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The Gathered Church (5) - Gathered for Praise · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Let's begin our worship. We're singing firstly today in Psalm 66. Psalm 66, that's in the
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Sing Psalms. That's on page 83 of the Psalm books. We're singing to a tune, Golden Hill,
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verses 1 to 6.
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Shout loud with joy to God, all earth your chorus raise. Sing loud the honor of his name,
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and glorious make his praise. Speak thus to God the Lord, how great your works of power.
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For so overwhelming is your might, that foes before you cower. You can see from the bulletin
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sheet that the focus of our study this morning of God's Word is on praise. The church gathered
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together for praise, to praise the Lord. So the Psalms reflect that in the references to praise
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as we sing them today. So Psalm 66, if you're able to stand, please stand to sing.
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Sing loud the honor of his name, and glorious name.
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Sing outputs, ring办agle hog
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Pray to stand, but seldomodiver give such broken heart.
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Our greater works of power, so overwhelming is your might
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That goes before you can
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Alert, God's hand to you
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This signal of your pain
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They never cease to celebrate
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The glory of your name
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Come see what God has done
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This mighty works of power
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His deeds to watch the human race
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Have lost unto the old
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To let his people pass
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On blue blue waters cross
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He turned the sea into my land
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Let us rejoice in God
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Now let's pray briefly before the children go through to their Sunday school
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Our gracious God
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As we give thanks today
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That you have gathered us together
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In your name that is our desire
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And our delight to be here
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We thank you for the privilege of being able to do so
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We ask Lord again your blessing for our children today
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In each and every one of them
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In all their classes
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And all the things that they learned today about
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You help them we pray
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To apply this to their own young lives
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And once again we pray
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That their spiritual and moral development
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Will continue under the teaching of your word
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And we ask that all those who teach them
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And give of their time
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Will be rewarded by your own blessing
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And not that we seek Lord to be rewarded
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For the work that we do for you
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But nevertheless you promise
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That you will bless those who serve you
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And seek to make your word known
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Even to all ages
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So bless the children today we pray
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And give them today
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To know your own spirit working in their young lives
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Hear us we pray
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In Jesus name
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Amen
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I'm going to read a couple of verses
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From Judges
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The book of Judges chapter 6
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And this is about Gideon
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Gideon
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Because I know that Sunday school
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Today are beginning Gideon
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In their lessons
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For a number of weeks
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At least I've looked at the schedule
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And that's what's down
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I'm sure that they're keeping to that
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If possible
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So I'm going to read from Judges chapter 6
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Just two or three verses
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The Lord saying to Gideon
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The Lord turned to him and said
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Go in this might of yours
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And save Israel
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From the hand of Midian
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Do not I send you
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And he said to him
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Please Lord
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How can I save Israel?
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Behold my clan is the weakest in Manasseh
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And I am the least in my father's house
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And the Lord said to him
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But I will be with you
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And you shall strike the Midianites
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As one man
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Now as you come to learn about Gideon
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And various things that happened in his life
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It's such an important part of the book of Judges
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Because in a sense it summarizes what the book of Judges is about
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And I want the young folks today just to think of two things
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In relation to Gideon
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I'm sure you'll learn a lot more as you go through the lessons
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From Gideon's life
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But here is the Lord saying to Gideon
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To go and save Israel from the Midianites
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The Midianites
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The Midianites were people who had been attacking Israel
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And had come because they had great numbers
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And were attacking them and destroying their crops
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Or taking their crops
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All sorts of things that really provided so many difficulties for the people of Israel
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It really was the people's own fault in a sense
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Because God was annoyed with them
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Because they had really gone after other gods
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And stopped saving the Lord the way they should
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But here the Lord is saying to Gideon
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Go and save Israel
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Now the Lord's calling
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That's what we usually say
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The Lord's calling of Gideon
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Is something that applies to all our lives
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Even our young people today
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I mean you young folks and all of us too
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Are being called by God through the Bible to serve Him
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Not necessarily to be great leaders in the church
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But everybody has the opportunity and the responsibility to do something for the Lord
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The Lord is calling us all to be His servants
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To serve Him in some way or other
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And you young folk today
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In your young days
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That's your privilege too
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To serve the Lord in whatever way you can
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To do things for Jesus
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So I want you to pray this prayer
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Not just today
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But throughout your whole life really
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It's a prayer that goes something like this
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Lord, please help me to be obedient to your call
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Lord, please help me to be obedient to your call
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It's a prayer everybody, adults as well, needs to pray
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But for young folks today
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Pray this prayer for yourselves
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Lord, help me to be obedient
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So whatever the Lord calls us to do
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We should always pray
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Lord, help me to be obedient to that
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And then Gideon said
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That he was too small
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That he was not really strong enough to do this
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And he said
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How can I save Israel?
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My clan is the weakest in Manasseh
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And I am the least in my father's house
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You see what they're saying
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I just don't feel I can do this
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It's too big for me
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It's too big a task
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I am the smallest in my father's house
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And my clan is the smallest in Manasseh
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You're asking me to do such a great thing
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I don't think I can do it
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What did the Lord say to him?
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He said
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The Lord said
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But I will be with you
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In other words
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Gideon was to think
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Not about his own ability
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But God's strength
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That's the second prayer
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I want you to pray for yourselves as well
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As your young lives go on
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Lord, make me strong to be your servant
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Make me strong to be your servant
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So these are the two prayers
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Help me to be obedient
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So that I can serve you
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And make me strong to be your servant
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These are two very simple but important prayers
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That you learn from the life of Gideon
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So pray these prayers for yourselves
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And do what you can to serve Jesus
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As your lives go on
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Now we're going to say the Lord's Prayer again together
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Let's say the Lord's Prayer
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Our Father which art in heaven
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Hallowed be thy name
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Thy kingdom come
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Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
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Give us this day our daily bread
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And forgive us our debts
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As we forgive our debtors
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And lead us not into temptation
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But deliver us from evil
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For thine is the kingdom
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And the power and the glory forever
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Amen
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It's great to hear all you young folks saying that
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Prayer and reciting it like that
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But you can pray it for yourselves of course as well
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Let's sing again to God's Praise
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Psalm 135 this time
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Page 425
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Singing to a tune Gainsborough
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Verses 1-6
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Praise ye the Lord
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The Lord's name praise
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His servants praise ye God
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Who stand in God's house
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In the courts of our God
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In the courts of our God
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Make abode
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Psalm 135 and verses 1-6
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To his praise
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Praise ye the Lord
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Praise ye the Lord
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Praise ye the Lord
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The Lord's name praise
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His servants praise ye God
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His servants praise
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Praise ye the Lord
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His servants praise ye God
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Who stand in God's
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His servants praise ye God
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Who stand in God's
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The servant's praise ye God
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Who stand in God's
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Our sing the courts
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God, our God, make a word.
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Praise ye the Lord, for he is good,
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and to him praises sing.
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Sing praises to this King,
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because it is a pleasant thing.
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For take up to himself the Lord,
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take truth of his good pleasure,
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and he hath chosen Israel
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for his peculiar treasure.
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Because I know assuredly the Lord is very great,
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and that our Lord, above all gods,
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in glory hath his seed.
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What things so ever pleased the Lord,
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but in the heavenly King,
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and in the earth, the seas and all,
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the places deep at thee.
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Let's read God's Word together now
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from Paul's letter to the Colossians.
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Paul's letter to the Colossians, chapter 3,
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and we're going to read the first 17 verses.
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Colossians, chapter 3, from the beginning.
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If then you have been raised with Christ,
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seek the things that are above where Christ is,
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seated at the right hand of God.
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Set your minds on the things that are above,
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not on things that are on earth.
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For you have died, and your life is hidden
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with Christ in God.
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When Christ, who is your life, appears,
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then you also will appear with him in glory.
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Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you,
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sexual immorality, impurity, passion,
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evil desire, and covetousness,
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which is idolatry.
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On account of these, the wrath of God is coming.
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In these you too once walked
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when you were living in them.
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But now you must put them all away,
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anger, wrath, malice, slander,
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and obscene talk from your mouth.
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Do not lie one to another,
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seeing that you have put off the old self
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with its practices,
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and have put on the new self,
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which is being renewed in knowledge
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after the image of its creator.
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Here there is not Greek and Jew,
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circumcised and uncircumcised,
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barbarian, Scythian, slave, free,
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but Christ is all and in all.
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Put on then, as God's chosen ones,
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holy and beloved,
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compassion, kindness,
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humility, meekness, and patience,
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bearing with one another,
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and if one has a complaint against another,
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forgiving each other.
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As the Lord has forgiven you,
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so you also must forgive.
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And above all these, put on love,
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which binds everything together
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in perfect harmony.
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Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
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to which indeed you are called in one body,
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and be thankful.
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Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
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teaching and admonishing one another
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in all wisdom,
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singing psalms and hymns
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and spiritual songs
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with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
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And whatever you do,
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in word or deed,
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do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
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giving thanks to God the Father
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through him.
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And so on,
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may the Lord bless to us
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that reading of his own word.
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We're singing once again,
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this time in Psalm 104,
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on page 374,
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singing to the tune Kilmarnock
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from verse 31
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down to the end of the psalm.
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The glory of the mighty Lord
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continues shall forever.
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The Lord Jehovah shall rejoice
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in all his works together.
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Earth, as affrightened,
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trembleth all if he on it but look.
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And if the mountains he but touch,
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they presently do smoke.
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I will sing to the Lord Most High
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so long as I shall live.
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And while I being have,
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I shall to my God praises give.
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Of him my meditation shall
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sweet thoughts to me afford.
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And as for me,
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I will rejoice in God,
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my only Lord.
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From earth let sinners be consumed,
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let ill men no more be.
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O thou my soul,
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bless thou the Lord.
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Praise to the Lord,
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give ye.
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These verses,
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the glory of the mighty Lord.
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The glory of the mighty Lord,
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continue shall forever.
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The Lord Jehovah shall rejoice in all his works together.
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earth,
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earth as affrighted,
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trembleth all,
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if he on it but look.
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and if the mountains he but touch,
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they presently do so.
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I will sing to the Lord Most High
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so long as I shall live.
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And while I be in half,
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I shall to my God praises give.
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Up in my meditation shall
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sweet thoughts to me afford.
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And as for me,
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I will rejoice in God,
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my only Lord.
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from earth let sinners be consumed,
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let ill men no more be.
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O thou my soul,
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bless thou the Lord.
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Praise to the Lord,
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give me.
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Now please turn with me to Colossians chapter 3,
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passage we read a short time ago.
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Colossians chapter 3.
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And today we're looking mainly at verse 16.
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Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
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teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
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singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
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with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
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Obviously that's a text that stands in a run of verses
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that focus on certain things to do with our service for God.
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And the focus especially here is on the word of Jesus dwelling in his people richly,
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but that's combined with singing praises to God,
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singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness.
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Now as we've been looking for a few weeks at the topic of the gathered church,
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we're thinking especially of the church as gathered as we are today,
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and some of the features of the gatherings of the church,
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and what is important for us to bear in mind and to practice
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in the gatherings of the church as we form part of that.
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Last week, for example, we looked at being gathered for prayer
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and how important it is for the church not only to pray,
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but to be gathered for prayer,
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to have gatherings where prayer features strongly in them,
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and even gatherings for prayer and not much else but prayer.
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And today we're looking at the church gathered for praise,
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which is particularly an emphasis here on singing.
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The church gathered for praise.
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This evening, God willing, we'll look at the church gathered for growth from Ephesians.
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So the focus really is on singing,
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but it runs right through here from verse 16.
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As we've said, it's a run of verses from there down through to verse 17 especially.
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And it's important to notice the connection,
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the very close connection in this verse itself,
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because there's no full stop.
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It's just a series of commas.
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Notice the connection, therefore close connection,
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between teaching and singing.
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Teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.
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And then immediately it says singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
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with thankfulness in your heart to God.
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So there's a very close connection there between the church gathered together,
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as we've seen before,
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to listen to God,
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to listen to God's word being proclaimed,
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and for prayer as well.
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A close connection here as well with the teaching that we receive from God's word
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and the singing of praise to God,
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because they very much are dovetailed together
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and should be so in our thoughts as well.
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Singing does not replace preaching.
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But nevertheless,
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even in the singing of the praise of God,
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there is a very strong didactic or teaching element to it,
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because you're learning things as you're singing.
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We're learning things together as we're singing together.
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And as we'll see,
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the importance of singing together
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carries with it so many benefits for us individually,
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which come from being together to sing the praises of God.
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Of course,
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singing is one main feature of the gathered church for worship,
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but it's a very important aspect of the church's gathering for worship,
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along with reading the word,
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and the word being expounded in preaching,
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and prayer to God,
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that is the element of singing together the praise of God.
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And basically,
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that is what comprises our worship services,
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our public worship.
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And it's important that we think of participation
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and not performance.
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I don't mean by that,
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that our singing should be anything but of good quality.
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But the singing is not a performance.
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We don't have a choir.
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Not that there's anything wrong with a choir in itself in certain contexts.
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But we don't have a choir.
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We have a presenter to lead the singing rather than a choir,
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and there's good reason for that.
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And when you go to a concert, for example,
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or nowadays what's called a gig,
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you go there basically as observers of the main item,
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which is whether it's a band or whether it's an individual, whatever.
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But you're going there as observers.
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And even if you're participating in the sense of singing in with some of what's being performed on stage,
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you're basically there to observe them.
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They're the main feature of the gathering.
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But in the gathered church,
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gathering for praise means we are all collectively and equally involved,
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participating in that praise of God.
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We don't come to church to sing the praises of God
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by just listening to others sing the praise.
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It's a participation.
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It's congregational praise.
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The whole congregation participates in it.
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It's a feature of many congregations now that they have a praise band.
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I'm not necessarily saying I disagree with that entirely,
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but the congregation's praise is important as congregational praise.
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And if there is to be a praise band, and I'm not saying by any means that there should be or is to be,
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it must never be a performance by the band performing to the congregation.
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Because we come together to congregate as those who wish to praise God collectively.
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And whatever else we say as features of sung praise to God,
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and there is a place outside of congregational worship,
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public worship, for many of these other things,
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even what I've mentioned there.
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But coming together today is for congregational praise.
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And what a brilliant privilege it is to hear good congregational praise
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as we sing that praise together.
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We come together to praise the Lord congregationally.
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And you notice the plurals here in this passage,
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showing that it's together that these things are done.
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Teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.
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Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts, plural, to God.
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They are all features of the gathered church,
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gathered to praise the Lord.
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And that means everybody should sing.
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Does it mean singing even if you or I are saying,
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well, I don't really have much of a voice,
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so I don't think I should participate in the singing?
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There is no reason at all, biblically,
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why anybody should feel themselves left out of joining in
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and participating in the praise, in the singing of praise to God.
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Your voice may not be the best voice in the congregation.
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It may be something even of a croak, as far as you're concerned.
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But still the Lord is calling upon us to sing His praises.
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And we sing together the praises of God.
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I've heard some people even saying,
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none of the congregation here,
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but I've heard some people suggesting that
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if you're not converted,
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you shouldn't be singing the praises of God.
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That is only for the Lord's converted people.
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Where do you find that in the Bible?
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We gather together today to praise the Lord.
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That means each and every one of us contributes
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and participates in the praise of God.
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Even if we're saying today,
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but I'm not yet a professing Christian,
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even though I'd like to be,
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I'm still not there.
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You might even be saying to yourself,
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I'm not even yet saved,
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I'm not converted.
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Well, I hope that's something you attend to soon,
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because you should.
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But the one thing you must never say is,
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I'm not a professing Christian,
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or I'm not converted,
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so I don't really think I should take part
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in the singing of praise.
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There is nothing in any part of the Bible
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that I know of
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where the Bible says,
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let's come together and sing the praises of God,
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but you who are not yet professing Christians
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are not involved in that.
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It's congregational, friends.
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It's congregational praise to God.
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And as we meet together here today,
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all our voices should be together raised
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in the praise of God.
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Now here we have in this verse
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another feature that we sometimes find
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difference of opinion on,
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singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
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And some people take that to be
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a reference to the church
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being at liberty to compose
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songs other than you find in the psalms.
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And that, of course, is true
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and has been true for generations.
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But it's also true that these words,
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psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
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are features of the book of psalms,
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because all of these titles
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are used in the book of psalms
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to describe different categories of psalms.
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And that's why some people prefer
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that this verse is taken as referring
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to psalms, the book of psalms,
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the psalms put into meter
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as we sing them together.
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And that's what it's meant.
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So there is that difference of opinion
30:48
over how we should take the verse.
30:50
We're taking it at the moment
30:52
that we are singing psalms
30:54
of different catechises of psalms
30:56
in praise to God.
30:57
But irrespective of what our view is of that,
31:00
it's saying,
31:01
sing with thankfulness in your hearts to God
31:03
and sing together.
31:05
That's really the main feature
31:06
that we want to focus on this morning.
31:09
Sing together the praises of God
31:12
in congregational singing.
31:16
So what do we take from that?
31:18
And if we want to take out a few points,
31:20
these are just by way of introduction,
31:22
a bit longer than usual.
31:23
But what do we take from that
31:25
as we're looking at congregational singing
31:27
and the churches gather to sing
31:29
the praises of God?
31:31
Well, first of all,
31:32
our singing together
31:33
is actually commanded by God.
31:36
It's not something that we choose
31:38
to do or not to do.
31:41
Our singing together,
31:42
our congregational singing,
31:43
and our individual contribution to that
31:45
is commanded by God.
31:47
All you've got to do
31:48
is look through the book of psalms.
31:50
And as you look through the book of psalms,
31:52
you'll find so many psalms
31:54
in which God is purposefully commanding
31:58
or instructing His people to sing,
32:00
to glorify His name with singing,
32:03
to be together involved
32:05
in the singing of His praise.
32:07
Many, many times you'll find that
32:09
in the book of psalms.
32:10
Not only that,
32:11
but you'll find the likes of Psalm 792,
32:14
verse 1, Psalm 147.
32:16
Not only does it say
32:17
that it's something we must do
32:20
as commanded by God,
32:21
as instructed by God,
32:22
but that it is good for us to do so.
32:27
You see, some people think,
32:29
when you think of,
32:30
when we actually look at the fact
32:34
that the Bible is instructing us
32:36
to do many things,
32:37
in other words,
32:37
God is commanding us,
32:39
a lot of people think,
32:40
well, commanding things,
32:41
that's not really how it should,
32:42
it should be voluntary, shouldn't it?
32:44
It should be something
32:45
that we're willing to do of ourselves.
32:47
Well, that's all very well,
32:48
but sometimes we need God's command.
32:50
We need God's command
32:51
to actually make us think about
32:54
what we should be doing
32:55
and our responsibilities.
32:57
But when you come to Psalm 92,
32:59
for example,
33:00
it is a good thing
33:02
to sing the praises of God.
33:04
It's good for us
33:05
and it brings good to us.
33:07
And it's good in the sense
33:08
that God Himself
33:09
is being praised,
33:11
something which He regards as good.
33:14
It's a good thing
33:15
to praise the Lord
33:17
every morning,
33:18
every evening,
33:18
as that psalm says.
33:21
In other words,
33:22
the Bible doesn't just say
33:23
God requires us
33:24
to sing His praises,
33:26
but God emphasizes
33:27
what a good thing it is,
33:29
what a beneficial thing it is.
33:32
Not just good emotionally,
33:33
but it brings benefit.
33:35
We'll deal with that point in a minute.
33:37
It is good for us
33:38
to sing the praises of God
33:41
as instructed by God.
33:43
And in fact,
33:44
you come to this passage
33:46
and the corresponding passage
33:47
in Ephesians chapter 5.
33:49
You'll find in Ephesians
33:51
that that's the same
33:52
kind of emphasis there
33:54
where singing praises to God
33:56
is something
33:56
that's actually required
33:58
or commanded by God
34:00
as an aspect of the new life
34:01
that we've come to have
34:02
through faith in Christ.
34:04
But here is Colossians here
34:06
in chapter 3 saying,
34:09
let the word of Christ
34:09
dwell in you richly,
34:11
teaching and admonishing
34:12
one another.
34:13
That's an instruction from God.
34:15
You go back even to
34:16
verse 6 of the chapter there
34:17
and you'll find
34:18
the command is there as well
34:20
on account of where you find,
34:22
sorry, not verse 6,
34:24
you have to put away
34:25
all these things he's saying,
34:26
the things that now
34:27
characterize the life
34:29
that you actually once lived.
34:32
And then he moves on through
34:33
from there,
34:34
right through to this command
34:35
as instruction
34:36
to praise the Lord
34:37
and to do so with singing
34:39
as well as also
34:40
with thankfulness
34:42
in our hearts.
34:45
Singing praise
34:46
is not an optional aspect
34:48
of worship.
34:50
It's something that's required
34:51
by God
34:52
as an essential part
34:53
of how we worship Him
34:55
together
34:56
as well as worshiping Him
34:57
individually.
34:59
And as we've said,
34:59
even if we're not,
35:01
wouldn't class ourselves
35:02
as singers,
35:03
wouldn't class ourselves
35:04
as having a good voice.
35:06
It's not really
35:06
the important thing.
35:07
You see what I was saying there?
35:09
With thankfulness
35:10
in your hearts
35:11
to God.
35:13
It's not primarily
35:14
a matter of our quality
35:16
of voice,
35:17
though that is good,
35:18
is gifted by God.
35:20
It's the heart really,
35:21
as we'll see,
35:22
that the inward soul
35:24
from which our singing emanates.
35:28
But it's important
35:29
to realize that singing,
35:30
singing praise to God
35:32
is commanded by God,
35:35
required by God.
35:37
It's an instruction
35:38
from God.
35:41
Secondly,
35:41
our singing together
35:42
expresses
35:43
important realities.
35:46
Through singing
35:47
the praise of God,
35:48
we express things,
35:50
especially as they're revealed
35:51
to us in the Bible,
35:53
we express things
35:54
that are important realities,
35:56
I've called it,
35:57
to ourselves.
35:58
And I'm going to focus
35:59
on two things,
36:00
especially in that.
36:01
The important realities,
36:03
first of all,
36:03
God's character
36:04
and His works.
36:06
And then secondly,
36:08
our own experiences.
36:10
Because we sing
36:11
about God's character,
36:13
we sing to Him
36:14
in praise of His character
36:15
and His works,
36:17
but we also sing out
36:19
our experiences.
36:20
And again,
36:21
we'll see that
36:21
from the book of Psalms.
36:24
God's character
36:25
and God's work
36:26
frequently
36:27
in the book of Psalms.
36:29
Let me just pick
36:30
on a couple,
36:31
just as,
36:32
I'm sure you're
36:33
very well aware
36:34
of these,
36:34
I know.
36:36
Like, for example,
36:37
Psalm 100.
36:38
Make a joyful noise
36:40
to the Lord.
36:40
See, there's the instruction
36:41
again,
36:42
it's a commandment.
36:43
Serve the Lord
36:44
with gladness.
36:45
Come into His presence
36:47
with singing.
36:49
Why?
36:50
For,
36:50
know that He is God.
36:52
He made us.
36:53
We are His people.
36:54
We are the sheep
36:54
of His pasture.
36:55
For the Lord is good.
36:58
His steadfast love
36:59
endured forever.
37:00
His faithfulness
37:01
to all generations.
37:03
What is that saying to us?
37:04
Saying to us,
37:05
here are features
37:06
of God's character
37:07
and of God's work
37:08
and of God's relationship
37:09
with His people.
37:10
So you sing praise
37:12
in relation to that.
37:13
You take these great truths,
37:15
these great realities,
37:16
you build them into your praise
37:17
as the psalmist is saying,
37:19
and Lord,
37:20
we know that you
37:21
are a shepherd
37:21
to your people.
37:22
We know that you're
37:23
our Savior.
37:24
We know that you've done
37:25
all these and you continue
37:26
to do all these things.
37:27
So I sing praises
37:29
because of that.
37:31
Or you go to Psalm 136,
37:33
the only other one
37:33
I'm going to mention
37:34
just now.
37:36
Psalm 136 is
37:37
quite a remarkable psalm
37:38
for the way that it repeats
37:39
certain things
37:41
all the way through.
37:43
Give thanks to the Lord
37:44
for He is good
37:46
for His steadfast love
37:47
endures forever.
37:49
Give thanks to the God of gods
37:51
for His steadfast love
37:52
endures forever.
37:53
And that's the refrain
37:55
throughout the psalm,
37:57
for His steadfast love
37:58
endures forever,
37:59
repeated again and again
38:01
just as a prominent note
38:03
in the teaching of the psalm.
38:06
But as you go through,
38:07
you can see all the things
38:08
that are related to that.
38:09
God, the creator
38:11
of the universe,
38:12
God who dealt
38:13
with the enemies of Israel,
38:15
God who divided the Red Sea
38:16
miraculously for them,
38:18
God who overthrew Pharaoh,
38:19
God led His people,
38:21
and so on all the way down.
38:22
You see these great realities
38:24
that are mentioned
38:25
as God's character
38:26
and God's work is revealed.
38:28
What is our response
38:29
to God's character
38:30
and to God's work?
38:32
Praise.
38:34
Singing is praise.
38:36
Singing is praise together.
38:39
Singing is praise congregationally.
38:41
And when you go to Exodus chapter 15,
38:48
there are the people
38:48
just newly out of Egypt
38:51
and having gone through the Red Sea
38:53
and seen the Egyptians
38:54
pursuing them
38:55
and God in His judgment
38:57
bringing the sea
38:58
over the Egyptians
39:00
to destroy them in the Red Sea.
39:02
And what did Israel do?
39:03
What did Moses do?
39:04
Well, you read there
39:05
the beginning of chapter 15
39:06
of Exodus.
39:07
Then Moses and Israel
39:09
sang this song.
39:12
And the rest of the chapter
39:13
is the song that they sang.
39:17
They sang praise to God
39:19
as they looked at
39:22
what had happened
39:23
and what they were singing about.
39:25
They were celebrating victory,
39:27
but they were celebrating
39:28
God's victory.
39:31
They were celebrating
39:32
God's actions.
39:34
They were celebrating
39:35
God's greatness.
39:36
Yes, He had preserved them.
39:37
He had led them.
39:38
He had kept them safe.
39:39
But He's the one to be praised.
39:41
And they're singing
39:42
the praises of God
39:44
as they sang this song
39:45
described in Exodus 15.
39:49
And you know, remarkably,
39:50
you can take that
39:51
right through the whole Bible
39:52
on into the book of Revelation
39:54
and chapter 15.
39:57
And you read there
39:58
something remarkable
39:58
that the singing in heaven
40:00
is the song of Moses
40:02
and of the Lamb.
40:05
The song of Moses
40:06
and of the Lamb.
40:07
In other words,
40:08
the same celebratory,
40:10
triumphant note
40:12
in singing
40:13
from Exodus
40:15
through to Revelation,
40:17
from this world
40:17
right through to heaven.
40:19
It's the praise of God.
40:23
Isn't it
40:24
precious
40:25
that eternity
40:29
is going to be spent
40:30
for God's people?
40:32
Singing praise to God.
40:34
Yes, there'll be other things,
40:35
but that's a prominent feature
40:36
of what heaven
40:37
is going to be about.
40:39
Singing the praises of God.
40:41
Singing the song of Moses
40:42
and of the Lamb of Jesus.
40:45
Celebrating
40:46
God's triumphant victory
40:48
over sin,
40:50
over Satan,
40:50
over death
40:51
by the cross
40:53
and the resurrection of Christ.
40:54
That's the song of heaven.
40:56
But it's sung song.
40:58
It's congregational song.
40:59
It's everybody
41:00
participating
41:01
in the praise of God.
41:03
And what we're doing here
41:04
on earth
41:05
in this world
41:06
as we sing
41:07
of the character
41:07
and the works of God
41:08
is anticipating
41:10
the glorious singing
41:12
of heaven.
41:14
What a privilege.
41:17
What a privilege
41:18
to be a participant
41:19
in a congregation
41:21
that sings
41:22
the praise of God.
41:23
God.
41:25
And the praise this morning,
41:27
the singing this morning,
41:28
I have to say,
41:30
was, as it usually,
41:31
very good.
41:32
And it's especially so
41:33
when certain harmonies
41:35
come through
41:36
in the singing.
41:38
And there's that
41:40
quality of sung praise
41:42
which reflects
41:43
our gratitude,
41:44
our thankfulness
41:45
to God.
41:46
God.
41:48
So, you see,
41:48
our present praise
41:49
of God
41:50
is actually linked
41:52
to the past,
41:53
to God's great works
41:55
of redemption
41:55
in the past,
41:56
but it also links us
41:58
to the future,
41:59
to what's going to be
42:00
true in heaven.
42:01
So, here you are today,
42:02
a congregation
42:03
of people
42:04
who sing
42:04
the praise of God,
42:05
and you're conscious
42:06
that you're connected
42:07
to the praises of God
42:09
in the past
42:09
for His character
42:10
and for His works,
42:11
and you're also conscious
42:13
you're connected
42:14
to the future
42:14
for God's people,
42:15
the singing of heaven.
42:18
It's the same praise,
42:20
the same God,
42:23
the same privilege,
42:26
singing with thankfulness
42:29
in your hearts
42:29
to God.
42:31
Now, what does that give us
42:32
when we do that together?
42:36
What does that do
42:37
more so than when we sing
42:39
by ourselves,
42:40
good though that is?
42:41
Well, doesn't it convey
42:43
together,
42:45
because it's being done together,
42:47
doesn't it really convey
42:49
a great sense of wonder
42:51
that God should be
42:53
this God to us,
42:55
that God should have done
42:56
all these things for us?
42:59
And doesn't it convey
43:00
as well as this sense
43:02
of wonder
43:03
as we sing together,
43:04
doesn't it convey
43:05
a sense of belonging?
43:08
Isn't it as you come together
43:10
to praise the Lord
43:11
more so than when you sing
43:12
on your own,
43:13
that you have that sense
43:14
of belonging to this people
43:16
who praise the Lord,
43:19
belonging to this people
43:20
whose privilege it is
43:21
to sing the praises
43:23
of God together?
43:26
Our singing together
43:27
expresses the important realities
43:30
of God's character
43:31
and God's works,
43:33
but secondly,
43:34
it also expresses
43:36
the reality of our experiences.
43:38
as you go to the book
43:42
of Psalms again,
43:43
you find sadness
43:44
and joy side by side.
43:49
So many of the Psalms
43:50
express the joy
43:52
of David and the other
43:53
psalmists
43:54
as they collectively,
43:55
as they sang the praises
43:57
of God with the people
43:58
of God,
43:59
the joy,
44:00
I joyed when to the house
44:02
of God,
44:03
go up,
44:04
they said to me.
44:05
And so many of the Psalms
44:08
have those wonderful features
44:10
of praise and thankfulness
44:14
and joy in their praise.
44:15
Psalm 27,
44:16
the Lord is my light
44:18
and my salvation.
44:19
Whom shall I fear?
44:21
The Lord is the strength
44:23
of my life.
44:24
Of whom shall I be afraid?
44:26
Triumph!
44:26
Joy!
44:27
Joy!
44:29
And all the way
44:30
through the Psalms,
44:32
you have that note
44:32
of joy prominently displayed.
44:35
The reality
44:36
of joy
44:38
in our experience.
44:39
But there's the other side.
44:41
You don't just sing
44:42
the praises of God
44:43
when you're joyous,
44:45
when your heart is glad,
44:47
when you feel lifted up.
44:49
You sing the praises of God
44:50
when you're sad,
44:52
when your heart is heavy,
44:54
when you have something
44:56
to be grieved about.
44:59
That's what the Psalms teach us.
45:02
Psalm 38, for example.
45:04
You see how that,
45:05
all the way through
45:06
that Psalm, really,
45:07
it's pretty much
45:08
a note of sadness.
45:10
Lord, rebuke me not
45:12
in your anger,
45:13
not discipline me
45:14
in your wrath.
45:16
He's talking there,
45:17
of course,
45:17
of his sins
45:17
as the Psalm goes on
45:18
to speak about
45:19
his own personal sense
45:21
of sinfulness and guilt.
45:22
There is no soundness
45:24
in my flesh.
45:25
My iniquities have gone
45:26
over my head
45:27
like a heavy burden.
45:28
They are too heavy for me.
45:30
My sighing is not hidden
45:32
from you.
45:33
My friends and companions
45:34
stand aloof
45:35
from my plague.
45:37
My nearest kin
45:38
stand afar off.
45:40
All the way through the Psalm,
45:41
you've got these notes
45:43
again and again
45:44
of sadness,
45:45
of despondency,
45:47
and of grief
45:49
in his heart.
45:50
But then you stop,
45:52
you see,
45:52
and you say,
45:53
well,
45:54
that's a Psalm
45:55
that God has given us
45:56
to sing together.
45:58
You don't just confine
46:00
your singings
46:01
to the Psalms
46:02
of exuberance
46:03
and of joy.
46:04
It's a privilege
46:05
to sing them,
46:06
but it's equally
46:06
a privilege
46:07
to be able to sing
46:08
together
46:09
from sad hearts,
46:11
from hearts
46:12
that experience
46:13
the pains
46:14
of this life,
46:16
the challenges
46:16
of this life,
46:17
the struggles
46:19
of this life,
46:21
the losses
46:22
of this life
46:23
as well as the gains.
46:25
But you see,
46:25
here's a great privilege.
46:27
We can sing
46:28
these out
46:29
to God
46:30
and we can sing
46:30
them out together
46:31
to God.
46:33
We share together
46:35
in the singing
46:35
of our sorrows
46:37
as well as the singing
46:37
of our joys.
46:39
And what a difference
46:40
that makes to you
46:41
as an individual
46:42
that you're singing
46:43
together with other people
46:45
who together
46:46
as you sing
46:47
the praises of God,
46:49
whether in sadness
46:49
or in joy,
46:51
we're all together
46:52
in the singing.
46:53
We're all together
46:54
in the praise.
46:55
We're saying
46:55
to one another
46:56
as we sing
46:57
our praises to God,
46:59
Lord,
47:00
collectively,
47:01
hear us today
47:02
because our heart
47:03
is going out
47:04
to you.
47:06
I think
47:07
the more I've gone on
47:09
in my Christian experience,
47:11
the more I've come
47:12
to value
47:13
and to appreciate
47:15
the benefit
47:17
we receive
47:18
from singing together
47:19
even when it's times
47:21
of singing out
47:22
our pains.
47:25
Just to know
47:26
that someone else
47:27
is singing with you
47:28
and wanting to participate
47:30
with you
47:30
and to share with you
47:31
in the sorrow
47:33
of your heart
47:34
as well as the joys
47:35
of your heart,
47:37
isn't that therapeutic?
47:39
Isn't that really
47:40
in a sense
47:41
strengthening
47:42
and confirmatory?
47:44
And doesn't it
47:45
give you again
47:46
that sense
47:46
of great privilege
47:48
and wonder
47:49
and thankfulness
47:50
to God
47:51
that you belong
47:52
to that kind
47:54
of body
47:54
of people
47:55
who share together
47:57
in their experiences
47:58
and whose experiences
48:00
are shared out
48:01
together in song,
48:03
in singing
48:04
the praises
48:05
of God?
48:06
You see,
48:07
that goes back
48:07
to what we said
48:08
at the very beginning,
48:10
the importance
48:10
of actually being
48:11
together,
48:12
gathering together
48:14
instead of just being
48:16
as we are able
48:17
to at times
48:18
join in with services
48:20
online,
48:21
but that should be
48:22
a secondary issue.
48:23
It should be for those
48:23
who can't be together
48:24
and it's a great facility
48:26
to have
48:26
and I keep saying this,
48:28
it's a wonderful facility
48:29
to have
48:29
and I hear more
48:30
and more of people
48:31
in different parts
48:32
of the world
48:32
who actually come
48:33
to join in
48:34
with the services
48:35
here of this congregation
48:36
who are maybe
48:37
not able to go
48:38
to a service
48:39
elsewhere themselves
48:40
or even our own
48:41
local people
48:41
who can't
48:42
because of illness
48:43
or whatever
48:43
cannot actually
48:44
physically be there
48:46
but when we can
48:48
then we should.
48:50
When we can,
48:51
here's one of the benefits
48:52
that we are able
48:53
to join together
48:54
in the praise of God,
48:56
that our voices
48:57
come to be
48:58
joined together
48:59
as we share
49:00
the experiences
49:01
of this life.
49:06
Singing
49:06
with thankfulness
49:08
in your heart
49:09
to God.
49:12
So our singing together
49:13
is commanded by God.
49:15
Our singing together
49:17
expresses important realities,
49:19
God's character and work,
49:21
our own experiences.
49:23
Thirdly, finally,
49:24
our singing together
49:25
contributes to our encouragement.
49:28
It's obvious
49:31
that we are able
49:33
to encourage one another
49:35
as we meet physically
49:37
rather than at other times.
49:39
Yes, you can encourage
49:40
many people
49:40
with a phone call,
49:42
with a WhatsApp
49:42
or whatever,
49:44
but it doesn't actually
49:45
replace the physical connection
49:47
as we share together
49:49
to encourage one another
49:50
in relation to the things
49:52
of life.
49:52
So as we reflect
49:53
on the goodness of God,
49:55
the gifts of God,
49:56
the mercy of God,
49:57
the salvation of God,
49:59
again you go back
49:59
to the Psalms
50:00
and this is what you find
50:01
frequently,
50:02
that as they shared together
50:04
in the experiences of life
50:05
and their knowledge of God,
50:07
so they were encouraged
50:09
and encouraged one another
50:10
as they actually traveled
50:12
together on the issues,
50:13
through the issues of life.
50:15
Psalm 103,
50:17
what does the psalmist do?
50:19
He's doing something
50:20
which some people
50:21
might think is a sign
50:22
of beginning to lose yourself.
50:23
He's talking to himself.
50:24
O thou my soul,
50:29
bless God the Lord.
50:30
He's talking into his soul.
50:32
He's speaking to his soul.
50:33
He's speaking to himself
50:34
and he's saying,
50:35
bless the Lord.
50:36
Praise the Lord.
50:38
And then he goes on
50:38
to express why
50:39
he's praising God.
50:42
Don't be forgetful
50:44
of all his gracious benefits
50:46
that he has bestowed upon you.
50:48
Who forgives all your sins.
50:51
Who heals you
50:51
from all your diseases.
50:52
By that he means,
50:53
of course,
50:54
ultimately spiritually.
50:56
And so the psalm goes on.
50:58
But as the psalmist
50:59
speaking into his soul,
51:01
so that out from his soul
51:03
will come the praises of God.
51:06
And as we reflect on
51:08
all of what God has done
51:11
and is doing for us,
51:13
as together we're sharing
51:14
in our knowledge of God
51:16
and the experiences
51:17
in his providence
51:18
that we come to share in.
51:19
Well, he's saying here,
51:22
sing from your hearts
51:24
with thankfulness
51:25
in your hearts
51:26
to God.
51:29
Our singing is not
51:31
just a formalized
51:33
following of
51:34
a certain score of music.
51:39
Nothing wrong with that
51:40
in itself at all.
51:42
But you see,
51:43
he's reminding us
51:43
that our singing
51:45
begins here
51:46
in the heart
51:46
and our soul.
51:48
That the soul
51:49
is the source
51:50
of our sound praise
51:52
to God.
51:53
That as each of us
51:54
looks into our soul
51:55
and finds reasons
51:56
to praise the Lord,
51:58
whether in sadness
51:59
or in gladness,
52:00
God is still the same.
52:02
And as we find
52:02
these reasons
52:03
and as we find
52:04
these experiences
52:04
and as we see
52:05
in the Bible
52:06
all that's true
52:07
about God himself
52:08
and what he means to us,
52:12
well, you see,
52:12
our heart is moved.
52:13
Our soul is stirred
52:16
and out from our soul
52:18
comes praise
52:20
in the worship of God
52:22
together,
52:24
collectively.
52:26
So we draw
52:27
from our experiences.
52:29
And as we draw
52:30
from our experiences,
52:31
we channel that
52:33
into our praise.
52:36
And something else
52:37
that just in passing
52:38
is important,
52:39
but it is important,
52:40
that means we think
52:42
about the words
52:44
of what we sing.
52:47
That we don't just,
52:48
and because we're
52:49
so used to the Psalms,
52:50
it is a danger
52:51
for us always,
52:52
of course,
52:52
that we get so used
52:54
to things
52:54
that we fail to
52:55
then just think
52:56
properly and deeply
52:57
about them.
52:59
But we should always
53:00
begin saying
53:02
to ourselves,
53:03
before we ever
53:04
come to start
53:05
the singing
53:06
as the Psalm
53:07
is set before us,
53:09
sometimes we read
53:10
the verses all together,
53:11
sometimes not.
53:13
But in any case,
53:14
as we're singing it,
53:16
our prayer should be,
53:17
Lord,
53:17
help me to think
53:18
about what I'm singing.
53:20
Help me to think
53:21
so that my heart
53:22
will truly be stirred,
53:25
so that I will have
53:26
from my soul
53:28
meaningfully
53:29
the praise
53:31
that has thought
53:32
about these great words
53:33
that you have given me
53:34
to sing,
53:36
so that they are
53:37
meaningful to me,
53:39
so that they
53:39
increasingly come
53:40
to be important
53:41
to me
53:42
in singing
53:43
your praises.
53:46
And so,
53:47
we can finish
53:47
with
53:48
Psalm 59,
53:50
not to sing it,
53:51
but just to quote
53:52
from it just now.
53:54
And the context,
53:55
of course,
53:55
is important.
53:56
It's a context
53:58
of severe difficulty
54:00
for the psalmist.
54:02
But then he goes on
54:03
to say in
54:03
verses 16 and 17
54:05
in the book of Psalms,
54:06
verse 16.
54:07
But I will sing
54:09
of your strength.
54:11
I will sing aloud
54:13
of your steadfast love
54:14
in the morning,
54:15
for you have been
54:16
to me a fortress
54:17
and a refuge
54:18
in the day
54:19
of my distress.
54:21
O my strength,
54:23
I will sing
54:24
praises to you,
54:26
for you,
54:26
O God,
54:27
are my fortress,
54:29
the God
54:29
who shows me
54:30
steadfast love.
54:34
sing.
54:36
Sing praise.
54:38
Sing together.
54:40
Sing to God's glory.
54:43
Sing in reflection
54:43
of what God has done,
54:45
of who God is.
54:47
Sing out your experiences.
54:49
Sing together
54:51
the praises
54:53
of God.
54:55
Let us pray.
54:56
Lord, we give thanks
54:59
as we sing
55:01
your praises,
55:03
that we sing
55:04
words that are
55:04
meaningful to us,
55:07
words that fit in
55:07
with our experiences,
55:10
words that convey
55:10
to us
55:11
something of
55:12
your own greatness,
55:14
your might,
55:15
your power,
55:16
words that we use,
55:18
O Lord,
55:18
to express
55:19
our thanks
55:19
and our dependence
55:21
upon you.
55:22
We thank you
55:23
that we can sing
55:24
our joys to you,
55:25
that we can sing
55:26
our sorrows to you.
55:28
We thank you
55:29
for the privilege,
55:30
Lord,
55:30
of singing together,
55:32
of praising the Lord
55:33
as a congregation,
55:35
and we pray
55:35
that that may be
55:36
reflected more and more
55:38
as time goes by.
55:40
We receive our thanks
55:41
be with us
55:42
throughout the remainder
55:43
of the day
55:43
and pardon our sin
55:44
for Jesus' sake.
55:46
Amen.
55:49
Well, we're going to sing
55:50
again to God's praise
55:51
in conclusion
55:51
from Psalm 67.
55:53
Psalm 67
55:55
on page 84.
56:02
And we're singing
56:02
to the tune,
56:03
Sussex,
56:04
Psalm 67.
56:06
God, be merciful
56:06
and bless us,
56:07
shine upon us
56:08
with your face,
56:09
that the earth
56:10
may know your actions
56:11
and all lands
56:12
your saving grace.
56:14
O God,
56:14
may the peoples
56:15
praise you,
56:16
may all peoples
56:17
sing your praise,
56:19
for you judge
56:19
the nations justly,
56:21
ruling over
56:21
every race.
56:23
May they sing
56:23
with joy and gladness,
56:25
may they all rejoice
56:26
as one.
56:27
O God,
56:27
may the peoples
56:28
praise you
56:29
as they all unite
56:30
in song.
56:32
Then the land
56:32
will yield its harvest,
56:34
God will pour
56:35
his gifts abroad.
56:37
God,
56:37
our God,
56:38
will surely bless us,
56:40
all the earth
56:41
will fear
56:42
our God.
56:43
These verses,
56:44
God,
56:45
be merciful
56:45
and bless us.
56:52
God,
56:53
be merciful
56:55
and bless us,
56:59
shine upon us
57:02
with your face,
57:05
that the earth
57:08
may know your actions
57:13
and the lands
57:16
your saving grace.
57:20
O God,
57:23
may the peoples
57:26
praise you,
57:28
may all blem
57:31
us sing your praise,
57:35
for you judge
57:38
the nations justly,
57:42
ruling over
57:45
every race.
57:50
May they sing
57:54
with joy and gladness,
57:58
may they all rejoice
58:02
as one.
58:05
O God,
58:07
may the peoples
58:09
praise you,
58:11
may the peoples
58:12
praise you,
58:13
may they all unite
58:14
in song.
58:16
May they all unite
58:17
in song.
58:20
Then the land
58:23
will yield its harvest,
58:27
God will pour
58:30
his gifts abroad.
58:32
God,
58:34
our God,
58:36
will surely
58:38
bless us,
58:41
all the earth
58:44
will fear
58:46
our God.
58:50
I'll go to the main door again
58:51
after the benediction.
58:52
Now may the grace
58:55
of the Lord Jesus Christ,
58:57
the love of God the Father,
58:58
and the communion
58:59
of the Holy Spirit
59:00
be with you now
59:01
and always.
59:02
Amen.
59:02
Amen.
59:03
Amen.
59:03
Amen.
59:04
Amen.
59:05
Amen.
59:06
Amen.
59:07
Amen.
59:08
Amen.
59:09
Amen.
59:10
Amen.
59:11
Amen.
59:12
Amen.
59:13
Amen.
59:14
Amen.
59:15
Amen.
59:16
Amen.
59:17
Amen.
59:18
Amen.
59:19
Amen.
59:20
Amen.
59:21
Amen.
59:22
Amen.
59:22
Amen.
59:22
Amen.
59:23
Amen.
59:24
Amen.
59:25
Amen.
59:26
Amen.
59:27
Amen.