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Encouragement in the Lord · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Well, please turn back with me to 2 Chronicles chapter 32.
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! And particularly this evening, our text is from verse 6 down to verse 8.
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! Towards the beginning of that little section we read of King Hezekiah,
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! that he gathered the people together to him in the square at the gate of the city
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and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, Be strong and courageous.
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You know, one of the greatest needs of the church today is encouragement.
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Encouragement from the Lord, encouragement from the Word of God,
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encouragement that's, you know, rooted in the Word of God itself,
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encouragement that we see in every part, every section of God's Word.
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We need to drink that in and be nourished by the very encouragement that the Word gives the church
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to give the church courage, to give the church that strength to, well, yes, to face the enemies of our soul,
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to face all that is there that seeks to undermine and destroy our confidence in the Lord.
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The church needs encouragement.
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You need encouragement.
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Encouragement as a congregation.
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You need encouragement as individuals.
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I need encouragement.
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We all need encouragement from the very Word of God.
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And whether it's in this congregation or elsewhere,
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the church as a whole needs to be absorbed in the encouragement that the Word of God gives.
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And, of course, we need that encouragement for our daily walk with the Lord,
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for the strength that God's Word gives us to fight that good fight of faith,
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to fight even the sins within our own hearts.
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We need encouragement to be strong, to be courageous,
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to trust in the Lord, to have faith in all that God has promised to give to His people.
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So we need encouragement because there is that war, that spiritual warfare against the world,
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against the flesh, against the devil.
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And, you know, these times when we lose encouragement from the Word of God,
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when we maybe even seek courage in ourselves,
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when we fail to see the Word that God gives us by His infallible Word,
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we lose heart.
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We lose that strength.
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And we're so prone to discouragement.
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We can even discourage one another when we turn away from the Word of God
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that enlightens us, that directs our hearts.
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And we can easily lose that zeal for the Lord
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when we're not absorbed in the Word of God constantly.
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We lose that courage to face the enemies of our souls.
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You know, we're to be foot soldiers in the Lord's army.
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But so often when we fail to be encouraged by the Word of God,
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we can actually be deserters.
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We can shy away from the conflict that the Lord gives to us as soldiers,
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soldiers in the Lord Jesus.
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We can be deserters when we should be in the front line.
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So seek encouragement from the Word of God.
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Even seek encouragement this evening as we turn to this particular passage.
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Because we all need, as we said, we all need encouragement.
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You know, even when you look through Scripture,
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you see time and time again the Lord's people needing that encouragement from the Lord,
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needing to be strengthened.
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When their hearts were low, when they had so much doubt,
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even within their own selves,
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the Lord's people needing to come before God
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and God addressing them with that promise
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that He's with them always.
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We'll come back to that promise in a moment.
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But you know, even when you think of the Lord Jesus,
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think of Jesus in His earthly ministry.
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He needed encouragement.
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The Son of God, the sinless Son of God,
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needed encouragement.
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He needed the encouragement of His Father.
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He needed the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
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And yes, even on those moments before going to the cross,
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even there in Gethsemane,
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He needed the encouragement of His closest disciples.
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If that's the case with the Lord Jesus,
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how much more ourselves when we need the encouragement of God's Word.
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And you know, there are many, many, as I said,
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many examples in Scripture of the Lord's people
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needing encouragement, the Word of God entering their hearts.
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But I want to turn to this particular section
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that perhaps maybe immediately doesn't resonate
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with this theme of encouragement for the Lord's people.
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But the more we look at it,
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I actually will see that this passage
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actually speaks volumes to help you,
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to help each one of us to be strengthened in the Lord.
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It's a great passage.
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It's a passage that helps you in whatever circumstances
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you might find yourselves in.
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And it's a clear message
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that, you know, in so many circumstances of life
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that the Word of God comes to us
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and gives that courage.
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It may be that your faith is struggling.
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It may be that your faith is even the size
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of a tiny grain of mustard seed.
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But you need that encouragement from the Lord
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to deal with that issue of faith.
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It might be the besetting sins of your heart.
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You need that courage to come before the Lord
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and seek His mercy and seek His forgiveness.
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It may be the, well, we might say,
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the aggravation of the world
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that seeks so often to disrupt and destroy
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the witness of the church.
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We need that encouragement to stand strong,
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to be courageous in that battle,
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in that spiritual warfare.
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And yes, this is the Old Testament.
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This is a passage from the Old Testament.
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But let's be reminded that Old Testament examples
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are New Testament instructions.
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Because what we find even here
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in this Old Testament passage,
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well, it's fulfillment's found in the New Testament.
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You see it in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus.
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And again, we'll come back to that in a moment.
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But for this evening,
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we seek to look at this passage
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for our own encouragement.
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We're going to see three things
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that the Lord's people there in Judea,
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there in the capital, Jerusalem,
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three things that we find.
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We see in verse 6, the speech,
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the speech of encouragement.
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And then verse 7 to the first part of verse 8,
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the strength of encouragement.
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And then verse 8, the second part of verse 8,
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the significance of encouragement,
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the speech, the strength,
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the significance of encouragement.
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Let's look at verse 6 again.
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And he said,
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this is King Hezekiah said,
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Come back, commanders, over the people
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and gather them together,
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tomb in the square at the gate of the city
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and spoke encouragingly to them.
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Now, let's get the context.
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Let's get the background to this.
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Jerusalem, the capital city
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of the southern kingdom of Judea,
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Jerusalem's facing a mighty warrior.
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It's facing this king of Assyria,
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this man, Sennacherib.
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And this king's a fierce king.
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He's a fierce king of a worrying nation,
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a nation that likes to express its power
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by war.
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And the king of Assyria,
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he's in an expansion.
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He intends to conquer the whole of Judah.
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He intends to capture Judah's capital.
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He intends to capture Jerusalem.
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He intends to extend his power.
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He's one of these kings
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that we find in the Old Testament
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and find even leaders up to this present day.
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Kings who have no love for the Lord,
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no obedience to the one true God.
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And against him is King Hezekiah.
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In fact, you know, of all the kings of Judah,
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he's one of the more faithful kings,
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kings of that southern kingdom.
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Anyway, what do we find?
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We find King Hezekiah exercising wisdom.
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He knows that the king of Assyria is out
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to take his capital.
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So what do we find?
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We see that he reorganizes the defenses of Jerusalem.
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We see that at the beginning of chapter 32,
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as we read there.
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He cuts off the water supply
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that doesn't want the king of Assyria
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and his army to be, you know,
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refreshed by the water outside the city.
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And he strengthens the defenses of the city,
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ensures that more weapons are going to be made
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in the event of warfare, battle.
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And this is, of course, wisdom.
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This is sound human responsibility.
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There's a real enemy out there.
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There's got to be that preparation for battle.
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But together with all these practical aspects
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of the preparation, what does he do?
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He uses words.
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He knows that all these practical preparations,
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the strengthening of the Milo,
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the strengthening of the city defenses,
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all the weapons that are going to be made.
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He knows that that's not going to be enough.
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Because he's got to strengthen
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the hearts of the people.
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There's a real enemy out there.
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The people are afraid.
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And the people need to be strengthened in their hearts.
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And that's what we see in verse 6.
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He does something that has such a profound effect,
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a strengthening effect on the people of Jerusalem.
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As we read there,
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he speaks words of encouragement.
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And he speaks directly to the people.
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I mean, this is leadership.
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This is leadership that, you know,
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is showing so much wisdom, so much power.
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This is wisdom in a leader of a people.
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I mean, the people themselves,
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they would have known about this king,
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King Assyria,
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this King Assyria of Assyria,
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this King Sennacherib.
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He's already shown his power.
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He's already shown his power in the kingdom of Judah.
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He's already captured a number of cities.
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In fact, we're told elsewhere
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that he'd taken 46 of Judah's fortified cities.
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He's already captured 200,000 inhabitants.
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But Hezekiah is not going to let the people,
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you know,
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suffer in fear.
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He's going to encourage them.
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But, you know,
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before we see exactly what the king,
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what King Hezekiah says to the people,
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let's just pause.
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Let's just pause here
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and just assess what's happening.
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You see,
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the Hebrew word for encourage,
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it's a word that speaks of the mind.
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It speaks of you're engaging your mind.
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Because in the mind,
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there's strength.
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Strength and courage.
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All the weapons in Jerusalem,
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all the fortified structures
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in that great city,
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well,
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wouldn't win the battle
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unless the people themselves,
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unless their minds were strong in the Lord,
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unless their hearts were so strong
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in trusting in the one true God.
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That's what we see,
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we're going to see.
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We're going to see that
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their minds strengthened
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in the knowledge
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that the Lord was with them.
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And, you know,
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we can say this surely,
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say this certainly
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for our own encouragement.
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There's that spiritual warfare
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that exists every single day of your life.
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If you're a Christian,
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you're engaged in spiritual warfare.
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I mean,
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King Hezekiah,
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He spoke words of encouragement.
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He encouraged them.
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He spoke words to them.
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He did so to strengthen their minds
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so that they had that resolve
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and commitment to trust,
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trust in the one true God.
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So there's the king
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speaking to the people directly.
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And of course,
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we have another king.
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We have another king
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who speaks words directly to us,
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words of encouragement,
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words that strengthen your mind
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in every situation of life.
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When you hear the words of Jesus say to you,
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come unto me,
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all you who labor,
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come unto me,
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all you who are heavy laden,
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and I'll give you rest.
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You know,
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the words of Jesus
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are such words of encouragement
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because it's the voice of grace,
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it's the voice of love,
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it's the voice of mercy,
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it's the voice of power,
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it's the voice we trust.
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It's no artificial intelligence.
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This is the supreme intelligence
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of the one true God,
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the one true Savior speaking,
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and speaking
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through the power of the Holy Spirit
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that heals a broken heart
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by the word of God.
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It's the word that soothes
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a troubled mind
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when your minds are troubled
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by this and by that.
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It's that word of encouragement
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that strengthens you
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for the battles ahead.
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It's that word,
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as we say,
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that's spoken to you in love
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by a loving Savior.
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Well, listen to these words.
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I'm going to read some of the words
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that Jesus uttered,
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words of encouragement,
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and I pray that
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as these words are spoken,
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that you'll engage your minds
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to absorb them,
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not just absorb them,
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but apply them
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in your own situation.
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Because,
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think of the words of encouragement
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that Jesus spoke to his disciples.
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You know,
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if you're suffering,
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maybe you're suffering
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for being a Christian,
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maybe you're getting assaults
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for following the Lord Jesus.
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Will you listen to the voice of Jesus
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speak to you,
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encouraging you
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for your stand for the truth?
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Listen to the words
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that Jesus spoke
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in the Sermon on the Mount,
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Matthew 5.
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Blessed are those
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who are persecuted
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for righteousness,
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for righteousness' sake,
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for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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Maybe you're anxious
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about something in the future.
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Maybe you're anxious
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about will God provide for you.
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Will you listen to the voice
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of Jesus encouraging you?
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Matthew 6,
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again,
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Sermon on the Mount.
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If God so clothes the grass
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of the field
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at which today is alive
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and tomorrow is thrown
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into the oven,
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will he not much more
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clothe you,
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O you of little faith?
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when you come before God
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in prayer,
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when you make your petitions
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before him,
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you hear the voice of Jesus
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speak encouragingly to you.
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Again,
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Sermon on the Mount,
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ask and it will be given to you.
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Seek and you will find.
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Knock and it will be opened to you
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for everyone who asks,
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receives.
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And the one who seeks,
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finds.
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And to the one who knocks,
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it will be opened.
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You see,
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when we absorb
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the truth of Jesus' words
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and apply that truth,
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the word of God,
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the word of the Savior,
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it does calm fears.
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It allays doubts.
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It speaks to heart and mind
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that receives the word
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with gladness,
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that receives the word
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by faith
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and puts that word
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into practice
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so that you are encouraged
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that you are strengthened.
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So you're given that courage
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to face
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what the Lord
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and his providence
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has given you.
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And you know that
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he's with you.
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With you to strengthen you.
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With you to give you
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that courage.
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And it's that strength
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that, you know,
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really we want to look at
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in relation to King Hezekiah
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and the people
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that we turn to.
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These great words,
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these great words of strength,
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the strength of encouragement
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that we see in verse 7
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to the first part of verse 8.
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Again, let's read these words.
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Be strong and courageous.
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Do not be afraid
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or dismayed
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before the king of Assyria
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and all the horde
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that is with him.
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For there are more with us
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than with him.
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With him
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is an arm of flesh,
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but with us
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is the Lord our God
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to help us
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and to fight our battles.
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I've read these words already.
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I've read these words twice.
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Because these are words of power.
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Because these words,
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if we listen to them,
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if we apply them,
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you'll know that these words
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speak to your very heart.
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They speak to your heart.
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They speak to your mind.
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Now, of course,
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these aren't the first time,
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this isn't the first time
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that these particular words
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are read in Scripture,
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heard in Scripture.
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You know the time
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when Joshua was about
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to succeed Moses
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to take the people,
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the people of Israel
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into the promised land.
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Remember,
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Moses was dying.
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He knew that he himself
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wouldn't enter
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the promised land,
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but his successor,
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Joshua,
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would.
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Joshua,
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being a relatively young man,
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afraid of leading
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that large number
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of Israelites.
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And what does
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Moses say to Joshua?
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He says to Joshua,
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as we read in
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the Deuteronomy,
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beginning of Joshua,
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Joshua,
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be strong and courageous.
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Be strong and courageous.
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But it wasn't simply
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that command
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to be strong and courageous.
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It wasn't just
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be strong and courageous
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full stop.
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It was be strong
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in the Lord.
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Be strong in the Lord
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and in the power
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of his might.
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Because any time
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we're called
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to be strong and courageous,
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it's always,
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always
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in connection
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with the one true God.
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Always
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before the one
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who promises
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to be with you always.
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And you know,
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when Hezekiah
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gives that command
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to the people,
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to the,
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well certainly
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in the first instance
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to the leaders,
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he tells them
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to be strong
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and courageous.
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And again,
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as we said,
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it's always
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an association
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with the one true God.
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Because we're told
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of,
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well,
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the king of,
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king Hezekiah,
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with him,
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with Sennacherib
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is an arm of flesh.
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But with us
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is the Lord our God
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to help us
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and to fight
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our battles.
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Now you might say,
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why do the people
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need to hear these words,
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these particular words?
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What did Hezekiah say
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that actually
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calmed the people?
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And
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what can we learn
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for ourselves
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when we have
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so many fears,
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so many issues
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in our own lives?
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What do these words
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speak to us?
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Or how do these words
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speak to us
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this evening?
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Well,
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let's look at the people
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first of all.
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These people,
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they had real fears.
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I mean,
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as we said,
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the king of Assyria,
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the Assyrian nation,
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they were known,
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they had a reputation.
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They had a reputation
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for just sheer destruction,
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throwing no mercy
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to their enemies.
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And,
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you know,
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they'd already
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exercised that ruthlessness
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in so many previous battles.
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They'd already
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conquered the northern
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kingdom of Israel.
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That happened
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some 20 years before.
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20 years,
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not a long time.
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The people of
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Judah,
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they'd still know
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of what happened
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to their northern neighbors.
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The people of Israel
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were carried off
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to the land of Assyria.
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As we know now,
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it's the northern
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Iraq,
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southern Turkey,
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I suppose,
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we could say.
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Well,
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that army was fierce.
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King Hezekiah
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had a knowledge
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of that people.
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The people themselves
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of Judah
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had that knowledge
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of this ruthless army.
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in fact,
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go to the start
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of Isaiah chapter 36.
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And we read there
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of what we mentioned earlier,
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the king of Assyria.
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He'd taken
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so many fortified
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cities of Judah
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and now he's
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at the walls
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of Jerusalem.
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The people there,
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they're in Jerusalem.
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They can look over
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the walls.
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They can see
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that mighty army
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in front of them.
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They could see
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it's a mighty force.
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Tens of thousands
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of highly equipped
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soldiers
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and they're just
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about to attack.
20:07
And there was
20:07
obviously real fear
20:08
in the city.
20:09
The city that's
20:10
been besieged.
20:12
Real fear.
20:13
Are they going
20:13
to suffer the same
20:14
way that their
20:15
fellow Judeans
20:15
suffered?
20:17
Are they going
20:17
to be taken
20:18
to Assyria
20:19
like their northern
20:19
neighbors in Israel?
20:21
Are they ever going
20:22
to see their
20:22
beloved Jerusalem
20:23
again if they're
20:24
taken away
20:24
as captors?
20:26
The enemy's real.
20:28
The danger's real.
20:29
And their fears,
20:31
they were real.
20:33
And we know
20:34
of course ourselves,
20:35
the enemy of our
20:36
souls, that enemy's
20:38
real.
20:39
Satan's real.
20:41
The demons are real.
20:44
The danger of
20:45
satanic attack
20:46
every day of our
20:47
lives, that's real.
20:50
The danger of
20:51
leading, being led
20:53
to places of
20:55
we might say
20:56
satanic reality,
20:57
that's real.
20:59
you face a real
21:00
foe, you face a
21:02
real enemy.
21:04
And therefore, we
21:05
need to hear the
21:05
words of encouragement
21:06
that God gives us
21:07
in his word to be
21:08
strong in the Lord
21:09
and the power of
21:10
his might.
21:12
We need to be
21:12
given the word of
21:13
God into our
21:15
hearts so that we
21:16
are strong in the
21:17
Lord, so that we
21:19
are courageous.
21:19
Remember the words
21:23
that Paul spoke to
21:24
the Philippians,
21:25
Philippians chapter
21:25
four.
21:27
The people in that
21:28
church, they were
21:29
anxious.
21:31
But Paul wrote to
21:32
the church there when
21:33
he said, the Lord is
21:34
at hand.
21:35
And I pray that you'll
21:36
know that this evening,
21:37
even for yourselves
21:38
individually or as a
21:39
family or as couples
21:40
or as a congregation.
21:42
The Lord is at hand.
21:44
The Lord is near.
21:45
You know, the people
21:47
all these many years
21:50
ago, they had real
21:51
fears.
21:52
But they also had a
21:54
real God.
21:56
The real God is we
21:57
have a real God, the
21:58
one true God whose
21:59
power is real.
22:01
Whose power is greater
22:02
than all our enemies.
22:05
And that's what
22:05
Hezekiah knows.
22:06
That's what he assures
22:07
the people with.
22:09
For there are more
22:09
with us than with
22:11
him.
22:12
You know, the people
22:13
there, as I said,
22:14
they're looking out to
22:14
this vast army outside
22:16
Jerusalem.
22:17
It's certainly greater
22:18
than size and the
22:19
population in that
22:20
city itself.
22:22
Certainly greater than
22:23
the armed men of
22:24
Jerusalem.
22:26
But Hezekiah knows
22:28
his God.
22:29
The more who are
22:30
with us.
22:32
The more who are
22:32
with the people of
22:33
Jerusalem.
22:35
And when Hezekiah
22:36
tells that the more
22:37
who are with us,
22:38
he's telling of
22:38
Almighty God.
22:40
He's telling of the
22:41
Lord of hosts,
22:42
the Lord of armies.
22:42
He's telling of the
22:45
God whose greatness
22:46
is greater than any
22:48
human might,
22:49
any human power.
22:52
And of course,
22:53
we know that
22:54
ourselves.
22:55
I hope we know that
22:56
ourselves.
22:57
Old Testament
22:57
examples, as we
22:58
said, New Testament
22:59
instructions.
23:02
Remember what John
23:02
wrote to his readers,
23:04
John the Apostle,
23:05
when those in the
23:07
church were facing
23:08
the enemy of their
23:08
souls.
23:09
1 John 4, verse 4,
23:11
more.
23:12
He who is in you
23:13
is greater than he
23:15
who is in the
23:16
world.
23:18
You're not alone.
23:20
You're not alone.
23:22
There are more with
23:24
us than with Him.
23:27
More.
23:28
More in terms of
23:29
power.
23:29
More in terms of
23:30
might.
23:31
More in terms of
23:32
greatness.
23:34
More in terms of the
23:36
one who's already won
23:37
that victory over sin,
23:38
over Satan, over
23:40
death itself.
23:42
And if you know the
23:43
Lord, you're God.
23:45
You have that
23:45
assurance.
23:46
You have that
23:46
promise that the
23:49
Lord gives you when
23:50
He says, I am with
23:51
you.
23:53
Because you have
23:54
with you the
23:55
Lord of glory.
23:57
Jesus.
23:58
Jesus has conquered
23:59
sin.
24:00
He's conquered
24:01
Satan.
24:03
He did that on the
24:03
cross of Calvary.
24:04
He's conquered death
24:05
itself when He rose
24:06
from the grave.
24:08
And so you have
24:09
that assurance that
24:10
you're not alone in
24:11
that good fight of
24:12
faith.
24:14
As has been said
24:15
before, one plus
24:17
God is a majority.
24:19
You feel alone when
24:20
you feel as if maybe
24:22
there's no one else
24:23
to help.
24:23
You remember, one
24:25
plus God is a
24:27
majority.
24:28
You've got that
24:28
victory in your
24:29
heart.
24:30
You've got that
24:30
assurance of, well,
24:32
of victory in the
24:32
Lord Jesus.
24:34
He's already faced
24:35
the enemy of your
24:36
soul.
24:36
He's won that
24:36
victory.
24:38
So listen to the
24:39
words of encouragement
24:40
that the Lord Jesus
24:41
gives you.
24:43
There are more
24:44
with us than
24:45
with him.
24:46
More with us than
24:47
with the enemy of
24:48
our souls.
24:50
Well, you act upon
24:51
these words.
24:52
You act upon the
24:53
words that Hezekiah
24:54
gave to the people
24:55
to encourage them.
24:58
Because these
24:59
words, of course,
24:59
were ultimately
25:00
given to Hezekiah
25:02
by the word of
25:03
truth, by the
25:04
very Lord our
25:05
Savior.
25:07
Because whatever
25:08
language you read
25:09
these words in,
25:10
if you read them
25:10
in English,
25:11
Gaelic, Hebrew,
25:13
all the same,
25:14
they tell of the
25:15
greatness of God
25:16
in contrast to the
25:19
weakness of the
25:19
enemy of our
25:20
souls.
25:22
With Him is an
25:23
arm of flesh,
25:24
but with us is the
25:25
Lord our God to
25:26
help us and to
25:28
fight our
25:29
battles.
25:30
You see the
25:31
contrast?
25:31
On the one
25:32
hand, there's
25:32
the king of
25:33
Assyria.
25:34
There's the
25:34
vast horde of
25:35
army that he's
25:36
got before him.
25:37
They look
25:37
powerful, but
25:40
they're of minimal
25:41
power, minimal
25:42
force.
25:44
As Hezekiah calls
25:46
them, he calls
25:46
them a single
25:47
arm of flesh.
25:50
Just a single
25:50
arm, a weak
25:51
human individual's
25:53
arm.
25:55
But opposed to
25:55
that human
25:56
weakness is
25:58
Almighty God.
25:59
Almighty God,
26:02
the Lord God
26:02
of Israel, the
26:03
Lord God of
26:03
His people, the
26:04
Lord God of
26:05
His church.
26:07
You know, think
26:07
of an arm of
26:08
flesh.
26:09
It tells of
26:09
weakness.
26:12
I mean, no
26:13
power, the most
26:14
powerful human
26:15
being in the
26:15
world still has
26:16
that arm of
26:17
flesh.
26:19
That arm of
26:20
flesh in
26:20
relation to the
26:21
God of all
26:22
power.
26:23
I mean, the
26:23
contrast couldn't
26:24
be greater.
26:25
Assyria there,
26:26
yes, it's a
26:26
great nation,
26:27
it's a powerful
26:28
nation, but it's
26:29
been compared
26:30
to that arm
26:30
of flesh.
26:32
And the
26:33
people of
26:33
Jerusalem, they
26:35
have the
26:35
Lord, their
26:36
God.
26:38
Don't ever
26:39
forget that.
26:40
Don't ever
26:41
forget that
26:41
truth.
26:43
The Lord
26:44
God is
26:45
with you.
26:49
It's that
26:49
little preposition,
26:50
that little
26:51
word with.
26:52
It's a little
26:52
word in any
26:52
language.
26:53
You can, if
26:54
you've got
26:55
Gaelic Bibles,
26:56
a little word
26:56
there, English
26:58
Bibles, whatever.
26:59
But notice it's
27:00
mentioned twice,
27:02
even twice in
27:03
verse 8.
27:03
It's that little
27:04
word with, it's
27:05
actually a bit
27:05
like a stick of
27:06
dynamite.
27:07
It's a little
27:08
thing that's got
27:08
so much power.
27:10
Well, that's
27:11
what this word
27:11
with is in
27:13
relation to
27:13
God and
27:14
ourselves.
27:15
The promise
27:16
that God
27:16
gives to be
27:17
with his
27:17
people.
27:18
The promise
27:19
that our
27:19
faithful God
27:20
gives.
27:22
You know, in
27:22
so many
27:23
examples, this
27:24
morning in the
27:25
High Free,
27:25
Hugh Ferrier,
27:26
the minister
27:27
was preaching
27:28
on the
27:28
encounter that
27:29
Moses had
27:30
with God
27:31
and God
27:31
assuring Moses
27:32
when Moses was
27:33
about to lead
27:34
the children
27:34
of Israel
27:35
towards the
27:37
promised land,
27:39
God saying
27:39
to a very
27:40
reluctant
27:41
Moses,
27:43
God saying
27:43
to him,
27:45
I am with
27:45
you.
27:46
And you know,
27:47
the more we
27:47
see this
27:48
expression, I
27:49
am with
27:49
you, or the
27:51
Lord with
27:51
us, we see
27:52
the greatness
27:53
of that
27:53
little
27:54
preposition
27:54
that connects
27:55
God with
27:55
us.
27:57
Even before
27:58
Jesus was
27:59
born, we
28:00
read in
28:00
Matthew's
28:00
Gospel that
28:02
they shall
28:03
call his
28:03
name Emmanuel,
28:05
which means
28:06
God with
28:08
us.
28:10
And it's
28:11
that abiding
28:11
presence of
28:12
our Lord and
28:12
Saviour when
28:13
Jesus was
28:14
with his
28:14
disciples, when
28:15
Jesus, you
28:16
know, declared
28:17
to them,
28:17
behold, I am
28:18
with you
28:18
always, even
28:20
to the end
28:21
of the age.
28:23
God's
28:24
love.
28:24
And it's
28:25
that promise
28:25
of God's
28:26
abiding
28:26
presence with
28:28
you, the
28:28
promise of
28:29
the abiding
28:30
presence of
28:30
the Holy
28:31
Spirit within
28:32
the heart of
28:32
every believer
28:33
in the Lord
28:34
Jesus.
28:35
Remember what
28:35
Jesus said to
28:36
his disciples
28:36
as he says
28:38
to us,
28:39
John 14,
28:40
I will ask
28:41
the Father
28:41
and he will
28:42
give you
28:42
another helper
28:43
to be with
28:45
you forever,
28:47
even the
28:47
Spirit of
28:48
Truth, whom
28:49
the world
28:49
cannot receive
28:50
because it
28:51
neither sees
28:52
him nor
28:53
knows him,
28:54
you know
28:55
him for
28:56
he dwells
28:57
with you
28:58
and will
29:00
be in
29:00
you.
29:01
The Lord
29:02
with you.
29:04
I mean,
29:05
that's the
29:05
greatest of
29:06
intimacy.
29:07
That's the
29:08
greatest
29:08
closeness that
29:09
we can ever
29:10
have in our
29:11
lives experience.
29:13
The Lord
29:14
with you.
29:17
And when
29:17
you take
29:18
that to
29:19
heart, when
29:19
you absorb
29:20
that in
29:20
your mind,
29:22
you're
29:22
given that
29:23
strength for
29:23
the battle,
29:25
you're given
29:25
that encouragement
29:26
of faith to
29:27
trust in God
29:27
in every
29:28
single aspect
29:30
of your
29:30
lives.
29:31
You'll be
29:32
able to
29:32
stand strong
29:33
in the face
29:34
of all that
29:34
opposition that
29:35
seeks to
29:36
distance you
29:37
from your
29:37
Lord and
29:38
Saviour.
29:40
And that
29:40
knowledge that
29:42
the Lord is
29:42
with you
29:43
enables you to
29:43
have that
29:44
strength,
29:45
to face
29:46
the present,
29:48
to face
29:48
the future
29:49
knowing that
29:51
he'll never
29:51
leave you
29:52
because he's
29:52
with you
29:53
always.
29:54
Yes, we're
29:54
weak in
29:55
ourselves.
29:55
We need that
29:56
strengthening.
29:57
I'm weak.
29:57
We're all
29:58
weak.
30:00
But know
30:00
that you're
30:01
given that
30:01
strength.
30:02
His word,
30:02
his strength
30:03
is made
30:03
perfect in
30:05
our weakness.
30:05
The strength
30:06
of his word,
30:06
the strength
30:07
of his
30:07
encouragement.
30:09
And that
30:10
gives you
30:10
that confidence.
30:12
That confidence
30:13
to know that
30:14
you're not
30:14
on your own.
30:15
And that's
30:16
the confidence
30:16
that the
30:17
people were
30:17
given.
30:18
They were
30:18
given to
30:19
know that
30:19
they weren't
30:19
on their
30:20
own,
30:21
that the
30:21
Lord was
30:21
with them.
30:23
And that's
30:23
what we see
30:23
finally in the
30:24
significance of
30:25
encouragement that
30:26
we read there in
30:27
the second part of
30:28
verse 8.
30:28
And the people
30:29
took confidence
30:29
from the words
30:31
of Hezekiah,
30:32
king of Judah.
30:34
The people
30:35
took confidence
30:36
from the words
30:38
of Hezekiah,
30:39
king of Judah.
30:43
You know,
30:43
this expression
30:45
took confidence.
30:46
The word in the
30:47
original language
30:48
just sort of
30:48
speaks of
30:49
support.
30:50
The people
30:50
were supported
30:51
in their hearts,
30:52
they were supported
30:53
in their minds,
30:54
they were
30:54
strengthened.
30:56
So the words
30:56
that Hezekiah
30:57
gave to the
30:58
people,
30:59
that was
31:00
sufficient.
31:01
That transformed
31:02
the real fear
31:03
that the people
31:03
had to real
31:04
faith,
31:06
that they could
31:06
trust in the
31:07
Lord despite
31:08
the outward
31:09
evidence of
31:10
the greater
31:11
power of
31:11
opposition.
31:12
That was the
31:13
outer evidence.
31:14
but the
31:15
reality was
31:15
so different.
31:18
And,
31:19
well,
31:19
what did we
31:20
read there?
31:21
The knock-on
31:21
effect of
31:22
these words
31:23
of Hezekiah.
31:24
The people
31:25
didn't lose
31:25
heart.
31:27
Their confidence
31:28
wasn't placed
31:29
even in the
31:29
weapons that
31:30
had been
31:30
formed,
31:31
but the
31:32
very word
31:32
of God.
31:34
You know,
31:35
in Hezekiah's
31:36
case,
31:36
only a man
31:37
of faith
31:37
could have
31:38
pronounced
31:38
these words.
31:40
Only a man
31:41
of true faith
31:41
could have
31:42
that confidence
31:43
that what
31:43
the Lord
31:44
had said
31:44
to him
31:44
was true
31:46
would be
31:47
applied.
31:50
And in the
31:50
confidence of
31:51
the Lord,
31:51
what do we
31:52
find?
31:52
The people,
31:53
they've got
31:53
confidence in
31:54
the Lord.
31:55
They're not
31:56
going to be
31:56
overcome when
31:57
the enemy's
31:57
at the gate.
31:59
And you read
32:00
on, if you
32:00
were to have
32:01
read on in
32:01
the passage
32:02
in chapter
32:02
32,
32:03
we see there
32:04
the confidence
32:05
of the people
32:05
is rewarded.
32:07
King Hezekiah
32:08
didn't prevail
32:09
even though
32:09
he sought
32:11
to overcome
32:11
Jerusalem.
32:14
Yes, he was
32:14
terrifying the
32:15
people at one
32:16
stage, but the
32:16
people would
32:17
not be overcome.
32:19
The king
32:20
had taunted
32:21
the people.
32:22
King Sinacharab
32:24
said to the
32:24
people,
32:24
you know,
32:25
your God's
32:25
just another
32:26
one of the
32:26
many gods.
32:28
But God
32:29
had the last
32:29
word, the one
32:30
true God
32:30
had the last
32:31
word and not
32:32
King Sinacharab.
32:34
God had the
32:35
victory over
32:37
the arm of
32:37
flesh.
32:39
And you
32:39
know, as you
32:40
dwell in that
32:41
truth, dwell in
32:43
the confidence
32:44
that the people
32:44
had at that
32:45
time, the
32:46
people that
32:46
had in the
32:47
one true
32:47
God.
32:50
Let's be
32:50
clear about
32:51
that word
32:52
confidence,
32:53
that word
32:53
support.
32:54
It wasn't
32:55
self-confidence.
32:56
I mean, the
32:57
king of Assyria,
32:57
he had self-confidence.
32:59
And it wasn't
33:00
even confidence in
33:01
their own
33:02
abilities and
33:02
their own
33:03
equipment.
33:04
It wasn't
33:04
that that
33:05
enabled them to
33:05
stand against
33:06
the enemy.
33:08
It was
33:09
confidence in
33:10
God the
33:10
Lord.
33:12
It was
33:12
their absolute
33:13
assurance that
33:14
these words that
33:15
Hezekiah had
33:16
spoken were
33:17
true.
33:19
The confidence
33:19
that God would
33:20
not abandon
33:21
his people.
33:23
He was with
33:23
them to
33:24
deliver them
33:25
from that
33:25
powerful enemy.
33:28
And I hope
33:29
and I trust
33:29
and I pray that
33:30
that's an
33:30
encouragement for
33:31
you this
33:32
evening.
33:33
That you can
33:34
and must depend
33:35
on God in
33:36
all your
33:36
ways in
33:37
every aspect
33:38
of your
33:39
life.
33:40
To have
33:41
that trust,
33:42
that full
33:42
trust that
33:43
He'll never
33:43
leave you,
33:44
never desert
33:45
you.
33:47
Even in the
33:47
most hostile
33:48
and difficult
33:49
of situations
33:50
that we all
33:50
face in our
33:52
lives, whether
33:53
individually as I
33:54
said or even
33:55
as congregations,
33:57
God is with
33:58
you always.
33:59
You might have
33:59
at times in
34:00
your life the
34:01
dark night of
34:01
your soul.
34:03
The psalmist of
34:03
Psalm 88 had
34:04
that experience.
34:06
And yet we
34:07
know even
34:08
from that
34:08
psalm that
34:09
he had not
34:10
lost all
34:11
hope.
34:12
God was
34:12
still his
34:13
Lord.
34:14
And maybe
34:15
you have
34:15
trials for
34:16
a season but
34:16
they're only
34:17
for a season.
34:18
The Lord's
34:18
with you.
34:20
Even when you
34:20
have to face
34:21
particular decisions
34:22
even this week,
34:23
important decisions,
34:24
know that the
34:25
Lord is with
34:26
you to lead
34:26
you and guide
34:27
you to give
34:27
you that wisdom
34:28
from above.
34:31
And yes,
34:32
even as we
34:33
had even for
34:34
so many in
34:35
the latter
34:36
years of our
34:37
lives, have
34:38
that confidence
34:38
to know that
34:39
the Lord is
34:40
with you.
34:41
He's with you
34:42
that his rod
34:43
and staff
34:44
comfort you.
34:47
So be
34:47
encouraged then
34:48
in the word
34:49
that the Lord
34:50
has given us
34:50
this evening.
34:52
Be encouraged
34:53
even as you
34:53
leave this
34:54
building, as
34:55
you go back
34:55
to your homes,
34:56
knowing that
34:56
as you have
34:57
met with the
34:58
Lord and his
34:58
word, you've
34:59
been given
35:00
that encouragement
35:00
to fight
35:02
that good
35:02
fight of
35:03
faith.
35:04
There's all
35:05
that contrast
35:06
in the world
35:06
between the
35:07
believer who
35:08
trusts in the
35:08
Lord and
35:09
even the
35:09
believer who
35:10
at times
35:10
lacks faith.
35:12
But of course
35:13
the greatest
35:13
contrast of
35:15
all is the
35:16
one who has
35:17
even that
35:17
faith the
35:19
size of a
35:19
mustard seed
35:20
to the one
35:21
who has no
35:22
faith at all.
35:22
If there's
35:23
anyone here
35:23
this evening
35:24
and you
35:24
don't have
35:25
that faith
35:26
in the one
35:26
true God
35:27
will remember
35:27
this.
35:30
Are you
35:30
trusting in
35:31
the arm of
35:32
flesh?
35:33
Are you
35:34
trusting in
35:35
the one who
35:36
will never
35:37
leave you,
35:38
never forsake
35:39
you?
35:40
The one who
35:41
promises to
35:42
be with you
35:42
always, even
35:44
to the very
35:45
end of the
35:45
age?
35:47
Will you
35:47
trust in the
35:48
God who
35:48
supports or
35:50
the gods
35:51
who disappoint?
35:52
May you have
35:53
your faith
35:54
not in the
35:56
arm of
35:56
flesh,
35:57
the God,
35:58
the one
35:58
true God
35:59
who knows
36:00
you, who
36:01
sees you,
36:02
and who
36:03
loves you.
36:04
May God
36:04
bless to us
36:05
his word.
36:05
Let's join
36:06
together now
36:06
in prayer.
36:07
Let us
36:08
pray.
36:10
Our
36:10
Lord, our
36:11
God, our
36:11
Heavenly
36:11
Father, you
36:13
who are the
36:13
God of
36:14
power and
36:14
might, and
36:16
you who
36:16
have already
36:17
shown your
36:17
power and
36:18
might in
36:19
the defeat
36:20
of Satan
36:21
and the
36:21
cross, in
36:22
the triumph
36:23
of Jesus
36:23
over death,
36:24
faith.
36:25
And may
36:25
we all
36:26
know that
36:26
triumph in
36:27
our own
36:27
lives.
36:28
May we
36:28
go forward
36:29
in faith,
36:30
beholding
36:31
our God,
36:32
not trusting
36:33
in the
36:33
arm of
36:34
flesh that
36:34
so often
36:35
we lean
36:36
on, but
36:37
trusting in
36:38
the one
36:38
true Lord
36:38
and Savior
36:39
who gives
36:40
us that
36:41
support, who
36:43
will never
36:43
disown us,
36:44
never leave
36:45
those who
36:45
are his.
36:47
So hear
36:47
us, Lord,
36:47
as we commit
36:48
to you,
36:49
even the rest
36:50
of the service.
36:51
Help us to
36:51
sing words of
36:52
praise and
36:53
thanksgiving,
36:54
as we seek
36:55
to honour
36:55
you, even
36:56
towards the
36:58
end of this
36:58
service.
36:59
Hear us,
36:59
Lord, as we
37:00
commit these
37:00
things to
37:01
you now,
37:02
as we pray
37:02
your blessing
37:04
upon us,
37:05
in Jesus'
37:06
name.
37:06
Amen.
37:10
Well, let's
37:11
close in
37:12
Psalm 31.
37:14
Sing
37:14
Psalms,
37:15
page 37.
37:18
Psalm 31,
37:20
singing from
37:20
verse 19
37:21
down to
37:22
verse 24.
37:25
Five
37:25
stanzas.
37:28
Page 37,
37:29
verse 19,
37:31
Your goodness,
37:31
Lord, is very
37:32
great, prepared
37:33
for those who
37:34
fear your name.
37:35
You show your
37:36
goodness openly
37:37
to all who
37:39
your protection
37:40
claim.
37:40
19 to 24,
37:43
to God's
37:43
praise.
37:44
Amen.
37:44
Amen.
37:50
Your goodness,
37:54
Lord, is very
37:58
great, prepared
38:01
for those who
38:06
fear your name.
38:10
you show your
38:14
goodness openly
38:19
to all who
38:23
your protection
38:27
claim.
38:30
Your presence
38:33
hides and
38:36
shelters them
38:40
from those
38:43
who plot
38:44
to take
38:48
their life.
38:50
And in
38:53
your tent
38:55
you keep
38:57
them safe
39:00
from evil
39:03
tongues
39:05
that stir
39:06
up
39:08
strife.
39:11
The Lord
39:14
be praised
39:16
because
39:17
he showed
39:21
the wonder
39:24
of
39:25
his love
39:27
to me
39:30
when
39:32
in
39:34
a
39:35
city
39:36
I
39:38
was
39:39
trapped
39:40
surrounded
39:43
by
39:45
the
39:47
enemy
39:49
in
39:52
my
39:54
alarm
39:56
I
39:57
rashly
39:59
said
40:00
that
40:01
I
40:02
was
40:04
hidden
40:05
from
40:07
your
40:08
eyes
40:11
but
40:12
when
40:13
I
40:16
to
40:17
you
40:18
for
40:19
help
40:21
grace
40:23
you
40:24
listen
40:26
to
40:27
my
40:28
cries
40:32
O
40:33
love
40:34
the
40:35
Lord
40:37
all
40:38
his
40:39
saints
40:40
the
40:42
faithful
40:44
will
40:45
be
40:47
kept
40:48
by
40:49
God
40:50
!
40:51
But
40:52
he
40:53
will
40:54
give
40:56
the
40:57
proud
40:58
their
40:59
due
41:00
be
41:02
strong
41:03
take
41:04
heart
41:05
open
41:06
the
41:07
Lord
41:08
and
41:09
now
41:10
may
41:11
grace
41:12
mercy
41:13
and
41:14
from
41:15
Father
41:16
Son
41:17
Spirit
41:18
Father
41:19
and
41:20
Holy Spirit
41:21
rest
41:22
upon
41:23
and
41:24
forever
41:25
Amen
41:26
Amen