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An Appeal for a Mediator · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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So we're beginning our worship this evening singing in Psalm 65.
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Psalm number 65, that's in the St. Psalms version on page 82,
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singing to the tune St. David, verses 1 to 7.
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In Zion, praise awaits you, Lord.
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To you our vows will pay.
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To you all people will come near.
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You hear us when we pray.
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When we were overwhelmed by sins and guilt upon us lay,
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you pardoned all our trespasses and washed our guilt away.
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How blessed are those you choose and bring within your courts of grace.
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We're filled with blessings in your house, in your most holy place.
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Psalm 65, singing on to the end of verse 7.
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In Zion, praise awaits you, Lord.
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In Zion, praise awaits you, Lord.
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To you our vows will pay.
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To you all people will come near.
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You hear us when we pray.
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When we were overwhelmed by sins and guilt upon us lay,
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You pardoned all our trespasses and washed our guilt away.
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How blessed are those you choose and bring within your courts of grace.
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We're filled with blessings in your house, in your most holy place.
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With awesome deeds of righteousness, you answer us, O God.
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ZARROW stilleses, O God.
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Our Savior, O God, O God.
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Our Savior, O God, O God, O God, O God, O God, O God, O God, O God, O God, O God, O God, O dobry.
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hope over the seas and all the earth above.
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By strength and power you are the hills, you have the ocean voice.
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You come, let you know of the wind and still the hills' voice.
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We're going to call upon the Lord now in prayer. Let's join together in prayer.
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Our gracious and eternal God,
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we draw near to you this evening conscious of the truth of these words we have been singing,
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that you are the God who hears and answers the prayers of your people,
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that you are the one to whom we draw near now with our petitions and our thanksgivings.
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And we give thanks, Lord, that you have opened this way for us,
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that we can so freely use through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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We thank you tonight, O Lord, for this privilege we have.
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We thank you that we can follow these words of the psalmist so readily for ourselves,
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that even though he spoke of your house as the temple in those days long ago,
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we give thanks that we draw near to you to the courts of heaven.
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We give thanks that we are able to do so through our Lord Jesus Christ,
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who has ascended on high and has led captivity captive
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and has set down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty on high.
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We thank you for the guarantee you give your people,
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that they are acceptable and accepted by you
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through him who loved them and gave himself for them.
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Help us then, we pray, to draw near to you tonight in faith.
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O Lord, we have so many things within ourselves
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and around us in the world in which we live
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that could cause us to hesitate.
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That would be sources of doubt for us were we to allow them
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to place doubts in our mind as to what we do
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when we come near to God.
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Or even hesitancy in drawing near to you.
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Though we know our unworthiness, Lord,
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feels like we are indeed meant to be hesitant before you.
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Yet you make it clear in your word that it is not so.
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That we should come before you, Lord, with believing hearts,
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with minds ready to be filled by the teaching of your Spirit.
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And we ask tonight that you would help us
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to have our minds engaged with your truth
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and to depend upon your Holy Spirit as we come.
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We give thanks, O Lord, for the advantage you give us
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as we find ourselves under the Gospel
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and as we find ourselves educated by this Gospel
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through the application of it to our hearts and minds by your Spirit.
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We pray, O Lord, that tonight you would add to our understanding,
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to our commitment to you.
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That you would enable us to take from this evening's worship
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a greater desire and a further resolve
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to live as your people in the world.
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We give thanks, Lord, that we belong to a believing people.
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We're not confined to our own locality or to our own nation.
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That we belong to a people spread throughout the world
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whose trust is in the Lord
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and who form his own living church on earth.
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We pray, Lord, as we acknowledge these great things
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that you would help us to be thankful
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for the heritage that you have given us
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to be part of as we find ourselves
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even this evening to benefit from those who have gone before us,
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from their faithfulness to your truth
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and from the teaching that they gave us
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in regard to the things of God.
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We pray that our concern to pass these on
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to our own children and grandchildren
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may be amply fulfilled through your blessing.
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And we pray tonight, gracious one,
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for all the gatherings of your people.
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We ask that where your beloved people are gathered
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that they may too know your blessing
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as we seek for ourselves.
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That they may come under the guidance
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of your Holy Spirit and your truth.
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And that you would prepare us and prepare them
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to live in this world that is so opposed to you
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in so many ways.
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Help us, we pray, in our own locality,
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in our own nation,
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as we face so many challenges to the gospel,
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challenges to our own upholding of it.
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Lord, help us to trust in you
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and help us to be truly mindful of your word
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as being fully sufficient
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to meet with the needs of our age.
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We give thanks that it reveals to us
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even the things that we ought to expect
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on to the end of the world
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and the way in which people are foretold in your word
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as would be opposed to your truth,
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would seek out for themselves alternatives to God,
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alternatives to trusting in you.
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We pray that you would maintain us faithful,
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maintain us active for you, Lord,
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privately and publicly,
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so that we may have that desire in our heart fulfilled
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to bring glory and honor to your name.
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We thank you as your servant, Jude,
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in his epistle reminds us
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that we are given that charge
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of looking after your truth
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even as the faith wants delivered to the saints.
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And, Lord, our concern is
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that you would help us
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to do so meaningfully
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and engagingly with the world in which we live
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and that we may therefore not hide our light
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under a bushel.
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So remember us here as a congregation
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also in all our concerns,
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in all our activities.
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We pray that you would continue, Lord,
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to provide for us as you have down through the years.
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You know our concerns, Lord,
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to have the gospel supported
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by the means that you give us.
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We pray that whether we think of
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that support being financial or material
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or even the way of our own commitment personally
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to give of our time
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and of our gift to it,
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we pray, Lord,
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that you would enable us
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to do it with thankfulness.
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And we ask that you would bless our community
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and bless the gospel among us, we pray.
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Enlarge the place of our borders,
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as your word tells us,
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help us, help us, oh Lord,
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to further depend upon
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the grace of your spirit
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to bless your word.
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Remember those around us, Lord,
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who care not for these things,
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those who are affected
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by the rampant secularism of our age,
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to turn away from the things of God
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and to give attention instead
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to those ideologies and those teachings
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which cannot satisfy our human souls
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and which have such a destructive effect,
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not only, Lord, personally on lives,
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but also collectively,
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as we see throughout our land.
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we ask again that you would bless
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every effort made to bring the gospel
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before the world of our day,
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not only by the services of your church
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and by specific evangelistic endeavors,
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but also through the ongoing witness of your people,
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engaging individually with others
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in their own neighborhoods and localities,
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places of work.
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remember that witness, Lord, we pray,
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and bless it,
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and bless it even beyond
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what we are able ourselves
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to imagine or to think.
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We pray that you bless tonight
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those who belong to us
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and are unable to be present.
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Remember those prevented
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by the severity of the weather.
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Bless them, we pray.
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Bless those who are engaged online
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with our service this evening.
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We thank you, Lord, for that facility
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and pray that it may be blessed
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to those who partake of it,
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not only here locally,
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but throughout our land,
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even throughout the world,
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as we hear from time to time
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of those who are thankful
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and give information to us
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about the benefits they receive from it.
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And we thank you for every other congregation
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that disseminates the gospel
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through these means.
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And we ask that these may be used
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to the furtherance of your kingdom on earth
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and the praise and the glory of your name.
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Grant, O Lord,
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that we may nevertheless be thankful
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that we are able collectively
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to join together physically,
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to join together as we do tonight.
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Lord, we ask that your blessing
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will follow all that we seek to do
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in your name.
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Remember those tonight who are ill.
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Be with them, we pray,
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as they are known to ourselves,
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those of our congregation,
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those families,
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those individuals who have,
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at this time,
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experienced trial of that kind.
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Remember them, we pray,
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those who have undergone treatment,
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those who have undergone surgery,
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those who are looking forward to such,
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those who have difficulties
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of mental health and issues with that.
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Lord, remember them, we pray.
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Remember our young people.
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Bless them, we pray,
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as they become familiar with your truth.
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Help them to understand it.
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Help us to pass it on to them meaningfully.
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And in a way that will truly engage
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with the situation that they face
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in their young days.
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Grant your blessing, we pray,
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to our children,
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to our grandchildren,
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to those who face an uncertain future,
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except for the fact that
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all things are certain with yourself.
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And we ask that you would continue
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to bless all that we seek to do
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in your name as a congregation,
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as we reach out with the gospel
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in different forms.
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Bless us then now, we pray.
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Continue to watch over us
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during such weather
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as we experience
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and keep us safe,
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pardoning all our sins
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and receiving our thanks.
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For Jesus' sake.
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Amen.
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Let's sing again to God's praise
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in Psalm 119.
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Psalm 119 from St. Sam's,
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page 157,
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singing to the tune,
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Rockingham,
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and singing verses 9 to 16.
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How can the young keep their life pure
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by doing what your word demands?
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I seek you with my heart and soul.
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Let me not stray from your commands.
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Your word I've hidden in my heart
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to keep me from offending you.
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Praise be to you, O Lord my God.
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Teach me your statutes,
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firm and true.
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We'll sing the whole of that section,
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these four stanzas.
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How can the young keep their life pure?
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How can the young keep their life pure?
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How can the young keep their life pure?
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By doing all your word demands?
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I seek you with my heart and soul.
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Let me not stray from your commands.
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Your word I've hidden in my heart
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to keep me from offending you.
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Praise be to you, O Lord my God.
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Each junior statutes, firm and true.
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Each law proceeding from your heart,
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I gladly with my lips and hope.
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I love to follow your commands,
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as other child to count their own.
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I meditated upon your ways,
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and long your precepts I replay.
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I take delight in your degrees.
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Your word I never will be great.
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Amen.
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Let's turn now to read God's word.
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We're reading tonight in the book of Exodus.
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The book of Exodus and chapter 20.
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And we can read through the whole chapter
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from the beginning.
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Exodus chapter 20.
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And God spoke all these words, saying, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
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You shall have no other gods before me.
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You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth.
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You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers and the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
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You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
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Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
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Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.
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On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male servant or your female servant or your livestock or the sojourner who is within your gates.
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For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day.
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Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
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Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God has given you.
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You shall not murder.
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You shall not commit adultery.
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You shall not steal.
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You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
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You shall not covet your neighbor's house.
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You shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that is your neighbor's.
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Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking,
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the people were afraid and trembled.
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And they stood far off and said to Moses,
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You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us lest we die.
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Moses said to the people,
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Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.
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The people stood afar off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
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And the Lord said to Moses,
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Thus you shall say to the people of Israel,
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You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven.
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You shall not make gods of silver to be with me,
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nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.
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An altar of earth you shall make for me,
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and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings,
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your sheep and your oxen.
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In every place where I cause my name to be remembered,
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I will come to you and bless you.
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If you make me an altar of stone,
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you shall not build it of hewn stones,
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for if you wield your tool on it, you profane it.
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And you shall not go up by steps to my altar,
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that your nakedness be not exposed on it.
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Amen.
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May God bless to us these words,
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and to his name be the praise.
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We're going to sing further from Psalm 119,
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but this time in the Scottish Psalter version.
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That's on page 402,
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singing from verse 33 to the end of that section at verse 40.
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Tune this time as St. Columba.
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Teach me, O Lord,
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the perfect way of thy precepts divine,
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and to observe it to the end I shall my heart incline.
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Give understanding unto me,
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so keep thy law shall I.
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Yea, even with my whole heart,
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I shall observe it carefully.
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In thy law's path make me to know,
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for I delight therein,
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my heart unto thy testimonies,
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and not to greed incline.
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This whole psalm, of course,
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is mainly focused on the Word of God,
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and different words are used to describe that Word of God,
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precepts, law, testimonies, and so on.
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And all the way through,
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the psalmist is giving us
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the benefits that he has received
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from the Word of God
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as he has sought to keep it for himself.
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And so we follow that
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as we turn this evening to Exodus chapter 20,
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where the emphasis is on the law of God especially.
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But of course, the Word of God,
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as it includes the law of God,
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includes other besides the gospel,
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as well as the law.
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So the whole Word of God,
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you could say,
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is encapsulated,
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even as we sing about God's law and testimonies
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from Psalm 119.
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So from verse 33 to the tunes in Columba,
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Teach me, O Lord,
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the perfect way.
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Teach me, O Lord,
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the perfect way
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of thy presence divine,
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and to observe it to the end,
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I shall my heart deny.
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Give understanding unto thee,
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So deep thy love shall I,
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Ye, in with my whole heart I shall,
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O servant carefully.
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O servant carefully.
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In thy love's path make me to go,
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For I delight in him,
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My heart unto thy testimonies,
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And ought to thee in life.
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Turn thou away my sight and eyes,
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From you in gravity,
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And in thy good and holy way,
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Be pleased to quake in me.
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Confirm to thee thy grace,
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Vance carefully.
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You will,
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The gracious word,
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Which I think I'll be here,
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In celle you will shoutmys,
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The King that's 2nd of blastery of death,
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This I carefree.
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The King that's makes me to go,
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For I delight in you,
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He hath to give unto thee,
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Even of hy vself-nayers.
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Once Stadt activ夜 it is making me,
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Turn thou away,
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For missionary it is available,
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For in my home,
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And have your peace in life away,
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May my dear people
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Or do thy judgment be
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Though for thy peace
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There's high among
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In my truth be in thee
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Please turn with me now to Exodus 20, a passage we read a few moments ago.
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And tonight we're going to focus on verses 18 to 21, set in the context, of course, of the chapter as an account of giving the law to the people of Israel.
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Well, Deuteronomy is a book that contains the sayings of Moses and reminders to the people of what the Lord had delivered them from.
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They're actually now ready to enter the promised land as you come to Deuteronomy.
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But here in Exodus, of course, it's the giving of the law.
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And in the giving of the law, the Lord is setting out these things for them in a way that really shows his own awesomeness and his greatness.
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We'll quote from Deuteronomy later on as words that are related to this.
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But here, in terms of the giving of the law, is the effect that the whole incident had on the people.
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This was a really awesome occasion.
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I go back to verse chapter 19 and verses 16 to 20.
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There you can see the description.
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In the morning of the third day, there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast,
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so that all the people in the camp trembled.
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And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God.
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And they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.
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Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire.
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The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.
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What an awesome occasion!
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And what a description that is of that occasion.
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That whole mountain that the people were standing on, standing near, trembled in the presence of the Lord.
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It was an indication to them that the Lord himself actually was there.
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They couldn't, of course, see God.
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But they were sensible to his presence as they saw the effect that his descent, or the presence of God, had on the creation itself.
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As the mountain was on fire and smoked and trembled under their feet.
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And it's little wonder that they were actually terrified.
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As you read here in chapter 20, when they saw, verse 18, they saw the thunder, the flashes of lightning, the sound of the trumpet, the mountain smoking.
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The people were afraid and trembled.
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And that fear that being afraid is not a small, slight thing.
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They were really terrified.
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And no wonder, because they were participants in this incredible occasion and event where the Lord had descended on Mount Sinai.
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In fact, when you go to chapter 12 of the epistle to the Hebrews, it adds significantly there that even Moses said,
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I exceedingly fear and tremble.
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Now, that's not told us in the Exodus account of the event, but the fact that it's still within the Word of God means it's true.
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Even Moses, this man who was so familiar with God, this man who knew what it was to be in the presence of this holy God.
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And yet here is an occasion where even he trembled.
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And if Moses trembled with the knowledge and the closeness and the way in which you are so familiar with being close to God,
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if he trembled, then that itself tells you this must have been a completely awesome occasion.
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We just can't, we can only just barely imagine what it must have been like.
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I mean, we know in recent days and other times the devastating effects of an earthquake.
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And you'll see nowadays video of people taking a video of an earthquake as it's taking place within buildings and outside buildings.
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And you can see the cameras are just all over the place.
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They're just being rattled as the earth moves, as the earth shakes beneath them.
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And people, of course, are terrified.
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Well, that's exactly what was happening in Mount Sinai.
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It wasn't necessarily an earthquake, but the mountain itself trembled just like as an earthquake.
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You see it still to this day.
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But with fire and lightnings and thunders, all of that just added to the overwhelming experience of being in the presence of God.
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God having descended in his presence to the earth.
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And so the people came to Moses with this request.
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They came as they trembled and stood afar off.
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They would not come near to this immediate area.
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They said, you speak to us and we will listen.
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But don't let God speak to us lest we die.
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You see, they were aware of being in the presence of God, aware of their own sinfulness, of what they were as created human beings and sinful human beings at that.
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And here they are in the presence of this God who has descended on this mountain and caused this mountain to tremble and to smoke and so on.
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And they say, you speak to us.
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Don't let God speak to us in case we die.
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Don't let God speak to us in case we die.
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How Moses in the Old Testament is one of the primary examples of mediatorship in the Old Testament.
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And here they are effectively asking Moses to mediate for them.
31:12
You speak to us.
31:13
You convey God's word to us.
31:15
You stand between us and God.
31:17
Don't let God come near to us.
31:19
Don't let God speak to us.
31:20
But you do it.
31:22
And if you do it, then we'll be safe.
31:24
But if God comes to speak to us, it's likely that we will die.
31:29
So there's the first of all, the people's fear.
31:31
And then we'll look at the purpose of God, where Moses said to them, don't fear, do not fear, for God has come to test you that the fear of him may be before you and that you may not sin.
31:43
And thirdly, at the end of the final point, a third point will be the person of Moses in this context, very briefly.
31:51
People's fear, the purpose of God, and the person of Moses.
31:56
Well, here's the people's fear.
31:59
They're aware of God's presence, as we said.
32:01
They heard the voice of God, and they trembled before them.
32:04
And they were afraid that they were just very near death.
32:09
That's really the experience they had.
32:11
They had come to realize that they were in the presence of this holy God,
32:14
the God who was now showing himself to them with such a tremendous power and effect.
32:22
And here they are, afraid they're going to die.
32:26
So they stood afar off.
32:30
They did not dare to draw near in that context.
32:34
Now, that's something, of course, that you find elsewhere in the Bible.
32:39
For example, in Isaiah chapter 6, we have an account of Isaiah's call to be a prophet,
32:46
and how part of that was how he saw the Lord high and lifted up, sitting on a throne,
32:53
and how his robe, the train of his robe, filled the temple, and so on.
32:57
And he saw the seraphim, and they were calling out to one another,
33:01
holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts.
33:04
The whole earth is full of his glory.
33:06
And in a similar way to Sinai, the foundations of the threshold shook at the voice of him who called,
33:13
and the house was filled with smoke.
33:15
You see the similarity there, because it's to do with the presence of this awesome, holy God.
33:21
And God reiterating, as it were, his holiness through the words of the seraphim.
33:26
And I said, Isaiah goes on to say, I said,
33:30
Woe is me, for I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips,
33:36
and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.
33:39
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
33:42
What is Isaiah aware of more than anything else?
33:45
Yes, he's aware of the presence of God, but for himself, as respects himself.
33:49
What is he aware of? He's aware of his own utter sinfulness.
33:53
And because he's aware of his sinfulness in the presence of this holy God,
33:59
he's actually convinced that he's about to die.
34:02
I am undone.
34:04
The words really mean, I am going to die.
34:07
I can't stand in the presence of this God as I am,
34:10
so the only likely outcome of this is death for me.
34:14
See, when God does come near to us, even through the gospel,
34:22
through his word, through his law,
34:25
and impresses upon us his own awesome holiness,
34:30
if ever you've come to know that in your experience,
34:34
even to a small degree,
34:37
what you're really aware of is your own sinfulness in the presence of that,
34:42
and even that you're worthy of nothing else but that you would die
34:46
in the presence of this holy God.
34:50
You become aware of your sinfulness.
34:53
You become aware of death as the inevitable consequence of sin.
34:58
Or as the Bible puts it elsewhere,
35:00
the wages of sin is death.
35:02
And as you're aware of that,
35:06
and as that impresses itself upon you,
35:09
in most cases people are aware of their need of a mediator,
35:12
someone to come and stand between them and this God,
35:15
someone to actually act for them and on their behalf,
35:19
someone to actually cause that they will not die,
35:22
though that as they see it is the likely outcome
35:24
of God's holy presence coming into their experience.
35:29
And that, of course, is an aspect of the law of God itself.
35:35
This is a context, a chapter dealing with the giving of the law on Mount Sinai,
35:40
and all of these accompanying elements
35:44
are really an indicator of how important an event this was
35:47
in the experience of Israel.
35:49
God giving his law,
35:51
and God saying through these tremendous manifestations of himself
35:57
through the creation trembling,
35:59
how important, how awesome this is,
36:01
how important this law is going to be for the people,
36:05
and how they must regard it as a revelation
36:07
of God's own nature, effectively,
36:10
and what he's like,
36:12
and who they need to be,
36:13
and what they need to be in his presence.
36:17
It brings to you the knowledge of sin,
36:19
this law of God,
36:21
when it says,
36:21
this is the summary, of course,
36:23
of the law in the Ten Commandments,
36:25
where it talks about,
36:27
you shall not murder,
36:28
you shall not commit adultery,
36:30
you shall not steal,
36:31
you shall not be a false witness,
36:32
you shall have no other gods before me,
36:34
and so on.
36:35
There is the whole law of God,
36:38
the requirement of God morally,
36:40
summed up in these Ten Commandments.
36:43
And as they're summed up
36:44
in these Ten Commandments,
36:46
it brings to us the knowledge of sin,
36:48
the knowledge of our own demerit,
36:52
the knowledge of what we're liable to
36:56
as a consequence of our sin,
36:59
that we are liable to death,
37:02
liable to God's condemnation,
37:05
liable justly to all of these things.
37:09
And that's why,
37:12
in some ways,
37:12
in many ways,
37:13
indeed,
37:13
our society is the way it is.
37:16
The absence of this law
37:18
in the minds of people
37:19
and the consideration of people
37:22
leads to the kind of thing
37:24
that you find in our own society,
37:25
in the Western world,
37:26
especially today.
37:28
The law of God being largely absent
37:30
from people's thoughts,
37:31
from people's considerations,
37:33
from people's practices,
37:34
you're inevitably left with
37:36
something like secularism
37:37
as its foundation,
37:39
or other ideologies,
37:41
and what you're left with then
37:42
is really just people's own ideas
37:45
of what morality should be like,
37:47
or what way of life should be lived,
37:52
a life that's pleasing just to ourselves.
37:56
But the Bible tells us
37:58
that we need more than that.
38:00
We need a foundation.
38:02
We need this God
38:04
and this law of God
38:05
to be foundational for us.
38:08
When you put God's law
38:10
and God's word aside,
38:12
you inevitably end up
38:13
with the chaos
38:14
and the moral chaos
38:16
and the immorality
38:17
that sadly characterizes us
38:19
as a people so much.
38:22
Well, there's the people's fear then.
38:25
And secondly,
38:26
that leads us to think
38:27
of the purpose of God.
38:29
In verse 20,
38:30
Moses said to the people,
38:31
Do not fear,
38:33
for God has come to test you
38:35
that the fear of him
38:37
may be before you.
38:38
And it's interesting
38:38
that he says that,
38:40
that God has come
38:41
to test them.
38:43
And if you compare that
38:44
with Deuteronomy,
38:45
as we said earlier,
38:46
Deuteronomy is
38:47
a word that's given to them
38:49
before they enter
38:50
the promised land,
38:52
but a reminder
38:53
and a reiteration of things
38:54
like the giving of the law.
38:56
And if you go to
38:57
Deuteronomy chapter 8,
38:58
for example,
38:59
you'll find from verse,
39:01
the beginning of the chapter,
39:02
really the whole commandment.
39:04
God says that,
39:04
I command you today,
39:06
you shall be careful to do
39:07
that you may go
39:09
and you may live
39:10
and multiply
39:11
and go in and possess
39:12
the land the Lord gave.
39:13
And you shall remember
39:14
the way,
39:16
the whole way
39:16
that the Lord your God
39:17
has led you
39:18
these 40 years
39:20
in the wilderness
39:20
that he might humble you,
39:23
testing you
39:24
to know what was in your heart,
39:27
whether you would keep
39:28
his commandments or not.
39:30
And he goes through there
39:30
talking about the things
39:32
they experienced
39:32
in the wilderness
39:33
and it's all a period
39:35
of testing for them.
39:36
Are they going to be obedient
39:37
to God or not?
39:39
Are they going to set
39:40
the Lord before them
39:41
as their God
39:42
or are they going to turn
39:42
to other gods?
39:44
What are they going to do
39:44
when they enter into
39:45
the promised land
39:46
that's now before them?
39:47
Are they still going
39:48
to be true to God?
39:49
Are they going to just
39:50
abandon the ways of God?
39:52
You see,
39:52
that's why God was reminding them
39:53
at that stage
39:54
of what he had given them
39:55
on Mount Sinai
39:57
and why he had tested them
39:59
on Mount Sinai
40:00
by this tremendous manifestation.
40:03
It wasn't to kill them.
40:04
It wasn't to actually
40:05
annihilate them.
40:05
It wasn't to bring them death.
40:07
It was to test them.
40:09
To test them
40:10
whether they would be obedient
40:12
and faithful
40:13
to this God or not.
40:17
And you know,
40:17
God,
40:18
whenever he tests us
40:19
in his providence,
40:20
they may not be
40:21
anything like
40:22
the tremendous event
40:23
of Sinai,
40:27
but every time
40:28
the Lord is testing us
40:29
in whatever way
40:31
and to whatever degree,
40:33
that testing of God
40:34
is actually
40:35
a positive,
40:37
advantageous thing
40:38
if we take it
40:39
in the right spirit.
40:42
And whatever testing
40:43
you're going through
40:43
tonight as a Christian,
40:45
don't look at it
40:46
as a negative
40:47
in God's providence.
40:48
Don't think it's something
40:50
that just somehow or other
40:51
sits outside
40:53
of God's purpose
40:54
for you.
40:56
Don't go along
40:56
with the idea
40:57
that God doesn't
40:58
really intend
40:59
or want you
41:00
to have any suffering
41:01
at all in your life
41:02
and that therefore
41:03
you have to appeal
41:04
to him to take
41:04
the suffering away.
41:06
That you can live
41:07
a far better life
41:08
without suffering
41:09
at all.
41:10
That your faith
41:11
will be much stronger
41:12
if you didn't have
41:13
any such suffering
41:13
in your life.
41:15
That way of thinking
41:16
is not respectful
41:17
of the teaching
41:18
of the word of God.
41:19
God does test us.
41:21
God tests us
41:21
in his providence.
41:23
God tests us
41:23
by various events
41:24
in our lives.
41:26
God tests us
41:26
by illness.
41:27
God tests us
41:28
by bereavement.
41:29
God tests us
41:30
in many ways
41:30
in his providence.
41:32
All of these things
41:32
are under his
41:33
complete control.
41:36
And tonight
41:36
when God
41:37
is bringing you
41:38
something
41:39
testing in your life,
41:42
remember
41:42
he's not
41:44
giving you that
41:45
so that you
41:46
will think
41:47
badly of him.
41:49
So that you
41:49
will think
41:50
he's not
41:50
dealing with you
41:51
really in a way
41:52
that's advantageous
41:53
or positive for you.
41:55
Every testing
41:56
has its own benefit.
41:59
But we need
42:00
to receive it
42:00
faithfully,
42:03
trustingly,
42:04
lovingly.
42:06
Now that's easy
42:06
to say in words.
42:08
That's easy to say
42:09
standing in a pulpit.
42:11
Much more difficult
42:12
to know it,
42:14
to accept it
42:15
and to receive it
42:16
when you're actually
42:17
in that testing.
42:20
But as the epistle
42:20
to the Hebrews
42:22
puts it
42:22
in terms of
42:23
chastisement
42:24
or chastening,
42:25
it's not pleasant
42:27
for the time
42:27
that it's
42:28
being experienced.
42:30
Neither is any
42:31
type of suffering
42:32
in the providence
42:32
of God.
42:34
But afterward,
42:35
how does it put it?
42:36
It yields the
42:37
peaceable fruit
42:38
of righteousness
42:39
to all those
42:41
not only
42:42
who have been tested
42:43
but who have
42:44
actually carried
42:46
the test
42:46
positively.
42:48
Who have been
42:49
exercised
42:50
thereby.
42:53
God is testing
42:54
us
42:54
so that we
42:56
will come
42:56
to himself
42:57
and be exercised
42:59
all the more
43:00
in our relationship
43:01
with him.
43:02
And that's why
43:03
he goes on to say
43:03
it's so that the fear
43:05
of him
43:06
might be before you
43:07
and that you may
43:09
not sin.
43:10
There's a number
43:11
of things there.
43:12
He's not come
43:12
he says to you
43:13
to kill you
43:14
don't fear
43:15
he has come
43:15
to test you
43:16
so that the fear
43:17
of him may be
43:18
before you.
43:18
Now we often
43:19
come across
43:19
as we've done
43:20
a number of times
43:21
on other occasions
43:22
the fear of God
43:23
and the meaning
43:24
of the fear of God
43:25
and what does the Bible
43:27
mean by the fear of God
43:28
and what is it
43:29
to be a God fearer
43:30
words which are not
43:32
all that current
43:33
in our present usage
43:34
of them
43:35
but used to be
43:35
very common
43:36
and sadly
43:37
have fallen out
43:38
of use
43:38
in many ways
43:39
the fear of God
43:40
of being a God fearer
43:42
is something
43:43
that really
43:44
is so significant
43:47
to understand
43:48
what that means.
43:49
Well the fear of God
43:50
as in many places
43:51
in the Bible
43:52
includes such things
43:54
as being in awe
43:55
of God.
43:56
See God is teaching
43:57
the people here
43:58
Moses is saying
43:59
he has drawn near to you
44:01
he's come to test you
44:02
that the fear of him
44:03
may be before you
44:04
that you will come
44:05
to be in awe
44:06
of him
44:07
as the great God
44:08
who is your deliverer
44:10
who is your God
44:11
your creator
44:12
your savior
44:13
and living in awe
44:17
of God
44:17
is not the same
44:19
as living
44:19
in a way
44:20
that's afraid
44:21
of him
44:21
in fact
44:23
the fear of God
44:24
is in many ways
44:26
the opposite
44:26
of being afraid
44:28
of God
44:29
the people here
44:30
were afraid
44:31
but Moses is assuring
44:33
them
44:33
no he says
44:34
don't be afraid
44:35
he has not come down
44:36
so that you will be
44:37
afraid of him
44:38
he's come down
44:39
so that the fear
44:40
of him may go before you
44:42
that you'll have love
44:43
and respect
44:44
and awe
44:45
of him
44:45
and of his ways
44:46
and of his word
44:47
and of his commandments
44:48
because you see
44:49
the fear of God
44:50
at the very heart
44:51
of the fear of God
44:52
is love for God
44:54
and love for God
44:56
means respect for God
44:58
that's really the fear
44:59
of God in action
45:00
if you like
45:01
and Israel is not
45:05
to keep the law
45:08
of God
45:08
because they're afraid
45:09
of God
45:10
but out of love
45:11
and respect for him
45:12
out of the fear
45:13
of him
45:14
that's what leads us
45:15
to be careful
45:16
with regard to
45:17
the word of God
45:19
and how we apply it
45:20
to our lives
45:22
and see
45:23
that combination
45:24
is important as well
45:26
that combination
45:26
of love
45:27
and of law
45:29
it's important
45:30
that we keep them together
45:31
because love needs the law
45:33
and law needs love
45:35
these are not opposites
45:37
these are not contradictory
45:39
that's not necessarily
45:41
what our society
45:43
thinks of it
45:44
because when you think
45:45
of presenting
45:46
the law of God
45:47
the ten commandments
45:48
the teaching of the Bible
45:50
even generally
45:50
to the world
45:51
of our days
45:52
you'll very soon find out
45:53
they don't want to know that
45:54
they don't want to be under law
45:56
but their own law
45:57
the law that people have
45:58
for themselves
45:59
their own ideas
46:00
of what's right and wrong
46:01
their own ideology
46:03
but love without
46:08
law
46:09
you could compare it
46:10
I think to
46:11
I'm sure you've all seen
46:13
and especially
46:13
if you've kept chickens
46:14
you know that sometimes
46:16
an egg is laid
46:18
without a shell
46:19
and it's rather difficult
46:21
to pick up that egg
46:23
without your finger
46:24
piercing it
46:25
it's a perfectly good enough
46:27
egg to eat
46:27
the inside is perfectly okay
46:29
you have the yolk
46:30
and you have the white
46:31
but you don't have the shell
46:32
it's a very
46:33
it's a very malleable
46:35
movable thing
46:36
all too easily broken
46:38
something you've got to be
46:39
very careful
46:40
how you handle
46:41
and in some ways
46:42
if you think of love
46:44
without the law of God
46:47
underneath it
46:48
or along with it
46:48
it's a bit like that
46:50
malleable
46:51
movable
46:52
thing
46:53
that the egg
46:53
without the shell is
46:54
or think of
46:55
something
46:55
mallowy
46:56
something without
46:57
any structure
46:58
love needs
47:00
the law of God
47:01
to give it that
47:03
shape
47:03
that firmness
47:04
to give it that
47:06
foundational
47:09
if you like
47:10
it's not necessarily
47:11
foundational
47:12
to love
47:13
but love
47:13
requires
47:14
the law of God
47:16
to give it
47:17
the structure
47:18
that's required
47:19
love can't exist
47:20
without structure
47:21
that's why it's so
47:23
meaningless
47:24
to hear this
47:26
often repeated
47:27
mantra today
47:28
with regard to
47:29
lifestyles that are
47:30
contrary to the word
47:31
of God
47:31
love is love
47:33
what does that mean
47:35
love is love
47:36
love is what I make it
47:37
that's what it means
47:38
love is how I define it
47:40
love is how it best
47:41
fits with my ideology
47:43
love is how it
47:45
how it
47:45
how it fits with
47:46
how I see the world
47:47
how I see my place
47:48
in it
47:49
how I see my lifestyle
47:50
love is love
47:52
so different
47:54
to the definition
47:55
and the teaching
47:57
of the Bible
47:57
as to what love is
47:58
love for God
47:59
primarily
48:00
and first of all
48:01
but love
48:02
as it extends
48:03
to loving your fellow
48:04
Christians
48:05
and loving the world
48:06
indeed
48:06
it has to have
48:07
a firmness to it
48:08
what does provide
48:10
how does that
48:11
firmness provide it
48:12
well the word of God
48:13
the law of God
48:14
if you go to the opposite
48:16
and the law of God
48:18
without love
48:19
what do you have
48:20
well that's something
48:21
if you like to have
48:23
another illustration
48:24
it's rather like
48:25
a grindstone
48:26
which just goes on
48:28
grinding
48:29
and goes on grinding
48:30
the more you try
48:31
to keep it
48:31
as Paul found out
48:33
the more it grinds you
48:34
and the more it grinds you
48:35
the more it hurts
48:36
it just wears you down
48:42
you try and keep
48:45
the law of God
48:46
without love for God
48:48
without respect
48:50
and awe
48:50
in loving God
48:52
and you'll find
48:54
that's its effect
48:54
when Paul
48:56
and Saul of Tarsus
48:58
thought he was really
48:59
managing the situation
49:02
so well
49:03
his own life
49:03
those things
49:05
he now says
49:06
having come to know Christ
49:07
what gain did I have
49:09
I count them now
49:10
as just rubbish
49:11
something to be
49:13
thrown away
49:14
his own righteousness
49:15
that is he means
49:16
he wasn't actually
49:18
rubbishing the law
49:19
of God
49:19
but he was rubbishing
49:21
his own attitude
49:22
to it
49:22
his own attempt
49:23
to keep it
49:24
by his own strength
49:25
and so love
49:28
and law
49:29
actually go together
49:30
and you see
49:30
it's saying here
49:32
that the love
49:32
that the fear
49:33
of God
49:34
which we're saying
49:36
contains the love
49:37
of God
49:37
may be before you
49:39
in other words
49:41
it's not to be
49:41
an occasional thing
49:42
for you
49:43
God is saying
49:43
to Israel
49:44
that it may be
49:45
before you
49:46
that it may be
49:48
part of your path
49:49
onwards
49:50
that you may
49:52
always place it
49:53
before you
49:53
that it may always
49:55
direct your life
49:56
as you see
49:58
from Psalm 119
49:59
so often
50:00
the word of God
50:01
the precepts
50:02
of God
50:03
they're not laborious
50:05
when you love
50:06
the Lord
50:06
they're not burdensome
50:08
when you love
50:08
the Lord
50:09
they're actually
50:10
a guide to life
50:12
they keep your life
50:13
in check
50:14
they guide you
50:16
on the way
50:16
so he says
50:17
that the fear
50:18
of him
50:18
may be
50:19
before you
50:20
not occasional
50:22
but as part
50:23
of your path
50:24
Psalm 1
50:25
that man
50:26
has perfect
50:27
blessedness
50:28
who walks
50:29
not astray
50:29
in counsel
50:31
of ungodly men
50:32
or stands
50:33
in sinners way
50:34
whose loves
50:36
the Lord
50:37
who meditates
50:38
on the law
50:39
of God
50:39
night and day
50:41
we need
50:44
the law
50:45
of God
50:45
before us
50:46
always
50:46
that's
50:47
again so
50:48
contrary
50:48
to the way
50:49
our society
50:50
sadly
50:51
see things
50:52
law
50:52
and love
50:53
as we said
50:54
kept
50:54
or regarded
50:55
as opposites
50:56
and especially
50:58
the law
50:59
of God
51:00
itself
51:00
and friends
51:02
you're all
51:04
too conscious
51:04
I'm sure
51:05
of how
51:07
lawlessness
51:07
or the
51:08
degree of
51:09
lawlessness
51:10
that has
51:10
crept
51:11
into our
51:12
society
51:12
into the
51:13
behavior
51:13
of people
51:14
when you
51:15
find
51:15
violence
51:17
all too
51:17
soon
51:17
accompanying
51:19
different
51:19
types
51:19
of
51:20
demonstrations
51:20
on our
51:21
streets
51:21
what's
51:23
behind
51:23
that
51:24
why
51:24
is that
51:25
the way
51:25
it is
51:25
why can't
51:26
people
51:26
demonstrate
51:27
peaceably
51:27
although some
51:28
of course
51:28
do
51:29
well it's
51:30
largely because
51:31
there's no
51:31
concept of
51:32
the law
51:32
of God
51:33
no concept
51:33
of being
51:34
answerable
51:34
to a higher
51:35
authority
51:35
than
51:36
themselves
51:36
and certainly
51:39
not answerable
51:39
to God
51:40
because they
51:40
don't believe
51:41
in him
51:41
well here is
51:43
Moses saying
51:44
this is why
51:45
this event
51:46
has happened
51:47
this is why
51:47
God has
51:48
come down
51:48
don't be
51:49
afraid
51:50
but it's so
51:51
that you
51:51
may have
51:52
the fear
51:52
of him
51:52
before you
51:53
that you
51:54
may not
51:54
sin
51:55
because you
51:56
see the
51:57
outcome
51:57
of the
51:58
fear of
51:59
God
51:59
as something
52:00
that regulates
52:01
your heart
52:02
your thoughts
52:02
your way of
52:03
life
52:03
the outcome
52:04
of that
52:05
the inevitable
52:06
consequence
52:07
of having
52:08
the fear
52:08
of God
52:09
as the
52:09
guide
52:09
of your
52:09
life
52:10
is holiness
52:11
of life
52:12
is so
52:13
that you
52:14
may not
52:14
sin
52:15
that's why
52:17
God has
52:17
come
52:17
that the
52:18
fear of
52:19
him may
52:19
be before
52:20
you
52:20
and that
52:21
you may
52:22
not sin
52:22
in relation
52:23
to that
52:24
it's not
52:27
our own
52:28
efforts to
52:28
keep the
52:29
law of
52:29
God
52:30
that ensure
52:30
that we
52:31
do not
52:31
sin
52:32
it's
52:33
actually
52:34
our love
52:34
for God
52:35
and respect
52:36
for his
52:37
law
52:37
that has
52:38
the effect
52:39
of not
52:40
wanting to
52:41
sin in
52:42
the presence
52:42
of God
52:43
holiness
52:44
in other
52:45
words
52:45
likeness
52:46
to God
52:47
himself
52:47
and you
52:48
may be
52:48
saying
52:48
tonight
52:48
well
52:49
I'm just
52:51
left out of
52:52
the picture
52:52
altogether
52:53
then
52:53
what hope
52:55
is there
52:56
for me
52:56
when I know
52:58
that I'm a
52:58
sinner
52:58
when I know
53:00
that even
53:00
as a
53:01
Christian
53:01
I do
53:01
sin
53:02
from day
53:02
to day
53:03
I'm
53:04
conscious
53:04
of my
53:04
sin
53:05
and here's
53:05
a passage
53:06
saying that
53:06
the fear
53:07
of God
53:08
may be
53:09
before you
53:10
so that
53:10
you may
53:10
not sin
53:11
where does
53:11
that leave
53:12
me
53:12
well if you're
53:13
conscious of
53:13
your sin
53:14
tonight
53:14
what do you
53:15
do with
53:16
it
53:16
you go
53:16
to Jesus
53:17
with it
53:17
you confess
53:18
it to
53:18
Jesus
53:19
whether you're
53:19
a Christian
53:19
converted
53:20
or otherwise
53:21
but you go
53:22
to God
53:23
with it
53:23
you express
53:24
it to
53:24
him
53:24
whenever you
53:25
are a
53:26
Christian
53:26
as many
53:27
of you are
53:27
tonight
53:27
and you're
53:28
conscious
53:28
of still
53:29
sinning
53:29
against the
53:30
Lord
53:30
and so
53:30
difficult
53:31
to actually
53:32
control
53:33
some of the
53:33
urges in
53:34
your own
53:34
heart
53:35
some of the
53:35
constant
53:36
motions of
53:37
sin in
53:38
your mind
53:38
and in
53:39
your heart
53:39
what do
53:40
you do
53:40
well where
53:41
is the
53:41
answer
53:42
the answer
53:42
is in
53:43
first
53:43
John
53:43
chapter
53:44
two
53:44
verses
53:44
one
53:45
to
53:45
two
53:45
my
53:47
beloved
53:47
children
53:48
I write
53:49
these things
53:49
to you
53:50
he says
53:50
so that
53:51
you may
53:52
not sin
53:52
but if
53:54
anyone
53:54
does
53:55
sin
53:55
we have
53:57
an advocate
53:57
with the
53:58
father
53:58
Jesus
53:59
Christ
54:00
the
54:00
righteous
54:01
one
54:01
and he
54:02
is the
54:03
propitiation
54:04
for our
54:05
sin
54:05
he is
54:05
God's
54:06
answer
54:06
to his
54:07
own
54:07
anger
54:08
against us
54:08
for our
54:09
sins
54:09
go to
54:12
Jesus
54:12
he's
54:14
already
54:14
paid the
54:14
price
54:15
of sin
54:15
he continues
54:17
to be
54:18
the mediator
54:18
between us
54:20
and God
54:20
when we
54:21
come
54:21
and have
54:22
our trust
54:22
in him
54:23
and he
54:25
continues
54:26
to make
54:26
intercession
54:27
for his
54:28
people
54:29
from his
54:30
throne
54:30
in heaven
54:31
he presents
54:32
the perfection
54:34
of his
54:34
own
54:35
atonement
54:35
the death
54:37
he died
54:38
at Calvary
54:39
the life
54:40
of obedience
54:41
he lived
54:42
he continually
54:44
presents that
54:45
to God
54:46
even by his
54:46
person being
54:47
there
54:48
we have an
54:49
advocate
54:50
with the
54:50
father
54:50
and he is
54:52
the propitiation
54:53
for our
54:54
sins
54:54
so don't
54:57
despair
54:58
tonight
54:58
don't treat
54:59
your sin
55:00
lightly
55:00
don't think
55:01
of it in
55:02
such a way
55:02
as says
55:03
well I can
55:03
go to
55:03
Jesus
55:04
with it
55:04
any time
55:05
that's not
55:05
what he's
55:06
saying
55:06
yes you
55:06
can do
55:07
that
55:07
but you
55:08
need to
55:09
constantly
55:09
have in
55:09
your mind
55:10
and I
55:10
must too
55:11
when I'm
55:12
conscious
55:12
of my
55:13
sin
55:13
I look
55:14
to God
55:14
I look
55:15
to his
55:15
provision
55:16
I look
55:16
to the
55:16
Savior
55:17
I look
55:18
to Jesus
55:18
I look
55:19
to him
55:19
as the
55:20
mediator
55:20
I look
55:21
to his
55:21
intercession
55:22
I look
55:22
to him
55:23
as the
55:24
one God
55:24
has provided
55:25
for me
55:25
so that
55:27
I will
55:27
not die
55:28
for my
55:29
sins
55:30
who's
55:32
looking after
55:33
your own
55:33
life
55:33
tonight
55:34
who's
55:37
looking after
55:37
your eternity
55:38
who's looking
55:41
after what
55:42
happened
55:42
what happens
55:43
to you
55:43
during the
55:44
course of
55:45
life
55:45
who's
55:47
looking after
55:47
what will
55:48
be the
55:48
case
55:49
when you
55:49
die
55:49
or after
55:51
you die
55:52
who's
55:53
looking after
55:53
your present
55:54
who's looking
55:56
after your
55:56
future
55:57
in what
55:59
or in
55:59
whom
55:59
is your
56:01
trust
56:01
well if
56:03
it's in
56:04
Jesus
56:04
it is
56:06
well
56:06
it is
56:06
well
56:07
with your
56:07
soul
56:08
and if
56:10
it's not
56:10
you don't
56:11
have a
56:11
mediator
56:11
if you
56:13
haven't
56:14
come to
56:14
accept him
56:15
to trust
56:16
in him
56:16
you're
56:17
facing
56:18
God
56:18
in your
56:19
own
56:19
ability
56:20
in your
56:20
own
56:20
strength
56:21
and where's
56:22
that going
56:23
to get
56:23
us
56:23
because
56:25
the wages
56:25
of sin
56:26
is death
56:27
so there's
56:29
the people's
56:30
fear
56:30
the purpose
56:31
of God
56:32
and very
56:32
very briefly
56:33
the person
56:34
of Moses
56:35
we said
56:36
the people's
56:37
request
56:38
or plea
56:38
here
56:39
when they're
56:40
afraid to
56:40
draw near
56:41
is saying
56:42
to Moses
56:43
you speak
56:43
to us
56:44
don't let
56:45
God speak
56:45
to us
56:46
in case
56:48
we die
56:48
in the
56:50
Old Testament
56:50
we have
56:52
a number
56:52
of people
56:54
that represent
56:55
Jesus
56:55
and you could
56:56
say are
56:57
foreshadowing
56:58
of Jesus
56:58
we use the
56:59
word type
56:59
a type
57:00
of Christ
57:01
means somebody
57:02
who's symbolic
57:03
in a sense
57:03
of Christ
57:04
in the
57:05
prophecies
57:06
or in the
57:07
teachings
57:07
of the Old
57:07
Testament
57:08
leading up
57:09
to the time
57:10
of Jesus
57:10
himself
57:11
and if
57:12
you ask
57:12
who is
57:13
the main
57:15
type
57:16
of a
57:17
mediator
57:18
in the
57:18
Old Testament
57:19
to teach
57:20
us about
57:20
Jesus
57:21
and the
57:21
way Jesus
57:22
was going
57:23
to come
57:23
to be
57:23
the mediator
57:24
well
57:25
in many
57:26
ways
57:26
it's
57:26
Moses
57:27
because
57:28
Moses
57:29
here
57:30
is asked
57:30
by the
57:31
people
57:31
to come
57:31
and stand
57:32
between
57:33
them
57:33
and God
57:34
or at
57:34
least
57:34
speak
57:35
to them
57:35
that's
57:36
the same
57:36
thing
57:36
as a
57:37
mediator
57:37
speaking
57:37
for God
57:38
to the
57:39
people
57:39
rather than
57:40
God
57:40
himself
57:40
coming
57:41
destructively
57:42
to
57:43
them
57:45
for their
57:45
sin
57:45
and Moses
57:47
as a
57:47
mediator
57:48
you see
57:48
that wonderful
57:49
chapter in
57:50
chapter 32
57:51
where the
57:54
people had
57:55
so grievously
57:56
sinned against
57:57
the Lord
57:57
in fashioning
57:59
creating this
58:00
golden calf
58:00
and beginning
58:01
to worship
58:02
it
58:02
while Moses
58:04
was up in
58:05
the mountain
58:05
God revealed
58:06
to him
58:07
that the
58:07
people had
58:08
corrupted
58:08
themselves
58:09
made a
58:10
calf
58:10
and the
58:12
Lord
58:12
said
58:12
I have
58:12
seen
58:13
this
58:13
people
58:13
behold
58:14
it is a
58:15
stiff neck
58:15
people
58:15
now therefore
58:16
leave me
58:17
alone
58:17
that my
58:18
wrath
58:19
may burn
58:19
hot against
58:20
them
58:20
that I
58:21
may consume
58:22
them in
58:22
order that I
58:23
may make a
58:23
great nation
58:24
of you
58:24
what a great
58:25
test for
58:25
Moses
58:26
God is
58:27
saying to
58:28
him
58:28
don't appeal
58:29
to me
58:30
don't
58:32
don't
58:34
don't
58:34
actually
58:34
as he
58:35
puts it
58:36
there
58:36
leave me
58:37
alone
58:38
let me
58:38
alone
58:38
stop
58:40
praying for
58:40
this
58:41
people
58:41
I'm
58:41
going to
58:42
destroy
58:42
them
58:42
Moses
58:43
said
58:44
he
58:44
implored
58:45
the
58:45
Lord
58:45
instead
58:46
of that
58:46
Moses
58:46
acted
58:47
as the
58:47
mediator
58:48
oh
58:49
Lord
58:49
why
58:49
does
58:50
your
58:50
wrath
58:50
burn
58:50
hot
58:51
against
58:51
your
58:51
people
58:51
why
58:52
should
58:53
the
58:53
Egyptians
58:53
say
58:54
with
58:54
evil
58:54
intent
58:55
he
58:55
brought
58:56
them
58:56
out
58:56
to
58:56
kill
58:56
them
58:57
turn
58:57
from
58:58
your
58:58
burning
58:58
anger
58:59
and
58:59
relent
58:59
remember
59:00
Abraham
59:01
Isaac
59:01
and
59:02
Israel
59:02
your
59:03
servants
59:03
and so
59:04
the
59:04
Lord
59:05
turned
59:05
from
59:06
the
59:07
anger
59:08
that he
59:08
had
59:08
threatened
59:08
to break
59:09
out
59:09
on the
59:10
people
59:11
and then
59:12
later on
59:13
in the
59:13
chapter
59:13
you have
59:14
this
59:15
marvelous
59:16
emphasis
59:17
on
59:18
Moses
59:18
saying
59:19
Moses
59:19
said to
59:20
the
59:20
people
59:20
you
59:20
have
59:21
sinned
59:21
a
59:21
great
59:21
sin
59:22
what's
59:35
what's
59:49
Moses
59:50
Moses
59:50
saying
59:50
he's
59:53
pleading
59:53
with
59:53
God
59:53
not
59:54
to
59:54
destroy
59:54
the
59:54
people
59:55
that
59:56
there
59:56
be
59:56
not
59:57
death
59:57
from
59:57
God
59:58
for
59:58
these
59:58
people
59:59
but
59:59
he's
59:59
saying
59:59
Lord
1:00:00
instead
1:00:02
of
1:00:02
that
1:00:02
if there
1:00:03
has
1:00:03
to be
1:00:03
a
1:00:04
death
1:00:04
effectively
1:00:04
he's
1:00:05
saying
1:00:05
let
1:00:06
that
1:00:06
be
1:00:06
mine
1:00:07
let
1:00:08
that
1:00:08
be
1:00:08
upon
1:00:09
me
1:00:09
let
1:00:10
me
1:00:10
bear
1:00:11
the
1:00:11
penalty
1:00:11
let
1:00:13
me
1:00:13
take
1:00:13
the
1:00:14
guilt
1:00:14
for
1:00:15
their
1:00:15
grievous
1:00:15
sin
1:00:16
no
1:00:17
that's
1:00:18
mediatorship
1:00:19
that is
1:00:21
a
1:00:21
type
1:00:22
a
1:00:23
foreshadowing
1:00:24
of the
1:00:25
mediatorship
1:00:26
of Jesus
1:00:27
because
1:00:28
that's
1:00:29
effectively
1:00:29
what
1:00:30
Jesus
1:00:31
did
1:00:31
for
1:00:33
his
1:00:33
people
1:00:33
he
1:00:34
took
1:00:35
their
1:00:35
sin
1:00:35
to
1:00:35
himself
1:00:36
let
1:00:38
me
1:00:38
die
1:00:38
their
1:00:39
death
1:00:40
let
1:00:41
me
1:00:41
die
1:00:42
the
1:00:42
death
1:00:42
they
1:00:43
deserve
1:00:43
that's
1:00:43
effectively
1:00:44
what's
1:00:45
at the
1:00:45
heart
1:00:45
of the
1:00:46
mediatorship
1:00:47
of
1:00:47
Jesus
1:00:47
standing
1:00:48
between
1:00:48
God
1:00:49
and his
1:00:50
people
1:00:50
God
1:00:51
and sinners
1:00:52
and you
1:00:55
see here
1:00:55
in Exodus
1:00:56
chapter
1:00:57
20
1:00:58
these
1:00:58
verses
1:00:58
in verse
1:01:00
21
1:01:00
that section
1:01:01
finishes
1:01:01
people stood
1:01:02
afar off
1:01:03
while Moses
1:01:04
drew near
1:01:05
to the
1:01:05
thick
1:01:06
darkness
1:01:06
where
1:01:08
God
1:01:08
was
1:01:09
what is
1:01:12
Calvary
1:01:12
Calvary
1:01:15
is the
1:01:15
mediator
1:01:16
is the
1:01:17
mediator
1:01:18
and entering
1:01:20
into the
1:01:20
thick
1:01:21
darkness
1:01:21
where God
1:01:23
and his
1:01:24
wrath is
1:01:24
and taking
1:01:25
to himself
1:01:26
that penalty
1:01:27
that they
1:01:28
deserved
1:01:29
here is
1:01:31
Moses
1:01:32
on behalf
1:01:33
of the
1:01:34
people
1:01:34
foreshadowing
1:01:35
that entrance
1:01:37
of Jesus
1:01:37
into the
1:01:39
darkness
1:01:39
and Calvary's
1:01:42
darkness
1:01:43
is recorded
1:01:44
for us
1:01:44
in the
1:01:45
New Testament
1:01:46
that darkness
1:01:49
in the
1:01:51
creation
1:01:52
that symbolized
1:01:53
the darkness
1:01:54
in the soul
1:01:56
of Jesus
1:01:56
as he
1:01:58
became
1:01:59
the curse
1:02:02
for his
1:02:04
people
1:02:04
are you
1:02:09
tonight
1:02:09
under his
1:02:10
intercession
1:02:10
who is
1:02:13
remembering
1:02:13
you in the
1:02:14
presence of
1:02:14
God
1:02:14
remember
1:02:15
it's not
1:02:16
the same
1:02:16
thing to
1:02:17
have people
1:02:17
praying for
1:02:18
you
1:02:18
as to be
1:02:20
within the
1:02:21
intercession
1:02:21
of Jesus
1:02:22
himself
1:02:23
through faith
1:02:25
in Christ
1:02:26
through trusting
1:02:28
in him
1:02:28
through handing
1:02:30
your life over
1:02:30
to him
1:02:31
whatever way
1:02:31
you describe
1:02:32
it
1:02:32
you come
1:02:34
under this
1:02:34
magnificent
1:02:35
indescribable
1:02:36
wonderful
1:02:37
privilege
1:02:38
of having
1:02:40
the king
1:02:40
of heaven
1:02:41
interceding
1:02:43
for you
1:02:43
constantly
1:02:45
remembering
1:02:45
you
1:02:46
in the
1:02:47
presence
1:02:47
of the
1:02:48
father
1:02:48
who would
1:02:50
want to
1:02:50
live
1:02:51
without
1:02:52
that
1:02:53
let's
1:02:54
pray
1:02:54
oh
1:02:57
lord
1:02:57
our
1:02:57
god
1:02:57
we
1:02:58
give
1:02:58
thanks
1:02:58
for the
1:03:00
provision
1:03:00
that you
1:03:01
have made
1:03:01
for us
1:03:02
so that
1:03:03
as sinners
1:03:04
we would
1:03:04
not be
1:03:04
consumed
1:03:05
by the
1:03:06
wrath
1:03:07
that we
1:03:07
so much
1:03:07
deserve
1:03:08
we thank
1:03:10
you tonight
1:03:10
for Jesus
1:03:11
for the
1:03:11
mediatorship
1:03:12
that he
1:03:13
exercises
1:03:14
and for
1:03:16
the way
1:03:16
that he
1:03:16
came into
1:03:17
this world
1:03:18
and entered
1:03:19
into that
1:03:19
thick darkness
1:03:20
that no one
1:03:21
can describe
1:03:22
the darkness
1:03:23
of bearing
1:03:24
the wrath
1:03:24
of god
1:03:25
we thank
1:03:27
you lord
1:03:27
that he
1:03:28
endured
1:03:28
and came
1:03:29
through
1:03:29
and came
1:03:32
from the
1:03:33
dead
1:03:33
itself
1:03:33
to finally
1:03:35
be ascended
1:03:36
to heaven
1:03:36
to sit
1:03:37
at the
1:03:37
right hand
1:03:38
of god
1:03:38
oh help
1:03:40
us we
1:03:40
pray
1:03:40
to have
1:03:41
our trust
1:03:42
in you
1:03:43
to have
1:03:44
our confidence
1:03:44
in that
1:03:45
lord
1:03:45
and turn
1:03:47
us we
1:03:47
pray
1:03:47
from our
1:03:48
own ways
1:03:49
from our
1:03:49
own thoughts
1:03:50
so that we
1:03:51
might think
1:03:52
our thoughts
1:03:52
after you
1:03:53
as we find
1:03:54
these in your
1:03:55
word
1:03:55
bless us
1:03:56
then we
1:03:57
pray for
1:03:57
jesus
1:03:58
sake
1:03:58
amen
1:03:59
now we're
1:04:02
going to sing
1:04:02
finally in
1:04:02
conclusion
1:04:03
tonight
1:04:03
from psalm
1:04:04
119
1:04:05
again
1:04:05
psalm
1:04:07
119
1:04:08
again
1:04:08
is the
1:04:09
scottish
1:04:09
psalter
1:04:09
version
1:04:10
page
1:04:10
415
1:04:11
and we
1:04:13
sing from
1:04:13
verse 172
1:04:14
the final
1:04:15
four stanzas
1:04:16
of psalm
1:04:17
119
1:04:18
my tongue
1:04:19
of thy
1:04:19
most blessed
1:04:20
word
1:04:20
shall speak
1:04:21
and it
1:04:22
confess
1:04:23
because all
1:04:24
thy commandments
1:04:24
are perfect
1:04:25
righteousness
1:04:26
let thy
1:04:27
strong hand
1:04:28
make help
1:04:29
to me
1:04:29
thy precepts
1:04:30
are my
1:04:31
choice
1:04:31
i longed
1:04:33
for thy
1:04:33
salvation
1:04:34
lord
1:04:34
and in
1:04:35
thy law
1:04:36
rejoice
1:04:37
these words
1:04:37
in conclusion
1:04:38
my tongue
1:04:47
of thy
1:04:48
most
1:04:49
blessed
1:04:51
word
1:04:53
shall be
1:04:57
shall speak
1:04:59
shall speak
1:05:05
and it
1:05:14
ановly
1:05:15
Let thy strong hand be held to me.
1:05:26
Thy pleasets are my choice.
1:05:34
I long for thy salvation, Lord.
1:05:43
And in thy glory rejoice.
1:05:51
O let thy soul in hand be sharp.
1:06:01
Give praises come to thee.
1:06:07
And let thy judgment wish us.
1:06:16
Be helpful unto thee.
1:06:23
I lie in the lost sheep wanes astray.
1:06:32
I serve as secret and high.
1:06:40
For thy promise I suffer not.
1:06:48
To save as of my mind.
1:06:56
Amen.
1:06:58
Now, we're not using the main door this evening for exiting the building because of the strength of the weather.
1:07:03
I'm not sure if Rory's opening this one.
1:07:05
This one is and this one as well.
1:07:07
So just come forward to the side doors, please, to vacate the building this evening.
1:07:11
I'll go to the door to my right.
1:07:13
Those upstairs can just choose which one of the front doors they come to, side doors they come to.
1:07:18
Now, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and evermore.
1:07:27
Amen.
1:07:28
Amen.