
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That we have this your day.
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A day that reminds us of the rest that you give and the blessing that is ours in Christ.
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And so help us to be still in your presence at this time.
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And to know that you are God.
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That we would know you near us in every way.
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That your hand be upon us for good.
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That you would bless us young and old alike as we come to worship you this day.
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Take care of us as well, Lord.
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In the dangers of the day when it's slippy and icy outside.
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Watch over each and every one of us.
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And be with us in all our homes and our families.
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As we look to you and seek your blessing on us.
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Asking it all in Jesus' precious name.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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But before the young ones go out to Sunday school.
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Just say a wee word to you.
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It's good to be able to come and just focus our attention on God's word today.
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And in fact, every day we are to look to God's word.
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And seek his blessing to us from it.
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And maybe just now you're hearing lots of different stories from the Bible.
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And especially the story of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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So whether it's in school or nursery.
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You'll be hearing all about the one who came into this world.
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For sinners such as we are.
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We are so thankful to have the good news of Jesus before us.
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But as well as that, it's a busy time.
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And we're often distracted as well.
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There's many things that are just wanting our attention.
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Many things will distract us from focusing on the good news of Jesus.
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And one of the main things is, although it's a very good thing.
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It's also something that can just lead us completely away.
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And that is the idea of presence.
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And what we want for Christmas.
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How often have you been asked that question in these last few days?
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What do you want for Christmas?
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And I'm sure every one of you will have an idea maybe of what you want for Christmas.
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Maybe you've got a very long list of things that you want for Christmas.
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And it's nice sometimes to have an idea of what we want.
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But sometimes it can just be distracting.
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And you may be watching the telly.
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You may be looking in magazines.
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You may be looking online.
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And you're seeing all these gifts being advertised.
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And they're all just saying, buy me, buy me, buy me.
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They're all saying, you need me.
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I'm the most important thing that you need in your life just now.
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And today as you go into Sunday school and creche, you're going to be hearing about the word covet in the Ten Commandments.
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One of the commandments says, thou shalt not covet.
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Now what does that word mean?
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Well, covet means to really want something.
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And especially to really want something that's not yours.
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And you're going to hear a story about a man in the Old Testament called Ahab.
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And he wanted something that somebody else had.
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He wanted somebody else's field.
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Because he thought, this is what I really need.
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But it wasn't his.
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And when he went to the man to ask for it, he said, no, you're not going to get it.
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So what Ahab did was he took things into his own hands.
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And he did a very silly thing, as you will hear about in Sunday school.
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But it all came about because he had this covetousness in his heart.
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He coveted what somebody else had.
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And that's the danger that we have today as well.
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And especially at this time of year that we look around and think, that's what I want.
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That's what I really need in my life.
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But what we really need is to keep our eyes on Jesus.
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And to see that he is what we really need.
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Not just at this time of year, but every day of our lives.
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In the New Testament, there's a wonderful story about a man who was blind.
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And Jesus asked him, what do you want me to do for you?
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It was like he was asking, what do you want me to give to you?
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And just before he met this blind man, two of his disciples had been asked the same thing.
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James and John had been asked by Jesus the very same question.
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He asked of them, what do you want me to do for you?
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And what they wanted was glory for themselves.
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They wanted to sit one at his right hand and one at his left in glory in heaven.
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And Jesus was saying, you're asking for the wrong thing.
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And so often that's the way we are when we're looking at this world.
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We're asking Jesus for the wrong things.
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But Bartimaeus, the man who was blind, is a great example to us.
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When Jesus asked him the very same question, what do you want me to do for you?
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He said, I want to see.
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Not just to be able to see physically, but to be able to see Jesus.
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And of everything that's going on in our lives just now, of all the busyness of life,
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all the attractions that are all around us, may we have that longing and desire of Bartimaeus.
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That we would see Jesus.
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Keep your eyes on him.
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And don't get distracted away by everything else that's going on around us.
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Keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus.
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And that the Lord would do that for us in the weeks and months and even years ahead.
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That we would always look to him.
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We're going to sing to God's praise again.
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We're going to sing in Psalm 42 in the Scottish Psalter.
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It's not on the notice sheet, but we're going to sing Psalm 42 in the Scottish Psalter, page 262.
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Again, this psalm just speaks of our longing for the Lord.
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We're going to sing from verse 1 to verse 5 to God's praise.
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And the tune is Glencairn.
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Like as the heart for water brews,
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Entharched and hunt and pray,
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So pats my longing soul, O God,
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That come to thee I may.
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My soul for God, the living God,
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Doth thirst when shall I near.
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And to thy countenance approach,
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And in God's sight appear.
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My tears have unto me been me,
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Both in the night and day.
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While I love to be contenderly,
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Where is thy God they see?
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My soul is poor and I tend me,
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When this I think upon.
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Because that with the multitude I here to forth upon.
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Because that with the multitude I here to forth upon.
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With the multitude I have to forth upon.
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With the multitude I have to forth upon.
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With the multitude I have to forth upon.
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With the multitude I have to forth upon.
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With the multitude I have to forth upon.
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Holy Days.
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O why, why, why, hast thou my soul, why it be so dismayed?
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Was God for I shall praise him yet, his countenances my name.
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We turn together now to read in God's Word.
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We're going to read two passages, one from the Old Testament and one from the New.
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Our first reading is in the Old Testament in the book of Psalms.
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We're going to read Psalm 98.
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Psalm 98, we'll read the whole of this psalm, then we'll turn to the New Testament and to Luke, the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2.
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First reading, Psalm 98.
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O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things.
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His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
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The Lord has made known his salvation.
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He has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
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He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel.
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All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
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Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
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Break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
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Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
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With trumpets and the sound of the horn, make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
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Let the sea roar and all that fills it.
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The world and those who dwell in it.
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Let the rivers clap their hands.
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Let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
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He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.
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Now if you turn with me into the New Testament, to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2.
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Luke chapter 2.
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We're going to read from verse 22 down to verse 35.
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Luke chapter 2 at verse 22.
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Luke chapter 2.
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Luke chapter 2.
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Luke chapter 2.
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Luke chapter 2.
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Luke chapter 2.
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Luke chapter 2.
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produção mover.
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Luke chapter 2.
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And we thank you that wherever we read,
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we are always pointed to the one
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who is the Savior of the world,
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the Lord Jesus Christ.
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We thank you that your word is fulfilled in him,
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for he is the word that became flesh and dwelt among us.
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And so we ask your blessing on your word to us this day.
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As we approach it, O Lord,
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may it not be a word that we become over accustomed with,
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that we come over familiar with,
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but there would always be a word
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that speaks to us in season and out of season,
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a word that reminds us of the world in which we live,
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the chaos of it,
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the wonder of the creation in the midst of all of it.
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We see your beauty around us
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and yet the dangers that surround us too.
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But we thank you that your word reproves,
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that your word challenges and convicts,
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even as the psalmist says,
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that your word is able to convict us,
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to bring us to that knowledge of salvation.
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It converts us, O Lord.
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And we pray, Lord, for your mercy over us as a people,
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to bring us to that point where we will be turned
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from having our eyes fixed on the things of this world
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to having our eyes fixed on the wonder and beauty
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of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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And so we pray your spirit to be with us
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and to be with the preaching of your word
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throughout all ends of the earth today.
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As we have been reminded in the reading in the psalm,
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that your wonder of your story is made known
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throughout all the ends of the earth,
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that there is the knowledge of the Lord
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in so many ways and nations and people.
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As the psalm says,
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all ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
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And we pray that that will be true more and more
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as each and every day goes past,
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that your salvation will be made known
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to all the ends of the earth,
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that every nation, tongue and tribe and creed of people
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will hear and come to have a knowledge
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of the Lord Jesus Christ,
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but more than that,
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to have a saving knowledge.
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We know how our world needs you
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and we pray, Lord, for our nations,
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that you will turn us towards you,
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that you will have mercy on us as a people,
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that you, O Lord, will come in a day of your power.
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We thank you for the assurance and the promise
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that you are a God who hears your people
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as we cry to you.
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We offer up our prayers for one another
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and for our communities,
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for our people all around us, near and far.
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That in all our different needs,
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in all our different anxieties and worries,
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in all our different illnesses and times of trial in our lives,
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in all the sorrow and sadness that life so often brings,
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that we'll be able to cast our cares upon you
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as the one who cares for us.
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And so hear our prayers for one another.
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And Lord, we come praying for the work of the gospel
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around us here,
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thankful for the way the gospel goes out
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and for the way that the ministry of the gospel goes on
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in many practical ways as well.
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We thank you for the service yesterday,
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for the street pastors in the town,
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and we do continue to pray for the work of street pastors.
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Thankful for all who go out in the weekends
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to be there to help those in different needs.
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We pray them, especially for them,
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over this festive season when the nights are so cold
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and so many people are out and about.
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We pray your protection over people
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and for those who are out as street pastors,
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Lord, that you will guide them and help them
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in all that they do.
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Give them strength and courage
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and boldness as well
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to proclaim the good news of Jesus
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in the midst of a world that is perishing.
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So Lord, be with them in that work,
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not just now, but throughout the year as well.
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Remember, Lord, the needs of our congregation as well.
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Remember all our homes and our families,
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those who mourn, those who are unwell,
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those who are going through all kinds of difficulties just now,
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Lord.
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We pray that you will surround us
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and uphold us and keep us.
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Remember, we pray just now for Scott
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as he sits exams in Edinburgh.
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Lord, we thank you for his sharing of the stage
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he's at in the call of ministry last Sunday evening.
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We do pray for him over these days
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as he comes to his last exam on Tuesday.
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Give him clarity of thought and mind
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and help in all things.
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We thank you for his work and life and ministry
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and pray for his family too.
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Lord, look after them and care for them day by day.
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Remember our presbytery and the wider work of the gospel
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throughout our congregations.
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Remember our youth.
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Oh Lord, as we pray for the holiday club this coming week
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and all the youth work that goes on throughout our presbytery.
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May you bless Sunday schools, creches,
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and youth work throughout the week as well.
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We pray, Lord, your blessing on our young people
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that you will be with them in their young years,
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that they will come to praise you.
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Remember our vacant congregations and our presbytery too.
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We pray for North Tolstown,
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especially with the meeting this week,
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with a view to a call.
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We pray for your leading and guiding for them
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as a congregation and the one you will call as well.
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May your hand be upon them to lead them and to guide them.
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So remember the congregation in North Uist as well,
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praying your blessing on all there too.
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We do continue to remember our nation.
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We pray for Jersey at this time
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and then what has been such a tragic week for them
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with the loss of the fishermen
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and now this explosion in the last few hours as well.
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Lord, we pray, Lord, for your help and your peace
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and your grace upon them.
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We know, Lord, we live in a world
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of so many difficulties and trials.
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And we do pray, Lord, for a day of your peace
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and for your blessing over us.
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Lord, hear our prayers as we come,
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convicted and even in our own hearts
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of how faithless we are at times.
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But renew us, we pray,
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and revive us as your people.
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Quicken us, O Lord,
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that we will come to praise you
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and give glory to you with all our hearts.
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Continue with us throughout this day.
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Watch over us, bless us, and keep us
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as we ask all with forgiveness of our sins.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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Well, again, we'll sing to God's praise.
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We're going to sing in Psalm 98,
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the psalm we're going to be looking at
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together this morning.
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And we're singing in the Sing Psalms version.
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Psalm 98.
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We'll sing verse 1 to verse 4,
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page 1 to 9 of the psalm books.
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We'll sing a new song to the Lord
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for wonders he has done.
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His right hand and his holy arm,
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the victory have won.
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The Lord declared his saving work
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and made it to be known
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to all the nations of the world
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his righteousness is shown.
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We'll sing from verse 1 to 4,
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and the tune is blocksome.
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O sing a new song to the Lord
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for wonders he has done.
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His right hand and his holy arm,
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the victory have won.
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The Lord declared his saving work
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and made it to be known.
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To all the nations of the world
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his righteousness is shown.
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His steadfast love and faithfulness
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he has remembered well.
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The covenant he made with them
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the eyes of Israel.
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And all the nations of the earth
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have seen what God has done.
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Our God who brings deliverance
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by his right hand alone.
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Acclaim the Lord, all the earth
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shout loudly and rejoice
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to Him with our hearts.
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Well, we can turn back together,
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especially to our reading in the Old Testament
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in the book of Psalms and Psalm 98.
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We'll focus on this psalm for our time together this morning.
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Read again at verse 3.
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He has remembered his steadfast love
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and faithfulness to the house of Israel.
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All the ends of the earth have seen
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the salvation of our God.
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Make a joyful noise to the Lord.
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All the earth break forth into joyous song
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and sing praises.
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It is a busy time of year,
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and I'm sure maybe many of you feel it
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in that sense of being.
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It's a busy and a hectic time
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when there's so many different things going on.
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But it's also a time where we need to keep our focus
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and keep our attention on what is truly important.
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It's often a time of year when I'm reminded of the words of Jesus
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as he looked around and surveyed the crowds.
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It says in Matthew 9, verse 36,
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that when he saw the crowds,
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he had compassion on them
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because they were harassed and helpless
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like sheep without a shepherd.
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And even just as you walk around the town
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or if you've been away recently
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to any of the cities in the mainland
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and you've been out and about in our busy streets
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when people are dashing around
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going to all the different shops,
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perhaps you've had a sense of that feeling,
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seeing a people who just seem to be harassed
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and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.
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You just want to say,
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you know, just come and sit down for a moment.
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Come, let's have a cup of tea,
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have a cup of coffee.
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Just take the weight off your feet for a moment.
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Let's just talk.
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Let's just look at the world in which we live
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and let's look at what's important.
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And as we come to God's word,
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we are reminded of what is truly important,
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not just at this time of the year,
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but on every occasion throughout the year.
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But isn't it sad that at a time of year
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when our attention and focus should be more so upon
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a saviour who came into the world
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that we are so easily distracted?
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We often maybe hear about how early Christmas comes
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every year when decorations start to go up,
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when Christmas gifts start to appear in the shops
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and adverts are there focusing on Christmas.
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It's become so much commercialized in so many ways.
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And our attention has been drawn away
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from what's important.
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You start having these conversations earlier
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and earlier each year.
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When can we put the Christmas decorations up?
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Is it too soon?
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But what about speaking about the Christmas story?
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Is there a time when we can say to ourselves,
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is it too early to speak about the Christmas story?
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It's a very different kettle of fish altogether.
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We don't put the Christmas story away
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with the Christmas decorations each year.
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The Christmas story is a story of salvation
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and that's a story for all year round.
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It's a story we are to hear all the time.
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And the scriptures throughout remind us
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of the promise of a saviour,
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that God would send a saviour into this world.
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Right throughout the Old Testament
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and to the birth of the Lord Jesus
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and right to the book of Revelation.
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It's all a story about our redemption
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through Jesus Christ,
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a saviour who came for the world.
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From the very beginning in the book of Genesis,
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when we are reminded of how sin came into the world
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and Jesus, the Lord spoke into that.
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He said, I will put enmity between you and the woman
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and between your offspring and her offspring.
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He shall bruise your head
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and you shall bruise his heel.
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How Satan had come in and deceived
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and sin came into this world.
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But then there is a gospel message,
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the message of good news,
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that God will provide a saviour.
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And it runs like blood through our veins
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as it runs throughout the Old Testament
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into the New Testament.
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It shows us the life that the Lord is able to give.
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And throughout the Old and New Testament,
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we're always being pointed towards the saviour who will come.
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And Psalm 98 is one of those points
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where we are seeing the psalmist expressing his delight,
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that the Lord will make known to all the nations
33:21
the salvation that is being revealed
33:24
and about to be revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ.
33:28
Psalm 98 is very much a psalm that reminds us
33:32
of the real joy that is to the world
33:36
and that that is through Jesus Christ.
33:40
You hear so many different songs,
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maybe being played on the radio
33:43
or being sung out and about.
33:46
Even yesterday was the carol service in the town
33:48
where you're hearing all these different songs being sung.
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And there's one maybe you hear from time to time.
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It's called Joy to the World,
33:57
a hymn written by Isaac Watt.
34:01
And the hymn is based on this very psalm,
34:05
Psalm 98.
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It's a paraphrase of the psalm.
34:10
It's a reminder that joy to the world
34:13
is found in the one who is king.
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And the Lord is king over all.
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And the Lord, the king,
34:20
has come into this world for our salvation.
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Isaac Watt never intended it just to be
34:26
a hymn that would be sung at Christmas time,
34:29
although it is a time it seems to be brought to the fore.
34:33
Because it's a psalm that speaks
34:34
not just about the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ,
34:37
it speaks also about how we need the Lord with us
34:40
in all our days.
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And then as you see at the end of the psalm,
34:44
it speaks about the coming of the Lord in judgment.
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So it's a wonderful psalm for this time of year
34:51
and for all year round
34:53
that we remind ourselves of the wonderful theme
34:56
and the thrust,
34:58
joy to the world.
34:59
The Lord is come.
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Let earth receive her king.
35:05
And as we look around ourselves today
35:07
and we see the crowds harassed and helpless,
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like sheep without a shepherd,
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don't you just want to shout that praise?
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Joy to the world.
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The Lord is come.
35:20
Let the world, let the earth receive her king
35:23
to see and seek the Lord Jesus with all our hearts.
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This psalm is a psalm that's then we see quoted
35:33
around the time of the birth of Jesus.
35:36
We see it quoted three times early on in the book of Luke.
35:41
In chapter 1, Mary's song, it's quoted there.
35:46
In Zacharias' prophecy, it's quoted there.
35:49
And also as we read in chapter 2 with Simeon,
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being able to see the salvation that was promised,
35:59
we see it quoted there as well.
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It's pointing us towards the Lord Jesus.
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He has come for our salvation.
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He has come to be judge over the world.
36:13
And I want us to focus on three things
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and take three things from this psalm together today.
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The first thing is the purpose of the psalm.
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The second thing is we see the passion of the psalm.
36:25
And the third thing is the progression of the psalm.
36:29
So the first thing we see is the purpose.
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And the purpose is so clear as you go throughout this psalm.
36:38
The purpose is to give praise to God.
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To come and offer up our praise to God.
36:47
Like many of the psalms,
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sometimes we struggle just to find the exact place
36:52
that it points to,
36:53
the exact maybe occasion that it points towards.
36:57
But from the outset of the psalm,
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what is clear is that it's a sense of making a joyful noise to the Lord.
37:06
Sing to the Lord a new song,
37:08
for He has done marvelous things.
37:11
His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him.
37:16
There is a sense that God has been with His people.
37:22
Maybe in a particular set of circumstances,
37:24
or maybe just in a general sense,
37:27
the psalmist is pointing us towards the fact
37:29
that salvation,
37:32
deliverance from all the dangers,
37:33
the wickedness of this world,
37:36
belongs to God.
37:38
And so the purpose from the outset
37:41
is the sense of bringing a praise to Him.
37:47
In the hymn, Joy to the World,
37:49
it resonates that theme throughout it,
37:52
that salvation is completely of God.
37:56
And when we think of just this time of year,
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we're reminded again and again
38:03
that our salvation is come
38:07
in the person of Jesus Christ.
38:10
That in everything that's going on in our lives,
38:13
and all the dangers that we're in,
38:15
and everything that would lead us astray,
38:17
that God sent His Son into this world.
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He sent Him as the light into the darkness,
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to make His light shine upon His people,
38:27
to give them the hope that is found in Him.
38:32
And so the thrust of this psalm
38:34
is very much to see the Lord,
38:37
to recognize the Lord
38:39
as the one who is able to save.
38:43
Because what does salvation lead us to?
38:47
Where does a knowledge of salvation lead us to?
38:50
It leads us, as we saw last week,
38:53
it leads us to the cross.
38:56
It leads us to that place of darkness
38:58
where Christ gave His life.
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It brings us to that place of sorrow.
39:06
But it also brings us beyond that.
39:10
Because we remember, He is risen.
39:14
He came, He gave His life,
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He rose from the grave,
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and He will come again.
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And that's what we see in the purpose of this psalm.
39:23
It ties our whole lives together.
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In the fact that the Lord has come,
39:29
the Lord lives with us,
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He is risen,
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and that He will come again.
39:34
And the more we see that,
39:37
the more we are led to praise God,
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to give thanks to Him.
39:43
You know, as we come to worship God,
39:46
we will hear these words,
39:47
let us praise God together.
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As we come and sing praise to Him,
39:54
we say, let us come and worship God.
39:56
Let us praise His name together in song.
40:00
We come and we sing praise to God.
40:03
And how we love to sing praise to God.
40:07
But there's a great difference between singing
40:10
and singing with conviction.
40:13
Singing with this knowledge of the one who we are singing about.
40:18
To sing the words, you know,
40:20
such the well-known psalm as Psalm 23.
40:23
If we were asked to sing it just now,
40:25
I'm sure you could sing it probably without even looking at the pages before you.
40:29
You know the words so well.
40:31
But there's such a difference between singing the words that you know well
40:36
and the Savior that you know well.
40:39
Because the more that you sing with a knowledge of the Savior,
40:43
the more your praise is full and complete.
40:47
And so the psalmist here is saying,
40:49
Sing to the Lord a new song.
40:52
Sing to Him of the wonders that He has done.
40:57
Convinced in the saving work of God.
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In the book of Romans chapter 10 verse 14,
41:05
it says,
41:06
How then will we call on Him in whom they have not believed?
41:11
How can we offer up our praise if we have not fully believed,
41:15
if we are not fully convinced?
41:17
Well, the psalmist here is saying,
41:20
To come and know the Savior for yourself.
41:24
The purpose is to know that the Lord has provided His way to salvation.
41:31
Psalm 40 puts it like that as well.
41:34
He gives us a new song to sing.
41:37
He has put a new song in my mouth.
41:40
Our God to magnify, to praise.
41:44
And that is the longing of this psalm too,
41:46
that we would come and praise Him with all our hearts.
41:51
It is leading us to God.
41:53
It is leading us to the Lord Jesus Christ.
41:57
The one who has brought salvation for us.
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And how undeserving we are.
42:06
And yet He came for us.
42:08
And so often we feel our lives may be just a mess.
42:15
Our lives are just caught up in the ways of this world.
42:19
And we think,
42:20
Well, what can God do with me?
42:24
Well, God can do so much.
42:26
There was a story told about a sculptor who had ruined a huge piece of marble.
42:35
An enormous piece of marble.
42:39
And he'd started trying to sculpt it, but it just ended in disaster.
42:44
Everything had gone wrong for him.
42:47
And this was in Florence, in Italy.
42:49
And the sculptor just abandoned this work.
42:54
And it was left for almost a hundred years with no one almost daring to go near this piece.
43:00
It was an expensive, a valuable piece of marble.
43:04
But no one could see a way forward with it because of the mess that this sculptor had made.
43:10
Then in the year 1505, a young sculptor by the name of Michelangelo,
43:17
he started to look at this giant piece of marble.
43:22
And he started to get an impression in his mind of what he could do with it.
43:26
And he measured it carefully.
43:28
He looked around.
43:29
He saw all the imperfections in it.
43:32
But he started working on it.
43:35
And the image that came to his mind was David, the young shepherd.
43:41
And he worked away on this piece of marble for three years.
43:46
Chiseling away bit by bit.
43:49
Shaping it skillfully.
43:51
And finally, it was finished.
43:54
And out of this, what had been seen as a disaster to so many,
43:59
Michelangelo had created this wonderful sculpture.
44:02
And one of his students, when he saw it,
44:05
nine tons of marble shaped in this wonderful sculpture,
44:09
exclaimed, Master, the only thing it lacks is speech.
44:16
It was so impressive.
44:18
The only thing it lacked was speech.
44:21
It was so real.
44:23
But isn't there a greater story than that about the way God brings our lives,
44:29
how he works away at us?
44:31
It takes time.
44:33
Sometimes it takes years.
44:35
But in the mess that we have made of our own lives,
44:38
in all that we have done wrong,
44:40
God can come and chip away and shape us and form us
44:44
and make us into something beautiful,
44:47
but something that doesn't lack speech.
44:51
Because we have that.
44:52
He's able to put a new song within us,
44:56
to make us praise God.
44:58
And the reality for us all is that we're never the finished product.
45:04
He's still chipping away at us all,
45:07
shaping us, correcting us,
45:09
writing us, and putting us back on the right track again and again.
45:13
But the wonder of it is that the Lord has come.
45:17
He has made known his salvation.
45:19
It has been revealed to us as his people.
45:23
May we know more and more of the purpose of this psalm,
45:28
to see a Savior given for us,
45:32
a Savior given to so many people who are imperfect,
45:36
with every wrong chip in us,
45:38
so much wrong about us,
45:40
but God chipping away at us day after day.
45:45
The second thing we see about this psalm
45:49
is the passion of this psalm,
45:53
the passion that there is in this psalm.
45:56
And it just reminds us, as you look at these words,
45:59
the purpose is to show us God,
46:01
but then there's the passion
46:02
that runs through these words of what God has done.
46:06
For he has done marvelous things, it says.
46:11
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness,
46:15
it says in verse 3.
46:16
Verse 4, make a joyful noise all the earth.
46:20
Sing praises to the Lord.
46:22
There is this passion that we are to sing with.
46:27
The Christian faith is very much a singing faith.
46:32
And as Christians, we are to be a singing people.
46:37
Our praise is expressed so much in song.
46:41
In whatever tongue we sing with,
46:44
whether it's in English or Gaelic,
46:45
or whatever other language we might be able to sing in,
46:48
we are to offer up praise to God.
46:51
Because there's a passion in our praise,
46:55
and there's a passion to our praise.
46:58
And the passion is the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
47:03
Because we're able to sing about God's victories.
47:07
The battles that we could never fight by ourselves.
47:12
The victories that he has won for us.
47:16
We start singing to the Lord.
47:18
No matter how low or defeated we might feel,
47:22
we can come and offer up our praise to God.
47:27
Psalm 42, which we sung together,
47:29
it's one of these Psalms that you just see this turning in it.
47:33
So often you find the Psalmist low or challenged
47:38
or in difficult circumstances.
47:41
But he says in Psalm 42,
47:43
why are you so downcast, O my soul?
47:46
He says, praise God.
47:48
And isn't it great as God's people,
47:51
that whatever goes on in our lives,
47:52
we can still come and say,
47:54
yet God is good.
47:55
That we can come and say it with passion.
47:58
We can say it with conviction.
47:59
Because we know the victory is in God.
48:03
It's not in ourselves.
48:05
So we sing about his victories.
48:07
We sing about his salvation.
48:11
Praise God, my soul,
48:13
the Psalmist so often says.
48:15
From our very soul,
48:17
we are to often up with passion
48:18
our praise to God.
48:21
We sing about his mercy
48:23
and his faithfulness.
48:25
We sing about his steadfast love,
48:28
how he has remembered us.
48:31
Even as we were singing together last week
48:33
at the Lord's table,
48:35
we come and remember him.
48:38
We come and rejoice in him.
48:40
We come and give all glory to him.
48:43
And we do so today again.
48:46
He has remembered his steadfast love
48:48
and faithfulness to the house of Israel.
48:50
In verse 3,
48:51
all ends of the earth
48:53
have seen the salvation of God.
48:56
He has made himself known to us.
49:00
And so the question is,
49:01
are we singing with passion?
49:04
Are we singing with that passion
49:05
and praise to the Lord?
49:08
You know, there's times
49:09
when we can lose our song.
49:13
When we don't feel like singing.
49:15
It means we've lost something else,
49:19
so if that's the way we feel.
49:21
It brings us to realize
49:23
we're losing our vision of God.
49:26
We're losing our sight on him.
49:28
We're looking at the troubles
49:30
that surround us.
49:30
We're looking at maybe the wickedness
49:32
of our own hearts.
49:33
And we feel,
49:34
how can I offer up praise to God?
49:38
And yet we are to come
49:39
with passion and conviction
49:41
to sing to him.
49:44
The psalm,
49:44
like so many other psalms,
49:46
they refocus our attention.
49:48
They point us back
49:50
to the Lord of our salvation,
49:52
to the God who is good,
49:54
whose steadfast love
49:55
goes on and on.
49:58
Sing to the Lord
49:59
a new song, he says.
50:02
And isn't it interesting
50:03
how when you sometimes look around
50:05
the things of this world
50:07
and you see how song plays
50:09
such an important part
50:11
in people's lives.
50:13
Often strikes me
50:14
how when you see
50:15
maybe films more so,
50:17
but other times
50:18
it's seeing footage
50:19
of old films
50:21
where you have maybe soldiers
50:23
or slaves
50:25
or workers doing a very hard work
50:29
or sailors in difficult conditions.
50:32
You look around
50:33
and you see people
50:34
going through
50:35
all these hard experiences,
50:38
these hard jobs,
50:39
but what you so often see
50:41
is they sing.
50:43
It is song
50:44
that keeps them going.
50:47
And yet how as God's people
50:50
we have a greater song to sing.
50:53
The song of salvation.
50:56
The song of the one
50:57
who is the Lord
50:59
who has come
50:59
to be with us.
51:01
Born into this world
51:02
for the salvation
51:04
of his people.
51:06
And we are to sing
51:07
with passion.
51:09
To sing the song
51:11
that keeps us going.
51:12
To sing the songs
51:13
through all our trials,
51:15
through all our experiences.
51:17
And that's the beauty
51:18
of the Psalms.
51:19
They speak into
51:21
our circumstances,
51:22
into the reality
51:23
of our lives.
51:24
They don't hide
51:25
the things that are difficult.
51:27
They don't shy away
51:28
from the trials
51:30
and temptations
51:31
of this world.
51:32
They focus on them
51:34
in order to bring us
51:36
to see the Lord Jesus.
51:39
To see how he has come
51:41
to save us
51:43
from our sins.
51:44
What he has done
51:45
is worthy
51:47
of all our praise.
51:50
But again,
51:51
we see the sin
51:52
that so easily
51:53
clings to us.
51:55
But when we come
51:56
to sing
51:56
the song of salvation,
51:58
we are reminded
51:58
that he has come
51:59
to deal with
52:00
all our sins.
52:02
Look at it
52:02
in this way
52:04
as somebody
52:04
once highlighted.
52:06
A story about
52:07
a national park
52:09
where there was
52:10
many trees growing,
52:12
but there was
52:12
this one particular
52:13
oak tree
52:14
that was,
52:16
if you looked at it,
52:17
just seemed to be
52:18
surrounded by this vine
52:19
that had grown
52:20
all around it.
52:22
and the vine
52:23
had started growing
52:24
and over a long
52:25
period of time
52:26
the talons
52:28
of the vine
52:29
were just reaching
52:30
out and out
52:31
and surrounding
52:31
the whole tree.
52:33
And it almost seemed
52:34
like this vine
52:34
was starting to crush
52:36
into the oak tree.
52:37
It was going to
52:38
take the life
52:38
out of this tree.
52:41
But the gardeners
52:42
had seen
52:43
what was happening.
52:44
And if you looked
52:46
closely
52:46
you could see
52:47
that the gardeners
52:48
had dealt
52:49
with a problem.
52:51
They had dealt
52:52
with it down
52:52
at the root
52:53
of the vine
52:54
with one precise
52:56
cut
52:56
the vine's
52:58
root
52:59
had been cut
52:59
into
53:00
and it was
53:01
being killed.
53:03
And although
53:03
to the eyes
53:04
of those
53:04
who were passing
53:05
it seemed
53:06
like this vine
53:07
was still holding
53:08
on and clinging
53:09
to the oak
53:09
and crushing it,
53:11
the life was gone
53:12
out of the vine.
53:14
And over time
53:15
the vine
53:16
would gradually
53:17
fall away.
53:19
And that's
53:19
sometimes the way
53:20
we can look
53:20
at our own lives too.
53:22
Where we see
53:23
the sin
53:24
that so easily
53:25
clings to us.
53:27
And where focus
53:28
is on that
53:28
and can seem
53:29
to be just
53:30
crushing in on us.
53:32
But as we focus
53:33
our attention
53:34
on the one
53:35
who has remembered
53:36
us with his
53:37
steadfast love
53:38
we remember
53:39
that he has cut
53:40
that source
53:41
to our sin
53:43
that he has dealt
53:44
with it.
53:45
Yes we'll sin.
53:47
Yes we'll still
53:48
go on
53:49
and it seems
53:49
that it's clinging
53:50
to us.
53:52
But the wonder
53:52
of his salvation
53:53
is that he has
53:55
dealt with our sin.
53:57
And so we are able
53:58
to praise
53:59
the Lord
54:00
our God.
54:02
The final thing
54:03
and just briefly
54:04
that we see
54:05
with this psalm
54:06
is the progression
54:07
of this psalm.
54:09
It's a psalm
54:10
not just
54:11
for this season.
54:12
It's a psalm
54:13
for every season
54:14
of our life
54:15
for every day
54:16
of our life.
54:17
It's a psalm
54:18
that reminds us
54:19
of the battles
54:20
that we're in
54:21
but the victory
54:22
that is the Lord's.
54:25
We may not be
54:25
in the same battle
54:26
as the psalmist
54:27
was focusing on
54:28
but we may be
54:30
in a very similar battle.
54:32
We're all in the same
54:33
battle against sin.
54:35
And it's why
54:36
the likes of Paul
54:37
in Ephesians chapter 6
54:39
reminds us
54:39
how much we need
54:41
the Lord.
54:42
And he says there
54:43
in Ephesians 6
54:44
that wonderful passage
54:45
on the whole armor
54:47
of God
54:47
he says
54:48
put on
54:48
the whole armor
54:49
of God
54:50
that you may be able
54:51
to stand
54:51
against the schemes
54:53
of the devil.
54:54
For we do not wrestle
54:55
against flesh
54:56
and blood
54:56
but against the rulers
54:58
against the authorities
54:59
against the cosmic powers
55:01
over this present darkness
55:03
against the spiritual
55:05
forces of evil
55:06
in the heavenly places.
55:08
we are all
55:10
in this battle.
55:12
But the progression
55:13
of this psalm
55:14
is it reminds us
55:16
that we go on
55:16
in the strength
55:18
of the Lord.
55:19
We go on
55:20
through him.
55:23
You see the progression
55:24
of this psalm
55:25
and how it's quoted
55:26
in those early chapters
55:28
of Luke
55:29
reminding us
55:30
of the fulfillment
55:31
that there is
55:32
in the coming
55:33
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
55:35
But the psalm
55:36
also goes on
55:37
as you see
55:37
towards the end
55:39
where it says
55:40
in verse 9
55:40
before the Lord
55:41
for he comes
55:42
to judge the earth.
55:44
He is coming
55:46
again.
55:48
And so this psalm
55:49
is reminding us
55:50
to go on
55:51
in his strength.
55:53
To go on
55:54
reminding ourselves
55:56
that when the Lord
55:56
came
55:57
there was a choir
55:58
of angels
55:59
that proclaimed
56:00
his coming.
56:02
That's as you see
56:03
in the early chapters
56:04
of Luke
56:04
the angels
56:05
sang glory
56:06
to God
56:07
in the highest
56:07
and on earth
56:08
peace
56:08
and goodwill
56:10
to all men.
56:12
We go on
56:13
in that knowledge
56:14
that Christ
56:14
has come.
56:16
Joy to the world
56:17
the Lord
56:18
has come.
56:19
Let earth
56:20
receive
56:21
her king.
56:23
That is the king
56:24
that we are
56:25
to look to today.
56:27
So do you rejoice
56:28
in God today?
56:30
Or are you saying
56:31
why should I
56:33
rejoice
56:34
in God today?
56:36
Well if you look
56:36
through
56:37
verse 1
56:38
to verse 3
56:39
of this psalm
56:40
you see
56:40
six reasons
56:41
given
56:42
for singing
56:43
praise to God.
56:44
The psalmist
56:45
puts it in
56:46
six different ways.
56:48
He says
56:48
he has done
56:49
marvelous things.
56:52
Can you not
56:52
say that today?
56:54
He says
56:55
his right hand
56:56
and his holy arm
56:57
have worked
56:58
salvation.
57:00
Can you not
57:00
put your confidence
57:01
in that today?
57:04
He has made
57:05
known
57:05
his salvation.
57:08
Can we not
57:09
say that today
57:09
as we come
57:10
before the word
57:11
of God
57:11
his salvation
57:13
is made known.
57:15
He has revealed
57:15
his righteousness
57:16
in the sight
57:17
of the nations.
57:19
It's seen
57:20
around
57:21
the world.
57:23
He has remembered
57:24
his people
57:24
with steadfast
57:26
love.
57:27
As we saw
57:28
last week
57:28
as we saw
57:29
in the Lord's
57:30
supper we
57:30
remembered that
57:32
how he has
57:32
remembered
57:33
his people
57:33
with steadfast
57:35
love.
57:36
And all
57:37
the ends
57:37
of the earth
57:38
have seen
57:39
the salvation
57:41
of the Lord.
57:43
The Lord
57:44
makes known
57:44
to people
57:45
far
57:46
and wide.
57:49
How often
57:49
have we
57:50
boasted
57:51
or heard
57:51
people boasting
57:52
in gifts
57:53
and purchases
57:54
that they have
57:55
made saying
57:56
oh you need
57:57
this.
57:58
What a difference
57:59
this will make
58:00
in your life.
58:01
Oh it's pricey
58:02
but it's worth
58:03
every penny.
58:06
Well how much
58:07
more we have
58:08
to rejoice
58:09
and boast
58:10
in the Lord
58:11
who has come
58:12
to make himself
58:14
known.
58:15
And if we know
58:15
this for ourselves
58:17
how much more
58:19
we are to show
58:20
that forth
58:21
in our praise
58:22
of him.
58:23
just remember
58:24
Simeon
58:25
and the joy
58:26
that he had
58:27
that we read
58:27
of in Luke
58:28
where it says
58:29
Lord now you
58:30
are letting
58:31
your servant
58:32
depart in peace
58:33
according to
58:34
your word
58:35
for my eyes
58:36
have seen
58:37
your salvation.
58:40
It is the only
58:41
way that we
58:43
can ever
58:43
depart in peace
58:45
if we
58:46
behold
58:47
the wonder
58:48
of this
58:49
salvation.
58:51
The saviour
58:52
who came
58:52
into the world
58:53
joy
58:54
to the world
58:56
the Lord
58:57
has come
58:58
let earth
59:00
receive
59:01
her king.
59:03
May we
59:03
receive
59:04
this king
59:06
anew today
59:07
and keep
59:08
our eyes
59:09
fixed
59:10
on him
59:11
in the busyness
59:11
of this life
59:12
in the busyness
59:14
of this season
59:15
may we know
59:16
the joy
59:16
of salvation
59:18
that is in him.
59:20
Let us pray.
59:22
Our Father
59:23
in heaven
59:24
we do thank you
59:25
for your word
59:26
and the way
59:27
we are able
59:27
to sing
59:28
your praise
59:29
we thank you
59:30
that you put
59:30
a song
59:31
in our mouth
59:32
that song
59:32
of salvation
59:33
and help us
59:34
Lord
59:34
to rejoice
59:36
in you
59:36
and to know
59:37
the joy
59:38
that you are
59:39
able to give
59:40
in salvation
59:41
and the peace
59:42
that is ours
59:43
through looking
59:44
and focusing
59:45
on and trusting
59:46
in the Lord
59:47
Jesus Christ
59:48
to have
59:49
even the peace
59:50
of Simeon
59:51
who was
59:52
able to say
59:53
those great words
59:54
your servant
59:55
is able
59:56
to depart
59:57
in peace
59:57
for my eyes
59:58
have seen
59:59
your salvation
1:00:00
may we see
1:00:02
with eyes
1:00:03
of faith
1:00:03
ourselves
1:00:04
as we ask
1:00:05
it in Jesus
1:00:05
name
1:00:06
Amen
1:00:07
we sing
1:00:13
to God's
1:00:13
praise
1:00:13
and conclusion
1:00:14
in this
1:00:15
psalm
1:00:16
psalm 98
1:00:16
at the end
1:00:17
of the psalm
1:00:18
verse 5
1:00:18
down to the end
1:00:20
page 129
1:00:23
of the psalm books
1:00:24
psalm 98
1:00:26
at verse 5
1:00:26
with harp
1:00:27
make music
1:00:27
to the Lord
1:00:28
with harp
1:00:29
his praises
1:00:30
sing
1:00:30
with trumpet
1:00:31
and with horn
1:00:32
rejoice
1:00:32
before the Lord
1:00:34
the King
1:00:35
let earth
1:00:36
and all
1:00:36
in them
1:00:37
rejoice
1:00:38
triumphantly
1:00:39
let streams
1:00:40
clap hands
1:00:41
and mountains
1:00:41
sing
1:00:42
together
1:00:43
joyfully
1:00:43
we'll sing
1:00:44
these last
1:00:45
three stanzas
1:00:46
to God's
1:00:46
praise
1:00:47
and the tune
1:00:47
is Gainsborough
1:00:49
with harp
1:00:56
make music
1:00:58
to the Lord
1:01:02
with harp
1:01:05
his praises
1:01:07
sing
1:01:09
with trumpet
1:01:12
and with horn
1:01:16
rejoice
1:01:18
before the Lord
1:01:22
the King
1:01:25
let earth
1:01:29
the sea
1:01:30
and all
1:01:33
in them
1:01:35
rejoice
1:01:37
thy
1:01:39
heart
1:01:40
humbly
1:01:41
let streams
1:01:45
clap hands
1:01:48
and mountains
1:01:50
sing
1:01:52
together
1:01:55
joyfully
1:01:58
now let
1:02:02
them sing
1:02:05
before the Lord
1:02:10
who comes
1:02:12
to judge
1:02:15
the earth
1:02:17
he'll judge
1:02:20
the world
1:02:22
in righteousness
1:02:25
the people's
1:02:30
heaven
1:02:32
is
1:02:33
through
1:02:33
after the benediction
1:02:37
I'll go to the door
1:02:38
to my right
1:02:39
we'll close
1:02:39
with a benediction
1:02:40
now may grace
1:02:42
mercy and peace
1:02:44
from God
1:02:44
Father
1:02:45
Son
1:02:46
and Holy Spirit
1:02:47
rest upon
1:02:48
and abide
1:02:48
with you all
1:02:49
now and forevermore
1:02:51
Amen
1:02:52
Christ
1:02:58
amen
1:03:00
while
1:03:02
tonight
1:03:03
we're
1:03:04
eles
1:03:06
and
1:03:06
their
1:03:06
those
1:03:18
are
1:03:19
Thank you.
1:03:49
Thank you.
1:04:19
Thank you.